Podcast

If your phone is full of podcast episodes you’ve never actually played, you know a download isn’t the same as an impression. So how can marketers figure out who’s really tuning in, and who’s tuning out? This week’s Media Roundtable discussion has you covered. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) and Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy, Oxford Road) welcome Dan Misener (co-founder, Bumper) to talk about the Bumper Score, a major new step toward shrinking the gap between a podcast’s reported listenership and its actual audience. It’s no secret we’re big advocates for better podcast measurement (check out today’s Forbes story, written by Frank Racioppi, about our work on the AMP Accords). The Bumper Score, like AMP, is aimed at helping the industry unlock its next billions through better data. Join our panel of experts as they discuss how better information can not only lead to better measurement, but can also help prevent billions of dollars from being left on the sidelines. “There is a gigantic gap between what buyers are paying for and what sellers are actually delivering.” – Dan Misener (co-founder, Bumper) Minding the Gap – We measure downloads, views, and plays, which collectively adds up to what one panelist describes as “a mixed bag of garbage.” But what we actually care about is ad delivery. And as of now, the gap between what’s being measured and what’s being delivered can be huge. The big-picture takeaway? Bad decisions based on faulty metrics can create even worse decisions (which helps explain why a billion dollars’ worth of investment is being held back from the market, according to our count). TL;DR: When brands don’t trust what they’re buying, they buy less. Keeping Score – Bumper has found a way to shrink the frustrating measurement gap. The company looks at episode delivery data and compares it to actual playback data from first-party sources. That intel is used to create the Bumper Score, a ranking that determines how effectively a program reaches a real audience when compared against other shows. Bumper Scores range from 0 (Bad) to 200 (Great), with 100 as an average. Building A Better Yardstick – In practice, the Bumper Score can level the playing field between podcasters with quality audiences (but smaller traffic) and creators with big topline numbers (but weaker audiences). Much like our own ORBIT reports, the Bumper Score helps brands evaluate shows using metrics that actually matter, and allows them to decide if the true CPM is worth the effort (and the spend). For more details on Bumper, and further insight into how the industry is coming together to fight for better measurement, check out the full episode of Media Roundtable below.

For the past year, some of the biggest names in podcasting have been working on a top-secret mission, one that could define the future of this multi-billion-dollar industry. Together, they debated three crucial questions: What’s a podcast? What’s an impression? Did the ad work? Now, after months of closed-door meetings and discussions, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) and long-time strategy consigliere Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy, Oxford Road) are excited to unveil AMP, the Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting. The unprecedented effort, which features a cross-section of industry leaders, aims to answer podcasting’s big three questions and, in doing so, create a new blueprint for creators, advertisers, and platforms. “We know that the lack of consistency in what we’re talking about, and in the things we’re measuring, is costing everyone money.” – Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) Learn More about AMP here But, Seriously…What’s a Podcast? – It’s a question that, admittedly, we’re just slightly obsessed with (for proof, check out our award-winning “What’s a Podcast?” series here). But it’s an issue that impacts everyone in the ecosystem. The lack of a standard podcast definition has caused confusion and chaos. So much so that, by our math, the industry’s leaving a billion dollars on the table. AMP is the industry’s chance to unify and standardize, and an attempt to lift all boats. The Best Brains in the Biz – In AMP’s meetings, we had voices from top podcast advertisers, platforms, and creators. They all recognize that the status quo isn’t working, and that the industry needs new and unified audio/video podcast definitions, exposure metrics, and ROI metrics. Did these smart, experienced, and very opinionated parties all land on the same answers? Of course not! But even if these diverse thinkers didn’t love every single aspect of the AMP Accords, they agreed to help put these changes in motion, for the betterment of the industry. The point is: We’ll work to make it work, together. What’s Next for AMP – Now that the secret’s out on the biggest cross-collaboration measurement effort in podcasting, what’s next? In June, we’ll share some of the task force’s findings and market guidance. Then, at our CAO Summit in July, we’ll share the full AMP Accords. From there, it’ll be up to the industry. If you also hope for a Podcasting landscape that’s better for creators, publishers, brands, and everyone else in the industry, stay up to date with the AMP Accords here. For more insights on one of the (previously) best-kept secrets in the industry, check out the full episode below.

The Creator Economy is a $250B industry powerhouse. So, how do you keep the creators at the heart of it from being exploited? Find out below. There is no creator economy without creators and no podcast advertising without podcasters. So, brands have a vested interest in making sure the economy is run responsibly and sustainably. On this week’s episode of Media Roundtable, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts Emmy-nominated digital culture expert Shira Lazar (Founder, What’s Trending and Creators 4 Mental Health), who is at the heart of the effort to help creators. Join us as Shira and Dan talk: Fair Labor, Mental Health, and The Creator Bill of Rights. “In the trenches of [the Creator Economy], there’s a lack of infrastructure and support, and that is wild to me considering the maturation of this industry and how quickly it’s evolving.” – Shira Lazar (Founder, What’s Trending and Creators 4 Mental Health) Labor is Labor –  Brands want to work with creators. Creators want to work with brands. Yet some deals go nowhere. Shira recommends a two-step approach to avoid Project Purgatory. First, agree on a budget and get a contract. Basic, but necessary. Then do ideation. No one benefits when creators do creative labor on spec. It doesn’t allow creators to develop relationships with brands and it’s too easy for brands to walk away. If you don’t want them for a full engagement yet, hire them as a consultant. You’ll get high-level thoughts you can use, and you can end it quickly if it’s not a fit. Highlighting the Hurt – If we had a gym where 30-50% of the people were seriously injured, we’d notice. Shira founded Creators 4 Mental Health because studies show that social media is clearly hurting creators, yet they lack protections and infrastructure. The organization’s landmark study found 1 in 10 creators reported suicidal thoughts (nearly twice the average adult rate in the U.S.), and 9 in 10 lacked access to specialized mental health care. The lynchpin of the creator economy is fragile and, on its current path, not sustainable (62% of creators experience burnout). Just like podcasting has needed to install safeguards, the creators who underpin the creator economy need the same thing. The Creator Bill of Rights – Why does a bill of rights for creators matter to marketers? Because creators are a workforce. One with few protections and little leverage against their platforms or brand partners, but whose unique talents move hundreds of billions globally. Shira, Lisandra Vásquez, and Rep. Ro Khanna were the bill’s co-architects. Just like we’ve tried to bring transparency to brand safety to create stable podcast marketing, transparency and protection for creators benefits brands. Your favorite host who gives killer live reads is a creator. If you want them to create sustainably, their party of the economy needs to be formalized. For more insights from a powerhouse helping to organize the creator economy we all rely on, check out the full episode below.

How do you help 7500 co-workers be their most creative selves? Find out in the latest episode of Ad Infinitum. That’s right, the world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 4, Episode 2: “Rahul Sabnis: Guaranteed Human.” Host Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) welcomes bona fide creative master Rahul Sabnis (President & Chief Creative Officer, iHeartMedia) for a WIDE-ranging conversation spanning: Picking a Side, Creativity for All, The Memory Test, and more. There’s even an Audiolytics breakdown of ads from Mint Mobile, Aura Frames, Toyota, and Amazon Prime. Let’s dig in… “A voice in the dark when you feel alone.”  – The purpose of radio, according to Rahul Sabnis (President & Chief Creative Officer, iHeartMedia) Creativity: More How than What – Rahul’s job at iHeart? To unlock the inner creativity of his 7500 co-workers. Creativity is not just how we make ads, but also how we find new solutions. So, next time you’re hitting a creative roadblock, try this: pay attention to your frustrations. That’s how Rahul moved from being stymied by weeks-long ideation to writing ads for Ryan Seacrest in 20 minutes. Marketers, if something feels wrong, imagine how it could be different. Whether it’s ads, campaigns, or literally anything: our inner creativity lights up with the magic words, “what if…?” The Guaranteed Human – What is the point of radio? It’s to make people feel less alone. It’s connecting outside algorithms. That connection is impossible, though, if listeners doubt the humanity behind the message. So, iHeart has a guaranteed human initiative for all of its radio stations. A bulwark against AI mistrust. It’s not just about celebrating human connection. The insight came directly from iHeart research that 90% of their customers want media from humans. Marketers, if a part of AI is bad for your customers, listen to them. This is one of the easiest, smartest stands you can take. The Memory Test – Marketers, take your ad, read it aloud, wait 5 minutes, then try to tell someone one thing about it. If you can’t do that, your ad’s probably stuffing 10lbs of copy in a 5lb bag. If you can remember one thing, make sure it’s the main thing. And start cutting to make that main thing shine. Your customers are already wading through AI slop on the daily. Don’t feed them “copy slop”, too. Let simplicity shine. Want more insights from two creative heavyweights at the top of their game? Tune in to the full episode below.

Who should you trust your ad money with? That’s easy. Who do your listeners trust? This week on The Media Roundtable, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes back Emmy, Murrow, and Webby Award-winning journalist Mosheh Oinounou (Founder & Host, Mo News) to discuss how he manages to keep his audience informed and entertained without sacrificing his morals or brand safety. Mo shares the story of how he transformed his legacy news career into a trusted, independent podcast with an audience of +1M strong. Even better, he does it all with integrity, not outrage or clickbait. In a shifting news landscape, marketers need mo’ creators like Mo. Join us as they talk: Leaving a Legacy, In Mo We Trust, and Journalistic FOMO. “[Brands] shouldn’t just be cutting checks to the organizations, podcasts, or creators that just have the largest number of views. They should be rewarding people who are actually contributing to responsible information and dialogue, and frankly, trying to preserve and maybe improve our democracy.” – Mosheh Oinounou (Founder & Host, Mo News) Leaving a Legacy – Mo isn’t the only journalist who has felt the pressure to transition away from traditional news media outlets. Brands and listeners are also leaving legacy news for new media like podcasts, which is a favored news medium for Gen Z. Should you follow their lead? If you’re buying legacy only, you’re missing out on the most trusted, most influential voices in the biz. But why pick one? If you can measure well and find good deals, keep a toe in each pond, so to speak. Just because something isn’t “enough” doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. In Mo We Trust – Consumers only buy from creators they trust. What makes a trusted creator? Ones like Mo, who prioritize integrity over algorithmic growth. He fact-checks, responds to comments and DMs, and best of all, owns up when he’s made a mistake. Rage-bait and riding trends deliver short-term gains but don’t build long-term trust. Sticking to values and protecting listeners unlocks bigger long-term gains. Look for partners who play the long game, and you’ll win together. Get Journalistic FOMO – Here’s the issue: brands can count on journalists like Mo, but the inverse isn’t always true. ORBIT shows the news genre is in the top 15% of all podcast genres for performance, and nothing beats it for scale. Yet brands still struggle to put their faith in creators like Mo, even when there is evidence that they are doing all of the right things. To beat the ad-sales roller coaster, Mo relies on ad-free subscribers. Marketers, we need great journalists, and we need to support them when we find them. It’s good for democracy and your ROI. The easiest of all win-wins. If you don’t support them now, they won’t stick around, or could go ad-free. It’s time to commit, before it’s too late. If you want to learn how Mo builds trust while keeping brand safety top of mind, listen to the full episode at the link below. The Classifieds Venturing Into the Void with Some New Friends Network: Moonbeam Media / Monthly Downloads: 500k Our world is inherently political, whether we’re discussing the rising cost of goods/services or a celebrity’s PR nightmare. Matt Bernstein thrives, sitting at the intersection of culture and critique, using his platform to discuss high-level insights on seemingly low-level internet chatter. This year, the podcast has increased its publishing frequency and invited a pantheon of well-versed guests, from the likes of journalist Kat Tenbarge to political streamer Caroline Kwan, and TV host Krystal Ball. These conversations often divert us into worlds we don’t want to visit ourselves, with influencers we may not have heard of, to make the journey feel less intimidating. Longtime sponsors of the podcast often include high-end DTC brands and female-skewed tech-related B2Bs. This is a recommended opportunity for Gen Z-skewing advertisers with a left-leaning consumer base. When life gives you lemons, grab some vodka for a lemon drop martini and get ready to gab away with your internet besties. You can reserve your seat via the link below. Get The Deal This Alien Invasion Comes with Wheels and Laughter Network: Backyard Ventures / Monthly Downloads: 50k Sam Tripoli has been building a podcasting empire, brick by brick, for years, and with his eighth new podcast from Backyard Ventures, his kingdom has yet another banger of a comedy podcast. Tripoli has a storied career as a stand-up comedian and conspiracy theorist, two things that have long appealed to an older, open-minded male audience. Like the title suggests, each week Tripoli and co-host Midnight Mike sit down at the Wheel of Doom and spin continually to find videos from all corners of the internet. Topics include conspiracy theories, tales of UFO sightings, random rants about the internet, and so much more. Viewers and listeners alike are along for the ride, and it’s no surprise that advertisers have found early success with Q1 performance. This is highly recommended for anyone interested in efficient comedy opportunities or looking for similar offerings to their core YouTube buys. If you’re ready to see what lies beyond, zap yourself up via the link below. Get The Deal In Case You Missed It Amazon Leans In To Their Original Business To Recoup Podcast Losses TechCrunch is talking about an NYT report on Amazon’s restructured podcast business that points out how the giant plans on recovering from recent losses. Wondery lost 100+ jobs in August 2025, their audio-only podcasts moved under Audible, and a new Creator Services division now manages on-camera talent. Amazon’s strategy has shifted to integrate commerce directly with content, exemplified by the New Heights’ Kelce Clubhouse. This single storefront consolidates product recommendations, documentaries, and merchandise sales. We often assume tech giants can transfer success into any adjacent category simply because they are already successful, but podcasting is not commerce or cloud infrastructure. Big creator deals were never likely to pay back through ads alone. “Monetize everything” is closer to Amazon’s strengths, but they’re going to have to sell a lot of merch to recoup their hundreds of millions in podcast investments. Read More Branded Integrations Are on the Rise, Both Here and Abroad Fresh Air founder Neil Cowling is discussing with IPA how podcasting has crossed into its commercial era. Natural selection has produced a powerful tier of premium publishers, while measurement tools like Podscribe and Magellan AI now enable KPI alignment with other media, and video integration has made podcasting a multi-touchpoint brand vehicle. He cites a Waitrose-branded podcast moving brand metrics and a Cartier/NYT Modern Love campaign as proof that premium contextual integration outperforms standard ad placements. Podcasting’s commercial maturity is spreading beyond the U.S. That matters for global marketers who want a consistent audio strategy across markets. The U.S. podcast market has had a head start, but as this article points out, it is only a matter of time before international markets catch up. Don’t wait to get in on the trend, though, or you’ll be fighting with other brands for the same attention. Read More SQAD Brings Their Industry Standard-Setting Tools To Podcasts & CTV Guideline is expanding its SQADCosts Local platform — which has long been the standard CPM benchmarking reference for local linear TV and radio buys — to include geo-targeted CPMs for digital audio and podcasts across 60+ top U.S. publishers, using the same framework buyers already rely on. The extension normalizes CPMs, ad lengths, and content types across publishers, uses a directly comparable baseline for targeting, and adds CTV benchmarks alongside audio. If you’ve bought local radio or TV, you may be familiar with SQAD as a cost source. Those same guidelines are now being extended to CTV, streaming audio, and podcasts, giving marketers a useful new pricing reference. Read More #SaveTheLiveReads These Tecovas Boots Are Circling Back To a Country Two Step Dillon Cheverere, Dave Ruff, and part-time former co-host Will deFries on the Circling Back podcast are making plans and looking great, thanks to Tecovas. After some killer intro sound effects that make you want to two-step, these guys launch into their love for Tecovas like it’s a hangout over a cold one. Their natural, almost throwaway delivery is exactly what makes it work. They’re not selling boots. They’re just hyping up the weekend in Tecovas like they’re about to ride off into the sunset. The back-and-forth about a pair of sharp black Cartwrights turns the ad into two guys hyping each other up in front of a closet, and somehow you want in. Product details sneak in perfectly, with just enough dramatic flair on the word “meticulous” to make you actually laugh out loud. Clean 10% off offer, easy URL, and suddenly buying cowboy boots feels like the most logical decision you’ve made all week. Point your toes west via the link below. Listen Here Contact us for a Consultation  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! Thank you to the team that puts The Influencer together each week: Ezra Fox – Media Roundtable & Ad Infinitum recap Spencer Semonson – Classifieds Neal Lucey – In Case You Missed It Hannah Lloyd – Save The Live Reads Editors: Kyle Jelinek Kristen Larson Haley Wiese Bianca Gorodinsky

Who should you trust your ad money with? That’s easy. Who do your listeners trust? This week on The Media Roundtable, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes back Emmy, Murrow, and Webby Award-winning journalist Mosheh Oinounou (Founder & Host, Mo News) to discuss how he manages to keep his audience informed and entertained without sacrificing his morals or brand safety. Mo shares the story of how he transformed his legacy news career into a trusted, independent podcast with an audience of +1M strong. Even better, he does it all with integrity, not outrage or clickbait. In a shifting news landscape, marketers need mo’ creators like Mo. Join us as they talk: Leaving a Legacy, In Mo We Trust, and Journalistic FOMO. “[Brands] shouldn’t just be cutting checks to the organizations, podcasts, or creators that just have the largest number of views. They should be rewarding people who are actually contributing to responsible information and dialogue, and frankly, trying to preserve and maybe improve our democracy.” – Mosheh Oinounou (Founder & Host, Mo News) Leaving a Legacy – Mo isn’t the only journalist who has felt the pressure to transition away from traditional news media outlets. Brands and listeners are also leaving legacy news for new media like podcasts, which is a favored news medium for Gen Z. Should you follow their lead? If you’re buying legacy only, you’re missing out on the most trusted, most influential voices in the biz. But why pick one? If you can measure well and find good deals, keep a toe in each pond, so to speak. Just because something isn’t “enough” doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. In Mo We Trust – Consumers only buy from creators they trust. What makes a trusted creator? Ones like Mo, who prioritize integrity over algorithmic growth. He fact-checks, responds to comments and DMs, and best of all, owns up when he’s made a mistake. Rage-bait and riding trends deliver short-term gains but don’t build long-term trust. Sticking to values and protecting listeners unlocks bigger long-term gains. Look for partners who play the long game, and you’ll win together. Get Journalistic FOMO – Here’s the issue: brands can count on journalists like Mo, but the inverse isn’t always true. ORBIT shows the news genre is in the top 15% of all podcast genres for performance, and nothing beats it for scale. Yet brands still struggle to put their faith in creators like Mo, even when there is evidence that they are doing all of the right things. To beat the ad-sales roller coaster, Mo relies on ad-free subscribers. Marketers, we need great journalists, and we need to support them when we find them. It’s good for democracy and your ROI. The easiest of all win-wins. If you don’t support them now, they won’t stick around, or could go ad-free. It’s time to commit, before it’s too late. If you want to learn how Mo builds trust while keeping brand safety top of mind, listen to the full episode at the link below.

