Insights

Westwood One is committed to sharing insights to help advertisers and content creators learn more about the podcast consumer, including podcast listener profiles, preferences, and new industry trends and opportunities. 

• Marketers Vastly Understate The Sales Effect Of Creative And Significantly Overestimate The Impact Of Targeting
  April 13, 2026
  Over the last seven years, the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® has commissioned Advertiser Perceptions annually to survey brands and media agencies on the sales contribution of five advertising effectiveness factors: brand, creative, reach, recency, and targeting. We compared marketer and media agency perceptions of the five sales drivers with Circana sales […]
• Political Inventory On YouTube And CTV Will Be Overwhelmed And CPMs Will Increase Massively; What’s A Campaign To Do? AM/FM Radio To The Rescue; AM/FM Radio? Yes AM/FM Radio!
  April 6, 2026
  Because 2026 political spending is projected to reach a record $11.2 billion, mirroring the intensity of a presidential year, costs are already nearly double the standard platform averages in key battleground markets. CPMs will get pricey. The post Political Inventory On YouTube And CTV Will Be Overwhelmed And CPMs Will Increase Massively; What’s A Campaign […]
• Why Is Your Audio Media Plan Incomplete Without AM/FM Radio? Massive Incremental Reach And Exclusive In-Car Listening
  March 30, 2026
  Marketers and media agencies increasingly think a reasonable audio buy consists of only streaming music and podcasts. A study recently conducted by Advertiser Perceptions and an analysis of Edison’s “Share of Ear” reveal a media plan without AM/FM radio will miss most of America. The post Why Is Your Audio Media Plan Incomplete Without AM/FM […]
• What Bug-A-Way Pest Control Of Joplin, Missouri Can Teach Marketers About How Advertising Really Works: Be Known Before You’re Needed
  March 23, 2026
  To understand the magnitude of the brand Bug-A-Way Pest Control built with long-term advertising on AM/FM radio, the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® commissioned Quantilope to conduct a study of 150 consumers in Joplin, Missouri in January 2026. The post What Bug-A-Way Pest Control Of Joplin, Missouri Can Teach Marketers About How […]
• Seeda Media Mix Modeling: A Fast-Food Brand Wanted To Cut AM/FM Radio; MMM Findings Retained And Expanded AM/FM Radio’s Role In The Media Plan
  March 16, 2026
  An Australian quick service restaurant planned to cut AM/FM radio spend after months of testing failed to show clear performance. A 60‑day modern Marketing Mix Modelling engagement with Seeda and Supermetrics measured AM/FM radio alongside 20+ channels, reversed the cut, and grew weekly spend. The post Seeda Media Mix Modeling: A Fast-Food Brand Wanted To […]
• Edison’s Q4 2025 “Share Of Ear”: In-Car Listening Grows In Importance For AM/FM Radio As It Dominates The Path To Purchase
  March 9, 2026
  Edison Research’s quarterly “Share of Ear” study is the authoritative examination of time spent with audio in America. The study, in its eleventh year, surveys 4,000 Americans annually to measure daily reach and time spent for all forms of audio. The post Edison’s Q4 2025 “Share Of Ear”: In-Car Listening Grows In Importance For AM/FM […]
• Auto Aftermarket Retailers: New Study Reveals AM/FM Radio And Podcasts Are Ideal To Reach Auto Parts Shoppers
  March 2, 2026
  The Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® commissioned Quantilope to conduct the seventh annual auto aftermarket category study to determine the current state of America’s auto parts retailers. 1,000 auto parts shoppers were surveyed in September 2025. The post Auto Aftermarket Retailers: New Study Reveals AM/FM Radio And Podcasts Are Ideal To Reach […]
• Sports AM/FM Radio Soars With Growing Revenue Shares, Eye Popping Streaming Audiences, And An Upscale Audience That’s In The Market For Just About Everything
  February 23, 2026
  Sports-formatted AM/FM radio stations that feature play-by-play broadcasts along with sports talk are on a tear. Revenue shares and station counts are up. Nielsen reports the sports AM/FM radio format is number one in streaming shares among 18-34s and 25-54s. Ranking third of twenty-four AM/FM radio formats in household income, the sports AM/FM radio audience […]
• eMarketer Reports Advertisers Have Difficulty Measuring Audio ROI; Marketers Mistakenly Believe Brand Campaigns Should Be Evaluated With Lower Funnel Measurement, Akin To Testing A Spanish Class With A Calculus Exam
  February 17, 2026
  It’s a classic case of advertiser perception versus marketplace reality. Marketers perceive audio ROI measurement difficulties. Meanwhile, measurement firms churn out study after study documenting audio sales effect. Audio has entered a golden age of measurement with a wide array of firms now quantifying audio sales effect, brand lift, search and site attribution, and creative […]
• A Wide Variety Of AM/FM Radio Programming Formats Reach Travel Intenders; Sports Radio Out Performs for Hotel, Airline, And Cruise Brands
  February 9, 2026
  Audio represents just 4% of the $4 billion dollars of travel category advertising. However, new studies reveal audio should represent a much greater proportion of the travel intenders media plan. The post A Wide Variety Of AM/FM Radio Programming Formats Reach Travel Intenders; Sports Radio Out Performs for Hotel, Airline, And Cruise Brands first appeared […]