Proven effectiveness of advertising on GPM Radio podcasts

Gazprom-Media Sales House, in partnership with Tiburon Research, has presented the results of an extensive study on the Russian podcast audience. The findings revealed that over half of the respondents had positive emotions regarding the advertising integration in GPM Radio podcasts, and nearly half of the listeners demonstrated an improved attitude towards integrated brands.

According to experts from the Association for the Development of Interactive Advertising (ex. IAB Russia), the field of podcasts ads holds a strong position in major global advertising markets and has good prospects in the field of commercial project integration. In addition, the growth rate of the podcast audience in Russia exceeds all expectations. With more than 28 million consumers*, this audio content segment is approaching the number of consumers comparable to that of the audiobook market. The relevance of this form of communication for the Russian audience was also confirmed by the results of the Tiburon Research’s survey conducted for Gazprom-Media Sales House. According to the data obtained, podcasts are a promising marketing tool, as they are noticed by 72% of active podcast listeners. Brand mentions by the presenters are considered the most effective form of communication, with 66% of the respondents recalling this format. The research has also revealed that the audience is receptive to the presence of advertising in podcasts. In general, advertising does not irritate the listeners or have a negative impact on their listening experience. Experts have concluded that podcasts can influence the establishment of audience loyalty, enhance brand awareness and, due to the high level of engagement and trust in podcast hosts, facilitate deeper interaction with the product.

Research summary and findings

The data for a comprehensive analysis of the major trends were collected from a representative online survey of men and women aged between 16 and 55 who listen to podcasts at least once a month. 1,000 interviews were conducted in Russian cities with more than 100 thousand residents. The primary objective of the research was to assess the attitude of the audience towards advertising in podcasts and smart speakers. The survey questions posed to the respondents focused on the frequency and locations where they listen to podcasts, the choice of devices and applications, and the attitude towards advertising in podcasts. According to the data obtained, podcasts are most commonly listened to on smartphones—this was the answer of 77.6% of respondents; only 18.5% of survey participants mentioned a smart speaker with a voice assistant, and other selected devices included a desktop PC/laptop (37%), a mobile phone (31.3%), a tablet (22.5%), and a car radio (15.8%). The most popular applications for listening to podcasts are YouTube (68.6%) and Yandex.Music (61%).

Podcasts naturally integrate into everyday life and accompany their listeners during various activities, such as doing chores (57%), on the road (57%), on a walk (39%), before going to bed (38%) or while doing hobbies (34%). Thus, podcasts hosts become part of the trusted circle of the audience. Ad integrations, where the presenter shares their personal experience with a brand or product, earn higher levels of trust than a plain advertising segment in a brand-sponsored podcast.

Key conclusions:

Brand mentions by the podcast host are the most likely to be remembered by the audience. 66% of those who noticed ads in podcasts noted that they heard the name of a trademark or product during the broadcast; more than a half (56%) noticed a sponsorship segment in the podcast. 46% of the respondents said that the podcast host’s mention of a brand or appeal to personal experience with a product does not distract them from listening, and 42% of the listeners trust the presenter’s words about such personal experience.

Engaging techniques in advertising are not only interesting for young people. Interactive advertising in podcasts (voice integrations with an offer to switch to social media, enter a contest, etc.) is attractive to 42% of the audience. The listeners in the age categories from 16 to 24 years and from 25 to 34 years respond most actively to this form of advertising, with 54% and 46% respectively. These indicators are naturally lower for the older audience: interactive advertising was preferred by 37% of the respondents aged from 35 to 44 years and by 30% of those from 45 to 55 years.

The attitudes towards advertising via smart speakers is neutral. 47.5% of the surveyed respondents noted that the presence of advertising on smart speakers with a voice assistant does not generally affect their attitudes towards using these devices. Another 15% of listeners perceive advertising normally, provided it does not detract from their overall enjoyment of using an audio speaker. At the same time, the indicators of ad noticeability for smart speakers are slightly lower compared to podcasts in general. Only 55% of listeners who have ever used smart audio speakers with voice assistants have noticed advertising.

Evaluation of GPM Radio’s podcasts

In the scope of the research, the listeners were also asked to listen to podcast segments of GPM Radio (part of Gazprom-Media Holding) in order to assess the level of attention drawn by specific advertising integrations among the audience. The proposed projects included Rubka, a podcast by the Comedy Radio team, in which a student loan program from Sberbank was integrated into one of programs on education. The research also covered some brand podcasts—original shows commissioned by advertisers. These are “Petya and SberCat,” implemented by Sberbank in collaboration with Detskoe Radio, and “Well, Well! News of Science with Krutilkin and Vertelkin,” another client podcast of Detskoe Radio with the integration of the national project “Science and Universities.” By analyzing these projects, it was revealed that listeners are more receptive to advertising when it is presented alongside high-quality content.

Specifically, the research showed that the content generated interest:

61% of the respondents enjoyed the podcasts, and 54% wished to learn more about the content of the integration. Most listeners’ attitudes toward the advertised brands improved after the broadcast. For example, 58% of those who listened to “Petya and SberCat” felt positive about the SberKids advertisement, and 64% felt confidence in the advertising integration. Two other GPM Radio projects achieved similar results.

Anna Lysukho

Senior Project Manager at Tiburon Research

When conducting research, it is always crucial to consider the context. We tested three podcasts: two for a children’s audience, and one about paid education with an advertising integration concerning loans. Even the podcast that touched on a sensitive topic of credit produced no negative impact brand perception, despite the nature of the topic. Brand mentions in the podcasts targeting a children’s audience were received more positively. More than half of the listeners of podcast segments aimed at this audience developed a more favorable attitude towards the advertised brand, particularly parents (the number of responses with an improved attitude towards the brand grew by approx. 10 percentage points).

Popularity factors and trends

GPM Radio’s experts attribute the growing popularity of podcasts to several factors at once:

The prevalence and convenience of smart devices as the primary devices for listening to podcasts.

Time saving. Information on a topic of interest can be listened to during activities such as commuting on public transportation, exercising, taking breaks, and many other tasks, allowing for concurrent engagement.

Development of new services. Paid subscription is in demand, and it is also possible to opt for a one-time purchase or lease. The number of streaming and video content platforms is growing.

Yulia Andryushova

Director of Business Communications and Analytics, GPM Radio, Expert of Gazprom-Media Sales House

The pandemic in 2020 tangentially influenced the development of podcast advertising. Due to lockdown, remote work etc. users were more likely to “hang out” online. In order to retain or attract audiences, many services have turned to the digital format, leading to the active development of podcasting. Moreover, this trend continued even after most quarantine restrictions were lifted. Judging by the rate of growth in content consumption via smartphones over the past two years (+67% compared to 2020**), it may soon be on a par with other popular digital audio formats. The results of the research validate our experience in this area. Our holding identifies podcast advertising as one of the most exciting opportunities among special projects. We can observe a positive attitude of the audience towards this way of communication, and we can see the growing interest of our clients. Accordingly, we have plans to continue our involvement in the utilization and advancement of this and other modern and impactful marketing tools.

*Source: Brand Pulse. Russia 0+. Q1 2022, 12–64 years age group. Data on the audio content consumption via smartphone and/or desktop in the Internet.

**Source: Brand Pulse. Russia 0+. March—May 2020, January—March 2022, 12–64 years age group.

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