The way to thrive in an AI future? Be authentically human. This week on The Media Roundtable, you have a VIP ticket to SXSW 2026 for the iHeart x Oxford Road Luncheon, with a podcasting powerhouse who consistently sees over the horizon. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) chatted with Jason Calacanis (Angel Investor & Host, This Week in Startups & All-In), to break down the current state of podcasting and what’s next. What do they agree on? AI can’t outperform human connection. The team takes on: Conversations Over Impressions, Remember the Trough, The George Lucas Alley-Oop, and more. Let’s dig in. “In a world of unlimited impressions, what matters? It’s that authenticity and aligning yourself with the conversations that matter.” – Jason Calacanis (Angel Investor & Host, This Week in Startups & All-In) Conversations over Impressions – You can get your fill of impressions almost anywhere, but you should know you’re encouraging the conversation wherever you are investing your dollars. It’s a luxury to have so many shows to support; you can actually find some you believe in that can also be successful for your brand. And it’s more futureproof too. Jason believes there’s always a place for  “people who can create new things in the world.” Support the creators bringing new things into the world that align with your values. Their fans will support you too. The George Lucas Alley-Oop – You miss 100% of the moments you’re not present for. Skilled interviewers (like Jason, who studied Charlie Rose, Howard Stern, and Oprah) can sense when the moments audiences crave appear. That’s when they go off-script and discover something new. Stay on the old track, and you’re like the interviewer who asked George Lucas about merchandise, ignoring an alley-oop about Lucas’ life-changing car accident. Marketers: this is paramount for host-reads. Let the experts shape the moment for their audience; just find ways to support them. Remember the Trough – The most valuable journeys you take in life are often marred with a trough of strife somewhere along the way.  Expecting that dip means you’ll be more prepared to stick it out. This advice applies to Y-Combinator, Tim Ferriss studying Mandarin, and Jason learning to play pickleball with his daughter. In an AI future, many tasks could be easier. The things that are still hard will be valuable, and will need practiced resilience to succeed. See the future in Jason’s crystal ball by tuning in to the full episode below

Can you lean into AI advancements without losing human connection? Find out on a new Media Roundtable. During SXSW, Will Pearson (President, iHeartPodcasts) hosted “The Guaranteed Human In An Artificial World.” Will took the stage with some of the sharpest thinkers in podcasting: Brendan Monaghan (CEO, Libsyn), Gladwell Mwangi (Paid Media Enablement Lead, Whole Foods Market), and Richard Case (VP, Growth Marketing, GoodRX). Join us as they cover: The Guaranteed Human, Finding your Center, AI-Augmented, and more. Let’s dig in. “There’s a ton more [AI content] being created, but at the end of the day, listeners can tell. And they place a high level of expectation on those creators to deliver an authentic experience.” – Brendan Monaghan (CEO, Libsyn) The Guaranteed Human  – Podcasting’s magic relies on human connection. A host really believes in a brand, so they endorse it, and listeners really want to buy it. If any part of that chain of trust is broken, it doesn’t work. AI can sound human, but we don’t trust it like a human. iHeart’s emphasis on human-voiced content reinforces the trust that underpins audio’s unique connection Find your Center – I tools are just that: tools. They can be great for accomplishing tasks, but they can’t tell you what’s important in the first place. If you want to succeed with AI tools (or without them), focus on what matters to you. For Brendan, that’s supporting creators. So Libsyn uses AI to automate workflow, surface audience insights, and optimize monetization. Marketers, to avoid AI burnout, go back to the source. Who are you trying to help? Then see if there are new tools to make it AI-Augmented, not AI-Generated – Creators are singular talents with unique voices in every sense of the word. Audiences are tuning in for real human expertise and experience. Any help that AI is providing to content can’t overshadow the human creating it. In Brendan’s words: “Listeners can tell.” The same goes for marketers. There is something unique about how you understand your brand and your customers. If you abdicate that unique vision for the same tools everyone has access to, your creative will be wholly indistinguishable, and you’ll have given up your advantage. For more insights from industry leaders working to use AI while staying human, check out the full chat here.

Creators may think they have an idea where AI is heading, but now they’re faced with a critical decision: when to lean in and when to run in the opposite direction. With constant changes and new reports of “AI brain fry,” it’s hard to get an accurate picture: does AI help creators or harm them? Is there a world in which there is a happy medium? This week’s Media Roundtable: Special Edition comes straight from the iHeart x Oxford Road Luncheon at SXSW 2026, “Less Noise, More Life: The Science of Thriving in an Artificial World.” Featuring Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) as he hosts podcasting powerhouses Tim Ferriss (Entrepreneur & Host, The Tim Ferriss Show) and Dr. Laurie Santos (Psychologist & Host, The Happiness Lab) for an existential examination of AI. The panel breaks down when and how to use AI, and tackles the all-important question, “What the hell is going on?” Join them as they talk: Listener loyalty, screen fatigue, and the real cost of letting AI do your thinking. “The people who are going to convert the best right now would not consider themselves creators. They do not have extremely large audiences, but they have people who really, really trust them.” – Tim Ferriss (Entrepreneur & Host, The Tim Ferriss Show) AI Affects Creators & Their Bottom Line  – AI might grow your profit, but it’ll definitely burn you out. The proof? Laurie mentions a new study published in Harvard Business Review that found that, among all corporate roles, AI burned out marketing professionals the most. It requires more oversight and creates an information overload. Tim then drops a truth bomb: AI may accelerate work, but it also accelerates anxiety and depression. When you offload labor to AI, you might get “AI brain fry” AND miss out on work that is meaningful to you. Weigh the cost carefully. Your Listeners Trust YOU, Not ChatGPT – The internet is right: you need to go out and touch grass more often. Both Laurie and Tim are seeing trends regarding in-person connection. Why? Because consumers are on screens all day, every day. They crave real connection, and creators can leverage that by being authentic (read: clearly not AI). Tim also urges creators and marketers not to rely on the “algorithm gods.” He’s posted short videos with millions of views… but they’ve made zero impact on podcast downloads. Remember: the algorithm’s goal is to keep people on the platform, not to send them to your show. If you stay loyal to yourself, your listeners will stay loyal to you. Think Consistency, Not Change – What makes AI different from other technologies? How quickly it evolves. Tim explains that “even the programmers don’t fully know what an LLM is going to do” once it’s finalized. Let’s take the heat off creators and marketers: there’s not enough time for them to adapt to the continuous change, so instead, focus on consistency. Tim and his team use AI for repeatable, everyday tasks. They train LLMs as editors, use them for research, and test A/B ads. Tim has the right outlook: keep up with key skills like writing and strategy, and use AI to tee you up. Want the AI user guide for podcasts? Tune in at the link below.

What do an e-commerce giant, an online therapy platform, and a shipping powerhouse all have in common? They all have the same secret weapon when it comes to podcast performance, and they’re spilling it on the new Media Roundtable: Special Edition. This week, we’re going back to Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW, where Miranda Romano (SVP, Media, Oxford Road) moderated a performance-unlocking panel, “The Power of Independence: Why Brands Are Betting on Independent Creators.” Sharing their indie wisdom was an all-star panel of brand leaders: Brynn Greenelsh (Audio Marketing, Auctane–Stamps.com & ShipStation) Jessica Williams (Global Brand Marketing & Partnerships, Shopify) Brittany Clevenger (Senior Director of Growth Marketing, BetterHelp) Join us as they cover: Becoming a Household Name, Unmatched Access, Ask An Expert, and more. Let’s dig in. “Get on the small shows, and it’ll be so worth it.” – Brittany Clevenger (Senior Director of Growth Marketing, BetterHelp) Household Names – Not every creator is a household name, but sponsoring them can turn your brand into one, and that just makes sense. The giant shows have countless sponsors, but for an indie show, you might be one of one.  That makes you the most important brand for the die-hard audiences that love the show. Our ORBIT data agrees: indie podcasts are 80% of our top 15 performing shows. When you show up for indie creators, the creators’ fans show up for you. Your All-Access Pass – When you place an ad on a giant show, hosted on a giant network, you’re not talking to the host. When you partner with an independent creator, it’s easier to hop on a call with them. You can spitball, workshop the creative to fit their voice, make the ad work for them and your brand. You don’t just have a host on autopilot reading copy points; they’re eager to make the ad land for their audience. Our panelists agree, unmatched host access unlocks unmatched performance. Here to Help – Independents offer amazing performance, but they might not have their processes buttoned up yet. To ensure success, Brittany recommends working with an agency (we swear we didn’t tell her to say it). Her point: there’s no need to do this work on your own. You can hit ROI heights with many brilliant indie shows, but to do it at scale, you need extra agency savvy and bandwidth. For more insights from brand leaders who understand the power of independent creators, check out the full chat via the links below:

Independent creators have to find a way to succeed, often without a network to support them and a safety net to fall back on.. In fact, 80% of the ORBIT top-15 performing podcasts are indies. But what does it take to win on their own… and is it worth it? Find out in an all-new Media Roundtable: Special Edition. Direct from Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) takes the stage with three of the hardest-working, most successful independent podcasters: Hala Taha (CEO & Founder, YAP Media, Host, Young and Profiting) and Brett and Jordy Meiselas (Co-founders, MeidasTouch Network, Hosts, The MeidasTouch Podcast). The panelists get real about the joys and struggles of podcasting without a net. Join them as they talk: Audience Trust, Loving Crunches, True Partnerships, and more. Let’s dig in. “The pro [of being independent] is that you have complete autonomy over your content and everything that happens, whether it’s a success or a failure, falls on you. The con is the same exact thing.” – Brett Meiselas (Co-founder, MeidasTouch Network, Host, The MeidasTouch Podcast) Audience First – Indie podcasters don’t have guarantees from networks, they just have the trust of their audience. If they betray that trust, they don’t have a show. So, every choice our creators make has to protect that audience and their trust. While that can sound like a heavy burden, it actually clarifies the work. Indie creators just have to ask how this will help their audience. If it doesn’t help, they have the power to say no. Start Doing Crunches – Jordy’s old boss said it best: Everybody wants a six pack. Nobody wants to do the crunches.” To excel as an indie creator, you have to be willing to do the crunches, even when it’s hard. That means getting in the weeds with your CPMs and talking to advertisers, relentlessly taking care of the audience and finding value for them, and constantly improving your ad reads. Marketers, if you find an indie creator who’s succeeding, you know they’ve been doing their crunches. True Partners – When you have a big network, it’s easier to make a quick buck, but for Hala and the Meiselas brothers, it pays to be selective with their brands. They only partner with advertisers they believe in, who have a strong audience fit, and who succeed on the show. As with most things indie, the effort is greater, but so is the reward. That’s how shows like Hala’s can punch above their weight in profitability and impact. For more honest insights from indies who are putting in the work and delivering for brands, you owe it to yourself to check out the full episode below.

How does an audiophile thrive in the era of YouTube? How can two circles solve everything? Find out in the first video podcast of Ad Infinitum, featuring the legendary sonic sage Dallas Taylor! That’s right, the world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back, now in video! Today, we present to you Ad Infinitum Season 4, Episode 1: “Two Circles: Dallas Taylor on Podcasting, YouTube, and Creative Identity.” Host Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) welcomes award-winning sonic guide Dallas Taylor (Host, Twenty Thousand Hertz, and Founder, Defacto Sound) to Headgum Studios for a creative masterclass about achieving great work time and time again. Stew and Dallas talk: Why the Audience Comes Last, Two Circles, Going Off the Rails, and more. Let’s dig in… “ I’ve always been a sound designer. I’ve been somebody who wanted to craft and create and celebrate sound, then I use the tools around me to tell everybody about how cool this is. I don’t really have any emotional or identity in the tools. That’s why I don’t say I’m a podcaster.” – Dallas Taylor (Host, Twenty Thousand Hertz, and Founder Defacto Sound) “The Audience Comes Last” – This Rick Rubin quote brings clarity to all creative work, including for your brand. Take Dallas’s starting place for a project: who he is and what he cares about. If you want to make anything new, anything that will stand out (and marketers, yes, you do), you can’t start with what the audience is asking for. Instead, you need to start with your identity and passions. Then, when you’ve made something to the best of your abilities, see how the audience responds. Two Circles – 7 months ago, two circles made Dallas believe he’d have to shut down his decade-old podcast. The first was a small circle containing audio-podcast listeners who could love the distinctly sonic Twenty Thousand Hertz. The second, a multi-billion-person circle of TikTok, IG, and YouTube audiences, reachable only via video. But after a chat with Stew and sage James Ingrassia, Dallas saw that he could have both. He drew two new circles: Mindset (how to get on board with the shift) and Workflow (how to do the work). The result? Distinct video stories about audio that complement the podcast, a growing fanbase, and using the available tools to celebrate audio. Again, start with what matters to you and track the audience response. Go Off the Rails – How do you make great creative work? Build a trusted process… and be ready to abandon it when need be. At the mix stage of Pluribus, Dallas heard stories of Vince Gilligan asking for everyone’s opinions. He invited new elements that could challenge and disrupt what he believed. The lesson? Build a track, get derailed by the unexpected, then integrate the new pieces into your journey. (Kind of like how the best podcast ads come from ad libs, not copy points. #SaveTheLiveReads) Want more insights on unlocking creativity again and again from two champions of audio creativity? Tune in to the full episode here:

Podcasting began with a dream and a mic, but to reach the world, they often benefited from having someone in their corner, like this week’s guest. On a new Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts indie-creator advocate Brendan Monaghan (CEO, Libsyn, and Founder, Megaphone). Libsyn is also the founding sponsor of our Indie PaC Awards, which is an extension of their 20+ years of support for independent creators. Join Dan and Brendan as they cover: Indie Wins, Definitions, The Creator’s Voice, and more. Let’s dig in. “For us, it’s: how do we think about bringing revenue to [creators] and helping them fuel their dreams on the business side?” – Brendan Monaghan (CEO, Libsyn) Indies Hit Different – Whether brands realize it or not, they have a vested interest in supporting indie creators. Why? 80% of the top shows ranked by ORBIT are independents. Indies consistently punch above their weight in regard to ROI. Marketers, if you have an out-sized indie performer in your campaign, odds are you owe Libsyn a “thank you.” And if Indies aren’t a part of your strategy, you’re leaving performers on the table. The Definition of Independence – What makes a show independent? In part, it’s what they aren’t: no big network, no outside influence, no celebrity vehicles, no safety net. In other words, indies are creators where your support makes a vital difference. Podcasting is a fragile meritocracy where independent voices can only make an impact if they can distribute and monetize from day one. Then they’ll have a chance to find their audience. The Voice of the Creators – There’s one play you need to steal from Brendan’s business playbook. No matter the issue, he approaches it from the mindset of his core customer, the creators. Take AI: we have 10% improvement tools for creators (transcriptions), but where’s that improvement going to come from, and can you make that tool first? Marketers, bring the voice of your customers into your most important discussions and give them what they ask for. For more insights on independent creators and why they’re vital to marketers, check out the full episode below.

B2B marketers don’t have the luxury of choosing between building brands or boosting ROI, they need to do both. So how do you do it? You listen to this week’s special guest, who’s spent her entire career managing this delicate balancing act. On this week’s Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts veteran CMO Laura Goldberg (CMO, Auctane, Stamps.com, ShipStation). Laura’s been everywhere, including prime time with the NFL, where she learned brand-building, to CMO roles at podcast mainstays like LegalZoom and Constant Contact. Join Dan and Laura as they cover: The Numbers, B2B Storytime, The Arms Race, and more. Let’s dig in. “ I want you to feel great about our brands, and that you trust them, but I also want you to transact.” – Laura Goldberg (CMO, Auctane, Stamps.com, ShipStation) Know Thy Numbers, Love Thy Tools – Laura has two key tips for CMOs. First: know your numbers well. Whatever’s most important for the business, get in the weeds and make sure you’re tracking it. Second, embrace the tools at your disposal. The tech stack is constantly improving, so it pays to get curious about what’s out there and see how it can drive your key metrics. (Steal Laura’s idea for a Shark Tank day where vendors pitch you new tools.) Why B2B loves Podcasts – B2B companies don’t always have a physical product, which makes podcast endorsements a dream format. Hosts can just tell customers a story that helps listeners feel what it’s like to use the product. Laura remembers the “a-ha moment” when she first heard an ad hoc story about using her product. That transformed the ad from a list of dry features to something organic, persuasive, and alive. B2B wins on podcasts because it gives listeners more time to feel the story. Stay out of the Arms Race – Sometimes you’re the biggest company, and you can press your advantage, but most companies can’t compete in every channel. That’s why you need to know your space and look for your strategic advantage. Get sharp with your public-facing hygiene (up-to-date Wikipedia & accurate Reddit moderation), since that will drive AI search results. Turns out forced scrappiness can be a blessing in disguise. For insights from a CMO who’s thrived in B2B through changing landscapes, check out the full episode below.

This year, America celebrates its 250th birthday. Trust in institutions is at an all-time low. AI is landing like an alien invasion. Nobody knows what’s coming or who to trust. So, is the American idea still alive? Meritocracy, free speech, open exchange? It’s hard, but it’s alive in podcasting and creator media. The greatest canvas for the free and open exchange of ideas, with no gatekeepers, no FCC, no program directors deciding what can and cannot be said. That’s been the spirit of this medium for more than two decades. Pirate radio for the internet age. But as the money has flowed in, consolidation has followed. Networks bought up shows, platforms locked creators into exclusive contracts, and some shows now have 20 minutes of ads per hour. Some of us came from radio. We left for a reason. Now, we’re watching parts of this industry try to rebuild the thing we escaped from. So, we decided to do something about it. Today, we’re announcing the first-ever Independent Podcast and Creator Awards (Indie PaC), happening at SXSW in Austin on Sunday, March 15th. The ceremony will be hosted by Killer Mike, the Grammy-winning artist, entrepreneur, and advocate for creator ownership who has built his career on the same principles of independence the awards celebrate. There’s nobody better to host this. Libsyn (Liberated Syndication Inc.), a longtime champion of independent creators and the leading podcasting platform for both creators and advertisers, is serving as the founding sponsor. This is the only awards ceremony exclusively for independent creators. No corporate shows. No celebrity vehicles. No platform exclusives. Jury-voted awards judged by Ashley Flowers, James Cridland, Hernan Lopez, and Gladwell Mwangi. The ORBIT Influence Awards based on real performance data. Patron Awards for the brands investing most in independents. And The Oxford Prize in Podcasting for lifetime achievement. Nominees include Steven Bartlett, Theo Von, Lex Fridman, Tim Ferriss, Shawn Ryan, Kill Tony, and dozens more, plus breakthrough creators like Kendall Rae, CreepCast, Jomboy, and Hala Taha, who are all building real audiences from the ground up. When we look at our ORBIT rankings, built on over $1.6 billion in campaign data, the independents consistently win. They work harder, they care more, and they deliver better value. It’s the difference between going to a local restaurant where the owner is cooking the food and hitting a fast-food drive-thru. This is Year One. It’ll be a little gritty, but independent creators tore down the gates and proved you don’t need anyone’s permission to build an audience that trusts you. And the establishment is starting to take notice. Today, Caitlin Huston at The Hollywood Reporter broke the exclusive on the Indie PaC Awards, recognizing this movement and the creators who are driving it. In a year when the American Experiment feels like it’s fraying, this is where it’s working. This is the new town square. Sunday, March 15th. Sounds Profitable Stage at Skybox on 6th. Austin, TX. 4:30 PM. Full details are available at IndiePaC.com. Listen to the full announcement on The Media Roundtable below, and read The Hollywood Reporter’s exclusive coverage here.

Lost in today’s media landscape? Or are you just curious as to how the industry got here? You need to go back to Marshall McLuhan, the grandfather of media literacy, and the grandfather of this week’s special guest. On this week’s Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) and Giles Martin ( EVP,  Strategy, Oxford Road) welcome the legacy media guru Andrew McLuhan (Director & Founder, The McLuhan Institute). Andrew’s work continues the legacy of his grandfather (Marshall McLuhan) and father (Eric McLuhan). The McLuhan family’s work is enormously relevant to marketers: it’s all about the effect that media and technology have on people. When marketers decide which channels to use and how to craft & place their messages, they would do well to draw on McLuhan’s insights. Dan, Giles, and Andrew are talking: Early Media Literacy, The Media is The Message, and Hot vs. Cool. Let’s dig in. “Nobody loves being sold stuff, so you’re already at a disadvantage. But people do love creativity. If that’s not a license to have some fun, I don’t know what is.” – Andrew McLuhan (Director & Founder, The McLuhan Institute) Early Media Literacy – Over 80 years ago, Marshall McLuhan had a wild idea: take new approaches to understanding literature and apply them to media and technology. That was the birth of ‘media literacy’, and it still has much to teach us about why people behave the way they do. One takeaway: in the post-linear video-electric age, advertisers need to sell a ‘vibe’, not a product. The Media is still the Message – Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “The Medium is the Message” in 1958, talking to radio broadcasters worried about TV. It could also apply to audio podcasters worried about video. The truth is, people interact with audio and video differently (more on that below), so each plays a different role. One doesn’t replace the other. Marketers should ask themselves: what effect am I trying to achieve, and which medium is the best for that effect? So Hot. So Cool – At the risk of having an Annie Hall moment, let’s talk about McLuhan’s theory of hot and cool media. Cool media (like audio podcasts) make you participate more actively in the media experience by mentally filling in gaps in information. The richer the information (adding in video), the hotter the media, and the more passive the audience becomes. When you want someone to act (like most performance advertisers), cool media can mean the audience is more attentive and engaged. This could help explain the audio podcasts’ boost in response. For insights drawing from early radio dramas to Hollywood goats, you owe it to yourself to check out the full episode below.

