With 41% of holiday shoppers planning to tackle their lists before Halloween, the time for advertisers to launch their seasonal campaigns is well ahead of Black Friday. Audio is giving easy wins for brands targeting early birds, especially those that plan now.
A new case study from Audacy showcases a holiday audio campaign that ran from October through December for an e-commerce brand. The campaign achieved a +5.2-point increase in unaided brand awareness, a +2.9-point lift in brand favorability, and a +5.7-point boost in purchase intent. Among listeners aged 35–44, the campaign drove a 6.2-point lift in purchase intent, signaling even stronger returns from key demographics.
Listeners responded not only to the frequency of audio ads but to the creativity behind them. More than 80% of respondents said the holiday-themed ads were appealing, relevant, and informative. Brand attributes also improved, with a +6.6-point lift in “a brand for people like me” and +5.0 points in “offers the fastest delivery option.”
Audacy credits podcasting’s staying power for part of the success. According to the company, podcast ads do not fatigue over time, even with 15 or more exposures. Listeners exposed to four or more ads were the most likely to convert, reinforcing the importance of frequency throughout the season.
As marketers shape their holiday plans, the report recommends several best practices for maximizing podcast ad effectiveness. These include starting early, embracing festive audio elements like jingling bells or snow crunches (which lifted ad recall and purchase intent by 26%), and maintaining consistency across the holiday window to ensure top-of-mind presence when buying decisions are made.
With 75% of consumers saying they want to hear holiday shopping ads on their favorite podcasts, and 58% planning to do extra research this season, advertisers have a clear opportunity to build brand equity and drive performance.
The holidays are closer than you think – and the best Q4 promos aren’t made last-minute. Join Paige and Radio Ink’s Cameron Coats on August 20 at 2p ET for Quarter 4 Your Thoughts, a free, fast-paced webinar packed with sellable holiday campaigns. RSVP here.
