The Influence of Relationships on Podcasts’ Opportunities to Maximize Revenue : A qualitative study exploring podcasts’ opportunities to maximize revenue depending on the relationship to and characteristics of their audiences within Generation Y

Sammanfattning: Background Companies realization of the possibility to target specific audiences in an intimate setting through podcasts, has created a significant expansion of the podcast industry during the last decade. This development has created possibilities for independent podcast hosts to earn revenue. Today, investments towards marketing in the medium is projected to continue to grow substantially.   Problem Since podcasts are consumer controlled and categorized as a pull-medium, listeners’ attitudes and preferences are critical for podcast hosts to consider when monetizing their content. The largest audience of podcasts is found within Generation Y, which increases the importance of accounting for these attitudes and preferences, since they are assumed to be a particularly challenging consumer segment to target.   Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to explore the relationships that Generation Y have to hosts in different type of podcast categories. Following, the research aims to investigate how these relationships influence the podcasts’ possible opportunities to maximize their revenue.   Method This qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with individuals from Generation Y. The empirical data was analyzed according to the conceptual framework developed through existing literature within the field of study.      Result The findings of this research enabled the authors to provide recommendations regarding preferable forms of monetization for the four identified podcast categories. The sponsorship approach was identified as the preferable primary form of monetization for Category 1, 3 and 4. Whereas the Subscription Model was recommended for Category 2. The authors further suggested the most beneficial supplementary forms of monetization for each podcast category as well as general recommendations for all.