DTC Agencies, Audio Delivers Integrated Influencer Campaigns

If there’s one thing direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands and agencies want to do, it’s get attention quickly, turning new brands into household names and products into necessities. What you may not know is just how powerful audio is at doing all that and more.

ICYMI, our Built with Audio event went into the big names, numbers, and innovations that SiriusXM Media has to offer. And you can check out the highlights here. But this one is just for you, with everything you need to know before you launch your next campaign.

Audio Belongs at the Center of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has always been about leveraging the trust and connection consumers feel toward content creators. But the playbook is changing. Social media isn’t the beginning or end of your options, and follower counts and fleeting social posts no longer define influence. 

Today, influence is deeper: relational, cultural, and omnichannel. In the DTC space, this shift represents an enormous opportunity. To stand out in a shifting digital world, brands need to meet audiences where they are most engaged—and that’s with audio. We’ve seen firsthand how creators leverage audio to build empires that extend across channels, offering nimble, powerful ways for DTC marketers to scale influence.

Trust, Connection, and Action—Built with Audio

Social media still captures attention, but there are limitations: fragmented reach, fleeting impressions, and declining consumer trust. It’s hard to stop thumbs from scrolling past videos, posts, and ads. And it’s not likely to get easier in the current political and economic climate.

Audio is different. Listeners opt in intentionally, choosing content based on personal taste, moods, and the loyalty they feel toward the hosts and artists they love. This parasocial bond extends to the sponsors who collaborate with creators to keep the content coming.

Nearly six in 10 listeners have taken any action after hearing a streaming audio ad, and a whopping 90% of podcast listeners have taken any action after hearing a product or service advertised on a podcast. These actions include researching products, visiting advertiser websites, using promo codes, and making purchases—proving the full-funnel impact of audio and delivering the results DTC brands need.

The intimacy of digital audio translates into trust, authenticity, and memorability that’s hard to replicate in a busy feed. And the impact is measurable. Campaigns that integrate audio consistently deliver lifts in awareness, brand favorability, and purchase intent.

Audio is the Hub for Omnichannel Influencer Empires

Just as audio advertising offers more than audio ads (like display, video, custom activations, events, and more), audio-first creators offer all that and more to brands looking to influence their loyal fans and followers. 

Audio’s influence doesn’t stop at the mic. Podcasts, streaming audio, and radio are the foundations of omnichannel influencer empires. Podcasters, radio hosts, and musicians connect with fans across video, social media, custom radio stations, and live events to keep the momentum and conversation going. This multi-platform expansion creates seamless opportunities for brands to integrate into a creator’s omnichannel reach.

Take Alex Cooper, host of the popular podcast Call Her Daddy and founder of the Unwell Network. She didn’t just sit back and enjoy her success. She launched a corresponding video podcast (snagging a #1 spot on YouTube), a podcast network, live tours, and physical products, not to mention a thriving social media content machine. For DTC marketers, that’s multimedia touchpoints—all rooted in audio.

The TL;DR for DTC Marketers

Modern influencer campaigns are built with audio, echoing across media for authentic, memorable, action-inspiring campaigns. Now, here’s why there’s no better audio partner than SiriusXM Media.

Access the largest creator network. Reaching 70M listeners, the SiriusXM Podcast Network (aka the #1 podcast network) is home to over 2,500 shows and more top-ranking shows than any other network (and it’s not even close). And when you factor the full ecosystem of SiriusXM, Pandora, SoundCloud and our extended publisher network, we’re talking 170M leaned-in listeners.

Build integrated, authentic campaigns. Audio creators are eager to co-create with brands. They’re developing campaigns and ambassadorships that extend across social, video, events, and more. This creates multi-touch integrations that drive both awareness and sales.

Be a part of culture’s biggest moments. From building anticipation, to analyzing every moment, to providing the soundtracks that audiences can’t get enough of, culture’s biggest moments start, thrive, and live on with audio. Whether it’s an award show, sporting event, or even an election, brands can be a part of it with audio.

Turn Up the Influence with Audio

For DTC agencies, SiriusXM Media offers more than platforms and networks. We offer partnerships with creators, access to culture, and the ability to scale across channels. From podcasts and playlists, to live tours, to social media moments, audio is the hub that makes omnichannel influence work.

Ready to start in audio and scale everywhere? Let’s talk.

Build Your Next Success with Audio