Advertising always walks a fine line between building audience trust and breaking it. So, how does one find that ever-important line? That’s the question at the center of this week’s Media Roundtable: Industry Edition. Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) is joined by our own experts Jillian Garner (Account Manager), Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Planning), and Kyle Jelinek (VP of Client Services) to break down what’s driving performance in podcasting. From Podtrac’s new multi-channel ranker to Podscribe’s latest incrementality report, the team explores what matters beyond downloads. They debate the long-form’s staying power, the durability of history podcasts, and what would happen if ChatGPT introduced ads. Let’s dig in. “Seeing that history podcasts are as popular as they are, it’s a good reminder that people aren’t actually moving away from depth. They’re just adding short-form [content] on top of it.” – Jillian Garner (Account Manager, Oxford Road) Multi-Channel Rankings – Podtrac has new rankings that include audio, video, and clip impressions. Getting a full picture of reach is hard, so any transparency is a win. Plus, Marketers can use the data in a few ways. If you know a show’s reach is largely from clips, negotiate those clips as part of the campaign. (And try for usage rights to run on your own paid channels). Are impressions audio-only? Factor in a greater episode completion rate as you analyze the CPMs. Historical Performance – History podcasts are epic in every sense of the word. You get multi-hour, in-depth episodes (Like Hardcore History) and a fanatical audience. Brands don’t always flock to these shows, but they’re worth considering. After all, hosts are trusted for their rigor, which flows on to advertisers. They won’t be hits for every brand, but we’ve seen lots of winners, and anecdotally, B2B marketers should take an especially close look. ChatGPT: Now with Ads? – Ads look like the next ChatGPT move. It’s worth highlighting the differences between podcast ads and AI ads. In ChatGPT, an ad undermines the trust and neutrality we’re used to. Meanwhile, podcasts have always had ads, and people can sense how much the hosts actually believe in what they’re saying. In other words: ads only work when there’s enough trust to inspire action. Marketers, the channels you choose for your brands should rely on audiences’ trusted sources for information. You can’t erode one and still expect performance. Want more insights from the forces shaping the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

Imagine you’re the best at what you do… and you didn’t realize it until now. This week’s edition of Media Roundtable: Special Edition is another creator spotlight, as Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes Gina Ryan (Host, The Anxiety Coaches Podcast) to the pod. Gina’s podcast is a quiet ORBIT powerhouse, recently ranked #1 in our Self-Improvement list. But because brands don’t usually share results with creators, she had no idea she was a low-key marketing superstar. Dan and Gina sat down to unpack her (formerly) secret success. They’re talking: Honest Ads, The Listening Family, and Hyper Organic Growth. Let’s dig in. “I just talk about it as it’s still me. I don’t all of a sudden switch into: ‘And now a word from our sponsor,’ and become a radio advertisement.” – Gina Ryan (Host, The Anxiety Coaches Podcast) Be Clear, Be You – Gina’s success isn’t accidental; it’s the result of her very detailed approach to sponsorships. She discloses and separates the ads, then performs the read in her own voice. She’s not in sales mode: she’s the same calm, genuine presence that listeners hear during the show. She doesn’t rush copy; instead, she speaks from her experience and connects to brands she cares about. Another great sign: she rejects misaligned brands. It’s fine for an ad to clearly be an ad, as long as the host is still being their genuine self. The Listening Family – That’s how Gina refers to her audience. Not consumers, not followers, family. It helps that Gina built her podcast with the intent to help, not to grow and monetize a following. You want a protective host because they’re actively maintaining the hard-won trust they’ve built with the audience. Hyper Organic Growth – Gina grew the podcast over many years without relying on a dedicated marketing or promotional push. She focused on creating a show people loved. Every member of her audience found her organically and stayed because they love what she’s doing. Other shows might have bigger reach, but the depth of connection is unmatched, and that is what drives ad performance. For more tips from a genuine performance superstar, check out the full episode below.

What happens when a podcasting powerhouse is also an elite marketer? Find out in a creator spotlight episode of Media Roundtable: Special Edition. This week, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes The Podcast Princess herself, Hala Taha (CEO & Founder, YAP Media, host of Young and Profiting). We’re some of the biggest Hala supporters here at Oxford Road because she’s one of the few creators who cares as much as we do about making the ads work. (Check out her Ad Infinitum episode with our very own Stew Redwine). Hala has consistently delivered great reads and results for clients for years, and ORBIT has the receipts. Young and Profiting was #4 on our OG Podcast list, and it’s #2 in this month’s Self-Improvement ranking. But hearing how Hala approaches the ads, that performance is not surprising. Dan and Hala put on a masterclass in creator marketing, talking: The Power of Demonstration, Letting Creators Cook, and Getting in the Weeds. Let’s dig in. “It’s not about the channel. It’s not about audio, YouTube, social; it doesn’t matter. What you’re picking is the creator.” – Hala Taha (CEO & Founder, YAP Media, host of Young and Profiting)

Podcasts walked the red carpet, won the awards, and settled into your living room. So, where does the industry head next? Find out on a new Media Roundtable: Industry Edition. Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) breaks down the biggest stories with fellow audiophiles: Bart Roselli (EVP Media, Oxford Road) Courtney O’Connor (Director, Podcast Media, Oxford Road) Giles Martin (EVP Strategy, Oxford Road) The team is talking: The End of Ads, PodFraud, the Living Room Podcast, and more. Let’s dig in. “ Is it the end of ads? No, but I do think that it’s potentially an end of an era.” – Courtney O’Connor (Director, Podcast Media, Oxford Road) The End of Ads? – It sounds like a sensationalist take: could podcast ads see the same collapse as ‘90s banner ads? No, but at a minimum, guarding against increasing ad load is smart business (Podcasting was dragged for its ads during the Golden Globes). No one wants podcasts to become burdened with ads like radio. Marketers, check the ad load of your shows, and reward the networks who are keeping the percentage low. PodFraud – We have two cases of advertising rule-breaking this week, but remember, fraud is an arrow. It points to value. Take the pay-to-play scandal in India, where people pay $15-30k to be a guest on a show: the value of the show has to be many times higher to justify the risk. On another note, if there’s a business for someone to strip out the ads and resell the shows, that’s a problem, but this points to the bigger issue of rising podloads. Again, the industry needs to manage ads or risk audiences opting out. In the meantime, marketers must work to make their ads compelling enough that no one would skip them. (Stumped? We can help.) The Living Room Podcast – YouTube says couch podcast viewing hit 700M hours in October 2025. Giles’ rough math says that’s ~4% of CTV viewing, a staggering number. There’s one thing we don’t know: exactly how attentive is the watcher? Couch podcasts could be a source of active engagement, or background noise that might not even have someone in the room listening to it.. Our POV: if you can measure well, kick the tires on a campaign. Then you’ll know if the results justify the CPMs. Want more insights from the forces shaping the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

Happy 2026! As the New Year kicks into high gear, it’s time to dust off the crystal ball and see what it might reveal about the media landscape this year. Will we finally get standardized measurement? Will podcasters still pick video over audio? How should you navigate a seller’s market? Find out as we make big, bold (and accurate) predictions for 2026. All on a new Media Roundtable: Special Edition. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes back a stacked team of podcast nostradamuses: Hernan Lopez (Founder of Owl & Co & Wondery James Cridland (Editor, Podnews & Podcast Business Journal) Kyle Jelinek (VP, Client Services, Oxford Road) Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road) They’re talking: Audio’s Rise, Standardization (Finally!), Seller’s Markets, and more. Let’s dig in. “ My prediction is: the buyer’s market has officially ended.” – Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road) Video Doesn’t Kill the Audio Star – Our first prediction is a move back to audio only for mid-tier podcasts. In short, the juice wasn’t worth the production squeeze for everyone. As a side prediction, video investment will increase for top shows, including in vertical podcast formats. Big opportunity for one of the major platforms to support vertical podcasts in 2026. Measurement Standardization (Finally!) – This is the year for cross-platform standardization. We predict that 2 out of the 3 major podcast platforms will move towards standardization. Even bolder? We envision seeing some movement as early as Summer. In the meantime, if you share the dream of better measurement across all your podcast channels, keep making noise. It’s working. Bargains in a Seller’s Market – We’re moving from a buyer’s to a seller’s market. As platforms fix measurement issues, brands will spend more and drive up prices. Two hedges against rising CPMs? 1. Lock in deals with your favorite shows early. 2. Look outside of the top 10% of podcasts. Programmatic buys on niche shows should be a strong value play in 2026. Want more insights into what will surely be a pivotal year for the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

What’s one podcast genre that’s successful for advertisers but is often overlooked? Find out in a creator spotlight episode of Media Roundtable: Special Edition. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes the co-hosts of the hit, faith-based podcast Girls Gone Bible, Angela Halili & Arielle Reitsma. They’re talking: A Meteoric Rise, Brand Love, and Marketing with Faith. Let’s dig in. “There’s no dollar amount that’s worth doing anything that goes against our core mission.” – Angela Halili (Co-Host, Girls Gone Bible) By Popular Demand – Video had a large part in creating these podcast stars. After a messy first episode, Arielle and Angela decided not to scrap the whole recording. Instead, they released some of the best clips, which promptly blew up with 20M views. The unfiltered rawness on display connected with their audience and fueled a subsequent meteoric rise. Clips can reveal what audiences want. Podcasts are where creators deliver. Only Promote What You Love – You know when hosts phone in the ads? Not on GGB. Arielle and Angela are so protective of their audience that they pick brands they love enough to promote them. This should be a must for your campaigns: work with engaged hosts. They’re the creators who maintain the highest audience trust. Marketing with Faith – Recent ORBIT insights showed that the Faith genre is a strong performer, but lags in investment. Brands are growing more comfortable supporting faith-based shows, but some hesitations prevent further investment. That means there’s a fantastic opportunity for smart brands to invest before the market catches on. Want more insights into an overlooked, overperforming part of the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking any of the links below.

Does video perform better than audio? That is a question the market has been trying to answer for years, especially now that many podcasts feature video. The industry has pivoted hard to video. It offers massive scale and new discovery opportunities. But for years, we’ve operated inside a measurement “black box,” forcing marketers to assume that a YouTube view is worth the same as a podcast download. We now know that assumption is potentially costing brands millions. In this Media Roundtable: Special Edition,  Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) welcomes Pete Birsinger (CEO & Founder, Podscribe) to reveal the results of our industry-first report, “Re-Thinking YouTube: Why Your YouTube Ads Are Converting 25% Worse Than Audio.” After analyzing over 1,000 campaigns across 100+ brands, the data has revealed a shocking performance gap. “The biggest unlocker of revenue is some way to measure the host-read embedded ads on YouTube.” – Pete Birsinger (CEO & Founder, Podscribe) Pete and Giles are talking: The Black Box, Smart Methodology, and Lean-In Audiences.

Video podcast wars, reaching critical masses, or radio’s reckoning… or reinvention: what was the biggest story of 2025, and how will it shape 2026? Find out as we look back on all the major news stories of 2025 in a new Media Roundtable: Industry Edition. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) breaks down the stories that shaped the year with fellow audio luminaries: Hernan Lopez (Founder of Owl & Co & Wondery, former CEO of Fox International) James Cridland (Editor, Podnews & Podcast Business Journal) Kyle Jelinek (VP, Client Services, Oxford Road) Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road) The team is talking: Video Everything, Critical Mass, and Radio’s Next Act. Let’s dig in. “ Video is definitely the big story for 2025.” – Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road) Video Podcast Wars – While YouTube still holds the crown, Spotify and Netflix came for it in 2025. We don’t know who will rule video next year (okay, probably still YouTube), but advertisers can’t ignore the video part of podcasts. Measurement is messier, but 100% doable. It’s time to get off the sidelines, and for the industry, we need to count impressions the same way. No more random combinations of views/downloads/instant plays/vibes. Standardize measurements to create confidence and growth. Critical Mass – 73% of Americans have consumed a podcast. This is proof that our little industry’s all grown up. But James says the important number is 773, as in 773 million podcast hours consumed each week. Going from 73% to 100% is harder and less fruitful than increasing consumption. In 2026, industry expansion will come from both deepening relationships with existing deals, while expanding reach. Radio’s Reckoning – Radio remains a contradiction. It’s still shrinking (~1% a year), and it’s still big (74% of audio use in cars). It has a massive reach, but the median age is ~59. This year saw Nielsen juicing ratings, local radio scoring in trust, and Tesla planning to drop FM from lower-priced models. Still, we think Radio is more overlooked than overrated, making it a smart channel for advertisers to invest in. Want more insights from what was a wild year for the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

Marketers have been trying to predict how consumers will behave with statistics and studies for decades. But what if there’s a chance that science could help you understand consumers? Would you take it? The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back with those answers and more! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 3, Episode 15: “Human Hacks.” Host Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) welcomes best-selling behavioral science author Richard Shotton (The Choice Factory, Hacking the Human Mind). They’re looking at some of the most relevant behavioral studies in marketing and applying that formula to top-spending podcast ads from  McAfee, AmBev, Tide Pods, and  IBM Stew and Richard talk Simplicity, Big Ladles, Concrete, and more. Let’s dig in… “[It’s] always easier to work with human nature than against it.” – Richard Shotton (Author, Hacking the Human Mind) Simple is Smart – To sound smart, keep it simple. In a study with simple and complex versions of the same text, readers said the simple version’s author sounded smarter. Why?  Big words confuse the audience, and they blame the writer. So make your talking points simple. Hosts will love you, and you’ll sound smarter, too. Get the Big Ladle – We think information is the big blocker to action, but actually, it’s ease. A study showed that people ate more vegetables when a large serving ladle was used instead of tongs. CAOs, reflect on your current setup. Is it ridiculously easy for customers to sign up? Or ridiculously easy for hosts to read your copy (see above)? Whatever the challenge, instead of adding new info, try greasing the wheels first. Words like Concrete – Studies show people remember concrete phrases (“white horse”) 4 times more than intangible ones (“subtle fault”). Look over your copy. If you want it to stick in people’s minds, skip the floating abstract words and firm up the copy with sturdy, concrete words and phrases. Want more research-backed insights to make stronger audio ads? Tune in to the full episode here:

How will the industry shift with 200k AI episodes? Or with Netflix’s $400M podcast push? How do audio and video podcasts actually stack up for attention? Find out on a new Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, sponsored by our friends at ALLCITY Network. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) breaks down the biggest stories and their potential impacts on the industry with fellow audiophiles: • James Cridland (Editor, Podnews & Podcast Business Journal) • Spencer Semonson (Media Supervisor, Oxford Road) • Todd Elbrink (Director of Strategy & Performance, Oxford Road) • Tucker Peleuses (VP of Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) The team is talking: Cheap TV, Video vs. Audio Attention, and Wading Past AI Slop. Let’s dig in. “How do we make sure that we don’t get run over, for those of us that really care about the human connection piece?” – Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road)   Netflix’s $8M Question – Netflix is offering 50+ podcasts to leave YouTube for $8M. If Netflix thinks podcasts are just cheaper TV, this move makes sense. But most podcasters don’t think about themselves that way. They build audience connection in a wildly powerful and efficient way. Leaving open platforms for closed ones diminishes that power. Todd’s hot take: Podcasters looking for a fast payday should take the exit and leave the others to grow their audiences. Attention Increases ROI – A new study found that video podcasts cost 77% more to produce than audio, but audio beats video for completion rates (66% vs 61%). Audio’s an incredibly efficient way to grab and hold attention. That said, adding a video component actually increases plays for the audio version. The TLDR for CAOs: audio and video both help your campaigns. Measurement’s going to be harder, but it’s worth it. And in the meantime, keep asking for better measurement tools to anyone who’ll listen. Protecting Human Connection – Ashley Carman’s Podcast Business Summit encapsulated the fight for the soul of podcasting. Inception Point boasts +200k AI episodes (all without QC). Netflix hopes to entice shows to take the sure money, and creators want to stay in control and help build brands (their own and their partners). While there’s money to be made in all directions, trying to protect the heart of podcasting, the authentic human connection, is only possible from some paths. CAOs: Uncertainty creates opportunity–for your shows that work, start conversations that can deepen your partnerships. If you value the connection between your creators and their audiences, continue to invest in them, and they’ll continue to invest in you.   Want more insights from the forces shaping the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

How can audio ads break through in a world of AI ads and boring reads? By being relentlessly real. The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads strikes back against AI! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 3, Episode 14: “This is My Real Voice.” Host Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) welcomes Brandon Beville (Producer, Morning Wire). They get to the root of authenticity, tapping into Brandon’s special insight as both producer and ad-reader (according to one commenter, his voice sounds like “ a frat guy from Boston”). Together, they put up Brandon’s spot against top-spending podcast ads from Google, ParkWhiz, LG, and Wells Fargo using our Audiolytics™ framework. Which spot will come out on top? Guess you’ll have to dial in to find out. Stew and Brandon talk The Real You, The 3-4 Rule, Active Listening, and more. Let’s dig in… “Make it as much you as you can.” – Brandon Beville (Producer, Morning Wire) Bring Your Full Self — Whether you’re writing copy, setting strategy, or voicing an ad read, none of it will work if it feels inauthentic. To make the words land, it has to feel real. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does need to be genuine. For ads, that means tapping into why you actually care about the product you’re selling. CAOs, for hosts to give honest endorsements of your brand, it helps if you can show why you care, too, even by sharing personal anecdotes. The 3-4 Rule — Ads that break through don’t sound like ads. To get those kinds of performances, Brandon aims for 3-4 takes. That’s enough to dial it in, get comfortable with the words, and have a natural read in one go before it turns stale. CAOs, listen to your airchecks. If the reads are awkward, it might be their first time with the material. Raise your hand to encourage them to put in more effort. And meet them halfway! If they’re stumbling on a line that sounds like jargon, change it and write it more like how you’d tell a friend instead of how you’d pitch to a boardroom. Listening Ears On — Brandon took his inspiration for his Ollie ad when he heard his dog growling at dinner time. When we’re open to it, the world is rich with sound… but most ads only use the spoken word. CAOs, if you want your ads to sound like no one else, start by listening like no one else. Whether your product is digital or physical, using it will leave some audio fingerprints that only you could create. Capture them to create richer experiences for listeners. Want more insights on making the realest audio ads you can? Tune in to the full episode here:

Did you have Netflix becoming a major audio platform on your 2026 bingo card? Don’t worry if you’re surprised, we’re here to help you make sense of the big moves by the industry’s (new) big players. This week on The Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts audio experts: James Ingrassia (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) Shannon Quintana (VP, Account Management, Oxford Road) Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) The team is talking: Netflix x Spotify, Thinking Locally, Podcast’s Growth, and more. Let’s dig in. “We’re in the right space. I think we all just wish there were fewer leashes to hold as you’re trying to make sense of all of it.” – Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) Netflix and Spotify Press Play – Spotify inked a deal with Netflix to move some podcasts (mostly from The Ringer network) off YouTube and onto Netflix starting in 2026. Pros: Netflix would love to steal some of YouTube’s share of couch (July 2025 Nielsen TV viewing had YouTube: 13.4%, Netflix: 8.8%), and Spotify gets its content recommended to a new audience. Cons: Gated content shrinks the audience, big questions remain on how live reads will be executed, and more measurement complications. For performance CAOs, wait-and-see. For those in the winner-take-all categories, Netflix Podcast ads might be worth exploring? Local’s Moment is Coming – Audio is the fastest-growing tool in local content marketing. 15% of local businesses use audio for marketing, up from 6% in 2022 (per a Borrell study). If small businesses and retailers are seeing success in local audio, there could be a revenue uptick for local journalism and local content creation. Soon consumption numbers and distribution ease could make local audio a key part of any CAO’s playbook. Podcasts: Still Growing Strong – Podcasting remains one of the fastest-growing digital channels per a new IAB report. Fresh off the double-digit gains of last year, the IAB forecasts podcast ad revenue will climb 7.4% in 2025. (4.8% increase projected for digital audio not including podcasts). It’s a good sign for the strength of the industry. Even in an ROI-centric environment, marketers increase their bets on audio. And if we want to grow ad investment further, we have some thoughts from our CAOs (*cough* better measurement *cough*). Want more insights from the industry’s movers and shakers without getting shook? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

What happens when you invite AI into the Ad Infinitum hot seat? The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 3, Episode 12: “Infinite Prompts. Host Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) welcomes Juniper GPT for a Human/AI collab session. Together, they break down Magellan AI’s July 2025 Movers & Shakers report, grading fresh podcast ads from My Mochi, Activision‘s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, and JCPenney using the Audiolytics™ framework. Will Juniper’s AI algorithms concur with human judgment? Stew and Juniper talk Tools of the Trade, Having Fun, Painting Audio Pictures, and more. Let’s dig in. “For people in creative fields, it’s about embracing AI as a kind of creative partner. It can help you work faster and open up new possibilities, but the heart and soul of the work will still come from you.” – Juniper GPT It’s A Tool, Not a Solution – AI tools like Juniper are game-changers because they’re readily available to everyone. But if they’re available to everyone, anything they generate can’t be a unique creative advantage. So how do you make the most of GenAI tools without sounding like everyone else? Studies show that while being heavily reliant on AI can harm your thinking, if you’re thoughtful and active in your GenAI use, you could boost your creativity. Have Fun Making the Ads Work – Boring prompts create boring ads. But Stew’s actively playing around with Juniper–seeing what’s possible, and checking it against his internal creative compass. That’s how we get Western and Shakespearean Tony Hawk ads. That doesn’t mean those are fit to go to air, but if you’re feeling stuck for your next campaign, testing out a wildcard idea could trigger something completely original of your own. Paint Audio Pictures – Juniper and Stew tapped the Tony Hawk and Meta Glasses spots as their winners. One winning creative element? Each ad had multiple audioscapes. A mock-PSA shifts to a high-energy skate park. A cityscape shifts to a kitchen. The ads felt bigger because they took the listener on a multi-locale journey. CAOs, with or without Juniper, as you’re crafting your audio ads think: can you tell a bigger story?

