“If you talk to a lot of younger folks, they say, ‘Yeah, I’ve been watching that podcast.’ They don’t say listening. If you notice, ‘Oh yeah, I watched that the other day.” They don’t say listened.” The increasing overlap between audio and video is a constant conversation we have on The Podcast Advertising Playbook, but our guest today provides new insight. Craig Jordan, SVP of Podcasts & Brand Partnerships at Studio71, peels back to the curtain to reveal what's really happening in the...

This final episode of our live at SXSW series isn’t one you’ll want to miss.  First, Heather is joined by Mattia Verzella from Spreaker, where the two discuss:  Concerns with programmatic ads  Why programmatic ads allow you to scale  The importance of transparency  Advancements in technology and what this means for podcast advertising   Finally, Lindsey Jara Wald and Shweta Nalawade from Tinuiti round out our SXSW conversations by discussing:  The advantages of having everything...

“Because obviously, a 30, 60, or 90-second ad could be effective, but [branded podcasts] are more of a longer-term strategy of building a community around that like specific program.”  In the third installment of our Live at SXSW series, Heather is joined by Camille Laurente from Hueman Group Media and Michael Kropko from Ad Results Media.  First, Camille gives listeners a crash course on branded podcasts. She and Heather discuss:  The importance of trust when creating a branded...

Welcome to our second live interview from SXSW! In today’s episode, Heather is joined by A.J. Feliciano from The Roost and Cameron Hendrix from Magellan AI.  First, tune in to hear Heather and A.J. discuss:  Why viewership is as important as listenership  The importance of making your ads fun  Choosing where to put advertisers with both video and audio Then, starting at 19:06, Heather and Cameron discuss: Magellan AI’s new pixel-based attribution  The death of the cookie and its role...

We’re doing things a bit differently in the upcoming weeks. Our host, Heather Osgood, spent last week at SXSW with some of the best industry professionals in the podcasting space. Our next few episodes will feature conversations filmed at SXSW.  This episode features Rob Peterson, the Director of Marketing at Good Karma Brands.  Tune in to hear him and Heather discuss:  Why big brands like ESPN might choose podcast advertising  Tips for running a successful test campaign  Why it’s...

“I think if you marry the right buying tactics to hit the client’s objectives, [podcast advertising] could really work for everyone. I think it’s just a matter of being very considerate and looking at putting together the best campaign possible.” On this week’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather Osgood is joined by Stephanie Bower, Director of Audio at Horizon Media. Stephanie shares insight from her several years of experience in the industry to help listeners determine how...

“I think as people’s attention spans are getting smaller and smaller, you have to get more and more, and more and more, hits in their brain.”  We spend a lot of time here at The Podcast Advertising Playbook talking about how to target your audience. How there are various demographics you should use to build your target audience and make sure they hear your ad. But what if your company has a broad audience? How do you target for a company that, theoretically, anyone could benefit from?  Tune...

“We like to say we choose people over programming. We have really great vendors, like True Native, and partners that we’ve worked with over the years, and there are new ones coming into the space, but you know your inventory, you know the shows. We trust you.”  Content is changing - podcast hosts don’t just do audio anymore. Instead, they’re branding out to different forms of content and including those in podcast advertising deals. To help us navigate the ever-changing world of content,...

“[Podcast ads are] a way to get them to the site, which then allows us to initiate all other communication.”  In today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather Osgood is joined by David Dahle, the Chief Operating Officer at Tanasi. David’s advertising strategy is a bit different than most since his company deals with CBD - which means the rules of advertising are much stricter.  Tune in to hear Heather and David discuss:  Advertising challenges with CBD Why some podcasts work...

Podcasts have been around for 20 years, and in those 20 years, podcast ad buying has been evolving and evolving.  It can be so daunting for new buyers in the space to start their first campaign because oftentimes, no one tells them where to start, which is why I created this episode as a one-stop shop for anyone who needs an introduction to podcast ad buying.  Some key things you’ll learn in this episode are: The two main ways to buy podcast ads.  The differences between the different types...

“What’s interesting about programmatic is that it has a life cycle.” Our first guest of the year is Tomas Rodriguez, Senior Director of Audio Partnerships at The Trade Desk - and he answers ALL of our questions regarding programmatic ads! Tune in to learn more about: How The Trade Desk is changing the game in programmatic advertising Why podcasting is in a different programmatic stage than other industries  How transparency impacts programmatic ads  The hidden impact it can have in...

“The other thing to consider is that you have a lot of competitors in your space - that are advertising on podcasts. And you’re all going to the same podcasts to advertise. Then really, what you’re doing is cutting into your ability to really stand out and not be there right next to your competitor.” We’re going back to the basics on today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook.  Join Heather Osgood as she shares her best tips to ensure advertisers are successful when they venture into...

