Study: Low commercial potential of podcasts

Publicom, which specializes in media research and consulting, interviewed 40 experts from leading media companies and representatives from advertising, media journalism, communications science and corporate communications about on-demand media such as podcasting.
Most experts are convinced that podcasts meet a widespread need for flexible media use and are not just a gimmick for media enthusiasts. However, they consider the commercial potential to be modest.

However, media consumption has generally changed under the influence of time- and location-independent media use. Under this influence, traditional radio and television programs could increasingly develop into live event media to counter the trend.

Meaningful use of podcasts 86% of respondents see the most meaningful use in the distribution of target group-specific content. 75 percent consider podcasts to be a suitable way of addressing new customer segments. However, only a few believe in the possibility of generating additional revenue with podcasts. However, 20 percent do believe in paid podcasts and 33 percent believe that financing through advertising makes sense.
Picture: Publicom

Low commercial opportunities When asked about the future prospects for the commercial potential of on-demand media, the industry was also pessimistic. Two-thirds see little commercial opportunity for podcasts. Only 25 percent can imagine strong growth. The outlook is different with regard to the financing possibilities for podcasts. Over 50 percent consider financing through sponsorship or advertising to be promising. In contrast, 11% do not see podcasts as financially viable at all.
Synergy potential According to the respondents, TV and radio in particular will be able to generate synergies in the future with the help of podcasts. 70 percent see the greatest potential in radio in particular. 50 percent for TV, 10 percent for the Internet and only 8 percent for print.