Why Brands Aren’t Spending That Extra $1B on Podcasts (Yet) Advertisers want to spend an extra $1B in podcasting, but they’re holding back until we address the industry’s most significant issues. This week on The Media Roundtable, we’ve assembled a powerhouse of CAOs to talk about the findings of our 2025 “What Brands Want” report. At this summer’s CAO Summit, we learned that podcasting could be one billion dollars bigger… if brands had what they need today. After polling brand leaders on their hurdles and needs, the results are in. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) breaks down the findings with: Justin Fitzpatrick (Head of Performance Marketing, Found) Julianna Crozier (Associate Director, Influencer Partnerships & Growth Marketing, Thrive Market) Will Flaherty (SVP, Growth, Ro) Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy, Oxford Road) The team is talking: Closing the Measurement Gap, Beating the Clutter, Minding the Macro, and more. Let’s dig in: “Any sort of improvement that we can make on the measurement side to prove the efficacy of our ad dollars is going to only enable us to put more and more budget into the channel.” – Justin Fitzpatrick (Head of Performance Marketing, Found) Close the Measurement Gap – The industry’s most significant hurdle to unlocking the next billion? The lack of standardized measurement, especially between RSS and YouTube impressions. We’re pushing for the big players to give CAOs standardized tracking, but until then, we recommend a two-step HDYHAU to capture performance by channel AND show. Bonus: listeners actually want to give credit to their favorite hosts; we just need to make sure there’s a way for them to do so. Beat the Clutter – Podcasts thrive on breakthrough authenticity. Rising ad loads and undisclosed AI voice clones threaten podcasting’s golden goose. CAOs want to protect that authentic connection between the brand and host, while maintaining an authentic host/audience connection. Creators and publishers take note: brands want to spend more for results. You can grow more with fewer, customized, and authentic ads than with skippable ad blocks. CAOs, keep asking questions about ad loads and checking the Oxford Clock. Mind the Macro – If measurement is the first blocker for expanding budgets, then macro environment concerns (e.g. tariffs) are the second. How can CAOs and creators respond? Resonant creative messaging. Our panel doubles down on understanding their audience and how their products can help current issues. Authentic partnerships with hosts and solid measurement practices (see above) give you the certainty you need to increase budgets in uncertain times. Want more know-how on the industry’s hurdles and solutions? Grab the full “What Brands Want” report here. And for in-depth insights, check out the full episode below:

CAOs: We analyzed $1.6 billion in podcast ads. Here’s what actually drives ROI. During this week’s Media Roundtable, the team at Oxford Road unveiled ORBIT, the Oxford Road Benchmark Intelligence Tool, built on $1.6 billion in actual campaign performance data: not estimates, not surveys; just real results from advertisers spending real money. This is the planning tool we’ve been chasing for a decade. ORBIT doesn’t just tell you which podcasts are popular; it tells you which ones drive ROI, which ones convert, and which ones are worth the check you’re about to write. •  Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) sits down with the data wizards who made it real: •  Brian Kim (Director of Analytics, Oxford Road) •  Mike Dunsmore (Director of Analytics, Reporting and Insights, Oxford Road) •  Tucker Peleuses (VP of Strategy, Oxford Road) The team unpacks: Why Joe Rogan Didn’t Crack the Top 15, the Faith-Based Performance Secret, the Genre Trap Costing You Money, and more. Let’s get into it. “This is what happened when real companies spent real money. If you want to know which podcasts work, start here.” – Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) The Performance Index That Shouldn’t Exist (But Does) – ORBIT aggregates $1.6B in podcast spend across hundreds of advertisers, 120+ genres, multiple attribution models, and normalizes it all into one question: What actually worked? We’re publishing monthly rankings so you can validate your buys before you sign the IO. Who made the first Top 3? Critical Role (#1), The David Pakman Show (#2),  and The Megyn Kelly Show (#3). Notice what’s missing? The shows everyone thinks perform best. Big Reach ≠ Big Results – Joe Rogan didn’t make the Top 15. Neither did most tier-1 mega-shows. Meanwhile, smaller podcasts and niche genres dominated the performance rankings. Turns out, marketers systematically overpay for household names while ignoring shows that deliver better returns. ORBIT cuts through the hype and shows you what actually converts, not what rate cards hope works. Stop Buying Your Own Industry’s Shows! – Tucker tested the theory that had plagued him for 13 years: Do tech companies perform better on tech podcasts? Finance brands on business shows? ORBIT data says no. There’s no statistically significant lift from matching your industry to your genre. Your customers listen to the same shows as everyone else: comedy, true crime, politics… the genre silo is costing you sales. (Bonus insight: Faith-based podcasts rank top 20% for performance across verticals. Amen!) Ready to plan smarter? The full episode breaks down how ORBIT works, what it reveals, and why nothing like this has ever existed in podcasting. Click below if you’re ready to launch your campaigns into the thermosphere.

To make an industry better, you can’t be afraid to shake things up. We’re celebrating one whole year since two competitors, Oxford Road and Veritone One, joined forces to become the world’s largest podcast and creator-based video agency. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) gathered leaders from across the new organization to talk about wins, hard-fought lessons, and tips for anyone looking to create chaos for the better. It’s part victory lap, part therapy, and part masterclass. Joining are some of  our fearless leaders who led the charge during this formative year: Bart Roselli (EVP of Media, Oxford Road) Courtney O’Connor (Director, Podcast Media, Oxford Road) Hilary Shafer (SVP of Podcast & Influencer, Oxford Road) Kyle Jelinek (VP of Client Services, Oxford Road) and Miranda Romano (SVP of Media, Oxford Road The team’s talking: Slow and Steady, Spider-Man Wisdom, Staying Humble, and more. Let’s dig in. “ You need to come in and you need to be ready to listen, you need to be ready to observe, and ready to admit where maybe we were wrong in the past and that there’s a better path forward. With that, I think anything’s possible.” – Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) Not Fast and Furious: Big ideas spark the fire, but optimism, effort, and humility fuel it. In an industry that moves at the speed of sound, it’s hard to merge two companies without burning out. This is why it was crucial for our leaders and team to thoroughly and critically examine our processes, without missing a beat. It’s also okay to adjust your timing if you don’t get it right the first time. As Hillary puts it: “When I think back to initial timelines and goals we set, I have to chuckle… It’s not that mountains haven’t been moved. They just took longer because there were many more details.” “With Great Power” – Bart took his inspiration from a famous Spider-Man quote: “This is not just about creating leverage. It’s, ‘how do we make the industry better?’” If Oxford Road had tried to just grow without a bigger mission of improving the industry, we wouldn’t have smashed our employee (and client) retention goals. For anyone facing significant challenges, it helps to remember your ‘why’. Values > Tactics – How do you move through differences? Focus on that common goal, and welcome the chance to improve with your top competitor. ”It’s been fascinating just to see, “Oh, you know what? We didn’t think of that, and you guys did that a hell of a lot better,” and vice versa. When the goal is to be better, you put your ego aside to find new solutions. Turns out if you approach improvement with humility, you can do almost anything, including unlocking 30% gains for Oxford Road clients year over year. Want more insights from a year of growth? Check out the full episode below:

This week on the Media Roundtable, we’re revisiting the time Dan Granger sat down with Lex Friedman (not to be confused with podcaster Lex Fridman), one of podcasting’s original builders, and a leader who’s shaped the business of podcasting since Day 1, for our limited series, “What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews.” Before launching his own consulting business, Lex played a role in nearly every major chapter of the industry: Chief Business Development at Midroll, Chief Revenue Officer at ART19, Head of Podcast Partnerships at Amazon, and Head of Podcast Strategy at Wondery. Along the way, he’s helped define how ads get sold, how shows get funded, and how podcasting itself gets defined. Let’s dig in… “Stop apologizing for podcasting being what it is—because it’s clearly working.” – Lex Friedman (Lex Friedman Consulting) “Win-Win-Win”: Want to know why podcast ads have worked from Day 1? Advertisers got results, creators could fund their shows, and listeners enjoyed free content without tuning out. Podcasting works because all parties benefit, and this remains one of its biggest strengths to this day Talk Radio, On Demand: Lex’s earliest pitch for podcasting was simple: it’s talk radio you can control. That framing helped advertisers “get it” before Serial, before Spotify, before the boom. It’s Electric! But It’s Still a Guitar: Just as “guitar” became “acoustic guitar” after the electric was invented, podcasts may evolve with video, but the word “podcast” isn’t going anywhere. Podcasting’s evolution will open doors, not close them, leading to more opportunities for listeners and advertisers. To delve deeper into the conversation, which covers topics such as Ad Load Tipping Points, Completionist Behavior, Consolidation, Mega-Deals, and more, click the link below.

It finally happened- we found insights that brand builders and performance marketers can agree on. We gathered CAOs from all walks of business: from finance and food to jobs and boots. They share everything they’ve learned as they’ve scaled podcasting to enviable levels. Whether you’re team brand or team performance, you’ll benefit from their wealth of experience. On The Media Roundtable, we have one of our favorite conversations from our 2025 CAO Summit.  Conor Doyle (President, Oxford Road) moderated the ”No More Maybes: Scaling Podcast Performance with Precision” panel, where he gathered some of the sharpest CAOs around, who agreed to share their secrets on scaling podcasts. Conor was joined by our VIPs: Gladwell Mwangi (Director of Paid Media, Whole Foods) Kezia Koo (Former Sr. Director, Global Growth & Performance Marketing, Indeed) Megan Smith (Director, Media Strategy, Tecovas) Nick Fairbairn (Vice President, Growth Marketing, Chime) These audio evangelists candidly shared how they grew their podcast buys with confidence and their hard-won lessons from the journey. “Every single time we ratchet up the quality of our measurement, it’s telling us time and time again that podcast is efficient-it’s driving revenue and bringing customers in.” – Kezia Koo (Former Sr. Director, Global Growth & Performance Marketing, Indeed) This week, we’re talking: Measurement Quality, Podcasts Play Nice, Thoughtful Success, and more. Let’s dig in: Measurement Quality: The first step to every success story? Getting measurements you trust. But as spend increases, so should measurement sophistication. Over 6 years, Indeed moved from a single attribution model to different media mix models, and onto clean room measurement. The common result? Podcasts have a fantastic ROI and deserve more spend. The lesson? Scale is constrained by the confidence you have in your performance. Better measurement unlocks increased spend at optimal levels. Podcasts Play Well with Others:  Podcast absolutely performs on its own. But thanks to video, it’s an incredible team player too, helping other channels efficiently scale. Combine book endorsement spots with a trusted podcast host, negotiate usage rights, and you have an abundance of powerful clips for CTV, paid social, and programmatic. With the rise of video, visual brands like Tecovas especially benefit, but the truth is, host authenticity is the rising tide that lifts all marketing boats, so make sure you’re not ignoring it. Thoughtful Success: While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, intentionality played a key role in all of our CAOs’ success stories. You need: Clarity: Define how podcasts can support the rest of your marketing. Longer host endorsements humanize brands more effectively than 15-second DR TV spots can. Thoughtfulness with your placements: Look past the top 10 shows, track your CPAs on a show-level, and when you find a winner, make a commitment. You’ll get amazing reads (which you can then use again elsewhere in your marketing ecosystem). Want more stats and secrets from every step of the scaling journey? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

Want better insights into the chaotic world of podcasting? You need to hear from the audio experts, who’ve returned from their hiatus to discuss all things CAO Summit 2025. The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 3, Episode 11: “When the Helmets Come Off—Kraig T. Kitchin at CAO Summit 2025” Host Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) welcomes back Hall of Fame legend Kraig T. Kitchin (Senior Strategic Advisor for Oxford Road) to break down their biggest takeaways from July’s event. “[The CAOs] brought their best material and they didn’t hold back vulnerabilities of the goods, the bads, and the uglies of what it is they do.” – Kraig T. Kitchin (Senior Strategic Advisor for Oxford Road & Bonafide Audio Legend) Collaborators, Not Competitors: One magical part of the CAO Summit? The attendees – some of the biggest names in podcast advertising – were honest about their successes and challenges. Fierce competitors took off their game faces and helmets and became vulnerable–sparking breakthroughs for all attendees. The lesson? Mutual success in our industry can grow the pie for all. Audio’s Built-In Edge: What makes podcasting talent different? Their ability to manage two vastly different roles: the entertainer and the authentic salesperson. Since the days of radio, audiences have been comfortable with hosts playing dual roles, which has proven to be a strength for the medium. However, to maintain the effectiveness of ads, podcasting should also look to radio as a cautionary tale. Oversaturate the content with ads, and you will lose the audience. CAOs, when you’re buying ads, keep an eye on ad load. For best performance, we recommend no more than 10%. Use AI to  Be More Human: At an event where in-person interactions, vulnerability, and authenticity reigned, one question echoed throughout the halls: how do you reconcile the human touch with the growing power of AI in creative? Stew lays out the cure: “The antidote to the fear of AI is caring.” AI can do a lot of work, but it can’t care for you. For the most potent creative, care for your audience, and your product shines through. However you choose to integrate AI into your work, it should always center on humans. The hosts, your audience, your partners, and your own creative sensibilities. Ensure that any AI elements facilitate deeper connections for you, rather than trying to replace them. Want more views from the top of the (CAO) Summit? Tune in to the full episode here:  

This week on the Media Roundtable, we’re taking you back to our 2025 CAO Summit for a tactical conversation on one of media’s most resilient channels: radio. Guest moderator and radio legend Kim Komando leads a panel featuring Nick Macco (Legacybox), Mike Janigian (DraftKings), and Rion Swartz (brand-side growth leader, previously at LegalZoom) on why we shouldn’t write the obituary for broadcast radio just yet. The panel laid out a playbook for turning “old-school” radio into a modern performance media, and we’re giving you a sneak peek: “Radio is a ‘cucaracha’—we keep trying to stamp it out, and it just keeps coming back.” – Kim Komando, Host of ” The Kim Komando Show“ Attribution can be simpler than you think: Promo codes and landing pages help, but Legacybox and others on the panel have found that post-purchase surveys consistently matched more complex models. Triangulation is key. DraftKings mentioned their perfect formula for measurement success: promo codes + surveys + MMM. Creative continuity is key: One of the best things you can do to shore up your radio buy: keep the host connection alive throughout the conversion funnel. Think tailored pages, remarketing with host likeness, and copy that mirrors an on-air read. Host buy-in > genre: Entertainment, sports, talk radio, you name it—if the relationship is real, the results follow. And don’t sleep on political placements: Legacybox found less crowded inventory and more efficient media on conservative radio. The common consensus: radio’s not a relic—it’s a responsive reach engine that still delivers results. Pair engaged hosts with pragmatic measurement and you’ll get both scale and signal. For the full conversation (and more tales from the “cucaracha” that won’t die), tune in below.

This week, the Media Roundtable is giving you an all-access pass to one of the most talked-about sessions from this year’s Chief Audio Officer Summit: Flipping the Script: Feedback From Hosts to Brands. Our own Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) sat down with three powerhouse hosts: Ashley Flowers (Crime Junkie), Nick Viall (The Viall Files), and Kim Komando (The Kim Komando Show) to share what they really need from advertisers to create great ads that actually work! “Brands, I understand you want to be safe and risk-averse… but know your audience. My audience wants to talk about dating, and there’s a little bit of raunchiness and just a little bit of honesty… [an unconventional ad read] worked with that audience. It’s memorable; it made them laugh. It also connected what the brand was trying to get across.” – Nick Viall (The Viall Files) The panel delivered a playbook of what works—and, crucially, what doesn’t—when engaging top creators: Do: Make the Most of Onboarding: Ashley urged advertisers to engage with hosts earlier in the process to maximize the benefits of their collaboration.“If [intro calls] gave us time to be more creative and do more custom things, brands could tap into so much more—our fan club, our newsletter, our CRM. There’s so much they don’t even know is available.” Don’t: Lose Track of Your Key Message: Nick cautioned against overwhelming listeners with too many offers or extraneous selling points, encouraging brands to distill their copy to its most coherent form, acting more like an elevator pitch than a seminar. “If I had 10 seconds with you, can you understand what we’re providing and who we’re helping?” Don’t: Overly Script the Host: Or, in Ashley’s words: “Please do not try and write true crime ads.” While this message might’ve gotten a few laughs from the audience, the message is nothing to joke about: forcing ads into a specific narrative often “misses the tone” and “limits who our audience actually is.” Her rule of thumb? “I always change it. I’ll help you guys out, but just don’t waste your time.” In summary: hosts know their audiences better than anyone else. The brands that trust their hosts to personalize their messaging to their audience will see the most significant returns. The brands that don’t will be left with lackluster reads that likely miss the mark. To see all the insights that this star-studded panel had to offer, tune into the episode below.

This week on the Media Roundtable, we’re bringing you inside the opening fireside chat from the 2025 Chief Audio Officer Summit, featuring two of the most influential voices in independent media today: Steven Bartlett (Host of Diary of a CEO, Founder of FLIGHTSTORY) and Ben Shapiro (Host of The Ben Shapiro Show, Co-Founder of The Daily Wire). In a conversation with Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road), with a stunning oceanfront sunset as their backdrop, our guests get into the real trade-offs of staying independent, especially in the face of nine-figure offers; the discipline behind their respective growth; and how brands can unlock substantial results when they lean into creator-led partnerships. “Independence, in this moment, is a good marker for a lot of listeners and audiences of authenticity. People want to feel like they’re not just tuning in to an institution.  They want to feel like they’re tuning in to a person.” – Ben Shapiro (Host of The Ben Shapiro Show, Co-Founder of The Daily Wire) Experimenting for Exponential Growth: Steven Bartlett breaks down how his Head of Failure team (yes, you read that right, that’s a real department at FlightStory) tests 300–400 variables per episode: from punctuation in titles to the CO₂ levels in the recording room. One tweak to the first 10 seconds of an episode drove a 350% subscriber lift—proof that small tests can unlock massive growth. Striking the Right Ad Load Balance: Both Bartlett and Shapiro (as well as your Oxford Road team) agree: fewer, better ads win. Bartlett flatly rejected a $100M deal that would have stuffed his show with “12 adverts in a podcast,” insisting host reads must be content, and judged by retention and results, rather than just units sold. Letting Creators Cook: Shapiro’s advice to brands: “Get us really familiar with your product—and then let us cook.” These creators know their audience better than anyone else, and they’re not going to expend their own brand equity on just anything. Give them some freedom and they can deliver endorsements that feel personal, perform stronger, and build brand loyalty that lasts. For advertisers seeking to connect with enigmatic hosts who understand how to engage their audiences, Bartlett and Shapiro are the gold standard. For the full conversation, check out the full episode below.