“Certainly, we started the year very hopeful, but there was a lot of uncertainty about where the economy was headed. I will say that it has not been as rocky a year as it certainly could have been. So I’m very thankful for that.”  2023 has been full of many ups and downs, and now it’s time to talk about it. Join Heather Osgood as she does her annual yearly recap of the podcasting industry.  ______________________________________________________________ More of a visual person? Watch this...

“When you’re getting a host read ad - there are a variety of different hosts. Not everyone is a professional radio announcer and podcaster, which is what makes it beautiful but also makes it hard.”  In the world of AI, it can seem like we’re losing more and more of that human touch, but that’s what makes podcasting so special.  This week, Heather Osgood is joined by Lex Friedman, founder of Lex Friedman Consulting, to talk about why networks being high-touch with their podcasters is a good...

“It’s amazing how many layman people out there who aren’t in the marketing and advertising world don’t realize that there’s actually a connection between, “of, if I go buy this product, it helps the host’... That authentic request is so important.” We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again - podcast advertising is so successful because of the relationship the host has with their audience. That relationship is ultimately what the brand is purchasing when they buy an ad campaign.  But with...

“My recommendation to buyers is to take any predictions from a frequency-capped campaign with a grain of salt.” Frequency capping is the ability to define the maximum number of times an ad can be delivered to a listener within a given time period - and it’s the newest hot topic in podcasting.  At True Native Media, we noticed that there were a lot of questions and ambiguity surrounding frequency capping, so we turned to our software expert, Anthony Firn. After extensive research, Anthony...

PR isn’t about hosting parties and drinking cosmos in the Hamptons - even if that’s what Samantha Jones and Sex and the City led us to believe.  This week, Heather is joined by Molly DeMellier, PR Lead at Acast, and she sets the record straight on what PR actually is! Acast is the hosting distribution and monetization platform for podcasts across the open ecosystem, and Molly shares her insider knowledge about how PR is closely related to podcasting.  Tune in to hear Heather and Molly...

“But it’s interesting just to see how social media is important, but it doesn’t always convert. Just because I’ve got a million followers doesn’t mean I’m going to get a million listeners, right?” On today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather is joined by Kerry Tracy, SVP of Advertising at Podbean. Kerry is a veteran in the media world and has amassed a wealth of knowledge over his career - and today, he’s sharing that with you.  Tune in to hear Heather and Kerry...

“Think of our NFL network, it’s 38 podcasts. To source 38 podcasts, you don’t want eight different publishers and 38 different onboarding calls and invoices - it can be a nightmare. So for us, we like to just make it as easy for an advertiser as possible to activate with those micro-communities of fans for specific teams, but they’re able to do so at the highest level of activation with the NFL network.”  On today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather is joined by Bryan...

If you’re an avid listener of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, you know that at the end of each episode, Heather asks her guests what their predictions for the podcast industry are. And in today’s episode, we revisit these predictions and see who got it right.  These predictions span all types of topics, including:  Content Ad Types  YouTube  Economy Package Selling Creative  Tech Advancements  ______________________________________ More of a visual person? Watch this episode on...

“Speaking as myself, as a consumer, if I’m hearing the ad multiple times, but it’s not the same every time, that goes a long way in enhancing the overall experience.”  In today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, our host Heather Osgood is joined by Shasta Cafarelli, Senior Vice President of Media Strategy at Tinuti. Shasta shares her insight on the strategic approach Tenuiti has taken to integrate podcast advertising with other marketing channels to create a seamless brand...

“So this definition that we’ve had for many years, that a podcast is only media distributed via an RSS feed, is being broken apart now and being expanded. And a lot of folks in the industry don’t like that.”  In today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather asks the question, “What is a podcast?” The answer might be more complex than you think.  Heather is joined by Rob Greenlee, founder of Spoken Life Media. Rob shares his extensive knowledge of podcasting, taking us on a...

The biggest myth in podcast advertising is that bigger audiences produce bigger results.  That’s just not true. Yes, a bigger audience can produce bigger results, but smaller podcasts often have more engaged audiences and can produce better results for an advertiser on a cost-per-listener basis. In this week’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather Osgood debunks the myth that audience size is all that matters for podcast advertising.  ______________________________________ More...

“Some of the ad loads on some podcasts now are like six and a half minutes, and bam, you’re into another ad. And it drives me insane. I unsubscribe from those shows. I think as a content creator, you have to really think about the ad load.” It’s every creator’s dream to have a long-standing successful relationship with an advertiser, and Todd Cochrane has cracked the code. Todd is famous for his relationship with GoDaddy, and in today’s episode, he shares his secret for fostering this almost...