SPECIAL EDITION: Solving the Audio Ad Attribution Problem with The Bonfire of Vanity URLs

Get ready to boost your ad game with Oxford Road’s two-tiered survey method

Vanity URLs and HDYHAU surveys may seem luddite-ish to those attracted by the lure of advanced modeling. But in the 40+ years since econometrics was first embraced to solve the attribution problem, none of the proposed technologies or algorithms has brought any definitive resolution.

Rather than join other marketers on the fruitless search for the Holy Marketing Grail, we’ve taken a different approach: improving on what we know already works. If discovering a way to get show-level performance data without the use of pixels, vanity URLs, promo codes, or any fancy tech that works for all media types floats your boat, read on.

We teased this attribution experiment a few weeks back on the Media Roundtable episode with Allan Jones (CEO of Bambee)–now you get the rest of the story.

Why will this be your new favorite attribution tool?

Bonfire of the Vanity URLs – This method provides show-level performance without the use of vanity URLs.
Simplicity Wins – The two-tiered survey relies on tech, not confusing algorithms or AI. It’s privacy-safe and GDPR/CPRA friendly, and you own all the data.
Free as the Wind – Unlike other solutions, there is no CPM upcharge, retainer fees, or any other cost to use this method. Set it up and let it work for you.
Bambee’s Case Study – Bambee CEO Allan Jones and Oxford Road CEO Dan Granger developed the survey–and Bambee’s attribution rate jumped from 1% to 50%.

Ready to unlock the power to accurately and efficiently measure any marketing channel? Click below to download our full white paper.

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The Classifieds

Podcasts Can Get Rebooted Too

In the far back time of Jan 2022, a one-of-a-kind podcast premiered, and its Gen Z listeners quickly became invested in the friendship, mutual respect, and internet research skills of Brittany Broski and Sarah Schauer. Because we can’t have anything nice, and all good things must come to an end, Violating Community Guidelines stopped production last year. From its ashes, two podcasts have emerged from the former co-hosts, both hotly awaited. The first to premiere on Studio 71 was Sarah Schauer’s The BCC Club, a revamped formatting of the original concept now co-hosted by Tik Tok star Kendahl Landreth. Each has a ribald brand of outlandish humor, but in this weekly deep dive, they get nostalgic, real, and extremely open with their newfound audience. This option is best suited for those interested in internet culture, comedy, and strange deep dives. Is it pixel-tracked? It doesn’t matter if you heed the call of this week’s white paper above. Remember not to reply all when you look for more details below.

Get The Deal

Tik Toker Trades Kombucha for Champagne

Brittany Broski has been a seminal figure in pop culture for several years, and in that time, she has amassed 7.2m Tik Tok followers and 1.2m YouTube subscribers. She has also collaborated with large names like Trixie Mattel and Ethan and Hila Klein and even met her idol Harry Styles, all while showcasing a brash wit and bright personability in her content. In her newest venture with Audioboom, Broski plans to elevate internet stories, gossip, and trending topics for her so-called Broski Nation. Though she is fully taking the helm sans co-host, Broski has always had a large enough presence and surefire affability to claim any space, and this will be no different. The show will start airing in May, and there’s already a high level of fervor throughout the internet. Like the previous classified, this is best suited for clients looking to reach an engaged Gen Z audience interested in the best and weirdest aspects of the internet. Receive your stan report via the link below.

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In Case You Missed It

RIP Baked In Ads?

Bryan Barletta from Sounds Profitable discusses the industry shift away from the “baked-in” ad model in podcasting, where ads are part of the audio file that is uploaded to the hosting platforms, and which are preferred by many legacy podcast advertisers. Barletta argues that the rise of dynamic ad insertion, which allows for the benefits of host-read ads with better measurability and controls for podcasters and advertisers, is making the “baked-in” model obsolete. Without question, the industry has adapted to DAI-embedded host-read ads (“faked in”) and DAI run-of-network or audience-targeted ads. Just the same, Oxford Road is a big proponent of “baked-in” ads – nothing beats them for authenticity and the personal connection hosts can make with their listeners on behalf of advertisers. Yes, “baked-in” ads are harder to measure for performance, but we have a solution.

CMO Survey Says?

Founded in 2008, the CMO Survey provides insight into marketing trends and investments for a broad range of companies based on responses from over 300 senior-level marketers across a variety of industries. Although not specific to audio, the CMO survey is a great reference tool. If you are interested in benchmarks such as marketing investment as a percent of revenue (10.9% on average) or the average mix of budget on short-term performance vs. long-term brand building (60% performance/40% brand), you can find all of the answers from the CMO Survey.

Get Your AI-Generated Audio Ads Here

Adthos launches a first-to-market self-service platform to produce 100% AI-Generated Audio Ads for Radio, Podcast & Streaming. The Adthos platform allows users to create complete audio ads using AI technology, including script generation, AI voices, sound effects, and music. The platform leverages GPT-4 and offers a library of top-quality AI voices, enabling advertisers to produce high-quality audio ads efficiently. The technology may not be at a place it can win a Cannes Gold Lion. But the point is that the Adthos platform gives us an early look at what IS possible. The truth is, if you are a small business with limited resources, like the plumbing company included in their demo, why wouldn’t you try this option?

A Shandy a Day Keeps the ZocDoc Away

The day-to-day upkeep of adulthood requires more than a sharp memory and a good day planner these days. Thankfully we’ve got plenty of options to keep us on track and great podcasts like Dear Shandy, equal parts Sharleen Joynt and Andy Levine, a modern-day power couple who take pleasure in imparting their tips with us, especially when it comes to the world of dating.
As a happily married couple, they’ve had their share of experiences—Sharleen’s coming from none other than The Bachelor TV series. But it turns out their advice doesn’t stop there. When it comes to healthcare, the Shandy team loves to share their not-so-best-kept secret Zocdoc, the quickest and easiest way to book and keep track of doctor’s appointments. In this ad read for the free app, Sharleen expresses how much she relies on Zocdoc, treating it more as parents reminding you of all those unfun doctor’s appointments you never wanted to think about as a kid(and still don’t), or as they put it a “waste of brain.”
You’re not going to get a perspective on your brand with colorful metaphors like this anywhere. Dear Shandy might be the power couple and podcast we’ve been waiting for.

Listen Here

OXFORd In The News

Ad Fontes Makes News Content Safer for Advertisers

Readers of our newsletter should already be aware of our friends at Ad Fontes and their Media Bias Chart, which helps marketers traverse the often murky trails of advertising with news publishers. Ad Fontes founder and Chief Executive Vanessa Otero was featured in a recent WSJ CMO Today article that announced the addition of media veteran Lou Paskalis as chief strategy officer.

Why are we putting this in OUR newsletter?

Firstly, we believe in Ad Fontes and support their mission to counter the trend of brands avoiding news content due to concerns about controversial content.
Secondly, the article mentions Oxford Road and our work with Ad Fontes to help our advertiser Quip choose which podcasts are safe for their brand. If you would like to know more about how Oxford Road is keeping our advertisers safe, click HERE.

Our Attribution Method is Getting Noticed

By now, if you haven’t read our breakdown on The Bonfire of Vanity URLs yet, stop what you’re doing and read it now. Since the announcement on Linkedin this morning, both Inside Radio and Pod News have shared the details. Be in the know; download the report and let us know your thoughts.

If you’ve read this far, thank you!

The Influencer is a production from the team at Oxford Road.
If you like our sometimes sassy, mostly informed POVs on the wonderful world of audio advertising, you should see what we do for our clients.

Interested in seeing how we could help your business?
Contact us at influencer@oxfordroad.com!