This week on the Media Roundtable, we’re taking you inside Podcast Movement 2025. While the major players of the industry gathered in Dallas, breaking news hit the scene: Sounds Profitable has merged with Podcast Movement. On this episode, host Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) recaps the event with team members Courtney O’Connor (Director, Podcast Media, Oxford Road), Julia Palermo (Audio Media Buyer & Planner, Oxford Road), and James Ingrassia (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road)—plus a special guest appearance from Bryan Barletta (Founder of Sounds Profitable) and newly named President of Podcast Movement. Together, they unpack what the merger means for creators, advertisers, and the future of industry events–and everything else they took away from this year’s Podcast Movement. Bryan shares how he plans to evolve the conferences, balance creator and advertiser needs, and bring new focus to content and measurement. Then, the team reflects on hot topics and perennial trends from the week: rising podcast consumption, video’s surge, programmatic momentum, and frequency as the new buzzword. These topics are not going away–so get the scoop from our boots on the ground. This week’s episode is brought to you by our friends at Podscribe. “The [podcasting] space changes every two years. It feels like a brand new industry.” – Bryan Barletta, founder of Sounds Profitable and President of Podcast Movement The Big Merge: Sounds Profitable and Podcast Movement are now one. Bryan Barletta takes the reins as President, bringing a new vision for how the industry gathers. Confirmed: brands will have free access to next year’s event as the flagship event moves to New York in 2026, promising fresh energy, more accessibility, and a tighter focus on advertisers’ needs and struggles. Video is Here… Forever: Simulcast isn’t new—but it absolutely dominated the hallway chatter this year. From pixels to QR codes, how we measure and monetize video impressions is the hot question everyone’s trying to answer (we’re doing our part!) It’s About Relationships: Our panel was unanimous: the real ROI of Podcast Movement isn’t what happens on stage, it’s what happens after. Yes, the sessions bring value, but the real breakthroughs come from bumping into a partner in the hallway, hashing out a sticky issue over coffee, or striking a deal at the lobby bar at midnight. When the entire industry converges on one city, chance encounters turn into game-changing conversations—the kind no email, Slack thread, or Zoom call could ever replicate. For more of the conversation regarding all things Podcast Movement-Dallas, join our exclusive panel at one of the links below.

This week on Media Roundtable, we’re bringing you the inside story straight from the 2025 Chief Audio Officer Summit, where the people shaping the future of podcasting and audio advertising gathered to ask one big question: Where do we go from here? This episode is a recording of Dan Granger’s keynote presentation of Oxford Road’s annual State of Audio Advertising report, which gave attendees the answer. The free report is available too–download it now for the full experience. In his address, Dan touches on the industry’s most pressing topics—attribution, fragmentation, and the rise of video—calling marketers to mobilize around standards that unlock growth. He introduces new data from Oxford Road’s upcoming “What Brands Want” survey, challenges assumptions about channel spend versus consumption, and gives Chief Audio Officers in attendance a road map for the year ahead. “When we define the medium, we can align on metrics. And when we align on metrics, we can unlock scale.” – Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road Metric Mayhem: From promo codes and pixels to clean rooms and walled gardens, attribution is all over the map. The result: inflated costs, missed investment opportunities, and frustrated marketers. The YouTube Effect: With 25% of U.S. podcast consumption happening on YouTube, the dynamic is shifting between platforms. For advertisers, it’s both a gift (scale) and a hazard (measurement headaches). Uncluttered Advantage: Compared to TV and social, podcasts remain cost-effective and relatively ad-light, making them one of the best buys in media. To catch up on all the groundbreaking revelations and strategies from CAO ‘25, click the play button on one of the links below. Download the full report here

In This Week’s Ep: Our Industry-First Breakthrough on YouTube Podcast Attribution (CAO Summit Exclusive) This week on the Media Roundtable, we’re giving you a front-row seat to the 2025 Chief Audio Officer Summit for a case study breakthrough that could change the way podcast advertisers think about YouTube—or at least how they measure it–forever. Led by our own Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road), this session marks an industry first: using passive panel data to measure the true impact of podcast simulcasts on YouTube. The pilot study, developed in partnership with Keith Friedenberg of Media IDentity Graph (MIDG), measures what marketers have only guessed at—and proves YouTube podcast ads can deliver statistically significant lift. This episode is a companion to our groundbreaking white paper, Inside the Walled Garden: Breaking New Ground on YouTube Podcast Measurement, available NOW for free.. The team is talking: Cracking the Simulcast Code, What YouTube Viewers Really Look Like, The Lift That Bucks the Trend, and more. Let’s dig in… “To our knowledge, this is the first time YouTube podcast impressions have been specifically measured—and we’ve been able to put a number on what they contribute to a client’s business. – Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road)   Proof You Can Take to the CFO: Using passive panel data, we tracked YouTube simulcast viewers and saw a statistically significant lift in site visitation. For the first time, brands can validate spend on YouTube podcast inventory with hard numbers. No More Apples to Oranges: YouTube podcasts and audio-only just entered the same weight class. Let the budget reallocations begin! The First Step Toward Standarization: This breakthrough gives the industry a foothold for building universal simulcsat measurement benchmarks, something advertisers have been asking for loudly. Dive into all things measurement in the episode below, and make sure to read our white paper to learn about this breakthrough in YouTube attribution. Download the report

This week, we’re sharing one of the long-form interviews that helped create the What’s a Podcast? series. This edition of The Extended Interviews features one of the voices that helped build the podcast industry as we know it: Guy Raz. Dan Granger (CEO and Founder, Oxford Road) sits down with the creator of How I Built This to talk about “How We Built This”—i.e. how podcasting went from media exile to a mainstream power player—and what’s worth protecting as the lines between audio, video, and algorithm blur. This episode is an informative insight into the early phases that shaped the Podcast world as we know it today, straight from one of the faces on Podcast’s Mount Rushmore. The blueprint to greatness is as follows: “I wanted to make things that inspire people… and I found podcasting was the place to do that.” – Guy Raz (Creator, How I Built This) The Podcast Intimacy Advantage: here’s nothing else like it: just one voice in your ears, building a world in your mind. Guy explains why podcasting delivers connection and nuance in ways video can’t replicate, and why there will always be room for content that’s audio-first. Video is the Add-On, Not the Engine: Yes, he´s adapting to video. Yes, he shoots in-studio now. But the core of Guy’s show still works with eyes closed-by design. CAOs: don’t confuse the sizzle for the steak. From Gatekeepers to Garage Tinkerers: Guy reflects on the early days of podcasting, back when it felt like career exile, and why that scrappy, DIY spirit still matters today. You didn’t need permission to start then-you don’t need permission now-and that freedom is worth defending. In a moment of rapid evolution for the podcasting industry, Guy Raz offers a rare blend of creative insight and operational clarity on what’s worth preserving — and what’s ready for reinvention. This episode equips CAOs with the perspective they need to navigate shifting platforms, define standards, and protect the long-term value of an audio-first strategy. For more tips on creating your podcasting empire, click one of the links below to listen to the full episode.

This special edition of Media Roundtable offers a front-row seat to our third annual CAO Summit, held at the stunning Terranea Resort. Hosted by Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy, Oxford Road) and featuring guests Alia Smith (Associate Manager, Acquisition, Boll & Branch), Megan Smith (Director of Media Strategy, Tecovas), and Oxford Road’s own James Ingrassia (EVP, Client Services), the episode captured the insights, inspiration, community—and gorgeous sunsets—that defined this year’s event. The team is talking: Hosts Know Their Audience Best, Industry-First Simulcast Measurement, Breakout Sessions FTW, and more. Let’s jump in. “The best of everything you can really ask for.” – Alia Smith (Associate Manager, Acquisition, Boll & Branch) Hosts Know Their Audiences… Better Than Brands Do?: Steven Bartlett (The Diary of a CEO) and Ben Shapiro (Founder, The Daily Wire) headlined night one of CAO with a fireside chat and a powerful reminder: podcasters who build their platforms from the ground up really know their audience. Our CAO guests were struck by their passion, selectivity, and authenticity when endorsing products—and Alia especially appreciated Ben’s live shoutout to Boll & Branch! What really struck the panel was the similarities in approach, despite their inherent differences. Breaking Ground on Simulcast Measurement: A new case study from Oxford Road and MIDG Media introduced a first-of-its-kind measurement for YouTube podcast campaigns. Our guests discussed the implications for visual-first audio storytelling, especially for high-touch, visual products like bedding and apparel. Keep your eyes peeled for the case study, coming soon to an inbox near you. Real Conversations, Valuable Connections: Multiple guests praised the summit’s “zero-pitch” policy. What emerged instead was real conversations between brands, creators, and strategists about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. No pitches—just sunsets, celebration, and connection. Megan called this year’s event “comfortable, like being with friends.” It’s what made the CAO summit work, and what makes gathering in-person so important, especially in the age of remote work and Zooms. Whether you attended this year or are keeping up from afar, this episode is your insider’s pass to the most intimate, insightful, and strategic audio marketing gathering of the year. Check out the full episode to get the scoop.

CAOs, always remember that being exclusive isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when open distribution is a growth strategy. This week on the Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO and Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes Christiana Brenton, Co-Founder of FlightStory.Studio & CRO of FlightStory, the media company behind Diary of a CEO (the fastest-growing podcast brand in the world!). This week’s episode is sponsored by our friends at Libsyn. The team is talking: Decentralized Growth, Measurement Headaches, and Why Humility Wins. Let’s jump in… “We want to be everywhere, all the time—and never reliant on one singular platform.” – Christiana Brenton (Co-Founder & CRO, FlightStory) Open Distribution as a Business Model: The $100M offer they turned down? It came with strings: exclusive platform deals, walled-garden distribution, and ad loads that could kill listener trust. FlightStory said no, because open distribution fuels reach and resilience. Diary of a CEO is now publishing to YouTube, Spotify, Samsumg TV Plus, and even in-flight entertainment on major airlines… talk about a ”flight story”. Know Nothing? Test Everything: Steven Barlett didn’t know the rules of podcasting. That worked in his favor. His video-first mindset, rooted in his social media background, enabled FlightStory to build and experimentation culture where nothing is assumed and everything is tested. 300+ thumbnail/title tests per episode. Eye-tracking rough cuts. AI-powered content planning. It’s not a content farm – it’s a creative laboratory. Measurement Is Still Broken… But Preassure Can Help: Despite incredible growth, measurement lags behind. Brands want attribution… then get vanity URLs. CPMs mislead. Metrics don’t translate across platforms. Christiana’s take? Preassure can make a diamond. ”When partners spend millions with us, we owe them performance. That accountability fuels better work”. That goes both ways: for creators and platforms alike, transparency in attribution is a must. For marketers looking to grow their audio programs without sacrificing integrity, this one’s not just a good listen—it’s a blueprint for success!

Where’s Podcasting headed? Easy-just follow the cartographer’s map. This week on “What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews,” Evan Shapiro (renowned Media Universe Cartographer) brings his latest industry map to share with Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) how and why podcasts should expand into other mediums. At IFC, Evan pioneered the podcast-to-TV pipeline (Comedy Bang Bang, WTF with Marc Maron). Now he navigates uncharted media waters with his show The Media Odyssey. He’s a perfect guide for this podcast voyage. The team is talking: In Creators We Trust, Podcasting’s New Identity, Audience Connection, and more. Let’s dig in. “[Podcasting] was the first form of the creator economy.” – Evan Shapiro (renowned Media Universe Cartographer) Creators In Control: Podcasting dominates a huge new trend: the creator economy. As podcasters build stronger relationships directly with audiences, they have more impact on public opinion and the media itself. Need proof? Evan: “This fall, when Joe Rogan decided the election and Jake Paul broke Netflix… was the moment where the creator economy took control.” CAOs: podcasters are in the driver’s seat. Work with creators both you AND the audience trust. Together, you’ll drive off into the sunset. Podcast’s Re-Defining Moment: With podcasting’s growth in video and listeners consuming different types of show content, should podcasting be renamed? Evan says yes. Evolution is in podcasting’s DNA: the name itself came from the iPod, a beloved artifact of our digital past. The medium has always needed redefining. For Evan, it’s not about extinction. It’s about evolution. Choice and Connection: Video isn’t a competitor, it’s a colleague. Podcasts’ ability to translate to other mediums is huge for creators AND marketers. For Evan, podcasting is a modular storytelling art form where the audience chooses when to consume it and feels a personal relationship with the creator. The big deal is preserving audience choice and connection–which video and audio podcasts both deliver. Want more of our media cartographer’s insights? Tune into the full episode below.

Kill the word podcast? Our expert says – yes. This week on “What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews,” Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts AJ Feliciano (former GM of The Roost Network) for a deep dive on how The Roost became the in-house “media company of tomorrow.” AJ is all-in on 360 content. He even built a flywheel for how podcasts can pivot to video so they can “pump [distribution platforms] with all types of content.” Oh, and in the podcast vs. simulcast debate? He’s 11/10 on “simulcast.” Dan and AJ are also talking: Be a Mini-Disney, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Finding What Clicks, and more. Let’s get into it. “Simulcast doesn’t put itself in a box necessarily. When I’m talking to creators or fans and I say the word ‘simulcast,’ they see it’s in multiple places. It just sort of clicks immediately without having to explain it.”- AJ Feliciano (former GM of The Roost Network 360 Experience = 360 Revenue – Want better revenue streams? Find better channels. The Roost led the creator and sales spaces because they built layers of distribution channels and had the data to back it up. As a ‘mini-Disney,’ they owned shows, launched a streaming on-demand platform, built a partnership business, hosted conventions, and tracked impressions in every one of those areas. CAOs: choose networks with opportunities to be in multiple places, in different formats, with integrated metrics. Be Everywhere, Anywhere – The best networks work backwards. AJ says to focus on “content efficiency.” Distribute shows to as many places as you can, and THEN figure out how to best advertise and what the limitations are. “Create a more holistic environment to be able to make those integrations and opportunities for advertisers and audiences alike.” Impressions translate to sales. Find where your fans’ eyes and ears are–and go there. Call It Like It Is – Important truth: you’re not the expert–your audience is. They know where they consume content and how they consume it. And since they’re engaging in multiple places, AJ argues “simulcast” is more inclusive. While we think in Podcast and Video, Podcasts still hold more cachet for most people. The big takeaway is the same: ultimately, your audience calls the shots. Want more of AJ’s insights on building a media empire? Tune into the full episode below.

“Joe Rogan Isn’t a Podcast.”🔥 This week on the Media Roundtable, Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts Steve Pratt (Founder, The Creativity Business, author of Earn It: Unconventional Strategies for Brave Marketers) for a debate about Steve’s article on Joe Rogan’s podcast status. Why? Because a podcast is still the best place for an open exchange of ideas–even ideas about what is and isn’t a podcast. Plus, the cement’s still wet on our new podcast definition, so it’s time for a gut check. Dan and Steve also cover Picking a Platform, Earning Attention, and more. This week’s episode is sponsored by The Daily Wire. “Consumers hold all the power. They can bypass anything they don’t want. So the opportunity for most marketers that isn’t being taken advantage of is: make something that people want.” – Steve Pratt (Founder, The Creativity Business) Is Joe Rogan a Podcast  – Or is he a multi-platform media star? While Steve argues his podcasting facade is but one facet of an intricately produced visual empire, Dan counters that visuals are nice to haves, not necessities. Social clips generate views and are amazing for discoverability, but the core engine of the show works without visuals. Rogan’s built a connection with audiences that works audio-only. CAOs, if you’d trust the host to sell you something with your eyes closed, we call that a podcast. Pick A Platform? No Need  – The question isn’t IF you should be on a platform, it’s “is my audience there?” Meet audiences where they’re at and when. Audio-only, YouTube & Social perform best in different cycles of the day, and like Joe Rogan has shown, the different platforms support each other. CAOs, for maximum results, meet your audience across platforms and dayparts. Follow the Audience, Don’t Lead Them – Good marketers and creators think alike: audience first, always. Make content that helps your customer outside of your product. Why are they buying it? Can your expertise help them with something they care about? Casper mattress created a memorable podcast series about how to get better sleep. We know their CAO was dreaming big, and it’s good advice for everyone. How can you be so helpful that you don’t just grab attention, you earn it? The Full Episode: Joe Rogan isn’t a Podcast: Steve Pratt Puts Podcasting’s Definition to the Test

Reminder: Shows don’t need a million downloads to make an impact. This week, in a podcast studio, somewhere on the final frontier, Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) and John McDermott (Co-Founder, Caloroga Shark Media) boldly go where nobody’s gone before, to discuss how there’s plenty of space in podcasting for celebrities AND friends to talk Star Trek and beyond. This episode of “What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews” is sponsored by Claritas. “I’m not the anti-video guy. I just want to stick up for, hey, there’s nothing wrong with heading down to the basement and talking about Star Trek with your friends.” – John McDermott (Co-Founder, Caloroga Shark Media) The team is talking: Jimmy Buffett’s Business Model, YouTube’s Numbers Game, Podcast Peer Pressure, and more. Let’s voyage in. It’s Podcast O’Clock Somewhere – Remember: Anytime’s a good time to connect. “I subscribe to the Jimmy Buffett theory, which is: be everywhere. He used to stream his concerts for free, and then when he came to your town, you couldn’t wait to go see him. Anything that builds your fan base is a great thing.” CAOs, partner with podcast hosts who can reach their audience wherever, whenever. That way, you can do the same. Is the YouTube Math Mathing? – YouTube claims to have 1B monthly podcast viewers. The platform’s a juggernaut, but John brings in some healthy skepticism.  How many of those billion can you actually sell to (if your product is US-only)?  What does a viewer actually mean for time spent with the show?Consider this our soapbox moment for both YouTube’s podcasting prowess and the need for transparency around metrics between platforms. Keeping up with the Mr. Beasts – Don’t judge a podcast by its video quality. As more shows turn to highly-produced video and A-Listers get behind the mic, audience expectations shift. John: “Can you keep up with Mr. Beast? Most of us can’t.” But maybe indie podcasters don’t have to. What matters is the quality of the SHOW, not the visuals. Case in point, audio-only This American Life (hear from Ira Glass himself in a recent MRT episode). When we’re looking to find the right podcaster for our brand, we should focus on how they’ve built their audience, not how they’ve built their set. Want more podcast insights you won’t find anywhere else? Tune into the full episode below.

Hope you’re good at math, because podcasting is about to multiply. This week on the Media Roundtable limited series “What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews,” Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts Bryan Barletta (Founder and Partner, Sound Profitable) to peel back the layers of podcasting. “I want it [the podcast definition] to be a virus… If we let it grow, it’s easier to kick out the things that are very clearly not it.” – Bryan Barletta The team is talking: the Popular Kids, YouTube’s Top Shelf, Identity Crises, and more. Let’s dig in. Podcasting: Now the Cool Kid – Portlandia’s NPR sketch is so 2017. Podcasting is officially cool now. How do we know? It’s gone from fringe references to serious storylines: From Emmy-winning show ‘Only Murders in the Building’ to Netflix’s hit ‘Nobody Wants This.’ Yes,  podcasting has stereotypes, “but so do books, radio, TV, and film. And they’re everywhere,” Bryan reminds us—The jokes aren’t a mockery, they’re a sign of clout. View from the Top (Shelf) – ”Imagine if your favorite store just had a new shelf and it said that thing you love,” says Bryan. YouTubers now get to be on that shelf by categorizing their videos as podcasts, with massive audience potential. We’re here for it, and we’re enjoying YouTube’s new weekly podcast charts, which offer a peek into how this channel diverges from others. Sounds like good news for CAOs. Ultimately, the more hosts who can find an audience means more trusted hosts to work with. Open=Choice  – Back in the day, podcasters uploaded to an RSS feed and called it good. Today, a debate rages between open and closed platforms (e.g. RSS vs YouTube). But Bryan transcends it all. The open spirit of podcasting is one of choice: “ To me, open distribution is the choice to put my podcast on [different platforms].” Having some closed systems like YouTube, can be part of a healthy podcast distribution ecosystem, as long as there are viable open distribution choices. Want more podcast insights you won’t find anywhere else? Tune into the full episode below.

