Ag Media Trends and the Changing Landscape

Over the last 40 years, advertising media and marketing communications have evolved significantly – from once a “four-legged stool” of print, TV, radio, and direct, to now hundreds of platforms available today.

And the options continue to expand as new technologies enable us to deliver information to consumers more quickly and efficiently than ever before. As speed translates to money made or money lost for most brands. 

But throughout all this media evolution, parts of the original “four-legged stool” remain intact, and, one has emerged as the number 1 used daily medium for farmers because of its timeliness and convenience in sharing and consuming key information important to their operations.

The Rise of Podcasts & Streaming Audio 

Media trends and research show that audio, anchored by local AM/FM radio, along with podcasts and streaming audio, are top mediums for daily and weekly usage by farmers. 

• Only three mediums grew greater than 4% in usage over the last 2 years:

• Mobile apps at 7% growth

• Radio at 5%

• Podcasts at 4%

• Looking at the past 10 years for ag information sources:

• Radio grew from 80% usage to 95%

• Mobile apps grew from 0% to 88%

• Podcasts grew from 0% to 55%

While these platforms have grown exponentially in usage, there are still challenges we must consider: Radio still remains one of the most expensive options particularly when it comes to “national” vs. “local” ad rates. But, while podcasts are still on the “ground floor” in terms of development, the platform is indicating an “if you build it, they will come” environment and are much more cost-efficient for marketing budgets.

And maybe the most intriguing takeaway? Podcasts also had a higher advertising actions taken score than Radio at 58% vs. 45%, with listeners reporting they took action on an ad from a Podcast within the last month. 

Print, TV, Digital 

While audio has gained popularity, other media has changed in terms of usage.

• Print: While Print has long been the base for many ag marketers, as a medium it has lost a few percentage points in usage with a total reach of 96%, but the big story in print is how it is still used: Just under 50% of that 96% read less magazines and spend fewer minutes reading than they did just 5 years ago.

• TV: While ag TV is still viable particularly against the older ag segment and holds the edge on daily usage, YouTube has become the equal of broadcast/cable/satellite TV for a total reach at 84%. YouTube offers far more flexibility of messaging and in some instances is timelier than the TV offerings and more efficient cost wise. YouTube is the equal of TV in total usage and will most likely grow in terms of daily usage/weekly usage as more opportunities become available.

• Digital: Internet usage has leveled off with websites and eNews. Websites for ag news and info are slightly down but still at 94%. Enewsletters are also down slightly but at 89%. Google/Bing/search is still strong with 85% monthly usage. 47% search the internet daily.

Key Takeaways for 2025 Media 

While media has evolved over time, getting the right media mix is still a key foundation of effective media planning and buying. And staying up on the latest research and trend analysis helps inform our approach each year. In 2025, we’re specifically watching for podcast and streaming audio opportunities for ag brands to extend message reach and create action among target audiences.