The MRT Recaps Europe’s Top Audio Event, Caitlyn Jenner’s New Podcast, & Amazon’s Latest Pod Move; The Ghost of Elvis Sues Podcast; What About Joni?

CAOs you are in luck–we have a new Industry Edition of the Media Roundtable for you that does not disappoint.

Dan Granger (Oxford Road CEO & Founder) is hosting again, joined by fellow Agents of Influence Kristen Duenas, (Oxford Road Associate Media Director), Giles Martin, (Oxford Road EVP of Strategy & Insights), and Ricardo Martinez, (Oxford Road VP of Client Services). And we’re beyond pleased to welcome back James Cridland, World’s Favorite Audio Futurologist (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal).

We’re talking; buzzy new sports podcasts, Ringer’s (mostly) AI-proof union deal, the British Podcast Invasion, and so much more. Let’s dig in.

“Listeners aren’t stupid. They have a lot of choices and they might check you out, but they’re probably not going to stay if you’re not actually good at the craft.” – Dan Granger (Oxford Road CEO & Founder)

Minding the Game – Lebron and JJ Redick drop a new basketball podcast that stands apart from other celebrity/sports podcasts (including Caitlyn Jenner and Lamar Odom’s new show) because it’s decidedly niche. The two ballers get into the Xs and Os of how they think about the game. It’s refreshingly in the weeds and with no sponsorships yet, they’re building it for their fan base on their terms. Time will tell how much of a crossover hit it becomes, but super-serving the most passionate fans is never a bad play. Keep an eye out for slam dunk ad opportunities.

Bumpwatch 2024 – There’s no election-year ad bump yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s not coming. Some of the dynamics of the primary races contributed to the lack of increased spending. Plus, gerrymandering could lead to fewer competitive districts. We’re not expecting all the negative spend forces to hold as the year continues. For CAOs, don’t expect avails will be as easy in August-November when the race heats up.

BBC Crosses the Pond – Amazon Music inks a deal to bring UK podcasts to American ears. It’s a great opportunity for advertisers to be associated with a well-respected brand and speaks to the greater trend of globalization for the audio market. Paired with AI translation, (see The Ringer’s Union Deal) we’re seeing a push to move audience-vetted, low-risk content abroad.

For audio insights you won’t get anywhere else, tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

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The Classifieds

Sincerely Yours, The Influencer

This week, podcast insiders descend upon Downtown Los Angeles for Podcast Movement Evolutions 2024. While we’re all most excited for the panels boasting our very own Oxford Roadies, there’s also a lot of buzz around podcast superstars and other celebs attending. This week we’re showcasing two such podcaster greats speaking on panels. Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch are published authors, advice columnists, and therapists. Their Premiere Network podcast, Dear Therapists, provides therapy sessions to clients looking for long term relief and a sense of closure. Every episode features new, unique problems and guests with highly relatable doubts, worries, and attitudes towards their topics. It’s an intimate, humane experience devoted listeners have championed since the podcast’s premiere on Premiere. Their longest running advertising partners are generally self-improvement based, with a female demo.

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We’re Not Worthy. We’re Not Worthy

Our second expert is Erica Mandy, an award-winning broadcast journalist who hosts the wildly popular DR darling, The Newsworthy. Since joining AdvertiseCast in 2019, the show has been a high performer for several female skew clients, as well as those looking to reach young professionals and entrepreneurs. Though the show has a short runtime of just 10 minutes and publishes on a daily basis, Mandy’s bright, effective delivery cuts through the gloom and bluster of the day’s worst news. Her branding is centered around providing top tier reporting with an unbiased, straightforward perspective. Many episodes also feature breakdowns on additional trendy, timely, well researched topics. This type of content is hard to find for those looking to remain ‘brand safe,’ while also engaging consumers where they live.

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In Case You Missed It

Music Isn’t Dead, It’s Just Different

In 2023, recorded music revenues reached $28.6 billion, marking the ninth consecutive year of growth after years of decline. Streaming continued to be the main driver of growth, reaching $19.3 billion, while physical music sales also increased to $5.1 billion. The industry’s bottom point was in 2014, but it has since embraced digital distribution, with streaming services now accounting for 67 percent of total music revenues. Something to note: Music revenues were $20 billion in 2000, which translates to roughly $35 billion in today’s dollars, so the picture isn’t as rosy as one might think. Just the same, if you’re a CAO and don’t have streaming in your plans, we suggest you test, pronto. Pixel measurement validates that streaming drives performance for many brands. Get those learnings from tracking pixels while you can.

Thank You, Thank You Very Much

Tennessee passes the Elvis Act, pioneering legislation to safeguard against AI-generated audio and image impersonations. Named after Elvis Presley, it extends protections to voices and likeness, aiming to combat unauthorized deep-fakes. With support from the recording industry, this swiftly enacted law sets a precedent for AI regulation. Hold onto your seats CAOs. We’re in for a long and bumpy ride as regulation attempts to catch up with advances in AI technology.

Is That a Dead Ringer or AI?

The Ringer union has ratified a new contract with Spotify, securing pay raises, improved severance and protections against AI misuse. While employees must consent to their voices being cloned or credited on AI content, Spotify can use AI for podcast translations without explicit permission. However, they must disclose AI-generated voices upon request. Spotify pushed the hardest for translation capabilities, as this, more than any other AI capability, delivers on a key objective: The ability to deliver rapid global scaling of spoken word content. Spoken word is where their margins lie, and instant translation rapidly opens up new market opportunities, particularly in Latin America, where podcast listening will overtake the US by 2025.

Oversharing Millennials Conquer Aging with Clarins

What happens when you take a relationship enthusiast, a clinical therapist, and the Betches Media team? You get a millennial’s dream come true with the Oversharing podcast! Led by a dynamic sister duo, hosts Jordana Abraham and her big sister Dr. Naomi Bernstein, are the ultimate source of advice when it comes to all things girl code and relationships. This especially applies to your relationship with healthy skin. The duo’s endorsement for Clarins is an example of smart product placement and brand alignment by our Oxford Road team. The sisters utilize the PE script prompt; “If you’re like me…” immediately creating a universal connection with their audience. This hooks listeners in, with substantiation that hosts actually use Clarins products. Adjectives like “obsessed, amazing, tried and true” seal the deal with positive execution! No complaints here about this kind of oversharing!

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OXFORd In The News

Stew Loves Chachi, Chachi Loves Everybody

It’s likely only 25 of our readers will actually get the reference, but that’s what happens when you’re in the game for sooo long. The audio geniuses over at Benztown and their podcast, Chachi Loves Everybody hosted by Dave “Chachi” Denes, recently featured Oxford Road VP of Creative Services/Super Audio-Nerd, Stew Redwine and Music Journalist, Lyndsey Parker, to talk about the nuances of performance marketing versus brand building, the effectiveness of podcast ads, and the importance of sonic branding. Stew shares insights into podcast advertising from his perspective, while Parker discusses the other side with her journey as a journalist, including interviews with iconic artists and contributions to pop culture and reality TV. For a perspective on all things audio from both sides of the coin check this one out!

If you’ve read this far, thank you!

The Influencer is a production from the team at Oxford Road.
If you like our sometimes sassy, mostly informed POVs on the wonderful world of audio advertising, you should see what we do for our clients.

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Contact us at influencer@oxfordroad.com!