Bari Weiss Opens New Season of Media Roundtable; Rise of the Twee Queen; Sonic Branding Breakdown; 2021 Audio By The Numbers

Media Roundtable returns with our 2022 season debut featuring an interview with a podcast host who is the walking embodiment of the Media Roundtable values. Bari Weiss is an award-winning journalist and the author of How to Fight Anti-Semitism. Weiss worked as a staff writer and opinion editor for The New York Times until her 2020 principle-driven resignation letter (a must-read) sent her on a path toward independent journalism driving her to create the hit podcast Honestly, and her Substack newsletter, Common Sense. After more than a year of invitations, this week, Bari Weiss joins Media Roundtable to talk about her journey to save journalism and the free exchange of ideas in our democracy.

“I try and be really disciplined about the things that I do because trust is so precious… it is so hard to build and you can fritter it away in a day.” -Bari Weiss

Weiss does not fit neatly into any category. A quick jaunt through her podcast reviews gathers raves and rants from all sides. What’s admirable is that she’s able to inhabit a middle lane that is not simply the average of what one group wants her to think.

As marketers, when you guide your brand through the world, it’s easy to be afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. That fearfulness can lead you to stay in the least offensive places. Safe channels that don’t stand for anything and (hopefully) won’t get you in trouble. But that’s also not how you build an audience that trusts you.

Weiss is building her personal brand and audience with thoughtfulness instead of fear. When you stand for principles to the extent you would write your own resignation letter over at the New York Times–you can make decisions that aren’t knee-jerk reactions to the temperature of the moment but are honest reflections of what you and your company are all about, even if, like Bari, it doesn’t fit into a tidy box.

Click below to an insightful conversation about politics, media, faith, anti-semitism, and corporate values, as Weiss shares her bold blueprint for a return for intellectually rigorous journalism that offers a middle path that’s anything but middle of the road.

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The Classifieds

The Residents of 4D Reunite

Recently dubbed tween queen Zooey Deschanel is being joined by former co-stars Hannah Simone and Lamorne Morris for a New Girl rewatch podcast from iHeart Media. The quirky sitcom has gained increasing recognition in the years since it ended and has lent to a thriving fan base of ardent supporters. The show launches January 24th and reveals never before heard behind-the-scenes stories and will most likely feature interviews with series regulars Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr., and Max Greenfield. As we’ve seen time and again, celebrity-hosted rewatch podcasts have proven to be some of the highest performers with minimal brand safety risks. If you want to get in on this classic Winston and Cece mess around click for details below.

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Two Me in One Classified  

Did you hate that Dan was revealed to be Gossip Girl in the finale? If so, you’re in luck!  Real-life Gossip Girl, Instagram star Deux Moi, is launching a podcast with Cadence 13.

Launching January 20th, this gossip podcast will feature weekly guests to discuss the goings-on of the rich and famous. The newest connoisseur of blind items, Deux Moi is infamous among Hollywood elites such as Jennifer Aniston and Adele, and is purported to be either a media insider or a supposed member of an inner circle. Her Instagram is currently sitting at 1.3 million followers and the show itself is poised to bring in a large female skew audience. If interested in this one-of-a-kind opportunity don’t play a game of telephone, just follow the link below.

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In Case You Missed It

How Smart Does Your Brand Sound?

Imagine the sound that plays through your speakers when you sign in to Netflix… that’s sonic branding at its finest. The space for sonic logos and sonic branding is more open than ever with a wildly receptive audience as the rule book is still being written. We can help you show up in the right places, in front of the right people, and sound smart.

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Data, Data, Data, Data (We Heard You Like Data)

We know, you’re obsessed with data. While this article came out a couple of weeks ago while The Influencer was on holiday, it’s a great breakdown on how listenership in the audio media space is progressing. Late last month, Amplifi Media shared their take on current media trends and the takeaways are; Clubhouse was a dud, Radio is back… kind of, Pandora’s down, Spotify is crushing, paid audio grew but is stabilizing, Podcast listenership is exploding, but most new listeners are light users, and Smart Speaker use is plateauing. If you’re interested in exploring or expanding your brand’s audio footprint, let’s talk.

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Is The Future of Video Not Ad-Supported? 

Recent data from Nielsen breaks down how Americans watch TV. According to the report, streaming accounted for 27.7% of time spent on television sets, cable captured 37.3% and broadcast had just 26.1%. But looking at which streaming services account for much of the watch-time may have some advertisers concerned because much of it was spent on ad-free platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. But the analysis says marketers need not worry, 65% of US consumers say they still watch ad-supported video services at least some of the time. We’re heading into uncharted waters and it may seem daunting, but if your business is trying to crack the fragmented video space, let’s communicate. So, is the future of video not ad-supported? Influencer says: Not likely.

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This Week in Great Podcast Reads

Breaking Beauty, Breaking Language Barriers

While we at Oxford Road pride ourselves on developing copy that equips our hosts with the strongest possible introductions to kick off an ad read, we often find that some of the most impactful intros come from host-ad libbed stories. Carelene Higgins proves this in a recent ad read on her podcast Breaking Beauty, a show that recognizes breakthrough people, products, and moments in the beauty industry. Good luck finding a stronger stamp of approval than that of a parent entrusting a language learning app like Preply, to teach her children Spanish. Her ability to create a personal connection like this is what makes choosing a podcast like Breaking Beauty a no-brainer for many advertisers.

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