The verdict is in: True crime pays
Partner content
Despite the popularity of the genre, many advertisers still treat true crime podcasts with caution. Time to step into the courtroom and examine the evidence…
True crime podcasts have rapidly become one of the most listened-to genres in the medium. With nearly 7m monthly UK consumers and the highest genre loyalty among all podcast types, the audience is vast, loyal and highly engaged.
Reflecting this demand, DMG Media recently launched our own dedicated true crime podcast network, bringing together exclusive limited series and an expansive set of over 200 episodes of hit show The Trial under The Crime Desk brand.
Yet, despite this reach, many advertisers still treat true crime with caution, worried about negative brand rub or audience receptiveness. To put these doubts to rest, we partnered Edison Research, a leading brand in understanding global podcast engagement, to examine listener behaviour and advertising impact.
The results are clear: true crime podcasts aren’t just safe, they’re some of the most effective advertising environments in audio.
Exhibit A: True crime podcasts have massive reach, high retention and listeners love to binge
True crime is the UK’s second-most-popular podcast genre, only just behind sport. Among monthly listeners of podcasts generally, 30% consume a true crime show each month — a higher proportion than for any other genre, including sport.
The audience skews younger and more female, making it highly valuable to brands targeting growth demographics. It’s also immersive, with 92% of podcast listeners reporting they are very interested in the topic or that it is their favourite podcast genre.
So, we know the audience is there, but how do they respond to advertising?
Exhibit B: True crime podcast ads get noticed and acted on
True crime listeners don’t just absorb the episode content, they pay attention to advertising and respond to it. They are more likely to remember ads in their podcasts than the overall podcast audience.
Monthly true crime podcast consumers find their audio ads to be more relevant, more noticeable and harder to tune out than ads on other platforms. And there’s more…
Two-thirds of true crime podcast listeners have taken action after hearing an ad, including purchases, social follows or using discount codes. It is also clear from our research that true crime podcast audiences are particularly attentive to detail — a behaviour that makes them even more likely to notice and recall ads.
The closing statement: Brand-safety concerns don’t stand up to scrutiny
The biggest misconception? That advertising in true crime podcasts harms brand perception. Our data proves otherwise, finding that advertising in true crime podcasts does not negatively impact brand perception any more than in any other genre.
And if that wasn’t enough, Edison’s research showed that ads in true crime podcasts do not reduce purchase consideration. Quite the contrary. Most true crime listeners report feeling more positively about brands that support their favourite shows.
In comparison to listeners of other podcast genres, monthly true crime listeners have a more positive opinion of a company when they hear it mentioned in one of the shows they listen to.
And the coup de grâce? Brand favourability for podcast advertisers is consistent across the genres, with true crime ranking on a par with entertainment, celebrity and political shows.
The verdict: An ongoing miscarriage of justice
Advertisers have long embraced sport, news and entertainment podcasts. But true crime offers something unique: an audience that is not only massive, but also deeply loyal, highly focused and more responsive to advertising.
With engagement metrics that outperform other genres and no meaningful brand risk, it’s time to throw out the unfounded, circumstantial evidence and acquit true crime podcasts of all charges.
Look out for the full digest from Mail Metro Media and Edison coming soon.
Mike Wooller is deputy head of podcasts at DMG Media
This is the final instalment in a series of partner content with Mail Metro Media running this week