Hot tip for CAOs: Find a podcaster who believes in ‘good promotion’ like Ira Glass. Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) sits down with Audio Legend and Podcast Pioneer Ira Glass (Host, Executive Producer, This American Life) in a new episode of “What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews.” This week’s episode is sponsored by our friends at Fairing. The team is talking: Promo Power, Blueprints, The Feels, and more. Let’s dig in. “ You really have to be very thoughtful and show cunning in the way that you deal with advertising and promotion…. that’s where you protect yourself and your right to make whatever you want.“ Ira Glass (Host, Executive Producer, This American Life) Good Promotion Protects Creators ️ –  Ira recognizes that in order to play, someone’s gotta pay:  I really love making radio stories, and I love interviewing people. At the same time, we’re dealing with 500 public radio stations…  I want us to deliver the advertisers what they need because that gives us the freedom to play. Successful podcasters are super creative AND business savvy. The CAO Takeaway: No need to box in hosts with overly prescriptive copy–let them cook it up their way. Build the Blueprint with Your Listeners  – Ira built the podcasting blueprint using listener behavior. His show Serial was unlike anything ever done on radio. So how do you scale it? His team realized the listener experience was more similar to TV than radio: it had to be binged. We felt like the only way that show could exist was as a podcast. It’s an apt insight. Whatever you’re building, it starts with meeting the audience where they are. Get Hooked on a Feeling  – Ira supports video in podcasts if it adds to the story. He’s experimented with animation, photographs, and video for his shows. As long as it’s communicating a feeling that makes sense with the story, doesn’t seem bad to me. Video is yet another medium to expand Podcast’s reach. Look for hosts who use it wisely (and creatively). Get sharp as Glass on the industry’s changes. Tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Podcasting is global. Is your brand ready? On an all-new Media Roundtable: Special Edition, we’re recapping the highlights of Podcast Show London 2025 with notable attendees. This week’s episode is sponsored by our friends at ALLCITY Network. For the next best thing to a front row seat, we’ve assembled an all-star panel of audio industry insiders to share their fresh insights. Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy, Oxford Road) hosts: ⭐️ Jarrod Klawinsky – (Director, Digital Media, Oxford Road) ⭐️ Rosemary Scalabrino – (Director, Business Development, Oxford Road) ⭐️ Parastoo Hosseini – (International Audio Manager, Oxford Road) ⭐️ Steven Abraham – (President, International, Oxford Road) These all-stars are talking: Collabs with Giants, Brand Moves, Being a Local and more. Let’s jump in. “ We talk about global, but everybody’s really very, very, very local.”  Steven Abraham – (President, International, Oxford Road) Mind the Front Door – The big players showed up–YouTube, Spotify, and yes, Apple. With YouTube as the gateway to the international market, there’s an open question of how to measure when DAI (Dynamic Ad Insertion) is much more common than simulcast for video. How will the big players allow for the kind of tracking that brands really need for confidence in their investments? On the positive side for brands, we see more publisher consideration of pixel tracking. Think Local or Get Lost – Our experts saw two seemingly contradicting trends: First, there’s a push to move all of Europe forward, raising the industry with standardized measurement and performance tracking. Simultaneously, we need to stay local. Brands and media partners need to take the time to transcreate, not just translate. On the content side, the competition isn’t just among US creators; it involves many local ones as well, often overlooked by US companies entering the space. The same goes for brands that are advertising. Localization of ads isn’t just translating your US ad into multiple languages; success depends on deep contextual understanding. Brands, Don’t Miss Out – The opportunity to be the first mover in a new market is huge, but it’s not likely going to last. Brands, if you can sell internationally and international podcasts aren’t already on your radar, it’s time to ask why. Take advantage of the hard localization and relationship-building work Oxford Road’s been doing to become a leader in this space. For the insights you need to take your podcasting campaign global, check out the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

CAOs, there’s a number out there in the world that if you knew it, it’d change your business forever. Our guest on this week’s episode of the Media Roundtable found that number— How’d he do it? Join Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) as he hosts Hernan Lopez (Founder, Wondery & Owl & Co) in a special double episode about the BIGGEST number in podcasting and why it matters.. They’re talking: Counting What Counts, Why Definitions Matter, Audio Wins, and more. Let’s dive in. “ I estimated the global podcast economy to be worth $7.3 billion.”  Hernan Lopez (Founder, Wondery & Owl & Co) Count What Counts – Hernan’s $7.3B estimate of the industry shakes up previous assumptions on podcasting. It doubled the US estimate, and added several billion in global podcast business. Tracking down the numbers isn’t easy, and it’s not perfect. That’s okay. CAOs, in measurement, having a better idea of the truth puts you miles ahead in your decision-making power. Definitions Matter – Owl & Co.’s groundbreaking study emerged from Hernan and Dan’s discussion as part of our “What’s A Podcast?” limited series. They knew the IAB didn’t count video podcasts in their $2B US estimate, and video podcasts are clearly podcasts too. When we define our industry clearly and consistently, we can show receipts for the growth we’re driving (and get commensurate investments). Audio-Only Successes – The pie has grown for everyone by counting video podcasts as podcasts. But equally important—video isn’t necessary to succeed in podcasting (e.g., Pivot, audio-only, should earn ~$25M/episode). There are pros and cons to every format approach, and the actual metric we should care about is what connects with an audience. CAOs, when you’re picking shows, consider being format-flexible, but insist on audience-host connection, like Hernan has been able to cultivate across shows at Wondery. For a deeper dive into one of the most consequential studies podcasting’s ever seen, plus Hernan’s fascinating journey to get there, check out the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

CAOs, the most important thing to remember is this: chase your audience and success will follow. This week on the Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) welcomes audio heavyweights Steven Goldstein (Founder & CEO, Amplifi Media) and Jay Nachlis (Vice President, Coleman Insights). This episode is sponsored by our friends at Libsyn. The team is talking: Listener Behaviors by the Numbers, The Audio-Only Lane, and Growing Pains. Let’s jump in.  ”You have to chase the audience. That’s what the big media companies are learning how to do. And that’s what podcasting has to learn how to do.” Steven Goldstein (Founder & CEO, Amplifi Media) The Numbers Don’t Lie – The people have spoken. 85% of consumers agree podcasts can be audio or video. And the definition matters. Owl & Co.’s recent industry valuation hit $7.3B, helped by video’s inclusion. The insight is two-fold: Video fuels growth through short-form discovery. Calling video podcasts “podcasts” ensures the industry gets credit for that growth (plus the increased investments that follow). Driving Audio-Only Growth – We’ve seen a huge shift to video podcasts, but where does audio-only still win? Driving, commuting, and exercising all show audio-only growth. And several formats could (or should) remain audio-only: news, fiction/storytelling, and sports. When creators cite video production challenges, a strong audio-only lane is good news for ensuring a healthy creator ecosystem. Growing Industry = Growing Pains – 77% of podcast consumers switch seamlessly from audio to video. But for advertisers, metrics don’t follow across platforms (Dan cites clients who won’t touch simulcast because of the measurement headache). If we want to keep growing past $7.3B, we need open, unified measurement across platforms (Agree? Check out our petition and join us.) For better clarity on the consumer trends shaping the industry, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here:

Ah, podcasts–those “little masterpieces for your ears.” We’re back with another episode of our limited series, ‘What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews.’ We have an all-star panel of industry insiders to debate what a podcast is — and what it could be. Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts: ⭐️ Larry Rosin (President, Edison Research) ⭐️ Hilary Ross Shafer (VP, Podcast and YouTube Influencer, Oxford Road) ⭐️ James Cridland (Editor, Podnews and Podcast Business Journal) and  ⭐️ Nick Giorgio (Director, Media and Customer Acquisition, SimpliSafe) The team’s talking: Podcasting’s Identity Crisis, Podcast Growing Pains, and CAO ad outlook. Let’s dive in.  ”Podcasting’s unique selling point has always been that it’s something for your ears when your eyes are busy.” James Cridland (Editor, Podnews and Podcast Business Journal) It’s Complicated – The panel agrees: at its core, a podcast is longform, on-demand, narrative-driven audio. But it gets murky when you factor in video, platform exclusives, and a shift away from RSS feeds. Why does this matter? As Dan notes, ‘brands need definitions’ to allocate budgets wisely. CAOs, make sure your definition aligns with your partners’—or risk paying for something you didn’t intend to buy. Ch-ch-ch-changesss – Podcasting’s transforming–from incorporating video to distribution consolidation. The big question: Will podcasting remain an open meritocracy or shift towards exclusive platforms with larger budgets and more constraints? One sign of the indie spirit–Steven Bartlett’s $100M choice to stay independent. If you want to keep that spirit alive, consider the shows you’re supporting and continue to carve out a budget for your favorite independent podcasters as well. Make Sure the Math Maths – As podcasts grow into video, evaluating ad buys becomes more complicated. How do you value-in the different elements? Nick’s approach at SimpliSafe: look for B-roll footage, a logo or promo code on screen, and if it’s baked-in or DAI. Accurately pricing the elements that drive the most value for your brand means jumping on the right deals and saying no to the wrong ones. Paraphrasing Ferris Bueller, podcasting moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and tune in, you might miss it. To keep up, catch the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Three brothers have taken podcasting by storm. And this week, they share the secret to turning everything they touch to podcast gold. In our limited series “What’s a Podcast? The Extended Interviews,” we sit down with the creators of the fastest-growing independent media network in the world, the MeidasTouch. Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas (Co-founders, MeidasTouch Network) to discuss the tips and tricks the brothers use to build and scale their wildly successful podcast-turned-media-network. They’re talking: Growth Hacks, Serving your Audience, Family SWOT Analysis, and more. Let’s dive in. “ Everything we do is malleable. While podcasts feel like they have been around for a long time, it’s still such a new industry… You can never get too comfortable. Always be looking at ‘how is this changing? What’s next?” –Brett Meiselas, (Co-founder, MeidasTouch Network) How to Make Friends & Resonate with People – How do you identify authentic shows with engaged audiences? See how hosts like the Meiselas brothers respond to audience needs. Look for podcasters who have social strategies tailored to each platform and actively engage with their listeners. Independent = Flexible – Big ships are hard to steer. Being an independent brand with clear values means the brothers can take time to engage with listeners, analyze industry changes, and quickly adapt. Forget rounds of notes: when news breaks, you want talent who can simultaneously record social content, post, and engage with listeners as a story is trending. The Network of Brotherly Love – Could never work with your family? The Meiselas brothers lean into their individual strengths to delegate tasks and prevent competition. CAOs: if a team can handle complex family AND work dynamics successfully, they’re communicative, direct, and solution-oriented. Work. With. Them! For more (MeidasTouch) gold nuggets, mined just for CAOs, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable limited series: “What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews” continues with this crucial debate. This week’s episode is sponsored by Fairing. Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) teams up with Larry Rosin (President, Edison Research) for our extensive qualitative and quantitative journey to define what a ‘podcast’ is in 2025. This episode is a culmination of all that work: a debate to finally forge one definition to rule them all. Together we’re talking: Consumers vs the Industry, the Spirit of Podcasting, Video Inclusion, and more. Let’s dig in. “ It’s such an American idea, this democratization of voices–this fact that now there is actually representation of interests that were underserved for so long.” Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) The Pod Stays in the Picture – Going back at least a decade, parts of the industry have grumbled about changing the name ‘podcast.’ (After all, we don’t carry around iPods anymore.) But consumers are fine with the name. And just as important, the biggest industry players (Google, Spotify, Apple, etc.) are happy to keep Podcast’s connection to its roots of origin. Open Airwaves – To understand what’s needed in a comprehensive podcast definition, Larry and Dan go back to the defining characteristics of the medium from day one. A low barrier to entry, where anyone’s voice can be heard. Plus, the intimacy that comes with an audio-first connection. Though the specifics might change, the open conversations, accessible by all, are part of the very DNA of this medium we all know and love. The Jeopardy Test – Consumers and our experts agree: Video podcasts are podcasts. But where exactly is the line drawn that cuts out just plain videos? Our rule of thumb: If it works with your eyes closed, it’s a podcast. Larry remembers living in Philadelphia when TV channels were simulcast on FM radio. Jeopardy worked as an audio-only show. Wheel of Fortune didn’t. Video podcasts are enhanced with visuals, but they’re not always needed to make the show work. For a deep dive to pressure test every single word of a definition with huge implications, tune into the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Presenting The Media Roundtable Limited Series: “What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews.” This week, we have a guest who’s not only influential in podcasting history but in Oxford Road history too. While conducting interviews for the series, Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) got a chance to sit down with audio legend Adam Carolla (Host of The Adam Carolla Show). Together they talked: Audio Magic, Betting on Yourself, Podcasting’s Meritocracy, and more. Let’s dive in. “ Big picture, the people with the voices and the people with the ideas are gonna win. That’s what makes it pure.” Adam Carolla (Podcast Pioneer, Host of The Adam Carolla Show) 16 Million Minutes ⏱️ – When Adam left radio for podcasting in 2009, the space was pre-monetization. But Adam had a proven ability to connect with his audience, plus 16 million monthly minutes of streaming listenership to back it up. He bet on himself, paying $9k/month for hosting until he could figure out how to profit from podcasting. He started by pioneering live podcast tapings, and when Dan tracked Adam down about ad placements (giving rise to Oxford Road as we know it), Adam’s bet on himself continued to pay off. Audio Goes Deeper – Video gets a lot of attention, but for Adam, the lack of visual distraction and the portability of audio means he can connect with audio-only content more deeply. CAOs, look for podcast hosts like Adam who’ve started in audio-only formats because they know what it takes for their voices to come to life and connect with audiences. The Podcast Meritocracy ⚖️ – Even though Podcasting goes through waves of “stunt casting,” where celebrity hosts launch new shows, the medium is fundamentally a meritocracy. After the initial curiosity dies down, new hosts still have to prove they’re worth listening to week after week. Audiences, not algorithms, connecting with hosts and choosing accordingly, has always been at the heart of podcasting. For more insights from one of podcasting’s Founding Fathers, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back, assuaging your FOMO by recapping the highlights of Podcast Movement Evolutions 2025. This week’s episode is sponsored by The Daily Wire. Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts a full panel of Audio All-Stars: ⭐ Bart Roselli (SVP, Media, Oxford Road) ⭐ Conor Doyle (President, Oxford Road) ⭐ Miranda Romano (SVP, Media, Oxford Road) ⭐ Stew Redwine (VP Creative Services, Oxford Road) The team is talking: 80 Steps for Ads, Audience over Algorithms, The Big Podcasting Tent, and more. Let’s dig in. “Now we can go out to the marketplace and try to get a lot of competing factions to start rowing in the same direction for everybody’s mutual benefit.” Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) 80 Steps  ⛰️ – According to one publisher, it takes 80 steps to get an advertiser on-air for a host-read ad. For a produced ad? Only 20. But while the market trend has been moving towards efficiency, automation, and scale, some big advertisers (like SimpliSafe and Boll & Branch) miss the collaborative, direct work approach from the earlier days. Our takeaways: 1. There might be a few steps to cut from the host-read onboarding process. 2. The live-read is so valuable to the advertiser that this artisanal, handmade ad process can’t be replaced purely by raw efficiency. Audience over Algorithms – We heard speakers give specific advice on what the algorithm intended for creators to do. Our take? Serve the audience, not the algorithm. Podcasts are unique because of the host-audience relationship–creating content that’s distinctly chosen for a community. (The same relationship that makes authentic endorsements valuable to advertisers) Algo chasing is ‘backburnering’ your current community for another potential one. To paraphrase the old adage: “Find new listeners, but keep the old. One is silver, the other’s gold.” The Big Podcasting Tent – We’ve been laser-focused on defining what a podcast is so we can help unify the industry and move ahead. We’ve learned that questions of audio-only or video, RSS or YouTube are unnecessary. Consumers already get it. Podcasts are spoken word, episodic, and on-demand, regardless of the platform. The industry is tangled in definitions, but we don’t have to be. Instead of drawing hard lines, let’s widen the tent. When we do that, we can accurately show just how big podcasting is, how fast it’s growing, and ensure that it gets the investment it deserves. For more on what a podcast is, why defining it matters, and what you can do to help, check out this link to our whitepaper, podcast series, and petition. For countless insights straight from Podcast Movement Evolutions 2025 for your ears, check out the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

After Serial broke the sound barrier, podcasting went from niche to everywhere—fast. In this episode, we follow the industry through its Hollywood makeover, the rise of podcast celebrities, and a pandemic-era boom that flooded the market with new voices. Hear from insiders like Bryan Barletta, Pete Birsinger, and the Meiselas Brothers on how podcasting became a business, a brand builder–for D2C brands and podcasters’ personal brands alike–and a battleground for independence. From million-dollar deals to the chaos of overproduction, this is the story of podcasting’s wildest decade. For the most comprehensive picture of what podcasting means to consumers today, check out our accompanying white paper with Edison Research, “What is a Podcast?: Preserving its Essence, Structuring for Expansion,” featuring quantitative and qualitative data compiled from over 4,000 Americans. Download the White Paper Here: https://oxfordroad.com/whats-a-podcast  And if you’re really invested in the future of podcasting, there’s something you can do today. Help us bring YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms to the table—not to regulate, but to collaborate. Sign our petition for a shared definition, an open measurement framework, and a future where podcasting remains open, inclusive, and built to last. Add Your Name to the Petition Here: https://chng.it/6S5S7bPrjR Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

