A Look Back at Changes in Audio From the Front Lines; The Beyonce Effect; The New Talk Radio

Oxford Road’s 11th anniversary has just passed and we can’t help but feel nostalgic this week.

On that note, this week’s Media Roundtable special edition takes a look back at our past 5 years, with all the changes that have taken place in our world and the industry at large since 2019. In this episode, we feature 3 of Oxford Road’s ‘middle children’—folks who joined us at the halfway point of our existence, who also have a BIG hand in developing our agency into who we are today. Giles Martin (EVP of Strategy and Insights), Ricardo Martinez Simental (VP of Client Services), and Melissa Altamirano (Operations Manager) hopped into the recording booth with Dan Granger (Oxford Road CEO and Founder) to reminisce on all things Oxford Road over the last half-decade, while setting their sights on the future of audio.

“How is the world changing? How is our world changing? And what can we learn from the past that will help us prepare for the future?” – Dan Granger, CEO and Founder of Oxford Road

Here are just a few highlights from our special MRT 11th Anniversary Edition:

Increased Ad Load ⚖️ – 5 years ago, the number of podcast ads were nowhere near terrestrial radio ad levels. But now, in some cases, we’re seeing almost double the ad load on podcasts. This is great in theory for brands and creators but can be risky when it comes to listener’s preferences. Keeping in mind the cautionary tale of FM radio, it matters how listeners feel about ad quality and frequency in their audio choices.

Treading Water in Unpredictability – How could we look back at the past 5 years without talking about how we dealt with and bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic? What we remember from this experience was at first, a massive influx of canceled orders. Then came a pattern of creators adjusting to new production procedures (hello closet podcast recorders! ). And finally, a few brands who were able to find stability among the chaos, like online grocery, restaurant, and pharmacy delivery services. So, what did we learn? Unpredictability is a given. Oh yeah, and with proper messaging, we know how to roll with the punches.

Growth Always, Even if it Hurts – That’s our mantra. It’s our guiding principle at Oxford Road and has delivered us through the uncertainty of the always transforming industry over the past 5 years—not to mention the 11 years we’ve been on the block. We bring this mentality into everything we do. We grow as an agency, we help the market grow, and we trust that our relationships and partnerships grow exponentially as a result. As we look to the next 5 years at Oxford Road, one thing is clear, we’re excited to keep on growing.

To understand more about the present through history’s lens, research the full episode via the link below. ⬇️

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The Classifieds

Can I Be Frank with You?

Network: Spreaker / Monthly Downloads: 20k / Current Civility Score: Pending

As many of us start swapping pool floats for car pools, and stop our out of office responses, career oriented podcasts are helping to get us back into the swing of things. Hosted by Kim Scott, Jason Rosoff & Amy Sandler, Radical Candor believes you should love what you do and who you are. While nearly half of Americans say their careers are important to them, the same holds true for job dissatisfaction. This offers a unique opportunity codifying the importance of mental health in relation to career advancement. Through bettering their listeners in fields of communication, utilizing team building and goal setting, these hosts aim to engage a stronger, better equipped workforce. While this podcast only recently opened to advertisers, its content mirrors similar business and self-improvement fare listed among our agency’s high performers. Give it to us straight—and please click below for more information.

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Say Yes to NOW

Network: Crossover Media Group / Monthly Downloads: 10k / Current Civility Score: Pending

Staying in our current lane of self-fulfillment, we bring you a vibrant new podcast from Crossover Media Group. Hosted by Pose actress Angelica Ross, each episode features intersectional conversations on topics of race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, that work to uplift multi-cultural communities. Though this is the lens with which subjects are viewed, artistic expression often remains the focal point. Recent conversations have touched on music, art, theater, film, and wellness. Guests have ranged from experts to artisans. Ross is often reverent toward her guests’ acumen while lending her unique perspective to the conversation. This is a great opportunity for those looking for diverse planning options in the society and culture sphere that cover more serious topics and opportunities outside of news. If you want to be part of the here and now click the link below.
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In Case You Missed It

Has Beyoncé Changed the Face of Country?

Following the release of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album, Spotify and Nielsen reported spikes in country music listening, particularly in new demos. Among Black 18-34 year olds, Nielsen data showed a +40% increase in country music radio audience share. Read that again, a 40% increase in listenership among Black 18-34 year olds. And this trend has continued beyond Queen Bey. Shaboozey’s A Bar Song (Tipsy) hitting No. 1 on both the Hot 100 and Hot Country charts, making him the first Black Artist to achieve such a feat. Despite many articles citing the opposite, radio is not dead, it’s just reinventing itself.

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Let’s Talk

We’ve been saying it for years – Podcast is the new Talk-Radio and streaming is the new FM. Back in 2017, The Atlantic ran a story declaring “Podcasting is the new Talk-Radio“. Back then, according to Edison Research’s Share of Ear® data, 66% of spoken audio was attributed to AM/FM radio, with just 13% attributed to podcasting. Today, AM/FM has fallen to just 43% while podcasts continue to grow, now making up 36% and growing. AM/FM maintains an advantage with listeners 65 and older, but podcasting has already overtaken radio among younger audiences. Radio might not be dead, but Talk-Radio, which was long dominated by AM stations, has seen a dramatic shift to podcasts. If you want to reach people under 64 via spoken audio, podcasts are your best bet.

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Saving Live Reads is Our Religion

Podscribe’s latest update reveals Religion had the highest percentage of host-read ads in April at 87%, followed by Personal Journals (78%) and Leisure (77%). Government led producer-read ads at 57%. Host-read ads outperformed pre-produced ads, with 63% higher visitor rates and 91% better conversion rates. Ads placed earlier, plus longer ads, proved most effective. We know that host-read ads outperform announcer or repurposed radio ads. Now, thanks to Podscribe, we know which podcast genres have the highest share of host-read advertising. Pay attention to Podscribe, as they grow, they are unearthing some very important insights that may increase your performance in podcasts.

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#SaveTheLiveReads

Hellooo Diapers for “Barely Famous”

Kail Lowry has learned a LOT from her experience as a teen mom. Originally reigning from stardom on MTV’s Teen Mom 2, she now hosts Barely Famous, a podcast facilitating raw and realistic tales of life shared among featured show guests. It’s no surprise that Kail’s a perfect match for Hello Bello, the diaper subscription service offering ‘premium for all because every baby deserves the best.’ In this episode, Kail and her guest Kristen dive into an engaging pool of substantiation for Hello Bello. This clever pairing of host and client showcases how to successfully reach and influence an audience. Along with Kail’s previous popularity on MTV, she’s gaining enduring fandom in the podcast space. As a devoted Hello Bello customer, and now the mother of 7, Kail Lowry exudes a genuine bond of trust with her listeners. And as a highly-rated podcast, Barely Famous holds the key to substantial performance as a sponsor for Hello Bello.

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