Category: Contributors

During a pandemic that drove millions indoors, and in front of screens, a funny thing happened with podcasts: audience engagement increased. And in addition to the wealth of new listeners, engagement among listeners is growing.

While the rise in engagement is somewhat contrary to what might be expected amid the many consumer changes over the past two years, podcast listenership–even at home–has transformed much of the general public into light listeners. In fact, the U.S. podcast  listener base has grown by 40%¹ over the past three years, with 51% of consumers² saying they started listening during the past two years.

Importantly, the strength of the mainstream-bound podcast industry spans beyond simply offering wide-ranging audiences a growing bevy of titles for content-hungry audiophiles—especially for advertisers. That’s because podcast audiences are shedding their COVID-induced spending inhibitions.

The positive sentiment among consumers about returning to many pre-pandemic activities has translated into action, as 91% of respondents say they have resumed some normal activities, while 76% say they have resumed most of their normal activities. Consumer attitudes also align with first-quarter economic signals, as the unemployment rate was at 3.6% as of March 2022 (down from 6% in March 2021), and the Conference Board’s Present Situation Index—which reflects consumer sentiment about the business and labor market—was at 153 in March, up 10 points from February.

And while overall recovery sentiment is rising, the consumer study found that podcast listeners are more likely than the general population to resume some of their pre-pandemic activities, including shopping for groceries at physical stores, shopping for non-grocery items at physical stores and dining out at restaurants.

The resumption of many pre-pandemic activities and behaviors is good news for all industries, and podcast advertisements represent a bright option for brands looking to increase their visibility and drive upper-funnel engagement. According to Nielsen Podcast Ad Effectiveness data, podcast advertisements drive 14 points in brand awareness and 7 points in information seeking. Those metrics bode well for marketers in North America, whose top objective for the next year is building brand awareness, followed very closely by new customer acquisition, as detailed in Nielsen’s 2022 Annual Marketing Report.

In addition to being receptive to advertising, especially when it’s read by the host, podcast listeners are among the consumers most likely to feel that life is returning to normal, and that includes planning major purchases, such as a new vehicle, a new home entertainment system and planning trips that involve air travel. The combination of sentiment and an eagerness to spend represents a bankable opportunity for brands with the right audience data. 

For additional insights, download our latest Podcasting Today report.

Sources

1. Nielsen Podcast Buying Power data
2. Nielsen Custom Consumer Sentiment Study, March 2022

The 66th season of the Eurovision Song Contest is here, and if previous years are any indication 2022 will be another heavy hitter when it comes to viewership. But at the same time, the international music competition also provides insight into the emotions of the audience—through the mood of the songs they vote to win. 

In addition to boasting seasons that have attracted more than 180 million viewers each year for the last seven years¹, Eurovision’s international audience of music enthusiasts eagerly look forward to rooting for their favorite artists—and discovering new music. And with the variety of music being presented at this year’s contest, audiences will be able to find a song to suit virtually every mood—because the performers showcase more moods with each new year of competition. According to Gracenote Global Music Data Sonic Descriptors sonic mood analysis of previous Eurovision contests, recent Eurovision winners have displayed far more emotional range than their predecessors. The 40 songs presented at this year’s contest represent 15 different primary moods. And the last 15 winners have represented 12 primary moods, while only 11 moods were represented amongst the winners of the entire first 40 years of the competition.

And with the variety of music being presented at this year’s contest, audiences will be able to find a song to suit virtually every mood—because the performers showcase more moods with each new year of competition. According to Gracenote Global Music Data Sonic Descriptors sonic mood analysis of previous Eurovision contests, recent Eurovision winners have displayed far more emotional range than their predecessors. The 40 songs presented at this year’s contest represent 15 different primary moods. And the last 15 winners have represented 12 primary moods, while only 11 moods were represented among the winners of the entire first 40 years of the competition.

The recent uptick in emotional diversity isn’t surprising—consumers are increasingly looking for experiences that engage with them as individuals, and creators are rushing to fill the gap. American television, for instance, now features 817,000 unique program titles across traditional TV and streaming services, compared with just over 646,000 titles in 2019². For musicians and streaming services looking to reach and engage new audiences, Eurovision trends can be a finger on the pulse of global audiences and their moods.

And according to this year’s choices, audiences are looking for performers to energize and soothe them. Twenty song finalists—half the field—feature more energetic moods, despite this category being a less-common winner. An additional seven entries feature calmer moods, including submissions from Italy and the Netherlands—two favorites to win the contest this year. This bucks the trend of previous contests, but reflects a recent change in consumer sentiment. 

Faced with mounting supply chain woes, increasing inflation and the war in Ukraine, consumer confidence is at its lowest since the pandemic³. It’s no wonder audiences are looking for music that uplifts and reassures them. And Eurovision artists are meeting the moment.

Contrast this year’s trends with last year’s winner: “Zitti e Buoni,” a song classified as rowdy—the first time such a mood has won the competition. At the time of last year’s contest, many countries were lifting their COVID-related restrictions, and consumer confidence in Europe was its highest since October 2018³. Americans echoed this sentiment, as a Nielsen custom consumer sentiment study found that in June of 2021, 90% of consumers said they were “ready to go” and get back to normal. Before the omicron spike later in the year, audiences were enthusiastic about emerging from over a year behind doors—and the choice of winner reflects their eagerness. 

The benefits of striking the right chord with audiences don’t stop when the contest ends. And much like we see in other high-stakes competitions, Eurovision artists often see success far outside the competition. Out of 68 winning Eurovision songs, 46 have ascended to Billboard’s Top 100 U.K. Singles Chart⁴. And the 1976 winner, Brotherhood of Man’s “Save Your Kisses For Me,” spent 16 weeks on the chart, six of which were in the No. 1 spot. 

Artists aren’t the only ones who can benefit from understanding and anticipating audience moods. Streaming music services can use sonic mood data to create richer playlists and stations featuring a wider range of artists that exposes listeners to different styles of music and artists that they may not have discovered on their own. 

Making it easy for audiences to find new songs and bands they’ll love is key. Applying hyper-detailed meta descriptions, like mood, to audio content help draw connections between genre, mood, era and tempo to create a more complete listener profile. This data enables nuanced discovery paths and offers audio recommendations that align with a listener’s current taste while providing them with carefully curated new options.

Notes

1. European Broadcasting Union
2. Gracenote Global Video Data, February 2022
3. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
4. Billboard