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The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re taking a deep dive into the future of podcasts – our dreams, fears, and the unknown.
Daniel Granger (CEO, Oxford Road & Veritone One) hosts fellow audio experts Spencer Semonson (Media Supervisor, Oxford Road), Stew Redwine (VP Creative Services, Oxford Road), Ricardo Martinez (VP Client Services, Oxford Road), and James Cridland (editor of Podnews and Podcast Business Journal).
The team is talking: research gems, Spotify’s video push, podcast’s identity crisis and more. Let’s dive in.
“For me, it's like being on the Titanic, and somebody’s saying, ‘Oh, look, that iceberg looks nice. Let's go over there.”
James Cridland (editor, Podnews and Podcast Business Journal)
Listen and Type ⌨️ - First, some good news for CAOs with attribution anxiety. New Veritonic research shows that 57% of podcast ad listeners visit a brand’s website after hearing a podcast ad. So even when listeners aren’t following the exact instructions (Vanity URL? Skip.), the podcast’s effectiveness means the message is still getting through.
Spotify’s Big Moves 👀 - ICYMI, Spotify announced some big changes prioritizing video in podcasts, hoping to pull video podcast subscribers from YouTube. It’s hard to know all the effects these shifts could have right now, but James believes podcasts are “something for your ears when your eyes are busy.” Giving up the audio advantage of podcasting doesn’t sound like a great future.
Podscribe’s New Research 💎 - Podscribe just released a new benchmark report filled with insights, and our team loved sifting through it. Some highlights: Podcast ads increase brand lift over streaming music ads by almost 2x. Smaller brands see higher benefits, with a 62% brand lift compared to 16% for megabrands. Midroll ads and episodic buys outperform other formats. Host-read and longer ads convert best. For these nuggets of wisdom and more, view highlights of the new report here.
For a deeper dive into the future of podcast with some of the wisest audio minds in the industry, tune into the full episode below.
The Classifieds
There’s No Place Like Home
Network: Acast
Monthly Downloads: 200k
Current Civility Score: 97, HIGH
During this week of gratitude, thankfulness and appreciation, many folks are mirroring those sentiments in their audio listening choices. Our first selection comes from the UK, and has been climbing the Health & Fitness charts slowly but steadily. Host Fearne Cotton began her career in children’s broadcasts for the BBC, eventually pivoting to trending reality shows. In her Happy Place podcast with Acast, she spends each episode with her guests talking through the trials and tribulations in their lives, to discover how they found their happy place. It’s the perfect podcast for those who love shows about support and who also want to be more supportive of friends and family. This is a great offering for those with an older female demo interested in self-care. If you’re happy and you know it, click below.
Over the River and Through the Wood
Network: NPR
Monthly Downloads: 1.9m
Current Civility Score: 99, HIGH
Life Kit is a podcast striving to give listeners tools for success wherever they want to do better. Whether you want to traverse the dangerously confusing world of health insurance, learn how to refinance your mortgage or cook a Thanksgiving turkey, Life Kit’s got you covered. They even touch on more nuanced topics like; climate anxiety, co-dependence in romantic relationships, and finding joy in the little things. Thanks to their diverse subject matter, this show claims widespread appeal with a varied audience of both younger and older adults. It’s also one of the few podcasts with a valuable back catalog, so listeners can easily search for specific archived episodes. Life Kit has amassed many longtime DR advertisers, especially those seeking lifelong learners with a higher household income. That’s life, and like all the people say, follow the link below, and you won’t be shot down in May.
In Case You Missed It
Audacy Enhances Ad Creativity
Matthew Casey's Ad Age article explores the evolution of podcast advertising over two decades, showcasing innovative strategies that redefine creativity. For example, Tenderfoot TV’s “Up and Vanished” podcast integrated Liquid I.V. ads into its narrative, enhancing authenticity. Audacy's Enhanced Video Units combine host reads with animation and QR codes for dynamic engagement. Other examples include Wasabi Technologies Hot Cloud Storage's interactive baseball segments and Metro by T-Mobile's social media-integrated call-ins. While this article in Ad Age is more of an advertorial from Audacy, Inc., it still offers valuable examples for marketers to consider when looking to make their ads more engaging for audiences.
Local Advertisers Slow to Jump on Podcast Train
Borrell Associates Inc.‘ latest research provides insights into what local advertisers are thinking. Local podcasting is gaining traction, with 58% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) listening to a podcast in the past month and 24% tuning into local shows. However, only 17% of local advertisers have invested in podcast ads, with mixed perceptions of their effectiveness. While 11% found podcast ads “very effective,” 48% deemed them only “slightly” impactful. This is interesting. While SMBs are avid podcast listeners—and we know this well, given how many of our clients target this audience—they’re not yet significant advertisers in the space. We expect this to change as the podcasting industry matures, more local podcasts are created, and local targeting capabilities become more sophisticated.
Spotify Sunsets Listener Support Program
Effective January 2, 2025, Spotify for Creators is discontinuing its US-only Listener Support program, which allows fans to pledge recurring payments to support shows. Spotify says the decision aims to focus on more impactful creator tools and scalable monetization solutions. Existing subscriber payments will be automatically canceled, and subscribers will be notified in advance. Creators can still access their Listener Support earnings via Stripe . Other monetization options remain unaffected, and Spotify plans to enhance these offerings. With Spotify’s recent announcements about video and the discontinuation of its listener support program, the platform is aggressively reshaping the rules of podcasting. Read their announcement to see how Spotify frames this as a positive development for creators. 🤔
#SaveTheLiveReads
It’s Me Tinx, Fasting Mimicker
Christina Najjar, also known as “Tinx,” began posting on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s dubbed herself as "TikTok's older sister" thanks to her advice about relationships and mental health. Tinx shares candid advice, personal stories, and her unique perspective on life, relationships, and pop culture. And when your big sister has advice, you listen. This is why her ad for ProLon Life is so impactful. Tinx takes lean copy points and nourishes them with her unique perspective on how and why she uses ProLon to “restart” her body. Identifying hosts that can take your copy and make it sing, plus do it with such authenticity is a true gift. If you’re looking for a host that “gets it”, look no further than Tinx.
If you've read this far, thank you!
The Influencer is a production from the team at Oxford Road.
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