Is Podcast Advertising a Missed Opportunity?

The podcast boom shows no sign of slowing down, with an estimated 580 million listeners worldwide, projected to grow to 619 million in 2026. With it, comes the rise of podcast advertising, which has the potential to really push creative boundaries as ideas aren’t constrained by production budgets. Yet some experts in the industry believe podcast advertising is still being underutilised, with many missed opportunities.

“Too often, radio ads get copy-and-pasted in, relying on frequency to build brand recall rather than creating something that feels naturally placed in the space,” RCP creative director, Michael Plumridge tells LBB. “Podcast advertising is flexible – you don’t always have to stick to your regular old 30-second spot.”

“Podcast ads can be longer and follow more of a narrative,” says Jungle Studios sound designer, Dominic Dew. “This can make them feel like more of a story. It opens up the possibility of using immersive sound design, ASMR and sonic branding to create a more enjoyable experience for the listener, along with making a brand sonically recognisable.”

For Wave Studios NY’s Austin Ferreira, sound design in podcast advertising is “heartbreakingly underutilised. There are some car, and sports commercials that have engaging soundscapes, but I fear a lot of other companies are more focused on the discount offer code they want to get across and don’t really explore other creative areas.”

For this reason, a lot of brands are missing out. “They don’t invest the time or money, they just re-purpose their radio ads, and when it doesn’t make a significant impact they write it off as non-viable,” he says.

Austin notes brands who are doing well in podcast advertising are those collaborating with niche creators to hit their target audience. “You are collaborating with a creative who is already intimately aware of their audience, and what captivates them. My favourite style is when the host themselves reads a message that has been written or outlined by the company.”

He shares ‘Monday Morning Podcast’ by Bill Burr as a great example. “Since he is already a personality the audience has come to listen to, they are more likely to listen to his reads. Most of the time, he’s still joking around and riffing, either about himself or how silly the wording is. It’s a high-risk high-reward format but at the very least, it’s more engaging and personal for the listener.”

Similarly, at RCP, the team brought in comedian Adam Buxton to promote Alan Partridge’s new Audible podcast, realising they shared a very similar audience. “Rather than inserting a standard ad read, we embedded Partridge into Buxton’s universe, creating a four-minute ‘kinda hybrid advertorial sitcom’ (Buxton’s words),” Michael says. “Working with talent means you can tap into the same humour, tone and delivery that keeps people listening in the first place.”

"Some of the ads I’ve heard in podcasts have actually made me buy things or change my behaviour," reveals Regan Grafton, co-founder and CCO at Thinkerbell. "It’s such an intimate format that, when done well, it’s probably a more effective use of media spend."

She cites 'The Message' by GE and BBDO as one of her favourites. "They didn’t just make ads, they made a whole podcast series that was the ad. It’s a brilliant example of playing to the strengths of the medium and fully embracing that theatre-of-the-mind concept. It felt crafted, not forced, and that’s why it worked so well. It’s a reminder that the best podcast advertising doesn’t feel like advertising at all."

A Recommendation, Not a Pitch

Podcasts sit at the crossroads of storytelling and intimacy, as Clare Davey, head of marketing at Forever Audio explains. “Listeners choose to be there with many subscribing, so the audience is heavily invested before the first word is even spoken. That gives brands an opportunity to create something that feels genuinely part of the story rather than an interruption.”

"People are more actively engaged when they’re listening to podcasts," agrees Regan. "They’ve chosen that topic, that host, that moment, so as an advertiser, you’ve got this great chance to create something that really fits the context. When you tailor the creative to the content, rather than just dropping something generic in, it lands harder. Crafting something that feels naturally part of that world is always a winner."

Clare says authenticity comes from respect for the environment. “A podcast is often a one-to-one moment between listener and host, the listener feels like they’re being spoken to rather than being broadcast at. When brands enter that space, they need to sound like they belong there. It’s about adding to a world that listeners already care about.”

Clare has noted how many brands have started to invest in host reads and dynamically inserted ads (targeted, personalised ads inserted in real-time), but she says they don’t “necessarily think about how sound design and storytelling can elevate those moments.”

In audio-only formats, “everything hinges on imagination. You can’t rely on visuals to carry emotion or context, so we build worlds with sound. Pushing creativity to the max means using every element intentionally.”

"Much like radio, podcasts give you this incredible 'theatre of the mind' to play in," Regan adds. "You can make anything happen just through sound, no sets, no props, no big production budgets. You’re only limited by imagination. In a way, podcasts should be one of the most creative spaces we’ve got."

“I think a voice in your ear can be more intimate than a face on a screen,” says Dominic. “Using one sense allows an audience to be more engaged and less critical. You can use a soundscape to transport someone to a place that they can create in their mind, in the same way that you do when you're reading a book."

And don’t forget the effectiveness of silence, he says. “With radio ads, you can't really use silence because the radio stations won't allow it. But with podcasts, it's different. Silence can be used to create anticipation before a reveal to improve audience engagement. Or it can give space for reflection, especially after an emotional moment.”

It’s about giving your listener space to absorb your message, says Austin. “How a person feels while listening to the advertisement is just as important, if not more, than the information you are delivering. Don’t write wall to wall copy!”

He notes, “The first stories ever told were through people passing them down audibly from generation to generation. They used music and sounds. No high resolution cameras, no VFX, and no celebrity endorsements. Good writing and good sound will always be the core of any engaging narrative. Everything on top is a supporting character.”

“The more cluttered our visual world becomes, the more space sound has to shine,” Clare concludes. “High quality sound design, immersive audio formats, and data-driven targeting are all giving audio-only creativity a bigger stage than ever. For brands, this is the chance to connect in a way visuals can’t, to be remembered for what people felt and imagined long after listening.”