NPR Sponsorship Results for a Home Product During COVID-19

According to the Spring 2020 Smart Audio Report, 49% of U.S. adults are working from home due to COVID-19. While daily habits have significantly shifted, consumers are still here…and listening! The Ipsos Creative Excellence Survey revealed that 70% of consumers completely agree that they want “to continue to hear from brands and companies on what they have to offer.” Ongoing advertising instills a sense of normalcy and listeners are open and receptive to it, even in today’s climate. 

The expectations of NPR podcast listeners reflect a similar narrative. In fact, when asked about what they want to hear from brands that sponsor NPR, 57% of listeners said they appreciate hearing about products that can help them.¹ Since listeners are spending more time at home, it makes sense that this receptiveness extends to home products in particular. 

This spring, NPR conducted a listener survey for an NPR podcast sponsor that promoted a new home product in their messages. Results showed that the campaign, which ran from February to April, generated strong levels of interest, brand awareness and purchase consideration for the home product.

Among NPR listeners exposed to the home product’s sponsorship message:

Additionally, 66% of listeners agreed the home product “has features that would make my life more comfortable” – an 18% lift vs. listeners not exposed to the campaign.

Among listeners who recalled the sponsorship, the campaign had even greater impact:

As people across the U.S. are spending more time at home, many are also planning home improvement projects. According to the latest findings from the Ipsos Coronavirus Consumer Tracker survey, over a quarter of those polled say they’ll make changes or repairs to their home in case they have to shelter in place again. And amongst young adults, nearly half (42%) plan some home improvement. 

While NPR listeners anticipate and invite a return to normalcy many are still worried. 89% of NPR listeners are more concerned about opening things back up too early and 59% believe the worst of the pandemic is still to occur.² As 73% of NPR listeners are only going places they feel are safe and necessary, and 27% are not going out unless it’s an emergency , messages from brands sharing useful information on home improvement and home products are especially relevant.³ Whether it be in the home office, in front of the garage or at the kitchen counter NPR listeners are actively tuning in.

82% of NPR listeners take action because of a sponsorship announcement they heard on NPR.⁴ Interested in learning how to tap into that?

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Source: 1. Veritonic, 2020; 2. NPR Podcast Listener Survey, May 2020; 3. NPR Podcast Listener Survey, May 2020; 4. Kantar, NPR State of Sponsorship Survey, April 2020.