Oxford Road & Barometer Launch Nutrition Labels For Podcast; Hosts of “Add to Cart” Prove Blending Comedy & Purpose Works; #SaveTheLiveRead

We’ve got a great episode of the Media Roundtable podcast to share this week, but before we jump in, Oxford Road has even bigger news…

FINALLY, Nutrition Labels for Podcasts!

Today, Oxford Road and Barometer announced the launch of a new and powerful AI-powered brand suitability solution that makes it easy for marketers to assess the risk profiles of podcasts in alignment with their brand values and inform their advertising choices. In short, we’re adding nutrition labels to Podcast. Because shouldn’t advertisers be able to know all of the potential risks associated with a new show before partnering with them? With this powerful new tool, brands will be able to measure content-in-context across 11 categories including adult & explicit sexual content, obscenity & profanity, and debated sensitive social Issues that may be considered harmful to some brands. You’re going to be hearing a lot more on this in the coming weeks as the tool is officially launched next week at SXSW, but for a sneak peek and to request early access to a free demo, CLICK HERE.

Now, more about this week’s episode…

Tackling tough social issues while being funny at the same time is a tall order few can do well. This week’s Media Roundtable guests are one of those few. Kulap Vilaysack and SuChin Pak co-host the hit podcast Add to Cart where they share physical and metaphorical items they’re “adding to their carts” through tangential, honest conversations. Apple Podcast recently spotlighted the show and fan reviews say it’s “like a warm cup of tea and cookies with besties.”

Kulap Vilaysack is Laotian American actress (Bob’s Burgers, The Office, Parks and Recreation), comedian, writer, director, and showrunner (Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) with some deep podcasting chops, co-hosting Earwolf’s Who Charted back in 2010.

“One of the reasons why we did this podcast is so we could get free things.” – Kulap Vilaysack

SuChin Pak is a groundbreaking South Korean-born American television news correspondent and veteran journalist. In 2001 she became the first Asian-American news anchor on MTV, and yes, that’s her voice narrating the revival of MTV Cribs.

“I have to really fight the urge to hide behind a really buttoned up version of myself at all times.” – SuChin Pak

Add to Cart is a dream podcast partnership for brands because together, Pak and Vilaysack have cultivated an intimacy with their audience and have deep experience talking not only about the things they love, but getting to the why as well.

Because of Pak and Vilaysack’s incredible rapport, in this episode we somehow transition seamlessly from talking about a toothbrush that makes your teeth feel as smooth as glass, to the modern and historic challenges faced by the AAPI community. They share their experience as Asian American women and how that experience has changed over the course of their professional careers, and then again over the course of the Pandemic, as violence has skyrocketed across the AAPI community. They share not only their perspectives, but also resources for how others who are looking to better understand the challenges facing this community can get more information than the sparse amounts provided by mainstream media. We are sharing those resources here for your benefit:

This episode has moments of levity and fun, but like Add to Cart, also delves into the deep, painful, and meaningful. For marketers seeking to support underrepresented voices and misunderstood communities, support for Add to Cart may be an excellent place to start, while benefiting from building relationships with an active, engaged, and trusting listening audience. This episode of the Media Roundtable can be your gateway to a first step in that direction.

Listen to the Interview

The Classifieds

Big Sis of the Internet Finds Her Podcast Home

Having a cool big sister has always been a huge flex, and now SiriusXM and Stitcher have their very own: Tinx. The viral TikTok star is signed to start her own SXM show and companion podcast this April. Her Tik Tok content features a mix of skits, product reviews, advice, inspirational content, and opinions on popular culture and trends. Her 1.5m followers love sending in questions for her weekly Ask Me Anything series and watching her make fun of Los Angeles rich mom culture. Though you may be uninterested in the best smoothies from Erewhon or creating a dewy makeup look, you will easily be pulled in by Tinx’s honesty, integrity, empathy, and wit. This opportunity is best suited for clients that work well within the self-improvement genre and have found success with personable female lifestyle influencers. The episodes will be a short 20-25 minutes and competition for category exclusivity is competitive, so reach out if interested as soon as possible.

Get The Deal

The Everyday is Turned Extraordinary

Do you have ongoing hyper-fixations that you relay to every friend, co-worker, and romantic partner, to their chagrin? This too is the case for former Jeopardy! Champion and host Alex Schmidt, alongside his weekly comedian co-host… Every episode of this newly acquired Gumball podcast explores a subject that any uninterested person would assume is without any flash or substance but is actually historically and situationally fascinating. Episode topics have included doorknobs, wool, bananas, myrrh, and the letter X. Educational and entertaining, the show will open your mind to the world around you, and give you ample ammunition for bar trivia, small talk, and board game nights alike. This show is highly recommended for those interested in history, education, and brand-safe comedy. You don’t need to be in Mensa to see the validity of this great deal, just click below for details.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

Will Netflix Start Serving Ads?

Last week, Disney announced it would offer an ad-supported streaming option for Disney+, joining AT&T’s and others moving towards ad-supported tiers to attract more viewers to their platforms. However, while long-running holdout Netflix still has no plans to offer an ad-supported tier to their platform, things may be changing. Perhaps we’re as delusional as Lloyd Christmas, but when asked if the company would change its long-standing position on selling ads, Netflix CFO Spencer Neumann said “never say never”. With 221m subscribers, Netflix opening an ad-supported tier would be a game-changer for marketers in the OTT space and with new subscriber numbers waning, we think they’re telling us “there’s a chance”.

There’s Something in My Ear

The intimacy of audio is something we talk about a lot, and it turns out just how close you are to the sound makes a difference. The Guardian recently shared an article that recaps findings from a series of studies conducted by UCSD, UCLA, and UCB that suggest audio messages heard while wearing headphones make a deeper and more intimate and emotional connection and can be twice as persuasive, as those heard while listening using speakers. A national radio host once shared with our Creative Director the power of being so close to his audience – actually “in their ear” when they’re wearing earbuds and that there is no other medium on earth that shares that level of intimacy with the audience. Now we have data to support his claim. Could this intimacy be the secret to the success of podcast which is oftentimes consumed via headphones, The Influencer says yes.

Duck Calling for Moink Meat

Some words just sound better with a southern drawl. Moink is one of them. And when the boys from Duck Dynasty get to talking about those tender Moink pork chops—as they did recently on their podcast Duck Call Room—you won’t be able to deny the magic that happens when voice and brand compliment each other so well. Whether it’s their lovable banter or hilarious anecdotes, these fellas know how to keep people coming back for more, both longtime fans and newcomers. If you’re not hankering for a nice pork chop, some grass-fed beef, pastured chicken or wild-caught Alaskan salmon by the end of this ad, you might want to reconsider your love for meat.

Listen Here

OXFORd In The News

Save The Live Reads Part 2

Last week, we shared the breakdown on everything that happened at this year’s Hot Pod Summit including Oxford Road CEO and founder, Dan Granger’s advocation to save live reads on Podcast. Later in the week, Digiday released an article that went a bit deeper on the subject, highlighting comments from industry leaders on both sides of the argument. Programmatically placed ads in podcast are becoming the norm, but the hope is that the ability to keep some premium inventory as a true, “old-school” host endorsement is perhaps a future both sides can get behind.

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!