Savvy marketers know that sponsoring podcasts work extremely well for a couple of reasons:

1. The medium, being new, is still a clutter-free place for your message to stand out
2. Fans are ardent about the hosts of their favorite shows and that connection offers a halo of positivism for brands that advertise in shows
3. Episodic, on-demand media increases the engagement of the listener/viewer in both the content and the advertising in those shows

Now a fourth reason for considering adding episodic video and audio content to your media mix has surfaced.

Universal McCann recently release a global study on TRUST called “When Did We Start Trusting Strangers: How the Internet Turned Us All Into Influencers.” It showcases the activities of super influencers and documents key online behaviors that connote influential consumers.

In the time of shrinking media budgets, targeting influencers who naturally buzz about brands helps amplify marketing messages in a more authentic way. Click here to download the whole survey.

Here is the top line data point:

SUPER INFLUENCERS LISTEN TO PODCASTS

Per Universal McCann’s latest global research “Next Thing Now,” the new “super influencers” index very highly against all active Internet users and are most likely to:

• Upload video clips
• Subscribe to an RSS Feed
• Start their own blog
• Download a podcast
• Upload photos to photo-sharing sites

Net net: if you want to reach influencers, not just prospects, advertise in podcasts as a part of your media mix.