Consumer Responses to Sponsorships in Podcasts

Abstract

Podcast is a phenomenon that has received rising interest the past decade. Marketers have already acknowledged the potential of utilizing podcast as a marketing communication tool, and the medium has especially been found appropriate for sponsorships. Despite the growing interest for using podcast as a marketing channel, little empirical research has been conducted on the topic. Marketers are still uncertain about consumer’s reaction to sponsorships in podcasts, and what impact it can have on their brand. This study aims to extent the limited current research on the topic by examining how consumer’s respond when being exposed to podcast sponsorships. In particular, when being exposed to sponsors with distinctive market prominence, as well as variations in how the sponsorship is integrated into the podcast show. Drawing from theories on sponsor awareness, sponsor attitude, sincerity and fit perceptions, findings show that consumers exposed to a prominent sponsor develop more positive attitudes towards the sponsor and have a higher sponsor recall accuracy. When a sponsorship is highly integrated into the show content the sponsor also receives a higher recall rate, although not on a significant level. Furthermore, the study finds that perceived fit between the sponsor and podcast is a significant predictor of consumer’s sincerity towards the sponsor. Also, consumers that are not frequent podcast listeners is interestingly also a predictor of sincerity. This research provides a review of traditional sponsorship literature on sponsor recall, sponsor attitude, sincerity and fit, which has primarily been applied to sport and event settings in previous research. Eight research questions were developed to examine if existing sponsorship theories can also be applied in the context of podcast sponsoring. Implications for managers that already sponsor or consider investing in podcast sponsorships are presented, as well as suggestions for future research on the topic.