Our Newest Podcast, Ad Infinitum Talks Value Prop; Goodbye Apps, Hello Super Apps; Turns Out Podcast Ads Are Special

This week on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, we’re talking “Super Apps,” audiences vs. profit, and of course, ads that may or may not be ruining our listening experience.

Fresh from his latest episode of Ad Infinitum is our host, Oxford Road’s Stew Redwine, joined by fellow Oxford Road luminaries boosters Kristen Duenas, Neal Lucey, and Spencer Semonson. And joining us again with his finger on the pulse (eardrum?) of the audio world is James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal).

“The baked-in works. Crazy to say, but it works better than anything else–for a reason.” – Spencer Semonson, Oxford Road Media Buyer

Sounds Important – To all the current and aspiring Chief Audio Officers, help your brands and lead the charge in developing your sonic toolkit. Learn from the best companies in the world on what they’re doing right to show up sonically.

Brand Ambition – You want to make a super app; you gotta kill some birds. Twitter is now X–is it the birth of a new WeChat, or is this a brand equity bonfire that no phoenix will rise from?

Audiences ≠ profit – Spotify grows its audience by double-digit percentages, up to 551 Million MAUs–but Wall Street is unimpressed because Spotify lost $272MM in the quarter. Getting the audience is the first Everest. Getting them to stay while monetizing them effectively is the second.

Get with the Programmatic? – The most common audio ad elements in a large Veritronic/ACAST study? Thirty seconds, single female speaker, no music. But when programmatic ads sound similar, what should brands do to stand out? Maybe avoid it altogether. We know programmatic isn’t going anywhere, but baked-in reads offer a unique sound that respects the audience, fits the content, and boasts better performance.

Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights, you won’t get anywhere else, listen to the full episode by clicking here.

The Classifieds

On the Same Page of a Very Similar Book

The Armchair Umbrella is widening once again with the newest show from producer, co-host, and guest at our recent CAO event last month, Monica Padman. Padman has been venturing on her own for several years, creating high-performing and well-received limited series. This newest offering from Public Media Marketing (running in the Armchair Feed) is co-hosted by journalist Liz Plank, a former collaborator on Race to 35. Each episode will feature candid, evolved, and emotional conversations about their personal lives and the loves within them. Padman and Plank have long been touted for their honesty and relatable dialogue with their engaged audience. This is a higher-reach opportunity, baked into the content, and is best suited for clients with a female-skewing audience already fans of Armchair. Get access to some expert-level podcast tests by clicking the link below.

Get The Deal

There’s No Better Story Than a True Story

The internet is newly abundant with anonymous stories of woe, shock, and awe. One of the newest trends in podcasting has been to sieve through them for true gems and dissect the human element for our morbid enjoyment. No duo in this category has more positive attitudes, energy, and spunk than OKOP’s Sam and John. The Youtubers and podcast hosts have gone fully independent and have recently been delivering amazing ads for several of our clients.
Their narrative delivery and commentary make for a high-energy, uplifting listening experience. Similar shows have done exceptionally well for clients with a younger audience interested in internet culture and social issues. Our Knowledge is Our Power, and now that you’ve learned about this, please click the link below to test.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

It’s Like Putting Lipstick on a Blue Bird

Elon Musk has plans to create a ”super app” in the model laid forth by companies like WeChat in China, which has over one billion users. “Super apps” are just like normal apps but with several additional service components – typically payments. “While a brand can manufacture press with something seemingly out of the blue, sustaining value needs to come from the product itself, and slapping a new logo on a problem doesn’t change the problem. Twitter’s ad sales have plunged a whopping 59% [since the Muskian takeover], and given the platform makes most of its money from advertising, that’s a real issue. – Caroline Giegerich”

Wall Street Kicks Spotify Despite Massive Growth

Despite impressive growth in active users and Podcast ad revenue (+30%), Spotify’s stock price took a hit last week. User growth is great, but the financial markets want to see profitability. Despite the strong top-line results, Spotify’s EPS (earnings per share) is negative per Yahoo Finance. This should not worry advertisers because, with a 23% quarter-over-quarter growth in ad-supported subscriptions, Spotify is looking better than ever.

Radio Killed the Podcast Star?

Almost four out of five people would skip a radio ad in a podcast, with two-thirds saying it was “annoying.” The research from Signal Hill Insights and Pacific Content warns us that “creative and content must be designed for the experience,” and that podcast creative can’t be an afterthought. The magic of podcasts is in the medium’s intimacy, and that extends to the ads themselves. Conversational ads work in a conversational environment since consumers are already paying attention. If you need help in making your audio ads suitable for Podcast – let’s chat.

May I Approach The Benchmark Report?

Inside Radio and other sources reported that the Magellan AI Q2 Benchmark Report indicates ad spending grew 24%, driven by new brands and bigger budgets. Other findings: 30s have increased to 40% of reported spending, and ad loads have increased slightly (but more pronounced in popular genres like True Crime). With the increased demand for Podcast advertising and programmatic becoming more widespread, diligence is required to ensure marketers get what they paid for. YouTube simulcasts continue to see higher renewal rates and are a priority placement for advertisers.

You Can Sip & Discover Cool Things With Us

There’s no such thing as too much repetition in an ad read. You can always squeeze in another mention of the brand name, the path, and a key benefit of the product. You name it. The women from You Can Sip With Us know what we’re talking about. Their read for FabFitFun hits on the same points more than once, yet it doesn’t feel stale. How? Their genuine excitement for the brand. Both hosts are long-time FabFitFun members, meaning they get access to thousands of curated lifestyle and beauty products the service offers.
It’s also right up their alley, being that their podcast involves sharing the best recs with listeners, whether it’s entertainment, advice, or favorite products. And while all of this helps, it comes back to that sincere energy the hosts feel for something they truly care about. It’s the reason they can go on for nearly four minutes. You can’t fake that kind of enthusiasm.

Listen Here

OXFORd In The News

Milking the CAO

Last week, we spoke at length about our recent CAO launch and what it all means for the industry. As an avid reader of the Influencer – you already know everything you need to know. But if you’d like to share a link with friends asking about CAO (it happens), feel free to send them to this article from Insider Radio.

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.

Interested in seeing how we could help your business?
Contact us at influencer@oxfordroad.com!