The 2024 US presidential election was notable for a lot of historic firsts (and seconds, if you count Donald Trump’s re-election). Perhaps one of the most notable is the pivotal role podcasts played in helping candidates speak to otherwise hard-to-reach, disengaged audiences. In the op-ed, Kym Treasure, founder and CEO of Audacia Audio, unpacks how the US’ “podcast election” will change the game for Australia.
With speculation, Anthony Albanese will call a federal election early next year, and with other state polls set for 2025, get ready for candidates of all stripes, especially senior government and opposition figures (not to mention unions, industry bodies and interest groups) to flood the podcast zone.
While radio has always played a big part in our election campaigns, podcasts and streaming have different rules. The non-linear, on-demand nature of these platforms means politicians expecting to communicate with voters on their terms will be disappointed when the audience listens at a time and place of their choosing.
However, the biggest electoral advantage of digital audio is the opportunity to reach audiences that can elude traditional broadcasters. Where politicians may have found it difficult to reach culturally and linguistically diverse communities, youth, people living with a disability, the LGBTQI+ community and others, digital audio presents expansive opportunities to seed political messages with these groups.
There are two big lessons our local politicians should take from what we’ve seen in this first Podcast Election in the US.
Firstly, you must target new audiences through this medium; don’t just double down on existing followers. Donald Trump and JD Vance’s appearances on podcasts and streaming platforms targeting the so-called ‘manosphere’ delivered high turnout from traditionally apathetic groups like young male voters, and increased preference for Republican candidates in down-ballot races across the nation.
More tellingly, there was a ‘Red Shift’ across the country, even in liberal states like New York and New Jersey, and counties like the suburbs of Philadelphia and others. This shift can’t be exclusively attributed to the Republicans’ podcast game, but it’s notable Trump, Vance and their surrogates went out of their way to drop into feeds and streams not typically associated with right-wing interests, like Adin Ross, the Lex Fridman podcast, The Conversation from The New York Times and more.
Conversely, Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and their Democrat surrogates focused on shows with a progressive bent and already warm audiences like Call Her Daddy, The Ezra Klein Show, and Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know. We all know how the Electoral College (and the popular vote) turned out for them.
The advice is clear. Boldly reach into the niches, where your message hasn’t been heard, because you may well be the only one speaking to that audience of gamers, science nerds, sports fans, or even just undecided voters.
Secondly, you can’t do this half-heartedly; ‘more is more’ when it comes to podcasts and streaming audio. This is a more subtle lesson, but definitely more important, given our affinity for podcasts and our multi-cultural population.
According to the 2024 Infinite Dial Australia study 48 per cent of Australians listened to an original podcast in the last month (a figure higher than the US since 2022). That number increases to 80 per cent when you include catch-up radio podcasts.
The 2021 Census highlights that almost one-in-four Australians speak a language other than English at home (up from one-in-five in 2016), making it likely that more of us are turning to non-English sources for content, both in our ears and on our devices.
Put these facts together with what we’ve just seen in the US, and it’s reasonable to assume a large number of us are understanding the world through the lens of our favourite podcasters, creators and influencers, not traditional news outlets.
What’s more, politicians can’t count on the mobilising force of older voters as their backstop anymore; the 2025 federal election will be the first where Gen Z and Millennial voters outnumber Boomers across Australia. Therefore, commercial TV, talkback radio and newspapers will not deliver the same impact as previous elections cycles.
Capitalising on this shift requires a combination of traditional campaign tactics and understanding the new landscape. Those that replicate the Trump-Vance interview playbook will likely experience stronger gains than those that skim the surface of digital audio.
In addition to appearing on a whole range of shows, politicians who want to reach new audiences will have to re-direct swathes of their advertising budgets to podcasts and streaming platforms.
But, this isn’t a linear medium, it’s not about just buying up some podcast ads and hoping for the best. Paid media opportunities like dynamic ad insertion into shows and streams that match the audience’s interests will be one of the most efficient ways to spend campaign money. The difference in effectiveness between these approaches is stark.
Take the 6pm TV news on a Wednesday in January, for example. A sports fan might not be watching, so they won’t see the PM’s latest press conference, but they are streaming cricket and tennis while on holiday.
Likewise, a Chinese-born Australian won’t tune in to see the Opposition Leader’s policy announcement in Sydney, but they are listening to Mandarin-language podcasts on their daily commute.
And, a university student mightn’t see an election ad on the same bulletin, but they’re listening to their favourite creators’ podcasts in between lectures. It’s also equally likely these examples describe the one person who, regardless of their diverse interests, is not interested in TV news.
Our politicians may well search for their equivalent of The Joe Rogan Moment in next year’s elections, but the changed demographic of voters in Australia means it can’t be just a one-and-done approach. The audiences evading traditional mediums are accessible through digital audio, but campaigners must embrace a nuanced approach to get into their ears via their interests, not their demographics.
Australian political parties are fortunate to have a blueprint from the US about how to leverage podcasts and streaming audio in elections. This intimate medium builds trust and credibility with audiences, connecting them with people and communities they care about in ways other platforms cannot. This is the new political battleground in Australia and our first Podcast Elections are right around the corner.
