From Insights to Action: Turning Podcast Trends Into Campaign Strategy

The podcasting space is undergoing massive transformation—and at rapid speed. From how audiences discover and consume content to how brands define creativity, collaboration, and innovation, the future of the industry is being shaped in real time.

For marketers, understanding where things are headed—and how to translate those shifts into actionable strategy—has never been more important.

That’s exactly what we explored in our latest webinar, From Insights to Action: Turning Podcast Trends Into Campaign Strategy. Sophie Anderson, Associate Director, Podcast Sales Marketing at SiriusXM Media, sat down with Dr. Tamara Zubatiy Nelson, CEO & Co-founder of Barometer; Tom Webster, Partner at Sounds Profitable; and Paul Riismandel, President of Signal Hill Insights. Together, they unpacked the real forces shaping podcast advertising today—from video and AI to brand safety, measurement, and what it truly takes to drive meaningful impact.

Ready to dive in?

And if you’re looking for some quick hits from the conversation, we’ve got those too. Take a look at some of the most insightful takeaways our presenters shared below.

Podcasting is audio-forward, not audio-only

““It’s on-demand, episodic content built on the creator–audience relationship in ways that few other media channels are. Today it can include video, it can include live… but I like to think of it as audio-forward, not audio-only. It goes where screens can’t—commutes, walking, workouts. And that flexibility means one ad buy can follow the consumer wherever they go.” – Tom Webster

The verdict on audio vs. video

“When we’ve had the chance to put very similar ads head-to-head, we don’t see a huge differential in action. Sometimes video shows a bit more top-of-funnel lift like awareness or recall, but when we get into familiarity or purchase intent, we don’t see a lot of differences. Overall, we’re seeing they both tend to work—and they both tend to work pretty well.” – Paul Riismandel

Scale is a false choice

“You can certainly buy the top shows, you can buy small independent shows—and they do different things. The long tail audiences are often more engaged, not less. That’s not a weakness of scale—that’s the power of precision. Smart brands are going to do both to get reach and resonance, even in the same campaign.” – Tom Webster

Brand safety vs. brand suitability

“Brand safety has a pretty technical definition—content that’s not brand safe is illegal. That’s really not up for debate. What we talk about a lot is brand suitability, and that’s in the eye of the beholder. What’s suitable for one brand might not be suitable for another… It’s an opportunity for brands to be more granular and nuanced in the way they enforce their standards.” – Tamara Zubatiy Nelson

Measurement works best as a feedback loop

“Treat measurement as a real feedback loop. You can test with brand lift research and see how the integration, the podcast, and the audience are working together—and then optimize. We can look at awareness, favorability, consideration, purchase intent… and provide suggestions to narrow or focus messaging so it hits harder and more clearly.” – Paul Riismandel

Be a part of the future of podcast advertising with SiriusXM Media

Podcasting isn’t defined by easy answers. The real insights live in the nuance—between audio and video, reach and resonance, suitability and scale, innovation and authenticity.

Want to keep digging into the data behind these debates? Check out our latest Podcast Trends Report, The Great Podcast Debate. And if you're ready to apply these insights to your next podcast campaign, let’s talk.

Watch more webinars on-demand