This Week’s Influencer: Where Podcasting Goes Next: Evan Shapiro Maps the Future; Texas Creators Step Up; Gen Z Redefines Audio Engagement & More

Where’s Podcasting headed? Easy-just follow the cartographer’s map.

This week on “What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews,” Evan Shapiro (renowned Media Universe Cartographer) brings his latest industry map to share with Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) how and why podcasts should expand into other mediums.

At IFC, Evan pioneered the podcast-to-TV pipeline (Comedy Bang Bang, WTF with Marc Maron). Now he navigates uncharted media waters with his show The Media Odyssey. He’s a perfect guide for this podcast voyage.

The team is talking: In Creators We Trust, Podcasting’s New Identity, Audience Connection, and more. Let’s dig in.

“[Podcasting] was the first form of the creator economy.” – Evan Shapiro (renowned Media Universe Cartographer)

Creators In Control: Podcasting dominates a huge new trend: the creator economy. As podcasters build stronger relationships directly with audiences, they have more impact on public opinion and the media itself. Need proof? Evan: “This fall, when Joe Rogan decided the election and Jake Paul broke Netflix… was the moment where the creator economy took control.” CAOs: podcasters are in the driver’s seat. Work with creators both you AND the audience trust. Together, you’ll drive off into the sunset.

Podcast’s Re-Defining Moment: With podcasting’s growth in video and listeners consuming different types of show content, should podcasting be renamed? Evan says yes. Evolution is in podcasting’s DNA: the name itself came from the iPod, a beloved artifact of our digital past. The medium has always needed redefining. For Evan, it’s not about extinction. It’s about evolution.

Choice and Connection: Video isn’t a competitor, it’s a colleague. Podcasts’ ability to translate to other mediums is huge for creators AND marketers. For Evan, podcasting is a modular storytelling art form where the audience chooses when to consume it and feels a personal relationship with the creator. The big deal is preserving audience choice and connection–which video and audio podcasts both deliver.

Want more of our media cartographer’s insights? Tune into the full episode below.

The Classifieds

Don’t Mess With Texas

Network: Washed Media / Monthly Downloads: 65K / Current Civility Score: 74, MEDIUM

In light of the heartbreaking floods that have recently devastated Central Texas, we’re showcasing two Texan podcasts that have focused recent episodes on charitable donations to organizations like World Central Kitchen, and others. Our first podcast features hosts Dillon Cheverere, Dave Ruff, and Will deFries, who dwell deep in the heart of Austin. Their fervent appreciation of the city’s culture, eateries, and events has long been part of their branding. In their weekly segment “This Weekend in Fun” they often talk about their love of the city’s great BBQ, sporting events, and live music. The threesome have been longtime collaborators, working together on various projects under the Washed Media banner, and it shows in the ease and familiarity of their vicarious banter. Most of the podcast’s longest-running sponsors have been male-skewing, but anyone looking for a comedic efficiency play should surely test. Click the link over yonder to find out more.

Get The Deal

Y’All Come Back Now, Ya Hear?

Network: City Cast / Monthly Downloads: 5K

City Cast is an assemblage of local news podcasts that cover real-time events within their communities. City Cast Austin is hosted by intrepid journalist and cabaret performer Nikki DaVaughn. Recent episodes have covered everything Austin, from the best summer food trucks and the reemergence of SXSW, to pending legislation on the governor’s desk. Though the floods just recently ravaged the region over the 4th of July, DaVaughn and team have already produced two hard-hitting episodes, covering the journalistic 5 W’s: who, what, when, where, and why. Serving as a resource for those in the area, these episodes have not only provided necessary information that could save lives, but also offer a feeling of closeness and support that only audio can bring. While this opportunity is best tested as part of a run of network, if you’re looking to micro-target this market, this is a great opportunity. Join ‘em deep in the heart of Texas, by engaging with the link below.

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In Case You Missed It

The Kids Are Alright

Edison Research and SiriusXM Media premiered The Gen Z Audio Report June 25th, highlighting fresh data on young Americans, aged 13 to24. The report reveals that music and humor are key to engaging with Gen Z, proving nearly half are more likely to pay attention to ads featuring music they like or to those that make them laugh. Honesty, transparency, and inspiration also boost ad attention. This webinar guides advertisers on effectively connecting with Gen Z by understanding their media consumption habits and values, helping brands tailor marketing strategies to this important demographic. Gen Z isn’t just passively consuming audio; they’re actively seeking content that resonates with their emotions and values. For brands, this means that audio is a prime opportunity to connect with an audience that’s engaged and elusive to reach via traditional means.

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Podscribe Debuts New Planner Tool

Podscribe has launched an upgrade to its Planner tool, enhancing podcast media planning with near-real-time audience data. Now live in all user dashboards, the revamped Planner helps advertisers, agencies, and publishers identify high-fit shows, estimate campaign reach, and align strategies more efficiently. Key features include net new reach, brand affinity insights, projected conversions, audience segment targeting, and customer lookalike matching. CEO Pete Birsinger says the update empowers faster, smarter decisions. It wasn’t that long ago when having reliable data to plan podcast campaigns was a major challenge. Thankfully those days are in the rearview. Tools like Podscribe lower the barrier to podcast media planning, making it easier for brands to test and scale.

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India: More Than Cricket & Bollywood

By way of our friends at Sounds Profitable, we have fresh insight on the podcast market in India. The India Brand Equity Foundation takes a look at the medium’s recent evolution, now with an estimated audience of 200 million, which puts India in third place behind China and the United States. The U.S. Grand View Research projects that with 2023’s podcast revenue almost reaching half a billion in USD valuation, it’s possible podcasting in India will be a $3.72 billion USD industry by 2030. A boom of affordable smartphones and low-data plans in India has contributed to podcasting’s growth, as well as the format’s ability to cater to niche audiences. Sure, hitting nearly $4B in podcast ad spend by 2030 might be a bit optimistic., owever, the growth trajectory is hard to ignore. India has shown promise as an emerging audio market, and this report adds fresh data to support its relevance for global advertisers.

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Save the Live Reads

Tecovas Steps Up for Texas

The devastating 4th of July floods in Central Texas have brought us all closer together in grief, prayer and relief efforts—and our Texas-born & raised client, Tecovas, is stepping up to help. The beloved all-American boot company shared on social media they’re supporting The Community Foundation-TX Hill Country’s Kerr County Relief Fund to help the victims of this horrific tragedy. It’s times like these when companies like Tecovas step up to the plate for their communities. That’s why we’re proud to feature Tecovas in this week’s #STLR. Grilling JR podcast host Jim Ross of WWE fame shares how much he loves his Tecovas boots—from the easy comfort right out of the box, to how they’ve upped his fashion game. J.R. elaborates on the comfort, quality, and even’ family approval’ in his natural, relatable cadence, ending with an offer that makes you wanna grab a pair yourself. As one of wrestling world’s most iconic voices, Jim knows the importance of staying true to your audience – just like Tecovas knows how to show up for their community when it matters most.

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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!

Thank you to the team that puts The Influencer together each week:

Ezra Fox – Media Roundtable & Ad Infinitum recap
Spencer Semonson – Classifieds
Neal Lucey – In Case You Missed It
Hannah Lloyd – Save The Live Reads

Editors:
Kyle Jelinek
Kristen Larson
Haley Wiese
Bianca Gorodinsky