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Audio Version here.
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In recent years, listening to podcasts has seen exponential growth, becoming the preferred channel for a wide audience. However, what might surprise many is the growing interest of senior executives in this audio format. A recent study has closely analyzed this phenomenon, revealing intriguing data on the behavior and preferences of high-level podcast listeners.
Basic Data
The survey*, conducted on a significant sample of over 24,000 monthly podcast listeners in the United States, revealed that senior executives represent 4% of this population. This suggests substantial interest from a key decision-making audience in organizations.
Listening Behavior
Senior executives who listen to podcasts tend to be very active listeners, with over 4 out of 5 (83%) stating they have listened to at least one podcast in the week compared to 66% of monthly listeners. Furthermore, they are more than twice as likely to be considered "heavy listeners," dedicating at least 5 hours per week to listening to audio content.
Demographic Profile
Contrary to the stereotype of the elderly manager, most of these podcast-listening executives are between the ages of 30 and 49, with almost half being between 35 and 44 years old. However, there is still a predominance of male listeners within this category, at 73%.
Content Preferences
While comedy remains the most popular genre among podcast listeners in general, senior executives show a preference for informative, business, and technology content. Podcasts offering insights or personal development are particularly appreciated by this audience, compared to simple entertainment content.
Listening Habits
Like many other podcast listeners, these managers tend to listen while relaxing at home, but they also listen while on the move. In the month prior to the survey, almost 70% listened to podcasts while driving, while around 30% dedicated time to listening during airplane or train travels. A higher number of senior executives reported listening to podcasts while exercising, with 51% compared to 31% of other podcast listeners.
Preferred Platforms
Despite YouTube's popularity as the main platform for podcast listening among monthly listeners in general, high executives show a preference for Spotify and Apple Podcasts. This suggests that these platforms offer targeted access to this high-value audience.
In conclusion, podcasts represent a powerful tool to reach high-level business executives, offering relevant and engaging content for an increasingly important audience in the business landscape. For B2B companies, investing in an audio strategy can be key to building brands and creating awareness among this influential and engaged audience.
Source: Article by Jeff Vidler founder of Signal hill insights
* Statistical Data: Triton Digital Podcast metric Demos+Survey - monthly podcast listener (Q1-2022, Q2-2023- Q4 - 2023)
