Podcasts advertisments: The effects of podcasts hosts credability and their connection to listeners

Abstract

Consumers are exposed to many advertisements every day, where corporations compete for their target groups’ attention. In recent years, podcasts have become quite a hit in the popular culture, causing more and more companies to choose to spend their marketing budget on podcast advertisements, despite the lack of scientific evidence on the effect of these advertisements on consumer behavior. The purpose of this study was to see if podcasts’ hosts’ credibility influences listeners’ intention to purchase the product or service advertised on the podcast, and if those influences are mediated by the parasocial relationship the listener has developed with the host. Based on previous studies, a research model was put forth. Through an online convenience sample answers were collected from 1.137 podcasts listeners. The results show that the more credible a podcast host is, the likelier its’ listeners are to intend to buy the products or service advertised in the podcast, but those effects are fully mediated through the parasocial relationship the listener has developed with the host. The study compensates on the shortage of research on podcast advertisements and provide marketers valuable information that can guide them if they are looking into advertising in podcasts, as there are several things to consider. The credibility of the host and ability to make a connection with listeners can have a significant effect on the success of the ad.