Michael Bosstick Brings Female-Led Podcasts to the Masses; A Podcast for Gleeks; Amazon Reveals Murder Plot; What’s Going On Under Ben Shapiro’s Desk

Serial entrepreneur Michael Bosstick has done it all. He’s sold beds for private jets and overcame his fear of public speaking to launch a hit podcast with his superstar wife, Lauryn Evarts Bosstick. But the reason we asked him to join us on the Media Roundtable is because of his tireless work as CEO of the podcast network, Dear Media, where he has created a platform for female podcasters to dominate the landscape.

“Launch fast and adjust. Anytime that you want to do any kind of venture… stop waiting for perfection, get it out there, start, and adjust along the way.” –Michael Bosstick

In our humble opinion, Dear Media (Life with Marianna, Lipstick on the Rim, Breaking Beauty, and many, many more) is quite possibly the leading female-focused podcast network out there. We’re talking dozens of shows reaching over 10 million rabidly loyal listeners each month. In addition, as advertising partners, Bosstick’s team consistently goes the extra mile to put together integrated partnership solutions, complete with thoughtful customizations from their talented hosts.

Dear Media “gets it” because Bosstick has one of the most complete understandings of the entire podcast ad space. How could he not when he’s held every single role? In addition to his role as CEO, Bosstick’s been in sales, operations, talent, and marketing. Plus, he’s been on all sides of the table; brand, agency, and client. It’s that insight, his desire to expand his perspectives continually, and his willingness to get started, get feedback, and make critical adjustments that make him a marketing role model from whom we can all learn.

Tune in to hear:

The secret to being in business with a famous spouse.
How to “keep your side of the street clean” amidst a wave of criticism.
How to build the confidence to talk to anyone.
What you need to do once third-party tracking gets obliterated.

You’re not going to want to miss this week’s episode. Click below to hear the entire conversation.

Listen to the interview

The Classifieds

Another Reason to Smile Always

Youtubers Markiplier and Tyler Scheid are bringing the funny to a new sports podcast from QCode. Though not in line with their usual content of centering on playing through scary video games, laughing at internet memes, and eating expired Poptarts, the podcast will most likely be aimed at the duo’s huge combined following. At this point in time, Markiplier is sitting at 31.7 million Youtube followers and is the 3rd highest paid Youtuber, according to Forbes. Tyler is a frequent collaborator and childhood friend with his own ardent following on Twitch and Youtube. If you’re looking to target a male demo interested in video games, sports, fitness, or comedy, this is definitely worth testing in Q1. The show launches 2/11, but no need to like and subscribe Just follow the link below for details.

Get The Deal

Two Me in One Classified

If you were a cringy teen or pre-teen in the early 2010s, you most likely owned a too big infinity scarf, a neon v-neck tee, or you watched Glee. The melodramatic teen comedy attained a shameless fan base of outsiders and theater kids for its six rocky seasons and featured all manner of musical renditions of popular songs. Former gleeks and show hosts Ian Allred & Lena Conatser have recently joined the Spreaker network with this podcast on all things McKinley High. Recovering Gleek has a small but involved fan base who love listening to the hosts come to terms with their former favorite show’s less than stellar moments. This is a great opportunity to test for anyone interested in the popular sub-genre of television re-watches. Don’t feel like you have to take a slushie to the face, just click for details below.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

Amazon Now Selling Murder

“The Zon” has been relatively quiet in the podcast space after investing hundreds of millions in the space over the past couple of years. But that changed this week when the online bookstore announced they were purchasing the exclusive advertising and distribution rights to the Exactly Right Media podcast network, which includes the wildly popular My Favorite Murder. According to the article, the deal mirrors an agreement Amazon made for the comedy podcast SmartLess, where Amazon offers new episodes a week before they’re available on other services. How the move will affect the buying structure on these shows remains to be shared, but based on past experience, Murderinos can expect a price hike and higher minimum investment thresholds.

I Hate Being Bipolar, It’s Awesome!

Most people: These ads are too irrelevant! Some people: These ads are TOO personal! No one: My ads are juuuust right! The targeting tightrope marketers have to walk is a tricky one because humans are a tricky bunch. According to a new study from Advertising Research Foundation, 47% of consumers say the commercials they hear on streaming audio services are frequently or sometimes irrelevant, yet 15% say they’re hitting far too close to home. Paul Donato, Chief Research Officer at the ARF says, “the hard truth [is] that it may be just as difficult, if not more so, to explain the benefits of placing consumers into segments as it is to persuade them of the benefits of individual-level tracking… which throws a wrench into the idea of cohort targeting.” Perhaps someone should figure out a way to have products and services endorsed by content creators themselves. That way, you could target a show’s listeners without being intrusive. Think it would work?

The Spotify Gen Z Gap

Spotify’s share of music streaming subscribers is waning. While they still hold a commanding 31% share of the audience, they’ve dropped 2% year over year. The problem is Gen Z. Spotify’s recent hyper-focus on podcasts is not as appealing to zoomers as it has been for millennials and X’rs, and younger audiences are going elsewhere to stream their music. As a result, Apple, Amazon, and Tencent’s share of audience is growing and more competition is on its way. YouTube Music has seen 50% growth over the past year, and TikTok is now testing their own music service, both of which are expected to erode Spotify’s dominance even further. Yet Spotify, at least for now, is still an audio force to be reckoned with and who cares about the youth anyway? It’s not like they’re not the future.

Ben ❤️‘s Tommy

There is something to be said for a show host that can deliver quality ad reads consistently. A host’s enthusiasm for a brand, even one they love, can sometimes wane over time, so when a podcast like The Ben Shapiro Show hits it out of the park each week for years, you can be sure we’ll take notice. Shapiro’s commitment to the messaging in this recent Tommy John read is as fresh as his mid-length boxer-briefs. When you listen, there will be no question in your mind about his love for this ultra-comfortable underwear and why they “grace his tuchus” every single day.

Listen Here

OXFORd In The News

Redwine’s Recipe for Effective Ads: Brevity, Clarity & Potency

“Never use two words when one will do.” This is the personal and professional mantra for Oxford Road’s Creative Director, Stew Redwine. Last week Stew joined the Podcast Advertising Playbook to share this and other advice for advertisers looking to ramp up the effectiveness of their podcast ad campaigns. But he doesn’t give away all his secrets on the show. For those, you’ll have to ask the man himself.

If you’ve read this far, thank you!

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