• Insights
    • Exclusive Insights
    • Podcast
    • Articles
      • Advertising & Sales
      • Audience Development
      • Content Strategy
      • Digital Analytics
      • Digital Publishing
      • Monetization
      • SEO
      • Social Media
      • Technology
    • Top Tools & Reviews
    • Features
  • Education
    • Publisher SEO Course
  • Solutions
    • SEO for Publishers
    • Content Strategy Services
    • Brand Partner Solutions
  • Community
    • Slack Channel
    • Office Hours
    • Newsletter
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Editorial Policy
sodp logo
Search
Close this search box.
    SODP logo
    Login
    • Insights
      • Exclusive Insights
      • Podcast
      • Articles
        • Advertising & Sales
        • Audience Development
        • Content Strategy
        • Digital Analytics
        • Digital Publishing
        • Monetization
        • SEO
        • Social Media
        • Technology
      • Top Tools & Reviews
      • Features
        • Podcasts
        • Articles
        • Top Tools & Reviews
        • Features
        • Opinion
        • Advertising & Sales
        • Audience Development
        • Content Strategy
        • Digital Analytics
        • Digital Publishing
        • Insights
        • Monetization
        • SEO
        • Social Media
        • Technology
    • Education
      • Publisher SEO Course
        • Publisher SEO Course New
    • Solutions
      • SEO for Publishers
      • Content Strategy Services
      • Brand Partner Solutions
        • SEO For Publishers
        • Content Strategy Support
        • Brand Partner Solutions
    • Community
      • Slack Channel
      • Office Hours
      • Newsletter
        • Slack Channel
        • Office Hours
        • Newsletter
    • About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Editorial Policy
        • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Editorial Policy
    placeholder
    State of Digital Publishing Logo

    Home ▸ Insights ▸ A Report by BBC StoryWorks Explains Why Brands Should Take Branded Podcasts Seriously

    A Report by BBC StoryWorks Explains Why Brands Should Take Branded Podcasts Seriously

    • November 5, 2019
    • Miracle Oyedeji Miracle Oyedeji
    Miracle Oyedeji
    Fact checked by Vahe Arabian
    Vahe Arabian

    Founder and Editor in Chief of State of Digital Publishing. My vision is to provide digital publishing and media professionals a platform to collaborate and promote their efforts, my passion is to uncover talent and… Read more

    Edited by Vahe Arabian
    Vahe Arabian

    Founder and Editor in Chief of State of Digital Publishing. My vision is to provide digital publishing and media professionals a platform to collaborate and promote their efforts, my passion is to uncover talent and…Read more

    bbc branded podcast study
    Miracle Oyedeji

    Miracle Oyedeji is a creative millennial and poet. To Miracle, writing is not just a skill, but also a lifestyle. He really enjoys writing.

    What happened?

    Research conducted by neuroscientists at Neuro Insights and commissioned by BBC StoryWorks (a BBC Global News’s branded content department) reveals the influence of branded podcasts on active and passive listeners. The researchers reached out to 2,448 respondents in 10 industries around the Globe.

    The report also predicts the effects of the evolution of Voice Assistants, Smart Homes, and Podcasts on the ad Market.

     

    Why it matters

    The rise of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa is gradually changing the news industry. Journalists and news companies are pushing for the development of podcast news, as it may serve as a better alternative to site ads if done appropriately.

    As Bohb Blair, Global CXO at Starcom puts it, ‘it’s up to those partners to continue effective journalism; to make sure it’s trusted work. And distribute it in a way that people can have it.

     

    Digging deeper

    In general, podcasts have three important qualities that make them suitable for advertising. They are as follows; Convenience, Communication and Control. People don’t want to be fed with random news on the Tv or blog; they want to filter the news coming from new platforms. Communicating with the news gives them a sense of control.

    In line with the words of Kath Blackam, ‘Podcast listeners don’t want to be passive. They want to interact with the news. For instance; people could give a voice assistant instructions like, ‘tell me more’ or ‘Can you send me a link to more info on that?’”

