Posted by Is Brand Alignment with Scary Content a Safe Move?
True crime podcasts are stealing the show. The genre has become more popular than ever. It’s estimated 119 million Americans have tuned in to one of these news/documentary type thrillers, which equates to an impressive demographic comprising 42% of the US population ages 13 and above.
The industry phenomenon is so remarkable that a hit parody TV show was created about it and aired on Hulu. The genre has enjoyed steady and growing success since it first arrived on the scene in 2014 with This American Life’s Serial.
Since then stories like those of Gabby Petito, Ruby Franke, and the Idaho student murder cases have captivated American audiences. Most recently, documentary TV and streaming services have jumped on the wave. But critics argue the nature of these broadcasts exploit families and individuals involved. Supporters insist the victims deserve to have their stories told.
The conundrum to marketers is this: should brands grab advertising spots on these podcasts that can surpass mainstream media coverage? Or is it not safe to broadcast your brand alongside darker, often gory subject matter?
Jordan Newman, who is head of content partnerships at Spotify, said, “Advertising has always been challenging in the true-crime space, particularly for brands that are sensitive to brand safety.” He admitted, “There are a lot of brands that don’t want to be associated with graphic subjects.”
One group who finds a win-win from true-crime podcast success is creators. According to Edison Research, approximately 6.7 million Americans listened to this genre in 2019. But by 2024 that number had skyrocketed to more than 19 million listeners, putting true-crime podcasts at the third most popular ranking in the nation.
“There are people spending hours and hours immersed in their favorite true-crime podcast, so the revenue opportunity for [creators] is actually quite significant,” Newman said.
Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore are creators and hosts of the true-crime podcast, Clues. They believe the appeal of the genre is timeless. “It’s never going to stop being interesting,” said Moore. “I know there are ethical concerns around it…but this is something that’s just always going to be popular. It’s never not been popular.”
Perhaps the most difficult riddle to solve in the true-crime podcast space is “to advertise, or not to advertise.” That’s the nagging puzzle for brands to decode. Some are jumping into the fray. Read more here.