So… what is a podcast in 2025? As video takes over and platforms tighten their grip, the medium faces an identity crisis. In our final episode, we examine what’s at stake and where podcasting might go next. You’ll hear from industry leaders like Guy Raz, James Cridland, Dan Franks, and AJ Feliciano as they wrestle with the evolving definition of podcasting, the tension between independence and algorithms, and the future of audio-first storytelling. Because the word “podcast” might be up for debate—but its power is not. For the most comprehensive picture of what podcasting means to consumers today, check out our accompanying white paper with Edison Research, “What is a Podcast?: Preserving its Essence, Structuring for Expansion,” featuring quantitative and qualitative data compiled from over 4,000 Americans. Download the White Paper Here: https://oxfordroad.com/whats-a-podcast And if you’re really invested in the future of podcasting, there’s something you can do today. Help us bring YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms to the table—not to regulate, but to collaborate. Sign our petition for a shared definition, an open measurement framework, and a future where podcasting remains open, inclusive, and built to last. Add Your Name to the Petition Here: https://chng.it/6S5S7bPrjR Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Podcasting didn’t start with a business plan—it started with rebels, weirdos, and accidental pioneers tinkering in garages. In Episode 1 of What’s A Podcast?, we trace the medium’s origin story—from the earliest RSS hacks to the moment Steve Jobs brought podcasts to iTunes. Along the way, you’ll hear from Adam Carolla and Leo Laporte on bypassing traditional media, and Ira Glass on how public radio helped shape podcasting’s storytelling DNA. Featuring firsthand interviews with the people who built podcasting before it had a name—and who are still fighting to define what it is today. For the most comprehensive picture of what podcasting means to consumers today, check out our accompanying white paper with Edison Research, “What is a Podcast?: Preserving its Essence, Structuring for Expansion,” featuring quantitative and qualitative data compiled from over 4,000 Americans. Download the White Paper Here: https://oxfordroad.com/whats-a-podcast And if you’re really invested in the future of podcasting, there’s something you can do today. Help us bring YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms to the table—not to regulate, but to collaborate. Sign our petition for a shared definition, an open measurement framework, and a future where podcasting remains open, inclusive, and built to last. Add Your Name to the Petition Here: https://chng.it/6S5S7bPrjR Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Brought to you by this week’s sponsor, Claritas, we give you Ad Infinitum Season 3, Episode 2 – “Stay Safe in Sound.” Host Stew Redwine (VP, Creative Services, Oxford Road) welcomes journalist Suzanne Rico to talk about her deeply personal, fascinating podcast The Man Who Calculated Death. Suzanne did the hard work of reconciling with her grandfather Robert Lusser’s dark legacy as a Nazi scientist, then had to find a way to sell her show to networks and advertisers. Suzanne and Stew dive into why difficult subject matter done well is well worth supporting. And no episode of Ad Infinitum is complete with an ad break-down. This week, Stew and Suzanne check out winners and losers from BetterHelp, Amazon Pharmacy, Rocket Money, and Ritual. Let’s dig in. “Clarity has a cleverness all of its own.” Stew Redwine (VP, Creative Services, Oxford Road) Context over Keywords – Just looking at keywords can make worthy shows look incredibly brand unsafe. That’s why it pays to go deeper than the transcript. For CAOs if you’re interested in supporting a history show, listen to the episodes. Talk to the creators. Read the reviews. Try Seekr’s Civility Score. Is it less efficient? Absolutely. But you’ll have a much stronger understanding of the show and have forged a deeper connection with the host. That’s ultimately what powers the magic of audio. Say Less – One issue Stew and Suzanne had with the Rocket Money ad? Too. Many. Words. CAOs, if you give hosts a packed page of copy points, they might just read all of them. Pick your most important points and leave some white space for hosts to bring their own experience to the read.  Simplicity, Simplicity – On the other side of headphones, Ritual came in with an incredibly straightforward and effective ad. Why? Stripped-down audio elements. Strong, clear language. And an engaging but understated performance. As Stew said, “Clarity has a cleverness all of its own.” By sharing her stories, Suzanne shows off audio’s power to bring us closer together. To feel that power first-hand, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back with our very special Podcasthon episode supporting the Koala Corps. Plus, a blockbuster industry edition with a round-up of last week’s biggest audio industry moves. Fearless host James Ingrassia, (EVP of Client Services, Oxford Road) welcomes fellow audio all-stars: James Cridland, (Editor, Podnews and Podcast Business Journal) Neal Lucey, (EVP of Strategy & Product, Oxford Road) Spencer Semonson, (Media Supervisor, Oxford Road) Courtney O’Connor, (Director of Podcast Media, Oxford Road) The team is talking: Podcasting for Good, YouTube Lite, Wondery’s FAST moves, Tariffs vs Ad Budgets, and more. Let’s jump in. “ If you cut your advertising, fewer people will buy your stuff.” James Cridland, (Editor, Podnews and Podcast Business Journal) 1500+ Podcasts for Good – This week’s MRT is part of the 3rd annual Podcasthon, where shows dedicate an episode to charitable causes. Our incredibly worthy cause? The Koala Corps, which trains and provides volunteer cuddlers to hold the babies in need at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Over the years, Koala Corps has helped nurture hundreds of babies, making a lasting difference to so many lives. Oxford Road has been supporting The Koala Corps mission for several years now, and it’s truly one of the most impactful and important things we do. If you’d like to be a part of this beautiful endeavor for the babies, please consider donating here. YouTube Premium Lite – YouTube’s testing a cheaper, ad-free subscription for just $8 for those who don’t want YT ads with their video podcasts but also don’t need YouTube’s music service. One interesting effect: baked-in live reads would still play, creating an unheard-of share of voice opportunity for some advertisers. Of course, as Lite also offers a 4x speed option, even those live reads will feel pretty short. Wondery Moves FAST – Wondery’s taking the opposite approach of YouTube Premium Lite to offer a free ad-supported streaming TV channel (FAST) on Amazon’s Prime Video Live TV. Wondery has a history of successful experimentation, being the first to move from podcast to TV with Dirty John. Also notable: Wondery’s pushing genre boundaries with animated visuals, as in Declassified Mysteries. Add in opportunities for product placement and takeovers,and you have a lot of ad levers to pull. We’ll see which ones pay off. Tariff-Proof Ad Budgets? – An IAB survey shows 94% of U.S. advertising decision-makers are concerned about the impact of tariffs on ad spending (per Podcast News Daily’s reporting). Ad budget cuts would vary though. Traditional media is expected to see the biggest cuts, while digital audio, including podcast ads, is better positioned, with only 16% of buyers predicting a reduction. In times of uncertainty, marketers rely on proven performance channels – and that’s absolutely audio. For insights into the cutting edge of audio you won’t find anywhere else, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 3, Episode 1 – “Audio is for the Children.” Host Stew Redwine (VP, Creative Services, Oxford Road) welcomes Deborah Goldstein (Executive Producer, Head Writer, Host of Gen-Z Media’s hit show “The Big Fib”) and Jeremy Westphal (Director of Partnerships, Advertising Strategy & Creative Services, Gen-Z Media). GZM has mastered the art of crafting immersive, award-winning fiction podcasts for children and families with shows like: Six Minutes, The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel, and of course, The Big Fib. Together, the team is talking—Work That’s Worth It, 7 Magic Words, and Thinking of the Children, while breaking down ads from BetterHelp, Mint Mobile, Amazon, and yep, Gen-Z Media. “We’ve got these incredible audiences that span ages and that trust us.” Deborah Goldstein (Executive Producer, Head Writer, Host of “The Big Fib”) 7 Magic Words – “I use this and you should too.” Nothing is more powerful than these 7 words when they’re earned. Chief Audio Officers, make sure you’re partnering with hosts and producers who will go the extra mile (like Deborah and Jeremy) to actually try your product or services so they can deliver an honest, ringing personal endorsement. Work That’s Worth It – Audio is inherently inefficient to start… then wildly effective. One moment of work that was worth the effort: when creating an ad for GZM’s listener surveys, Jeremy tracked down every listener survey ad he could find. Next, he incorporated the elements that moved him to act. CAOs, remember, whatever you’re trying to do, someone’s likely tried it too. Check the audio, see how they did, and learn from their efforts. Won’t Someone Think of the Children (and Parents)? – You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who cares about their audience as much as Deborah and Jeremy. That means extreme vetting of advertisers to maintain strict brand safety. Plus, doing audience surveys to understand the co-listening environment and interests. Don’t sleep on Kids & Family. Parents remember when you sponsor a show their kids love because you’re supporting their children. For a fresh insight into a vital genre, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week, we’re following the money through the eyes of industry players and creators alike. Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy, Oxford Road) hosts fellow Agents of Influence Hilary Shafer (VP, Podcast and YouTube Influencer, Oxford Road), Bart Roselli (SVP Growth, Oxford Road), and James Ingrassia (EVP, Client Service, Oxford Road). The team is talking: Spotify’s Payouts, the True Crime Cruise, Indie Podcasters, and more. Let’s dive in. “You can’t get a more captive audience than an audience on a cruise.” Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy, Oxford Road) Spotify’s Billions – Spotify’s taken heat for underpaying artists, but they’re pushing back, saying they’ve paid out $10 billion to rightsholders in 2024. If artists aren’t getting enough, Spotify argues that’s a contract issue. A few thoughts: 1. We’d love to see what that $10B number would be if you excluded the Taylors, Drakes, and The Weeknds. 2. Artists need to sustainably monetize their work. If not through streaming, creators must find other ways (merch, touring). All Aboard the True Crime Cruise ️ – Need more evidence of the power of audio? In 2026, Wondery and Sixthman are hosting a True Crime Cruise with top true crime podcast hosts, murder mystery events, and a crime-solving immersive theater. It’s a new part of the monetization cycle when cruises become profitable for podcasts. This also speaks to the deep and passionate connection listeners have with hosts, especially in the true crime genre. Will there be branding opportunities? We’ll be on the lookout for clues. (Professor Plum on the promenade deck). Indie Podcasters–Still Crushing It – A few major podcast publishers have consolidated power over the last few years and grabbed headlines. So where are the indie podcasters? Still here and thriving. The keys to success include flexibility and multiple revenue streams (Patreon, host ads, subscriptions). A tip for CAOs: Working with independent creators can give you a level of access and speed that’s hard to match, along with dedicated fans. For more insights into this week’s big money moves, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back for a very special Season 2 finale! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 14 – “The State of Sonic Branding.” Host Stew Redwine (VP, Creative Services, Oxford Road) and guest producer Jeanna Isham (Owner, Dreamr Productions) explore sonic branding’s evolution, impact, and future through conversations with a veritable who’s who of the audio world. They talk to everyone, from the inventors of beloved audio logos to audio alchemists helping shape the sonic strategies of blue-chip brands around the world, including: Joel Beckerman (CEO, Made Music Studio) Chelsea Campbell (Group Creative Director, SiriusXM) Lisa DeStefano (Former VP, The Home Depot) Colleen Fahey (US Managing Director, Sixième Son) Steve Keller (Sonic Strategy Director, SiriusXM) Jim Reekes (Architect of Apple‘s startup sound, VP Product Management & Marketing, Argon Systems) Joe Sauer (Consumer Behavior Researcher) Roger Sho Gehrmann (VP, Songtradr) Dallas Taylor (Host of Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast) Walter Werzowa (Creator of Intel‘s iconic five-note sequence) We’re talking Ancient Origins, Sonic Storytime, and Sonic Branding’s ROI. Let’s tune in. “ Sonic Branding is simply the expanded answer to the question, ‘Can they recognize your brand with their eyes closed?’ Let’s say it’s yes, then Sonic Branding expounds on that yes.” Stew Redwine (VP, Creative Services, Oxford Road) Wired for Sound – Predator sounds. Battle horns. Street vendors. We have a long, rich history of using unique sounds and quickly identifying them. Sound is faster than sight, and it’s processed in exactly the same part of our brains as emotion and memory. In Stew’s words, “When we hear, we feel, and we remember. And the numbers back this up. 64% of listeners feel a stronger pull to brands with a cohesive Sonic identity.” The Stories Behind the Sounds – Why does Intel Inside sound so good? Why is McDonald’s “lovin’ it?” Why do our iPhone cameras go “click?” Each of these sonic tales is a brilliant and effective solution to a specific problem, best solved through sound. You’ll come away with some excellent back-pocket anecdotes, but we hope you’ll also ask yourself: What brand problems could I try solving with the right sound? The Numbers Don’t Lie – Sonic branding is essential for staying competitive in an increasingly audio-first world. Sonic branding delivers 7-8x better branded attention, which is huge when considering only 16% of advertising is correctly attributed. Plus, it drives response rates up by 30%. One Fortune 100 company declares it “the most leveraged item on their balance sheet.” To fall in love with sonic branding, tune into the full episode by clicking below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable Industry Edition is back! This week, we’re rounding up the biggest trending news stories in podcasting as Netflix, Fox, and YouTube all make moves that could reshape the industry. James Ingrassia (EVP of Client Service, Oxford Road) hosts fellow Oxford Road luminaries Neal Lucey (EVP of Strategy & Product), Spencer Semonson (Media Supervisor), and Kyle Jelinek (VP of Client Services). The team is talking: Fox’s Podcast Deal, YouTube’s Year of Discovery, Netflix’s interest in podcasts, and more. Let’s dig in. “If you’re a marketer, what you’re trying to do is evoke a memory, you’re evoking an emotion. And music is one of the most effective ways to do that.” Neal Lucey (EVP of Strategy & Product, Oxford Road) Fox Bets on Podcasts – Fox is bringing some familiar faces back into the fold by acquiring Red Seat Ventures. This includes former Fox News stars Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Bill O’Reilly. The move allows Fox to profit from these personalities without directly employing them, like a hedge reminiscent of when podcasting held great relevance during the 2024 election not so long ago—at the expense of traditional media. Now Streaming on Netflix… Podcasts? – “Former DVD mail business” Netflix is reportedly interested in getting into the Podcast game. Here’s why it makes sense: lower production costs, a chance at ad revenue, and because TV is the YouTube platform’s primary viewing device in the US, so it’s a proven win. Time will tell if this involves the acquisition of a popular show or something totally original. Next Up: Discovery – YouTube has dominated podcast consumption without even trying. BIG question: What happens when they do try? YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says new features to aid podcast discovery are coming soon, along with an auto-dubbing feature for greater global reach. On our wishlist: RSS feeds to make it easier for creators to post videos (and yes, to help with host-read ad attribution too).  For industry insights you won’t find anywhere else, tune into the full episode by clicking below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 13 – “One Amazon to Rule Them All” Stew Redwine (VP, Creative Services, Oxford Road) gathers an all-star panel to dissect Amazon’s multi-million dollar podcast advertising strategy. Joined by Amelia Coomber (CMO, Podscribe), Adam McNeil (SVP of Client Services, Adopter Media), Paul Riismandel (President, Signal Hill Insights), and Arielle Nissenblatt (Founder of EarBuds Podcast Collective and podcasting advocate), these ad Avengers dive deep into a slew of Amazon audio ads and they don’t pull any punches. Let’s jump in. “ It’s a group project where they each got a different part of the business, and they all try to jam it all together at the end, but none of it works together.” Adam McNeil (SVP of Client Services, Adopter Media) Don’t Bury the Lede – Table stakes for any ad: you should know what it’s about. Within 5 seconds, the ad should tell you what the point is. Yep, there’s a little time for a fun intro, but if you can’t anchor the ad on one idea, in Paul’s words, “ you’ve lost me and now I’m swimming around.” Takeaway for our Chief Audio Officers: pick one thing to build an ad around and make it wildly clear. Go Beyond the Brief – For the ads that had a moment of clarity, the next pitfall is cleverness. So many times our experts heard a copy line ripped straight from the creative brief. CAOs: first know what you want to say, then figure out the best way to say it for audio. De-Silo Yourself – Whoever’s in charge of Whole Foods ads is different from Amazon Music and Amazon Prime. Your company probably doesn’t have as many silos, but odds are there’s a disconnect somewhere. Maybe between your brand and direct response ads? Or audio and digital? Look for ways to share learnings and align the strongest parts of your ads so your campaigns support each other. For do’s and don’ts that will instantly improve your audio ads, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back with some award-winning podcasting starpower, resurfacing from July’s 2nd Annual CAO Summit. Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) sat down for a fireside chat with Paul Scheer, award-winning actor (The League, Black Monday, Veep, Fresh Off the Boat) and host of How Did This Get Made? (back-to-back Ambie winner for Best Comedy Podcast), courtesy of SiriusXM. Together they talked long-time fan bases, restrictive ad copy, and how the comedy genre isn’t what you think it is. Let’s dig in. “The benefit with podcasting is you have this very symbiotic relationship with the ads and the host… so you actually look forward to the ads as a piece of content in the episode.” – Paul Scheer (Host, How Did This Get Made?) Long-Time Fans – Paul’s been recording How Did This Get Made? for 15 years. He’s built up a huge bank of trust with his fans over that time. When you’re considering hosts, it’s not just about the impressions and CPMs. It’s about that intimate relationship that takes untold hours and years to build. Don’t Say This – For one brand, Paul had 2 pages of “don’ts” for a 30-second read. CAOs, if you want to get the most from a host, it helps to give them a prompt that’ll inspire and let them cook. You’ve hired someone who is the absolute best at coming up with words and delivering them in a compelling way. You won’t make it better by fitting them into a box. Comedy is Everything – Some strict brand safety approaches will cut off comedy for fear of backlash, but that’s unnecessary. Whatever your interest is, there’s a comedy-forward version of it, and odds are, it’s wildly engaging with a dedicated fan base. In other words, exactly the kinds of hosts and audiences you want to connect with. (Also, another plug for Seekr’s Civility Score and its approach to brand safety instead of broad genre blocks.) To spend time with a veteran podcaster at the top of his game, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 12 – “A.I. Loves Everybody” Stew Redwine (VP, Creative, Oxford Road) explores the cutting-edge world of AI-driven audio advertising with Dave “Chachi” Denes (President, Benztown and host of Chachi Loves Everybody) and Masa Patterson (VP of Operations, Benztown). The trio showcases a live demo of SPECai, a tool built to streamline audio ad creation. It generates scripts, selects music, and produces mixed spots–all in real time. We’re talking: Bridging the Imagination Gap, The Second Best Answer, Dull Ads, and more. Let’s jump in. “ It’s vital to me that we use AI to create better products, better audio, and hopefully get more people engaged both in podcasting and in radio with the power of audio.” Dave “Chachi” Denes (President, Benztown and host of Chachi Loves Everybody). Bridging the Imagination Gap ️ – How do you get someone to feel the power of audio if they’ve never tried it? Leave less to the imagination. Chachi and Masa pitch clients with spec spots to create more “aha!” moments. Trying to unlock audio on a budget? You can play around with Spec AI to show stakeholders what’s possible. The Second Best Answer – As Chachi and Masa’s mentor used to say, “‘No’ is the second best answer.” SPECai helps show clients what they want, but it also shows clients what they don’t want. You can use SPECai’s quick creation process to find your creative North Star fast. It’s more a compass than a destination, fueling the creative process on the way to “yes.” Don’t Be Dull – In Stew’s words, a lot of advertising is dull (Westwood One’s Pierre Bouvard seems to agree), so a lot of Generative AI helps us get dull faster. Unless you get intentional. Because SPECai takes hours of effort and condenses it to minutes, you have a license to be wildly creative without risk. Not sure which direction to take your ad? Doesn’t matter, just go far and react to it. Judge your proof of concepts and give your winning prototype the full production value it deserves. To catch a spark of creativity (and learn how to start playing around with SPECai), tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week, we’ve got a two-part episode for your listening pleasure. First, Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) shares insights from our new case study, “The Untold Story of the Podcast Election,” where we show how the power of audio, especially audience engagement and riskier content, helped shape the outcome of the presidential election. It’s a must-read for CAOs advocating for more podcast budget. Click Here to Download “The Untold Story of the Podcast Election” Report Next up, Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts Ben Shapiro, (Co-founder & Editor Emeritus of The Daily Wire, and Host of The Ben Shapiro Show, (the largest conservative podcast and radio show in the nation). Together, they’re talking; open media ecosystems, brand safety and civility, consolidated media ownership, and so much more. These topics couldn’t possibly matter more right now–as echoed in President Biden’s farewell address to the nation. Let’s jump in. “ Good-natured political debate, I think, is actually–in a way–coming back.” Ben Shapiro, (Co-founder of The Daily Wire, Host of The Ben Shapiro Show) Keeping it Civil – What if the people we disagreed with weren’t stupid or evil, but we just thought they were wrong? Dan’s favorite podcast episode of the last 20 years was a respectful debate with Sam Harris and Ben, moderated by Bari Weiss. That’s the power of podcasting, and it’s a model for open conversations in the future. The Civility score isn’t a cure-all for brand safety, but it’s a necessary step to foster real conversations while also taking care of advertisers. An Open Media Landscape – Wide-ranging podcast conversations thrive in an open media environment. So there’s discomfort about concentrating power over media with only a few people or algorithms. In Ben’s words, “If it turns out that whoever’s in power is just going to get to dictate the rules of the game, there are no rules of the game at that point.” Our take: keep an open landscape with transparency in content (nutritional labels) and incentivize civil discussions. Longform Podcasting  ⏳– What could a shift to video podcasting really mean? A preference towards brief, faster-moving content. But since authentic conversations flourish in audio-first (longer) formats, we hope the open idea exchanges that happen in podcasting are protected. To hear Dan and Ben’s entire thoughtful (and civil) discussion, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

