Top Podcast Advertiser Shakes The Industry; AI’s Podcast Move Will Have You Question What You Hear and See; Oxford Road Announces a Huge Hire

Chief Audio Officers, welcome back to another raucous episode of the Media Roundtable!

Dan Granger (Oxford Road Founder & CEO) is back to host, joined by fellow Agents of Influence Kristen Duenas (Associate Media Director, Oxford Road), Stew Redwine (VP of Creative Services, Oxford Road), and everyone’s favorite Audio Futurologist, James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal).

We’re talking virtual products, the podcast to TV pipeline, Seekr’s new brand safety bet, the next “cool” era of podcasts, and more. Let’s dig in.

Hey Brand Spender – Podcast brand spend continues to shift the advertiser landscape. In December 2023 Amazon overtook longtime top advertiser BetterHelp by out-spending everyone. Amazon, the up-and-coming online bookstore, pushed many messages to support their array of sub-brands, but what put them over the edge? Prime Video, particularly to promote their newish addition of Thursday Night Football. If only there was a link between Podcast listening and TV viewing.
Hearing is Seeing? – Right on cue, a new survey by Hub Entertainment Research shows how podcasts can help shape TV two major ways. 50% of podcast listeners are more likely to watch a TV show based on their favorite podcast, and 47% have discovered TV shows via podcasts. Will podcasts be the new tested-IP goldmine like comic books were in years past, or are they a marketing vehicle? Tune in to hear our take.
No Product, No Problem ️ – Backed by UTA and L’Oreal, AI technology startup, Rembrand is showing off their virtual products for simulcasts. Is there any harm with an AI-generated poster on the wall that isn’t actually there? TBD, but as the technology improves the line separating real or not continues to blur. A challenge in an industry based on authenticity and trust.

…And that’s just scratching the surface of what the team covers in this episode. For audio insights you won’t get anywhere else, tune into the full episode by clicking the link below.

But before you jump in, we’d like to officially announce the hiring of Nathan Aminian, EVP of Operations here at Oxford Road. Nathan’s leadership and technical prowess will undoubtedly strengthen our competitive advantage in data analysis, measurement, and attribution strategy. We couldn’t be happier to have him join our team. Read more about Nathan and his plans to take Oxford Road to the next level HERE.

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The Classifieds

Receipts! Proof! Timelines! Screenshots!

Bravo has been the reigning powerhouse in reality television for years, but it’s their recent large-scale scandals that gained the most attention. An abundance of new fans are tuning in to revel in the fun, and BravBros’ hosts Steel and Shooter know that feeling all too well. Often seen as atypical Bravo fans, the former baseball players and current Vanderpump Rules superfans are erasing the stigma associated with reality TV, one scandal recap at a time. As recent guests on Watch What Happens Live, they’ve already shared their reactions to all three parts of the RHOSLC finale. BravBros is a small venture from network Cloud 10 and has been a DR darling for multiple DTC and subscription-based advertisers since premiering. The show is still highly female skew, but as the fan base continues to diversify, so has the podcast. Bro-out and bro-down via the link below.

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The Worm Shaved His Mustache

Though we’re eight months post-Scandoval it‘s still seen as one of the most insane twists in reality TV history. With the newest season of Vanderpump Rules premiering this week, and Tom’s recent interview with Nick Viall going viral, now might be the time to take advantage of the hype. Everyone Loves Tom, a new tongue in cheek podcast hosted by Sandoval and Tom Schwartz, includes all the missing tea from the highly popular reality staple. The show’s aim is to humanize and understand Tom as he begins his journey to becoming a better person. Sold independently, as well as through Gumball, the show hasn’t built a lot of traction with advertisers up to this point, though now would be the time to test. This is an especially interesting prospect for advertisers with last minute budgets looking for a short term opportunity in TV and Film. Join the lovefest by clicking the link below.

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In Case You Missed It

First Podcast Radio, Now Podcast TV?

Picking up from The Media Roundtable discussion on the role of podcasts and TV show discovery comes news that ESPN will broadcast video versions of their popular podcasts on ESPN2. The lineup includes First Draft, The Hoop Collective, The Lowe Post, The Mina Kimes Show, and The Elle Duncan Show. The initiative aims to grow their podcast audience while providing engaging content for ESPN2 viewers. We expect the cross-pollination between audio and video to flourish, given the popularity of podcasts on YouTube. For advertisers, we suggest taking a cue from consumers by delivering ads across formats vs. a siloed approach.

Big Creator’s Deals are Dead…Hold that Thought

Ashley Carman from Bloomberg reports this week that SiriusXM has acquired “certain” exclusive rights to the hit podcast SmartLess, hosted by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes, in a deal worth over $100 million. The agreement grants SiriusXM distribution and ad-selling rights for SmartLess and other programs from SmartLess Media, along with access to live events and previously aired episodes. According to Edison Research Podcast Metrics, Smartless is a top 10 podcast with 1.9 million weekly listeners. No need to look further to grasp why SiriusXM saw the value of plunking down $100 million+ for SmartLess. Details on how much SXM will charge for advertising on their new toy is still TBD, stay tuned.

Parlez-vous Podcasts?

AI is drastically changing the audio landscape, even as you read this, and most of it’s good for marketers. Podcast networks like iHeartMedia, Spotify, and Acast are exploring generative AI tools for various purposes. For example, iHeartMedia and Spotify are testing AI to translate podcasts into different languages for international distribution. Additionally, Acast’s AI-powered tool, Collections+, assists ad sales by grouping podcasts into contextual categories, which facilitates more options for targeted advertising. Generative AI tools are also considered for podcast production tasks, like research, scripting, and editing. As mentioned previously, we’re onboard with the use of AI to expand the reach of podcasts to new audiences outside the US. It’s a welcome development for marketers with international ambitions. Note: While some networks embrace AI, others, like NPR, remain cautious, emphasizing that AI can’t replace unique human talent, especially hosts.

“Love Murder” Loves Nom Nom

This week’s edition of #SaveTheLiveReads is a special treat for all you dog lovers out there! The Love Murder podcast takes a break from the daring, murderous study of human-to-human relationships by highlighting the sacred friendship we share with our pups. Everything about this ad copy written by Oxford Road‘s Creative Team showcases the positivity and encouragement dog owners need to be enticed by Nom Nom. This ad read is a shining example of two key components of Oxford Road’s Audiolytics™, 1. The Offer: clean ingredients with an amazing 50% off deal! 2. Substantiation: hosts Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette discuss their adorable personal testimonials! Together, these components create a sense of trust for the audience and leave a lasting impression, far more alluring than that of a murderous tale.

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OXFORd In The News

What’s The Difference Between Oprah and Alex Jones?

It may seem obvious as far as content is concerned, that Alex Jones and Oprah cover the same topics from a completely different angle. Yet current brand safety tools can’t always tell the difference. That’s one of the reasons why Oxford Road has partnered with Seekr to launch Align, a new brand safety tool that rates the “civility” of podcast discussions. The tool assigns podcasts and individual episodes a “Civility Score” on a scale of 0 to 100, based on the severity and frequency of personal attacks. Brands can now finally distinguish between podcasters who combine passion with restraint vs those they’d rather not partner with… just in time for an election year! If you’d like to see how this cool tool could help your company make better, more informed decisions in podcast placement, email us for a demo.

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!