I spent some quality time with the folks at Pandora this week, in their New York offices.  They’ve already built the leading brand in the new audio space called Personalized Radio Services.  And now, they’ve got a few new tricks up their sleeve.

Let’s start with the numbers.  Pandora just recently crossed the 90 Million mark for registered users.  They’re adding 150,000 to 160,000 more every day.  At that “million a week” pace, they’ll cross the 100 Million mark by summer.

More than half of Pandora listeners are now tuned in via mobile devices, such as iPhones and Androids.  And by offering listeners five, different “tap your touch screen” options to reply to a commercial, response rate from mobile advertising on Pandora has eclipsed response from online users.

Consider the five response options.  You can simply tap your touch screen to:

1)       visit a website
2)       trigger an email sent to your email account with more information or an offer
3)       dial the advertiser’s call center, without having to remember 10 numbers
4)       instantly view a 15-second video, or
5)       schedule an appointment in your Outlook Calendar.

This fifth option has been extremely popular with TV and cable networks seeking to drive viewership for prime time programming.  But there’s no reason any advertiser couldn’t use this same tactic to invite listeners to schedule a Saturday 10 AM appointment to compare auto insurance rates.

What’s next?  Pandora will use its intuitive Music Genome system to program Spoken Word content.  First up?  Comedy!  Real live comedians and Pandora staffers have spent much of the past year categorizing thousands of recorded comedy bits, sketches and routines so that, come May 1^st, you can type in “Richard Pryor” and get an earful of classic Richard Pryor comedy along with like-minded comedians who mirror his wit and style.

With its growing numbers – and deals in place with major automakers to simplify access to Pandora on the road – it’s no wonder Pandora leads the pack in this exciting, radio platform.  If you haven’t yet channeled a slice of your marketing budget to leverage this opportunity, chances are your competitors will soon thank you.

Mark Lipsky is the President and CEO of The Radio Agency. Please follow The Radio Agency’s Blog “Sounding Board” by subscribing to the email or RSS links above.Visit our website TheRadioAgency.com