Planet Money TikTok Builds Awareness Among Young Audiences

It’s no secret TikTok has continued to see a major rise in popularity among young audiences over the past several years. With an eye on trends, Planet Money, one of NPR’s fan-favorite podcasts, took to the platform in 2020 to deliver quick economic insights that explain complicated ideas in a more accessible manner. And with 43% of the Planet Money audience under the age of 35, TikTok has proven to be a valuable extension of the Planet Money brand, which creates strong connections to fans and powerful opportunities for sponsors.¹

A recent Harris Poll poll revealed that TikTok use among younger audiences is driving up awareness and other positive attributes for Planet Money. Presence on the platform may have also impacted occasional and regular listening of the program:49% of TikTok users age 18-34 are willing to recommend Planet Money to a friend or family member. Plus, the top attribute young users associated with Planet Money were “smart” (28%) and “simple” (25%).²

Planet Money awareness among Young TikTok Users:

The Audience Connection

Planet Money has leveraged interactive features on the platform to create a community around entertainment and the economy through the platform’s ability to engage users in unique ways. TikTok’s short-form video format has more of a youthful and hip association with younger audiences, making it an ideal place to share bite-sized, easily digestible economic content from Planet Money. The NPR program has even embraced TikTok’s tendency to create viral trends by participating in relevant challenges with an economic twist, like this recent Planet Money TikTok on Silicon Valley Bank which has more than 1.7M views.

By infusing economic concepts into these trends, Planet Money has attracted a wider audience and made economics more enjoyable and understandable for younger audiences.

An Extended Reach with Special Series

In addition to twice-weekly podcast episodes, fans can find Planet Money in a weekly radio broadcast and regular email newsletter. And now for the third year, Planet Money is rolling out a special series for listeners with the Planet Money Summer School podcast.  Summer School takes listeners through an eight-week crash course with topics in accounting, statistics, and more to earn a Planet Money diploma and gain a better understanding of the forces that shape our economy. 

An Impact for Brands 

In addition to its success in engaging with fans across platforms, Planet Money has proven to be a powerful platform for brands. One fin-tech company sponsored Planet Money’s daily podcast The Indicator from Planet Money and saw large gains in awareness with exposure and recall of the sponsorship. 83% of NPR podcast listeners exposed to the campaign were aware of the brand – a +62 point lift compared to those not exposed. And, listeners exposed to the campaign were 3x more likely to have a positive opinion of the brand.³

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Sources:

1. Nielsen Podcast Buying Power May 2023
2. Harris Poll, February 2023. Sample: All adult TikTok users 18+. Arrows indicate significant differences vs. all adults 18+ at 90%
3. NPR Listener Survey 10/2022