How to Reach Multi-Generational Households with Co-Listening

Everywhere we look, someone is walking by with earbuds or headphones on or a speaker is within earshot. It may look like digital audio is a solo pursuit, but that’s not always the case. Digital audio is a go-to way for families to connect and bond, with 76% of Pandora listeners engaging in co-listening. And 82% of parents with children younger than 18 co-listen with them.  

With the US economy shifting in the last few years, multi-generational living is on the rise, making it easier to reach multiple consumers under one roof. Brands should listen up—tapping into co-listening is a powerful generational marketing tool to connect with diverse and engaged audiences, from Gen Alpha to baby boomers. 

What Is Co-Listening?

Co-listening refers to multiple people sharing an audio experience. For example, imagine a dad listening to a sports podcast with his kids before a big game or grandparents playing '70s R&B in the living room to get their family dancing. 

This shared listening experience can be overlooked, but when it’s considered as a part of a brand’s media strategy, it can bring bigger returns on the same budget. Thanks to multiple listeners tuning into their favorite content together, whether it’s music or a podcast, your brand message goes further. Say hello to additional impressions. 

What Are the Benefits of Co-Listening?

You obviously now know, co-listening draws more reach, and it’s often more impactful because those impressions come during moments when users are engaged. Let’s dive into the benefits. 

More Reach

With co-listening, you’re not ratcheting up your budget to get more impressions; you’re finding the right content to strategically get more impressions for the same dollar. 

Think of Pandora stations like Hipster 4th of July BBQ or Fam Jams. Listeners aren’t jamming to these stations alone. Instead, they’re setting the mood for a backyard BBQ or family bonding time at home. 

In a past study, we found that advertisers on Pandora receive an additional 52 impressions for every 100 paid advertising impressions—all thanks to co-listening.

Better Engagement

Higher engagement is one of the many advantages of co-listening. The music or podcast in the background often becomes a topic of conversation and once the ad break hits, the commercial also becomes something to discuss (and remember). 

Think of how many people crowd in front of the TV at home or at the bar for each year’s Big Game. The commercials can sometimes be more entertaining than the game itself, bringing about heavy discussions on actors’ cameos and the humor. 

A Sense of Community

Co-listening expands your audience, sure, but it also creates a stronger sense of community around listeners’ favorite audio. And in turn, when your brand is partnering with that content, those positive associations rub off on you for supporting consumers’ favorite digital audio entertainment. The other end of the speaker holds more than just casual listeners but consumers who are primed to become brand advocates and loyalists. 

Household Targeting

Big and recurring purchases happen at the household level. If there’s a more expensive purchase up for consideration, like TVs, furniture, and vacations, it requires buy-in from the whole family. Even the smaller purchases that add up, like media subscriptions or groceries, can benefit from targeting audiences like parents. 

When you tailor your ad for large households or groups, you’re boosting your message’s contextual relevance. And with digital audio's ability to target specific demographics and consumer interests, brands can craft messages that resonate across generations while they're actively engaged together.

Look out for These Co-listening Trends on Streaming and Podcasts

Families have been gathering around to listen to audio long before platforms like Pandora or SoundCloud were created. But now, instead of  crowding around the massive radio cabinet in the living room, families are listening together through speakers in every room, smart TVs, in the car, and even at outdoor events. Here are some of the ways we’re seeing those listening experiences evolve. 

Connected Devices Are Everywhere

Connected devices are no longer headphone-only. Think of a living space in US households, there is probably a device ready to stream digital audio. We’ve found that one in two parents own a voice-activated smart speaker, and 60% of parents say their young children interact with a voice-activated assistant. It goes to show, the up-and-coming generations are already becoming tech-savvy, and co-listening is helping make this happen. 

Pressing Play During Commutes and Road Trips 

Whether parents are dropping their kids off at school or going on a weekend road trip, digital audio sets the mood in all car rides. In fact, 92% of parents listen to a podcast while driving or riding in a car. Eyes and ears set on targeting consumers through streaming? Reach parents and kiddos through their cars with the stations Road Trippin’ or Family Road Trip. 

Listening to Audio Is a Family Affair

Most parents co-listen to digital audio with their kids—82%, to be exact. From weekdays and weekends to morning, afternoon, and night—parents are listening with their kids. 

And more and more, digital audio serves as a parenting tool for many families. Modern parents are making efforts to minimize screen time and leaning on digital audio to do it. Half of parents are turning to music or audio as a relaxation or calming tool for their children, and one in three use audio as an educational tool.

Half of Multicultural Parents Co-listen to Audio

Targeting multicultural parents specifically? Yep, they co-listen too. Half of multicultural parents co-listen to music or audio because they believe it introduces cultural diversity, and 38% co-listen to pass down their cultural heritage to their kids.  

What Does Co-listening Mean for My Brand?

Capitalize on Everyday Moments and Big Moments

Parents and their children listening to Smologies on the way to school. Families turning on Holiday Hits during their newborn baby’s first Christmas. Co-listening happens in the daily moments of your audience’s lives, making it a great opportunity to partner with the content that they enjoy most. 

Associate with Family-Friendly Genres

As you’ve read above, parents spend a lot of time co-listening, whether learning with, entertaining, or even distracting their kids. The curated nature of digital audio means these families can seek out those family-friendly shows and playlists that everyone actually enjoys. In turn, the appreciation those parents feel towards the creators of good, family-friendly content extends to advertisers.

Tap into the Power of Co-Listening 

From helping parents minimize their kids’ screen time to multicultural families preserving their heritage, digital audio has become an essential tool for bringing households together. By aligning your brand with these meaningful shared experiences, you can build deeper connections with engaged, multi-generational audiences at scale.

Ready to connect with engaged families under one roof? Let’s talk.

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