The Pre-Thanksgiving Influencer Edition Stuffed with the Media News You Need to Know Before You Gorge Yourself Tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving Chief Audio Officers–We’ve got a lot to be thankful for, including an all new episode of Media Roundtable: Industry Edition!

Hosting our auditory feast is Oxford Road Founder & CEO, Dan Granger, with fellow Oxford Road celebrants, Jennifer Laine, Spencer Semonson, and Stew Redwine.

We’re talking brands and politics, Spotify’s surprising podcast trend report, and the quarter-trillion marketing engine. Pass the stuffing and let’s dig in.

• Less is More? : Cut 10 words of ad copy and boost performance. That’s what a UK report from Colourtext says, correlating smaller word count in ads with higher creative standout scores, and higher web traffic. For us, file this one under “good tip” instead of “creative silver bullet.” Trim the fat in your ads, for sure, but if they’re already lean, cut too deep and you hit bone. “Ouch!”
• Comedy is King : Spotify released a new report showing comedy ranks #1 for podcast genres, accounting for 35% of all listening hours. Not testing comedy yet? Could be a good time to start. Comedy’s a smart performance play, due in no small part to how well the format transfers to video, and the intimate long-term relationships comedic hosts build with their audience.
• Under the Influence ️: Goldman Sachs values the Creator economy at $250B, and expects it to double in 5 years. Influencer marketing is shifting from afterthought to campaign centerpiece with agencies taking notice. Two things to keep in mind. 1. Work with people who care about bottom-of-funnel metrics to prove out ROI. 2. Invest in longer term relationships. The difference between one-off collabs and ongoing partnerships (like in podcasts) is huge.

For full servings of these stories and all the sides, dive into the full episode by clicking the link below.

Watch Here

Listen Here

The Classifieds

Parents Are Thankful for Kids Stories This Week

As many of us embark on long Thanksgiving car rides with little ones in tow, we’re often looking for ways to entertain them through the magic of audio. From the fine folks at Headgum comes Short Stories for Kids, a succinct daily fiction podcast narrated by the indomitable Lucy. Those looking for magical, fantastical, and fun content for their kids need to look no further. Episodes often include wizards, dragons, royalty, and a myriad of wondrous creatures. Though fiction is an oft-maligned genre, content targeting a younger audience often finds success with parents, whose listening ears are piqued via the pre-roll slot.
Our clients looking to find forward-thinking entrepreneurial audiences have often seen high performance from testing this, and other like-minded fare. Load up the car, get the kiddos situated, and drive on over to the link below for more information.

Get The Deal

It Came Without Ribbons, It Came Without Tags

Though this week is meant for gobbling turkey and counting our blessings, many are already looking forward to the true Christmas Season. For those itching to bust out the tinsel and mistletoe, we have the podcast for you… Wondery has just premiered ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast, hosted by The Grinch himself, in a talk show debut high atop Mt. Crumpit. Though the voice is anything but real (SNL’s James Austin Johnson), the guests include all your favorite celebrities; Meghan Trainor, Bob Odenkirk, and Shawn Johnson. For Seuss loving kids, this is comedy gold and a treat for parents looking for more classic family content. This, like many Wondery podcasts, has a presenting sponsor for the season, but more opportunities like this one will be available in the New Year. Hopefully, you can fit it into your packed schedule, because you can’t cancel this again.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

Think Before Leaping Into The Political Pond

The 2024 presidential election prompts brands to reconsider their political involvement. Morning Consult’s Election Playbook reveals that 53% of American adults prefer that corporations avoid political/cultural issues, down from 61% in 2019. While the majority of Americans say brands should stay out of politics, that changes a bit with the younger demo. Either way, tools are already available that measure the level of hate and hostility in podcast, providing marketers with data needed to distance themselves from conversations that are bitter and divisive, to instead choose shows that are more civil in their discourse. Look before you leap–we can help.

Read More

Is Brand Safety Safe?

A recent article from Digiday explores the pros and cons of Brand Safety. The debate over whether advertisers should support news publishers persists, and with an economic downturn and in an election year, concern will undoubtedly grow. Yes, pulling out of potentially “unsafe” platforms can mitigate brand safety concerns, but there is a cost. Outlets that are considered “safe” are hit with increased costs and less inventory, “unsafe outlets” are hit with decreased revenue and layoffs. The good news is, we have a brand safety playbook to help you play this endless game of Whack-A-Mole with more precision. If you’d like to take a peek, email us HERE.

Read More

AdAge Reveals The Secret to Untapped Revenue

Who wouldn’t like their share of $6 billion in revenue? A recent AdAge article shares how; it’s all about tapping into the power of Audio. The article advises brands to leverage “total audio,” combining terrestrial radio, digital audio, and podcast for optimal ad spend. It cites that the national brands missed $6 billion in revenue by underutilizing the medium. Advertisers see a 1.5x return on investment when bundling radio with digital streaming and podcasts. Some of the fastest-growing modern brands successfully use a superfecta of audio tools, including podcasts, terrestrial, satellite, and streaming. Brands who are only thinking of one channel type are likely missing out on new customers with other channels. Neustar reviewed three years of media investments across Fortune 100 companies and reported that some industries are underinvested in audio by 12%, some by 25%, and some by even more. When brands level up their audio investment, it helps generate a significant boost in revenue.

Read More

#SaveTheLiveReads

ThatChickAngel Is So Thankful for Indeed!

Here’s The Thing… It’s difficult to find hosts who have previous experience with a product before being approached about a sponsorship, which is why we do onboarding calls with hosts before launch. But thanks to Oxford Road’s diligent and skilled media buyers, we found the perfect duo for a recent addition to the Indeed campaign. Hosts @ThatChickAngel (Angel Laketa Moore) and @KevOnStage (Kevin Fredericks) of Here’s The Thing, provide Substantiation for finding their dream team candidates. The layout of Oxford Road’s Audiolytics™ components provided a great Setup for what Angel needed, and then followed with a Demonstration of being matched with 40 of the best candidates who fit the requirements perfectly! Not to mention, Angel has amazing energy and power, ensuring what she has to say is heard, trusted, and backed up with equal enthusiasm from her cohost. It’s safe to say that Angel “couldn’t have done it without Indeed” and listeners are left feeling confident they can too.

Listen Here

Contact us for a Consultation