2025品牌播客行业基准对标报告

Our2025 Branded Podcast Benchmark Reporthelpsbrands and producers see how their efforts measure up. We know, however, that benchmarks on their own aren’t enough. It’s important tounderstandhowbranded podcasts perform. But it’s even moreimportant to knowwhythey perform. That’s why we areuncovering both the benchmarks and key driversfor three metrics most every brand wants from its podcast: attention,recommendations and halo effect. Along the way we’ll give you practical advice for obtaining thoseoutcomes… plus, a little more.You’ll find concrete, real-world examplesof branded podcasts doing things right, and a case study thatdemonstrates how knowing your audience gives you the knowledgeneeded for success. All of this comes fromSignal Hill Insights’ unmatched experiencetesting and measuring podcastsfrom major brands like Google, DellTechnologies, Ford, OnStar, Amex, US Bank and Red Hat. To Get What Brands Want,Deliver What Listeners Want Podcasts are an opt-in, leaned-in medium. Audiencesdon’t scroll or channel-surf podcasts. You don’t juststumble into the middle of a podcast. Instead, audiences choose podcasts carefully, driven bytheir needs and interests. Then they commit theirattention for minutes or hours (upon hours). That kind ofcommitment is what makes a podcast so powerful. Andthat commitment needs to be earned. This means thepodcast needs to deliver. Before we dig into what to deliver, let’sconsider a few things nearly every brandwants to accomplish with a branded podcast… What Brands Want: 1.Positive Brand Associationa/k/a“Halo Effect”- 3.Earned Attention fromListeners-Simply put, youwant listeners to listen, lendingtheir attention to the contentyou’ve invested in. And you wantthem tokeep listening, thoughwhole episodes, seasons andseries. A great branded podcast shouldbe a gift to the listener: great content they get forfree. Your brand benefits by association, casting ahalo. 2.Recommendation-Once you’veearned listeners’ attention, you want them topass on the good word to help build youraudience. We know from years of researchthat a personal recommendation is still oneof the most important ways people discovernew podcasts. 78% of monthly podcast listenerssay they are likely to check out apodcast recommended bysomeone in their social circle* What Brands Want:Positive Brand Association / “Halo Effect” Benchmark: 61% of listenerssaid a branded podcast episode madethem somewhat or much more favorable towards the brand. What Listeners Want:A Podcast That Keeps Their Attention Listeners tell us that the most influential key driver* for Halo Effect is when“the podcast kept my attention for the entire episode.” What This Means:Listeners want to be engaged, not bored.Make sure your content earns and keeps their attention, from start to finish. *Based on a Shapley Analysis of five drivers. What Brands Want:Listener Recommendation Benchmark:63% of listenerssay they would “probably or definitely”recommend a branded podcast, after hearing an episode. What Listeners Want:A Podcast that is Relevant and KeepsTheir Attention Attention is a top key driver again, joined by relevancy.* When a podcasthas earned their recommendation, listeners also say the podcast was“relevant to me.” What This Means:It may seem obvious, but listeners don’t want to spend their time and attention on an irrelevant podcast. It needs to resonate with their personallikes and needs. (More on that later.) Say they wouldrecommend a brandedpodcast after hearing anepisode. *Based on a Shapley Analysis of five drivers. What Everyone Wants:Attention A brand wants to earn a listener’s attention, and the listener wants thebrand to earn it. Benchmark:75% of listeners agreed* that a branded podcast episode“kept my attention for the entire episode.” Key Drivers of Attention:** A Topic of Interest and Entertainment Agreed that abranded podcastepisode kept theirattention for anentire episode. When listeners said a podcast kept their attention, they also are likely totell us, “I was interested in the topics covered in the podcast.” and “thepodcast was entertaining.” What This Means:Give a listener a topic of personal interest,then keep them entertained, and you’ll keep their attention. Putting It Together Give audiences … Something that keeps theirattention Something that is relevanttothemAninteresting topic–and make it entertaining! But how do you give audiences what they want?Let’s listen to what audiences tell us about real podcasts they foundinteresting, relevant and entertaining. Listeners Agree:I Was Interested in the Topics of thisB2BPodcast This podcast made for business listeners workingin privacy or risk management covered real casesin crisis and recovery. Listeners Agree:ThisB2CPersonal Finance Podcast Was Relevant to Me“I have thought about the same topics that were brought up in thatpodcast.” This consumer-focused podcast told real stories ofpeople’s first engagements with a financial advisor.