    The most enticing thing about podcast ads is the reluctance of listeners to change the podcast channel or switch off the voice assistant when an advertisement is aired. Most times, podcast listeners are doing something else while listening to the podcast, so they aren’t really bothered by the ads. According to the Audio: Activated report, ‘94% of listeners consume podcasts while performing other tasks. Branded podcast inspires interaction with the brand advertised’

    Podcast listeners reportedly get attached after giving it the first trial. Initially, they tend to resent podcast news, as the VA may require access to their schedule and contacts; however, their responses change after the first trial, as they realize how cool it is to interact with the news.

    Also, the study reveals that podcast listeners tend to associate the message of a podcast with the brands advertised. According to the report, ‘In our sample, the word “innovative” was mentioned 12 times during the podcast. Listeners were later more likely to call the sponsor “innovative”, showing that they instinctively associate the brand with the message.’”

    The report findings back the use of branded podcasts. In regards to audience attentiveness, product acceptance and buyer’s intention, they were rated at 87%, 57% and 14% respectively. To arrive at these conclusions, the researchers adopted neuroscience methods, which work by analyzing brain waves during passive and active listening.

     

    Bottom line

    Branded podcasts present a rare opportunity for brands to find their way into the sub-consciousness of podcast listeners. Brands can now influence listeners, by registering certain notions and qualities through podcast ads.

    Publisher SEO - side banner - updated

    Receive timely analysis of news and developments in the digital publishing space directly in your mailbox.

    LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE

    EDITOR’S PICK

    • Google News SEO Guide
    • Mobile Video Consumption Tech Trends
    • What is a content creator?
    Banner
    Mobile-banner

    Related Posts

    • The Digital Publishers Report Volume
      Digital Publishers Report - Volume 1
    • AMP Stories
      BBC Experiments with Google AMP Stories
    • defining your taxonomisation
      Defining Your Taxonomisation
    • what is branded content
      What Is Branded Content?

    Related posts

    Expanding Public Radio Can Help Solve the Local News Crisis
    Insights

    Expanding Public Radio Can Help Solve the Local News Crisis

    australia tv insights
    Insights

    Australia TV Advertising Insights: Key Trends During an Unprecedented 18 Months

    cookie deprecation
    Insights

    Research Shows Publishers Around the World Are Not Utilizing Logins to Combat Cookie Deprecation

    new app marketing trends
    Insights

    News App Marketing Trends 2021

    Subscribe to receive a recap of our top stories in digital media.

    SODP logo

    State of Digital Publishing is creating a new publication and community for digital media and publishing professionals, in new media and technology.

    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy policy
    • Sitemap
    • Newsletter
    • Publisher SEO course
    • Become a member
    • Slack community
    • SEO for publishers
    • Content strategy support
    • Partner with us
    • Podcast
    • SEO Office Hours
    • Editorial Office Hours
    Facebook Twitter Slack Linkedin

    STATE OF DIGITAL PUBLISHING – COPYRIGHT 2023

    PUBLISHERS, THESE 20+ TOOLS WILL SUPERCHARGE YOUR GROWTH

    Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the ultimate list of smart technologies and free resources to boost your publisher SEO and content efforts.

    Join 3,000+ publishers around the world and get exclusive tips and resources delivered to your inbox.

    Being a part of the SODP Community has made a real impact on my problem-solving at work. From bouncing off paywalls solution ideas to thinking about an SEO strategy for my paywall, it’s the most value-adding professional community I’m a part of.

    Yvette Dimiri, Head of Growth, Stears

    PUBLISHERS, THESE 20+ TOOLS WILL SUPERCHARGE YOUR GROWTH

    Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the ultimate list of smart technologies and free resources to boost your publisher SEO and content efforts.

    Join 3,000+ publishers around the world and get exclusive tips and resources delivered to your inbox.

    Being a part of the SODP Community has made a real impact on my problem-solving at work. From bouncing off paywalls solution ideas to thinking about an SEO strategy for my paywall, it’s the most value-adding professional community I’m a part of.

    Yvette Dimiri, Head of Growth, Stears