The Indie PaC Awards: Killer Mike, SXSW, and the Future of Independent Media

B2B marketers don’t have the luxury of choosing between building brands or boosting ROI, they need to do both. So how do you do it? You listen to this week’s special guest, who’s spent her entire career managing this delicate balancing act.

On this week’s Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts veteran CMO Laura Goldberg (CMO, Auctane, Stamps.com, ShipStation). Laura’s been everywhere, including prime time with the NFL, where she learned brand-building, to CMO roles at podcast mainstays like LegalZoom and Constant Contact.

Join Dan and Laura as they cover: The Numbers, B2B Storytime, The Arms Race, and more. Let’s dig in.

“ I want you to feel great about our brands, and that you trust them, but I also want you to transact.” – Laura Goldberg (CMO, Auctane, Stamps.com, ShipStation)

Know Thy Numbers, Love Thy Tools – Laura has two key tips for CMOs. First: know your numbers well. Whatever’s most important for the business, get in the weeds and make sure you’re tracking it. Second, embrace the tools at your disposal. The tech stack is constantly improving, so it pays to get curious about what’s out there and see how it can drive your key metrics. (Steal Laura’s idea for a Shark Tank day where vendors pitch you new tools.)

Why B2B loves Podcasts – B2B companies don’t always have a physical product, which makes podcast endorsements a dream format. Hosts can just tell customers a story that helps listeners feel what it’s like to use the product. Laura remembers the “a-ha moment” when she first heard an ad hoc story about using her product. That transformed the ad from a list of dry features to something organic, persuasive, and alive. B2B wins on podcasts because it gives listeners more time to feel the story.

Stay out of the Arms Race – Sometimes you’re the biggest company, and you can press your advantage, but most companies can’t compete in every channel. That’s why you need to know your space and look for your strategic advantage. Get sharp with your public-facing hygiene (up-to-date Wikipedia & accurate Reddit moderation), since that will drive AI search results. Turns out forced scrappiness can be a blessing in disguise.

For insights from a CMO who’s thrived in B2B through changing landscapes, check out the full episode below.

Lost in today’s media landscape? Or are you just curious as to how the industry got here?

You need to go back to Marshall McLuhan, the grandfather of media literacy, and the grandfather of this week’s special guest.

On this week’s Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) and Giles Martin ( EVP,  Strategy, Oxford Road) welcome the legacy media guru Andrew McLuhan (Director & Founder, The McLuhan Institute).

Andrew’s work continues the legacy of his grandfather (Marshall McLuhan) and father (Eric McLuhan). The McLuhan family’s work is enormously relevant to marketers: it’s all about the effect that media and technology have on people. When marketers decide which channels to use and how to craft & place their messages, they would do well to draw on McLuhan’s insights.

Dan, Giles, and Andrew are talking: Early Media Literacy, The Media is The Message, and Hot vs. Cool. Let’s dig in.

“Nobody loves being sold stuff, so you’re already at a disadvantage. But people do love creativity. If that’s not a license to have some fun, I don’t know what is.” – Andrew McLuhan (Director & Founder, The McLuhan Institute)

Early Media Literacy – Over 80 years ago, Marshall McLuhan had a wild idea: take new approaches to understanding literature and apply them to media and technology. That was the birth of ‘media literacy’, and it still has much to teach us about why people behave the way they do. One takeaway: in the post-linear video-electric age, advertisers need to sell a ‘vibe’, not a product.

The Media is still the Message – Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “The Medium is the Message” in 1958, talking to radio broadcasters worried about TV. It could also apply to audio podcasters worried about video. The truth is, people interact with audio and video differently (more on that below), so each plays a different role. One doesn’t replace the other. Marketers should ask themselves: what effect am I trying to achieve, and which medium is the best for that effect?

So Hot. So Cool – At the risk of having an Annie Hall moment, let’s talk about McLuhan’s theory of hot and cool media. Cool media (like audio podcasts) make you participate more actively in the media experience by mentally filling in gaps in information. The richer the information (adding in video), the hotter the media, and the more passive the audience becomes. When you want someone to act (like most performance advertisers), cool media can mean the audience is more attentive and engaged. This could help explain the audio podcasts’ boost in response.

For insights drawing from early radio dramas to Hollywood goats, you owe it to yourself to check out the full episode below.

Advertising always walks a fine line between building audience trust and breaking it. So, how does one find that ever-important line? That’s the question at the center of this week’s Media Roundtable: Industry Edition.

Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) is joined by our own experts Jillian Garner (Account Manager), Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Planning), and Kyle Jelinek (VP of Client Services) to break down what’s driving performance in podcasting.

From Podtrac’s new multi-channel ranker to Podscribe’s latest incrementality report, the team explores what matters beyond downloads. They debate the long-form’s staying power, the durability of history podcasts, and what would happen if ChatGPT introduced ads. Let’s dig in.

“Seeing that history podcasts are as popular as they are, it’s a good reminder that people aren’t actually moving away from depth. They’re just adding short-form [content] on top of it.” – Jillian Garner (Account Manager, Oxford Road)

Multi-Channel Rankings – Podtrac has new rankings that include audio, video, and clip impressions. Getting a full picture of reach is hard, so any transparency is a win. Plus, Marketers can use the data in a few ways. If you know a show’s reach is largely from clips, negotiate those clips as part of the campaign. (And try for usage rights to run on your own paid channels). Are impressions audio-only? Factor in a greater episode completion rate as you analyze the CPMs.

Historical Performance – History podcasts are epic in every sense of the word. You get multi-hour, in-depth episodes (Like Hardcore History) and a fanatical audience. Brands don’t always flock to these shows, but they’re worth considering. After all, hosts are trusted for their rigor, which flows on to advertisers. They won’t be hits for every brand, but we’ve seen lots of winners, and anecdotally, B2B marketers should take an especially close look.

ChatGPT: Now with Ads? – Ads look like the next ChatGPT move. It’s worth highlighting the differences between podcast ads and AI ads. In ChatGPT, an ad undermines the trust and neutrality we’re used to. Meanwhile, podcasts have always had ads, and people can sense how much the hosts actually believe in what they’re saying. In other words: ads only work when there’s enough trust to inspire action. Marketers, the channels you choose for your brands should rely on audiences’ trusted sources for information. You can’t erode one and still expect performance.

Want more insights from the forces shaping the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.