By Hebah Fisher, CEO, Kerning Cultures Network 

Indisputably, podcast audiences offer higher engagement compared to other platforms. The average Facebook user spends less than 3 seconds on any piece of content (Adweek), 45% of social video views disappear after 1 minute (AdAge), whereas Kerning Cultures Network podcast episodes of 20-45 minutes in length boost an average of 70% completion rates. Moreover, ad recall is higher with podcasts compared to social media campaigns. 94% of viewers skip video pre-roll ads (Contently), and 86% of TV viewers skip advertising (The Guardian). Let’s share a case study from the Kerning Cultures Network and one of its brand partners, Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, to illustrate the impact of podcasts in comparison to social media: 

Case Study: 

In December 2020, we partnered with Abdul Latif Jameel Motors (ALJ) for a 9-part fiction podcast, Saqr’s Eclipse. ALJ was keen on innovating their advertising, particularly to appeal to female drivers in Saudi and raise awareness of their 4×4 vehicles, Landcruiser and FJ Cruiser. 

The premise of the Arabic podcast Saqr’s Eclipse was as such: set in Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter, social media star Faisal Saqr and a group of travellers embark on a perilous journey to witness a once-in-a-lifetime viewing of the solar eclipse. 

ALJ ran pre, mid, and post roll ads as poetic integration within the story. There were also 2 script placements where the female travellers drove Land Cruisers and FJ Cruisers through the desert. 

As a testament to the seamless, elegant integration within the story and the power of brand association with quality podcasts, ALJ’s sponsorship of Saqr’s Eclipse had an ad recall of 92%, outperforming industry benchmarks by 24%.  

The podcast ranked #1 across 10 countries regionally and ranked #6 for trending fictional podcasts worldwide. 93% of podcast listeners wanted to take action after listening, and listening to Saqr’s Eclipse positively impacted Toyota buyer intention, particularly amongst women, outperforming automotive industry benchmarks by 25%.

To hear how successful brand integration within Arabic podcasts sounds, listen here.