This Week’s Influencer: We Talk All Things Measurement At CAO, A Big Leadership Changeup at Spotify, Pew’s News About News, and More…

It finally happened- we found insights that brand builders and performance marketers can agree on.

We gathered CAOs from all walks of business: from finance and food to jobs and boots. They share everything they’ve learned as they’ve scaled podcasting to enviable levels. Whether you’re team brand or team performance, you’ll benefit from their wealth of experience.

On The Media Roundtable, we have one of our favorite conversations from our 2025 CAO Summit.  Conor Doyle (President, Oxford Road) moderated the ”No More Maybes: Scaling Podcast Performance with Precision” panel, where he gathered some of the sharpest CAOs around, who agreed to share their secrets on scaling podcasts.

Conor was joined by our VIPs:

• Gladwell Mwangi (Director of Paid Media, Whole Foods)
• Kezia Koo (Former Sr. Director, Global Growth & Performance Marketing, Indeed)
• Megan Smith (Director, Media Strategy, Tecovas)
• Nick Fairbairn (Vice President, Growth Marketing, Chime)

These audio evangelists candidly shared how they grew their podcast buys with confidence and their hard-won lessons from the journey.

“Every single time we ratchet up the quality of our measurement, it’s telling us time and time again that podcast is efficient-it’s driving revenue and bringing customers in.” – Kezia Koo (Former Sr. Director, Global Growth & Performance Marketing, Indeed)

This week, we’re talking: Measurement Quality, Podcasts Play Nice, Thoughtful Success, and more. Let’s dig in:

Measurement Quality: The first step to every success story? Getting measurements you trust. But as spend increases, so should measurement sophistication. Over 6 years, Indeed moved from a single attribution model to different media mix models, and onto clean room measurement. The common result? Podcasts have a fantastic ROI and deserve more spend. The lesson? Scale is constrained by the confidence you have in your performance. Better measurement unlocks increased spend at optimal levels.

Podcasts Play Well with Others:  Podcast absolutely performs on its own. But thanks to video, it’s an incredible team player too, helping other channels efficiently scale. Combine book endorsement spots with a trusted podcast host, negotiate usage rights, and you have an abundance of powerful clips for CTV, paid social, and programmatic. With the rise of video, visual brands like Tecovas especially benefit, but the truth is, host authenticity is the rising tide that lifts all marketing boats, so make sure you’re not ignoring it.

Thoughtful Success: While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, intentionality played a key role in all of our CAOs’ success stories. You need:

1. Clarity: Define how podcasts can support the rest of your marketing. Longer host endorsements humanize brands more effectively than 15-second DR TV spots can.
2. Thoughtfulness with your placements: Look past the top 10 shows, track your CPAs on a show-level, and when you find a winner, make a commitment. You’ll get amazing reads (which you can then use again elsewhere in your marketing ecosystem).

Want more stats and secrets from every step of the scaling journey? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

The Classifieds

Don’t Be Blinded By Her Light

Network: Sony Podcasts /  Monthly Downloads: 185k

When we talk about death, it’s often from the viewpoint of those mourning, usually leading to a somber, morose conversation. What if you could talk with the deceased before they actually died? British comedian and presenter Mel Giedroyc is facilitating weekly conversations with a cadre of guests who want to find the funny in the great beyond. Although the central premise may be morbid, the content is often filled with levity and light. Mel and co often focused on the gratitude we all feel for one another and celebrating life itself while we still can. Giedroyc has often been a part of cozy, feel-good entertainment (The Great British Bake Off, The Big Fat Quiz of the Year), and her recent takeover of this longstanding podcast has resulted in a similar theme. For those looking to reach a dedicated UK-based audience interested in classic, British humor, this is undoubtedly a great test to consider for Q4. Meet us at the pearly gates below for more angelic details. Trust us, this is not something you want to pass on.

