5 Must-Know Facts for Reaching Parents With Digital Audio

Spring has sprung. Flowers are in full bloom, baby animals abound, and kids are back to playing outside (much to the relief of moms and dads everywhere). If you’re an advertiser, you likely have some budget saved to reach parents around the two days that are all about them—Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. If you don’t already have digital audio in your media mix, we’re here to give you five reasons why you should invest your ad dollars in this medium this spring and beyond. 

If you haven’t heard, 77M parents listen to the SiriusXM Streaming Network and SiriusXM, and two in five parents listen to the SiriusXM Podcast Network. Modern parents can be LGBTQ+, multicultural, first-timers, and even grandparents—and they can all be found here. As the digital audio leader, we can help your brand's messages reach those that are hard at work raising the next generations. Let’s get into the must-know facts for your next parent-centered campaign. 

1. Family Life Starts and Ends With Digital Audio

Digital audio listeners spend four hours and 30 minutes a day with digital audio—compare this to non-digital audio listeners, who tune in less than three hours daily. The rise of digital audio isn't surprising when you consider how convenient and accessible it is across devices. For example, one in two parents own a voice-activated smart speaker, providing more opportunities than ever to stream music, talk, and podcasts.  

Parents are also sharing the audio they love with their kids, with 82% co-listening to music with their children. And it’s not just Disney tunes playing on repeat (though that’ll always be a crowd pleaser). Families on Pandora tune in to family-friendly stations like Pandora Kids, Lullaby, and Fam Jams, which reach a total of 410K monthly listeners. Whether digital audio is being used as an effective parenting tool, a companion to daily tasks, or a way to curb screen time, music and podcasts set the soundtrack for each day. 

2. Digital Audio Is Part of Parents’ Wellness Routines and Balancing Acts

Say it with us: Parents are people, too. They have wants and needs that are separate from their identities as moms and dads, even if those things often take a backseat. And sometimes, digital audio is a parent's quickest escape to a little self-care and “me time,” especially among diverse groups. In fact, 82% of Black parents say that audio relaxes them, 69% of Latino parents say that audio is good for their mental health, and one in four Asian parents say that audio makes them feel less alone. Audio offers busy, selfless parents convenient opportunities for a well-deserved break. And it’s there to give them the boost they need to get things done.

3. Pandora Listening Surges on Mother’s and Father’s Day

By now, it’s clear that reaching parents—and the people who love them—with digital audio year-round is the way to go. And thanks to Pandora’s audience targeting solutions, you can narrow down who you’re looking to reach from expectant parents, to working parents, to grandparents. 

With Mother’s and Father’s Day in the not-too-distant future, we’d be remiss if we didn’t touch on the surges in Pandora streaming on mom- and dad-centric stations.

Making Time for Moms

Did you know that 75% of Pandora listeners 18+ plan to celebrate Mother's Day?

The week of Mother’s Day 2024, these stations were trending:

• Handpicked 100: Mom’s Mix: +2258% in listeners compared to the previous week 

• Mom Country: +699% in listeners compared to the previous week 

And these were the top artists on Handpicked 100: Mom’s Mix that same week:

• Adele

• Taylor Swift

• Mariah Carey

• Shania Twain

• Meghan Trainor

Doting on Dads

Not to be outdone, Father’s Day on Pandora saw a 10% increase in station adds compared to other Sundays in June.

The week of Father’s Day 2024, these stations were turned on and all the way up:

• Dad Jokes: +1176% in listeners compared to the previous week 

• Dad Country: +718% in listeners compared to the previous week 

• Dad Rock: +73% in listeners compared to the previous week 

And these were the top artists on Dad Jokes that same week:

• Jim Gaffigan

• Brian Regan

• Don Friesen

• Nate Bargatze

• Henry Cho

4. More Likely to Take Action 

Everyone loves podcasts, and parents are not immune. Two in five SiriusXM Podcast Network listeners are parents, enjoying titles like Making Space with Hoda Kotb, Fast Money, and Inquiring Minds. They make up almost half of our podcast audience. Target them with our Parents Curated Collection, satisfying the appetites of sports fans, true crime fanatics, news enthusiasts, and more.

Podcast audiences are proving to be receptive to ads, and moms and dads can be more responsive to podcast ads than other listeners. Just look at the data: A staggering 78% of parents have researched a product they heard advertised on a podcast, and 72% have visited the brand’s website, compared to 74% and 68% of non-parent podcast listeners respectively. When you consider that adding podcasts to a digital audio campaign offers pure incremental reach, targeting podcast ads to parents is a great way to make your ad spend more efficient and effective.

5. Your Message + Parents’ Ears on SiriusXM 

Streaming audio and podcasts aren't the only digital audio options for reach moms, dads, and the people who love them. SiriusXM reaches audiences in the car (and everywhere else), driving awareness and influencing purchasing decisions. And for lower-funnel campaign goals, we also offer a way to do just that—just in time for Father's Day.

Starting on May 23, SiriusXM will host an online dads Gift Guide, including gift ideas, special offers, and promo codes redeemable by our retail partners. To get in on the action, partner with SiriusXM to run :30 on-air promos across your audience’s favorite talk, entertainment, and sports platforms. 

Brands can customize their ads by providing copy, a logo, URL, and :05 tag for on-air promo. Need a little inspiration? In February, retailers Kohl’s, Aquasana, and Funky Chunky teamed up with SiriusXM to host Valentine’s Day gift guides. 

Reach Moms, Dads, and the People Who Love Them

It may take a village to raise a child, but if you're looking to reach and influence parents, all you need is digital audio. From the daily routine, to the big moments, to everything in between, digital audio is there to keep parents fueled and supported.

Whether you’re reaching Gen Z, Gen X, millennial, or baby boomer parents—as the largest digital audio advertising ecosystem in North America—we can help you reach them throughout the day with ad-supported content. Let’s talk.

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