Podcasts have surged in awareness and popularity over the last ten years, and are now proving to be an essential tool for brands looking to establish thought leadership, engage audiences, and foster meaningful connections. How are companies using branded podcasts? To better understand this question, CoHost and Sounds Profitable recently conducted a survey of 50 brands across various industries, and the results provide a detailed look into the current branded podcast landscape, offering direct insights from those actively utilizing this medium.

The survey included businesses of all sizes, with 44% operating as small businesses, 32% as mid-sized companies, and 24% as large corporations. These brands represent over 16 industries, with the largest groups coming from Financial Services (19%) and Technology (19%), followed by Science & Healthcare (15%).

Survey Key Findings:

• Thought Leadership Takes Center Stage
  Podcasts have emerged as a key component of many brands’ strategies, particularly in establishing thought leadership. A striking 76% of brands surveyed highlighted thought leadership as a primary objective in their podcasting efforts. A further 46% of respondents stated that podcasts outperform other marketing channels in terms of building authority and leadership in their fields.
• Significant Investments in Podcasting
  The report shows that brands are willing to make significant financial commitments to podcasting, with 18% of companies investing over $100,000 annually in their podcast strategies. However, despite this dedication, resource challenges remain a pressing issue. 58% of the brands surveyed reported difficulties with time and personnel allocation, indicating a need for more efficient resource management in podcast production.
• Satisfaction with Results is High
  Despite the challenges, branded podcasts are delivering strong returns. An impressive 90% of brands expressed satisfaction with their podcast’s performance, suggesting that the medium is effective in helping companies meet their marketing objectives and reach target audiences.
• Need for More Strategic Support
  One gap in the industry appears to be the availability of strategic guidance. About 42% of brands feel underserved in areas like podcast marketing and competitor research, signaling a potential opportunity for service providers to step in and offer more specialized support.

So what does it all mean? It’s apparent that branded podcasts are continuing to gain momentum as a valuable tool for brands across industries, offering significant opportunities for thought leadership and marketing success. However, more investment in terms of support and strategic guidance is in order!