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Don’t Worry, Be Happy Now

Network: That Sounds Fun Network /  Monthly Downloads: 150k

We’re entering that time of year again when people start forming goals for themselves, often linked to health and happiness. Jeanine Amapola is a Texas-born YouTuber who wanted to build a platform for well-intentioned, self-loving women who finally put those goals ahead of society’s expectations. Her fundamental beliefs are built around Christianity, family, and stability, and that comes through in every episode. Whether she’s discussing toxic diet culture, the perils of social media, or giving her unvarnished advice, Amapola is always ready with an opinion and a strong argument to back it up. This is an opportunity from That Sounds Fun, a Christian-focused network that prioritizes women-led voices. Since premiering five years ago, this has been a solid top-performer for many female-skewing DTC clients, especially those that cater to young mothers. If you would like to be happier (seeing great performance) and healthier (less stressed about unfilled budgets), click below for more details.

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In Case You Missed It

The King Has Abdicated, All Hail the New Regents

Spotify announced Tuesday that founder and CEO Daniel Ek will step down in January 2026 to become Executive Chairman as the company adopts a new co-CEO model. Gustav Söderström, Chief Product and Technology Officer, and Alex Norström, Chief Business Officer, will jointly lead operations starting next year. Ek described his role as shifting “from a player to a coach,” focusing on capital allocation and long-term strategy. Spotify, founded in 2006, posted its first annual profit in 2024 following price hikes and cost cuts, and now has nearly 700 million monthly users. This move won’t change how marketers approach audio buys, but it’s still significant. Ek is the founder and has been synonymous with Spotify since its inception, so this change will be a significant shift for all. Maybe not on the same level, but it reminds us of when Amazon founder Jeff Bezos handed CEO duties to Andy Jassy.

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Pew’s News About News

Pew Research released its 2025 fact sheet on podcasts and news. Data shows that 49% of U.S. adults have listened to a podcast in the past month, up from 42% in 2023. Among listeners, 32% report podcasts as a regular news source. The report found younger adults (18–29) are the most engaged, with 67% monthly reach, compared with 28% for those 65+. Pew notes that while podcasts expand news reach, most listeners consume them alongside traditional media outlets. Podcasts as a main source of news are growing. The Pew Research report provides insights into the news genre that every marketer should know. The news genre is one that consistently drives performance across a variety of brand categories, and this report proves that all generations engage with it.

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Ignore the Platform That Reaches Most Americans? Bouvard Says Yes

In a new blog post, Cumulus Media/Westwood One’s One’s Chief Insights Officer, Pierre Bouvard, criticized YouTube Music’s audience claims, calling them vague and unsubstantiated. He noted that agencies often hear “billions” used in YouTube’s pitch materials, without a clear explanation of what demographics or countries are represented. Edison Research’s Q2 2025 Share of Ear study shows YouTube Music’s ad-supported service accounts for only 1% of U.S. listening time, far behind AM/FM radio at 66%, podcasts at 20%, Spotify at 5%, and Pandora at 4%. Bouvard urges agencies and marketers to ground planning in measured data, warning that overlooking radio in favor of digital narratives risks under-delivering on reach. As far as we know, YouTube hasn’t claimed its “billions” number refers to the music service. The “billions” refers to global podcast reach (which we have also questioned). YouTube’s role in podcasting and music content is well established. Marketers know better than to ignore its reach and growing role in audio.

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#SaveTheLiveReads

Parenting Class is in Session with MasterClass

Taking care of everyone on a weekly basis, teacher & parenting coach JoAnn Crohn, M.Ed., and co-host parenting coach & educator, Brie Tucker of No Guilt Mom, deliver a standout example of how authenticity, vulnerability, and real-life parenting struggles can be transformed into a powerful and relatable endorsement. Praising MasterClass during this #STLR, these gals effortlessly weave their personal experiences (moments of stress, short fuses, and everyday chaos) into their substantiation of MasterClass’s Science of Parenting class, creating a seamless and emotionally resonant connection for listeners. By sharing specific takeaways and how the class improved their confidence and calm as parents, they offer genuine, results-driven testimony that adds both credibility and warmth. Their tone is upbeat and supportive, mirroring the message of the class itself: progress over perfection, backed by science, not guilt. It’s informative, engaging, and above all, empowering, making this a pitch that doesn’t shame listeners but leaves listeners feeling seen, supported, and eager to sign up for the class themselves. Class is in session, and you can take notes via the link below.

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