Source: Westwood One | Published July 2025

 

As Amazon Prime Day 2025 unfolded, a clear media trend emerged: audio advertising played a pivotal role in driving retail purchases. According to a comprehensive consumer study conducted by Cumulus Media and Westwood One, listeners of AM/FM radio, podcasts, and ad-supported music streaming were at the heart of Prime Day spending.

This case study breaks down the key takeaways from the research — and why retailers should consider audio a core component of their media strategy.

Key Findings: Audio Audiences Drove Prime Day Shopping

1. Audio led all other media in purchase conversion
Westwood One’s analysis revealed that:

  • 53% of AM/FM radio listeners made a Prime Day purchase.

  • 47% of ad-supported streaming music users and 44% of podcast listeners also shopped on Prime Day.

These figures outpaced other ad-supported media channels such as social media, online video, and even linear TV — firmly placing audio at the top of the conversion funnel.

2. Audio listeners are high-value consumers
Audio’s retail impact goes beyond reach — it’s about audience quality. The study found that:

  • Frequent AM/FM radio, podcast, and streaming listeners are 15–17% more likely to be Amazon Prime members.

  • These consumers also spend more online and demonstrate higher awareness of retail events like Prime Day.

  • Conversely, heavy TV viewers were 14% less likely than average to be Prime members.

The implication? Audio audiences aren’t just listening — they’re ready to shop.

3. Small shifts in media mix = big gains
Westwood One demonstrated that reallocating even a modest 20% of TV media budgets to AM/FM radio can deliver a 50% increase in campaign reach — especially among younger, harder-to-reach 18–49s and light TV viewers.

This media optimization model, nicknamed “20 Gets You 50,” showcases how adding audio can transform campaign efficiency without additional spend.

4. Audio delivers strong ROI
Citing Nielsen’s sales effect modeling, Westwood One highlighted:
For every $1 invested in AM/FM radio advertising during retail campaigns, $15 of incremental sales were generated.

In addition to direct ROI, audio also lifted brand awareness, recall, purchase intent, and actual purchase behavior — outperforming other media in overall brand equity impact.

What This Means for Retailers

The 2025 Prime Day results send a clear message:
Ad-supported audio channels — AM/FM radio, podcasts, and streaming — are not just complementary, they’re essential for driving retail sales.

Retail marketers should:

  • Integrate audio into omnichannel strategies

  • Reallocate underperforming TV spend to audio

  • Use data-driven audio targeting to capture high-intent, commerce-ready consumers

About the Source

This case study is based on a nationally representative survey of 1,003 consumers conducted by MARU/Matchbox for Cumulus Media and Westwood One following Amazon Prime Day 2025. Full report available at westwoodone.com.