Nielsen Analytics released a report titled “The Economics of Podcasting” last week. In the report it was indicated that podcasts are garnering an increasing audience of listeners, which has caught the eyes of advertisers.
The study found that in excess of 9 million Web users in the U.S. have downloaded podcasts to their computers and handheld devices in the last month. The most popular podcasts (which are usually of the entertainment and news variety) garner upwards of 2 million downloads each month.
Of the study’s 1,700 respondents, 10% said that they download eight or more podcasts each week. Thirty-eight percent said that their podcast listening has decreased their radio listening time.
The report also indicated that more than 75% of podcast listeners are of the male gender.
Although podcasts are still a relatively small market compared to the more traditional media channels, it is one that is quickly growing, and, consequently, becoming a source of interest for many advertisers.
However, the conventional method of reaching consumers through podcasts has not seen astounding results so far. About 60% of those who partook in the study said they fast forward through the commercials that run between content. Advertisers have adjusted by placing their promotions within a program’s content or by having a podcast host verbalize their messages, which are methods used by advertisers in the radio realm.
“While essentially still in nascent form, podcasts offer free audio and video content that is inexpensive to create, easy to access and on a portable platform that has already reached mass distribution,” said general manager and senior VP at Nielsen Analytics, Larry Gerbrandt.
Big companies currently advertising through podcasts include EarthLink, Warner Bros., HP, HBO, GoDaddy, Shell Oil, and Sony Pictures.
Sources:
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=
Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=45932
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/
07/22/AR2006072200092.html
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_
content_id=1002877273
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