This week reminds us just how fragile and interconnected our world is. The fires here in Los Angeles have left us with heavy hearts—and with the presidential inauguration around the corner, the air feels thick—not just with smoke, but with tension. It’s one of those weeks where the news has been overwhelming, and finding a moment of calm feels like a victory (speaking of victory, peace in the Middle East?). While we don’t pretend to have answers to the bigger challenges, we do believe in the value of staying connected, grounded, and creative—even during uncertain times. So, consider this newsletter a small pause. A chance to step away from the noise and refocus on what’s possible in the world of audio and beyond. For those in the Los Angeles community who have been directly impacted by the wildfires and need support, we want you to know we’re here to help. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for resources and assistance. Let’s shift our attention from what’s not in our control to what we can build together. Because even in the most chaotic times, there’s always room for growth and innovation. Let’s turn up the volume and tune into what matters most in our industry.  We begin this week’s edition with the world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads. Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 11 – “The Authors of Audio Branding.” Stew Redwine (VP, Creative Services, Oxford Road) welcomes two experts who literally wrote the book — “Audio Branding.” Colleen Fahey, (US Managing Director, Sixième Son), and Larry Minsky, (Professor, Columbia College Chicago) sit down for an audio branding masterclass and deep dive highlighting one of today’s top audio spenders. We’re talkin’ Train Sounds, Going Beyond Jingles, and Confused Branding. Let’s jump in. “Audio Branding  uses rhythm and energy and density of sound and instrumentation. And it seeks to let people understand your brand better, remember it better, and attend to it–pay more attention to it–and it’s very successful in doing all of those things.” Colleen Fahey, (US Managing Director, Sixième Son) Ear Training – Want to feel the power of audio branding? Hear the evolution of the  French National Railway System (SNCF). Their familiar tune gets an acoustic treatment (for ecological associations) and an extra “zoom” (to show speed). Core sounds can evolve with your brand and signal to your audience how you’re changing with the times (while still remaining true to yourself). More than a Jingle – Audio branding’s so much more than a jingle. Jingles need to carry a verbal message. But sonically, they can sound similar. Audio Branding shows the uniqueness of your brand in the sonic space, and can go far beyond commercials. An ATM ding, headphones turning on, an app alert–when designed with intention, subtly tells your customers what your brand’s about and helps them recognize it–even with their eyes closed.   Merrill’s Misses – Learn from Merrill Lynch. Every sonic choice you make tells a story. And if those choices are made without clear intention and consistency, that story is chaotic. The team listened to a handful of Merrill Lynch ads that showed very different brand stories; Upscale with classical instruments, folksy and accessible with a ukulele, and straightforward with no music at all. CAOs, you absolutely can play around and make changes to how you show up sonically, but do it with intention, and with enough continuity so your audience will always know it’s you. To make your brand more distinct (and to tune into the audio branding around you) check out the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week, we’re bringing you a deep dive into our new case study, “The Sound of Growth: How Audio Fuels Branded Search.” Giles Martin (EVP of Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) hosts fellow audiophiles James Ingrassia (EVP, Head of Client Services, Oxford Road) and Tucker Peleuses (VP, Strategy, Oxford Road) to break down takeaways of $400m in audio spend over 30 years. Audio attribution is challenging, but looking at the impact of audio on branded search is an effective way to cut through the noise. We’re covering; Delayed Effects, Consistency, Diminishing Returns, and More. Let’s dive in. “ Audio investment is driving almost 20 percent of clients’ branded search traffic.” Giles Martin (EVP of Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) Now & Later – Audio results aren’t instant, but they have staying power. The study showed increases in search volume within a week of increasing audio spend. Even better, the search volume also correlated with audio spend weeks after airing. Especially for the study’s B2B and longer-consideration cycle clients, search remained elevated longer. For audio success, it helps to know that initial impact is just the beginning. Consistency Wins – And it’s not even a close race. Brands with a sustained history of audio spend showed stronger relationships between spend and search volume. When you go dark, you restart. The greatest correlation came with brands that had amassed 3 years of audio campaigns. Remember: your customers aren’t always in-market, so they need to have you top of mind whenever they shift to buyers. Optimize Spend – For one brand in the case study, diminishing returns really kicked in after 1m in monthly spend. Keep in mind, your brand’s curve will be different, and the curves might be different for each of your key metrics (search volume vs performance). TL;DR: it pays to work out your specific curve for diminishing returns (and we’re happy to help with the analysis). For more actionable insights to optimize your strategy and maximize ROIs, check out the full case study HERE and tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Download “The Sound of Growth” Report Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’ve dusted off our trusty crystal ball for a look into 2025. What trends will shape the audio industry next year and beyond? Stay tuned… Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts fellow audio prognosticators: Steven Goldstein (Founder & CEO, Amplifi Media) Tom Webster (Partner, Sounds Profitable) Peter Birsinger (CEO & Founder, Podscribe) The team is talking: Spotify’s YouTube Envy, Revenue Predictions, The Future of Attribution, and more. Let’s leap in. “ If this is an existential threat for open RSS, it’s going to be because the podcast clients innovated for creators, but did not innovate enough for the user and the user experience. And that’s what YouTube is nailing.” Tom Webster (Partner, Sounds Profitable) YouTube Envy – One big question of 2025: Can Spotify become YouTube? Yes, video’s engaging, but YouTube’s other advantages are discovery, ease of use, and potential connection. Video is just one part of that, and Spotify will have a lot of ground to cover to change their podcast experience. (As for the video & podcast debate, Tom considers it settled: “ It comes from the Podcast region of France–anything else is just sparkling audio.” ) Triangulation – As Pete puts it: “ Triangulation is the hot word, and I think it’s going to be getting even hotter.” With the current state of podcast, video, radio, and streaming, CAOs need multiple ways of measurement to unlock investment with confidence (pixels, surveys, incrementality). In a video-forward 2025, that’ll only become more necessary (but we’re watching to see if Spotify’s video approach will represent a measurement improvement over YouTube’s black box.) 2025’s Numbers – Big predictions: Listenership will be up (by a skosh/iota/smidgen depending on who’s predicting), with CPMs roughly flat (except in radio, predicted to go down), and revenue should go up as well. Radio might be a value buy in 2025, with the right measurement. In Dan’s words: “ It’s amazing how many people could still be successful on radio today if only they’d take the time to survey.” To get a head start on 2025, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re taking a look back at the biggest trends that shaped audio in 2024. It’s an epic recap of a huge year for our industry. Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts: James Ingrassia – EVP, Client Service, Oxford Road Stew Redwine – VP Creative Services, Oxford Road Miranda Romano – SVP, Media, Oxford Road Neal Lucey – EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road Conor Doyle – President, Oxford Road The team is talking: the Podcast Election, Big Money Deals, the Rise of Video, and so much more. Let’s dive in. “Anybody that tries to change what the audience wants is crazy.” Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road)  The Rise of Video  – We’ve spilled a lot of digital ink on YouTube and Spotify’s video push for good reason. Whether you think it’s good, bad, or a mix for podcasting, video’s influence is undeniable. We take the POV that video and audio support each other well, and even more importantly – the audience wants ultimately wins. It’s the audiences’ job to go where they want and a CAO’s job to meet ‘em there. Big Money Deals – 2024 saw a resurgence of 9-figure podcast deals, but instead of mainstream celebs scoring the BIG bucks, these deals favored podcast hosts for shows like; JRE, Call Her Daddy, Smartless, Armchair Expert, and New Heights. These investments were all about doubling down on proven consistent show performance. Recognizing the influence of top-rated podcast hosts was especially insightful given the outcome of November 5th. The Podcast Election US – Was any media more influential in the election than podcasts? Long-form interviews with trusted hosts broke through the media landscape. We think after the election, conversations around brand safety and politics are shifting, and prioritizing civil discourse is more important than ever. To fully grasp just how much our industry has changed in 2024 (and to prep for 2025) tune into the full episode below. Bonus! Grading our 2024 Predictions Last year, we made predictions on overarching industry trends and took swings on side predictions. So, how’d we do? Hits ✅ Growth – We predicted growth in listenership, business revenue, and content investment across the industry. Nailed it. Side Predictions Hits – Simulcast dominated, legal action was taken against a brand for a personal endorsement, brand safety tech solutions became a standard offering from podcast publishers, and most important, we changed our intro music for the Media Roundtable . Mixed Bag AI Harm – We thought AI would do more good than harm but it’s been even keeled. Misses ⛔ CPMs – We predicted declining CPMs for podcasts, radio, and streaming – it didn’t happen. While 2023 was a buyer’s market with networks desperate to get rid of inventory, in 2024, we saw sold-out shows and premiums on CPMs. CPMs have climbed, with averages reaching up to $30. Standard Definitions vs Chaos ‍ – We predicted chaos, and saw an effort for standardization. Of course, BIG fish like YouTube and Spotify have made it increasingly difficult to make a standard definition for the word “podcast” with their heavy push toward video. Side Prediction Misses – Pixel attribution didn’t decrease, Apple didn’t make a big acquisition in audio, and Taylor Swift didn’t make a podcast. (Apple, if you want to turn it around, feel free to greenlight the Swiftcast by 12/31). Worth noting, the group consensus hit rate was 65%, better than most individuals. Moral of the story? If you want to predict the future, average your bets together as a team. Or, just listen to Spencer Semonson who went 6 for 8. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re bringing you another favorite CAO Summit session, all about Measurement. Giles Martin (EVP of Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) takes the stage with: Margaux Natiello, (Senior Manager, Partnerships, AG1) Brittany Clevenger, (Senior Director of Growth Marketing, BetterHelp) Rion Swartz, (VP, Brand Marketing, formerly with Constant Contact, Shutterstock, LegalZoom) Sidney Stephens, (Senior Marketing Manager, Offline, Tommy John) to share their best practices on measurement. The team is talking: Your Best Option, Triangulation, Constant Improvement, and more. Let’s jump in. “I am trying constantly to look for any indication that something is working.” Brittany Clevenger, (Senior Director of Growth Marketing, BetterHelp) Find your Best Fit – There’s not a single best approach that works for everyone, but there might still be a ‘best fit’ for you. If you have a robust pre-checkout survey like BetterHelp, slipping in a HDYHAU question works wonders. Plus, consider your offer. A tip from Margaux: if you switch up your offer frequently you’re better off with mass-generated promo codes and pixels than manually updating landing pages. Triangulation – Springboarding off the ‘no-best option,’ our CAOs don’t rely on a single source of truth either. They integrate at least three approaches together! When they all line up directionally, you gain confidence that you’re seeing things more clearly. When they don’t line up, you know you have some extra analysis to tackle. Never Stop – Most CAOs would agree: Whatever Brittany and BetterHelp are doing is clearly working. They’re continuously evolving their measurement program – they just started using pixels this year. Measurement doesn’t have a one time solution. It’s a constant journey of improvement. The closer you get to the truth, the more you can scale with confidence. For more measurement insights from our all-star CAOs, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re taking a deep dive into the future of podcasts – our dreams, fears, and the unknown. Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts fellow audio experts Spencer Semonson (Media Supervisor, Oxford Road), Stew Redwine (VP Creative Services, Oxford Road), Ricardo Martinez (VP Client Services, Oxford Road), and James Cridland (editor of Podnews and Podcast Business Journal). The team is talking: research gems, Spotify’s video push, podcast’s identity crisis and more. Let’s dive in. “For me, it’s like being on the Titanic, and somebody’s saying, ‘Oh, look, that iceberg looks nice. Let’s go over there.” James Cridland (editor, Podnews and Podcast Business Journal) Listen and Type ⌨️ – First, some good news for CAOs with attribution anxiety. New Veritonic research shows 57% of podcast ad listeners visit a brand’s website after hearing a podcast ad. So even when listeners aren’t following the exact instructions (Vanity URL? Skip.) the podcast’s effectiveness means the message is still getting through. Spotify’s Big Moves – ICYMI, Spotify announced some big changes prioritizing video in podcasts, hoping to pull video podcast subscribers from YouTube. It’s hard to know all the effects these shifts could have right now, but James believes podcasts are “something for your ears when your eyes are busy.” Giving up the audio advantage of podcasting doesn’t sound like a great future. Podscribe’s New Research – Podscribe just released a new benchmark report filled with insights, and our team loved sifting through it. Some highlights: Podcast ads increase brand lift over streaming music ads by almost 2x. Smaller brands see higher benefits, with a 62% brand lift compared to 16% for megabrands. Midroll ads and episodic buys outperform other formats. Host-read and longer ads convert best. For these nuggets of wisdom and more, view highlights of the new report here. For a deeper dive into the future of podcast with some of the wisest audio minds in the industry, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 10 – “Congruent Cues.” Stew Redwine (VP Creative Services, Oxford Road) welcomes Chelsea Campbell (Group Creative Director, Studio Resonate – SiriusXM’s in-house audio agency) to discuss the science of persuasive audio advertising as well as this month’s top spenders in audio. We’re talking the Magic of Audio, Bacon vs Rain, and Missed Audio Opportunities. Let’s dive in. “As important, if not more important, than the individual assets themselves, is the brand’s commitment to using them over time.” Chelsea Campbell, (Group Creative Director, SiriusXM’sStudio Resonate) ️ Get More Done (or Don’t) – The Home Depot mastered their congruent cues to form a cohesive chorus throughout all of their audio. To prove how powerful congruence is, Chelsea presents the anti-Home Depot spot which (hilariously) totally misses the mark. Psychoacoustics & Priming – Subtle sound choices can trick our brains, creating memorable moments. That soothing sound of rain can morph into sizzling bacon like a flash in the pan, with just a word. CAOs, are you priming your audience to listen, or to tune out? Audio Brand Identity – We break down recent ads from T-Mobile and Progressive, exploring why some brands hit the mark on congruence and others, even if they’re bringing an identifiable sonic brand to the table, don’t execute with excellence. Wondercraft Returns – A few weeks ago, we threw down a creative challenge for Oskar Serrander (Co-Founder/CEO, Wondercraft): Use Wondercraft to reimagine a flat Toyota ad. And for the record, he did not disappoint. To unlock the power of audio (and never hear bacon and rain the same way again) tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! We recently welcomed dozens of Chief Audio Officers for an Attribution Forum at Audacy’s SoundSpace in Soho, NYC. ICYMI, we’re sharing highlights and wisdom straight from the CAOs. Giles Martin, (EVP of Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) hosts James Ingrassia (EVP, Client Service, Oxford Road), Emmy Jadoff, (Senior Manager of Integrated Media, HelloFresh), and Shane Pittson, (Founder, So&So) for a deep dive into attribution. The team is talking: MMMs, Radio Measurement, Pixels, and more. Let’s jump in. “Whether it’s an MMM or even a pixel-based model, it’s a view of the world that’s created through the math, but it’s not the truth. It’s not reality. It’s giving you an estimate.” Giles Martin, (EVP of Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) Get in the Mix – MMMs can be wildly helpful (one CAO’s anecdote showed podcast’s impact was 5x bigger than they thought). The problem? It’s not the end all, be all. One recommendation: if you’re using an MMM, advocate to be involved in the overall process. The MMM is only as good as its inputs – your expertise is a key part. Next Level Radio – One tactic that got a lotta love? Geo holdouts. But as with any attribution, details make the difference. Instead of picking random pairs, look for closely correlated markets (and control for seasonal/regional impact). There are 3rd party partners available for this – and possibly your Data Science team if you’re lucky. Whatever the attribution challenges may be, we go further when we go together. Pixel – Pixels: they don’t solve everything, but they can sure point you in the right direction. Caveats abound (better for website traffic than foot traffic, YouTube is an issue, etc). Since we still don’t have perfect solutions, one approach might be: which two solutions give you a complete enough picture for you to make better decisions (Pixel and survey is a dynamic duo snagging a recommendation). As British Statistician George E. P. Box said; “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” To get the most out of your approach to attribution, tune into the full episode linked below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

This week’s MRT episode was recorded Monday, but with podcast hosts like Theo Von and “the mighty and powerful Joe Rogan” being called out from the stage during President Re-elect Donald Trump’s acceptance speech last night, our conversation about the impact of audio (podcast in particular) in the 2024 election is even more poignant than we could have anticipated. Politicians have finally learned what savvy CAOs have known for years: podcast works! That said, we invite you to dive into this week’s MRT episode, “Podcast Election” – Audio’s Role in Politics. Buckle up–it’s going to be a ride… Dan Granger, (CEO of Oxford Road) hosts Kraig Kitchin, (Senior Strategic Advisor for Oxford Road & Bonafide Audio Legend), Neal Lucey (EVP of Strategy & Product, Oxford Road), and Tess Ryan, (Associate Media Director, Oxford Road) to understand how audio shaped the 2024 election, while also taking a look at the future. The team is talking: the “Podcast Election”, unlocking audio budgets, civility, and more. Let’s dive deeper. “There is room in America for civility. Honest to goodness conversation – an exchange of ideas without having to insult individuals.” Kraig Kitchin, (Senior Strategic Advisor for Oxford Road & Bonafide Audio Legend) The Podcast Election ️– Since 2016, the number of podcast listeners has more than doubled – now at 135M monthly (Edison Research). In a fragmented and frantic media landscape, being able to reach that magnitude of the electorate in a friendly, long-form environment is invaluable. More Money Next Time? – While both campaigns put extensive effort into reaching podcast audiences using the power of guest spots, audio ad dollars were minimal (2% budget for Harris and less than 1% for Trump). Note to future campaign managers, may we suggest joining our CAO Club? Civility, Civility, Civility – We all witnessed how uncivil remarks can shape a campaign. We may sound like a broken record now, but civility matters (requisite plug for our partner Seekr’s Civility Score). For those looking to support civil political content going forward, tune in for a peek at some of our Civility All-Stars. Whatever your perceptions may be, and however you’re feeling right now, there’s no denying that audio was a key player in shaping this election–and many to come. For more insights, tune into our full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re bringing you one of our many favorite chats from Oxford Road’s 2024 CAO Summit: “Permission to Laugh.” Jenna Weiss-Berman (Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Pineapple Street Media and EVP, Head of Podcasts, Audacy) hosts a fireside chat with SNL comedy legends and longtime friends Dana Carvey (Wayne’s World, The Dana Carvey Show) and David Spade (Tommy Boy, Just Shoot Me), fresh off their hit podcasts Fly on the Wall and Superfly. We’re diving into: why stars make podcasts, the power of comedy, and 8-minute ad reads. Let’s jump in. “We took on the stance of being on the side of our sponsors, embracing them and their dreams.” Dana Carvey (Comedy Legend, Co-Host of Fly on the Wall) Why Podcasts – Carvey and Spade enjoy massive success in television and film, but podcasts are something extra special. There’s nowhere else you can capture intimate riffing with friends and send it out to billions. This chat nails the pure joy of podcasts–hanging out with your famous, hilarious friends. Plus, as Spade says, “It’s a niche business with three million podcasts, so it feels like there’s room.” Why Comedy? – Some podcasts solve crimes–others leave you doubled over with laughter. Both use a deep host connection with the audience that brands should value. Plus, the improv skills of hosts like Spade and Carvey transform brand talking points to break through the noise. Speaking of which… 8-Minute Ads – What’s more impressive: Fly on the Wall having 8-minute ad reads, or that they’re actually great to listen to? For all their joking around, as pitchmen, Spade and Carvey take their jobs seriously (hear their authentic/self-deprecating pitch for MasterClass as proof). To bask in the decades-long friendship between these two comedy icons, listen to the full episode in the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week, we’re making waves in the podcasting world with a groundbreaking announcement that’s set to reshape the industry. If you haven’t heard, Oxford Road and Veritone One, under Insignia Capital Group, plan to join forces to form the world’s largest podcast and creator-based video agency. Starting immediately, Oxford Road’s CEO & Founder, Dan Granger, will lead both organizations. So with an eye to the future, Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road & Veritone One) sat down with Conor Doyle, (President, Veritone One) and Bryan Barletta (Founder & Partner, Sound Profitable) to talk through the big deal and why it’s such a big deal. The excitement in the room is palpable as Conor and Dan go from competitors to collaborators. They’re talking value-alignment, industry impact, and how it’ll help CAOs. Let’s dig in. “Brands haven’t really had a collective voice. And they’re the ones paying everybody’s bills. They should be at the top of the food chain.”  Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road & Veritone One) Values are Everything – In early conversations, it was clear that Insignia was not your typical private equity group. Their alignment of values (transparency, not being defensive) and a proven agency track record showed the Oxford Road and Veritone One teams that a deal wasn’t just possible, it made all the sense in the world. Empowering Brands with a Collective Voice – One of the most significant benefits is giving brands a stronger voice in the industry. Bryan notes, “There’s an opportunity for brands to have a bigger voice… Now being in a situation where we can challenge that and have that conversation with just the buyers.” This forthcoming merger positions the newly combined agency to advocate more effectively for advertisers, shaping industry standards to better meet their needs. Unmatched Expertise and Resources – Integrating Oxford Road’s innovation and international traction with Veritone One’s advanced technology and data capabilities, creates a powerhouse of expertise. Conor highlights the excitement of “setting the laser pointer” on new industry challenges, leveraging their combined strengths to drive growth and efficiency for clients. Strengthening Industry Partnerships – Addressing concerns about consolidation, both Dan and Conor reassure that relationships with advertisers and media partners remain top priority. As Conor says, “We do not exist without either of those relationships… We’re joined at the hip to make this work.” The combined entity will aim to enhance collaborations that benefit publishers, creators, and brands alike. For a preview of great things to come, tune into the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re doing a deep dive into our new first-of-its-kind study: What Brands Want. The study came straight from our CAO Summit where, notably 5 of the top 15 podcast advertising spenders including; DraftKings, BetterHelp, Stamps.com, Indeed, and many others, shared their insights on what they want to see in the industry.  Dan Granger, (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road), Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road), and expert consulting CAO Rion Swartz, (former Marketing VP at Constant Contact, Shutterstock, & LegalZoom) to sift through the report’s insights, where the industry is, and where it needs to go. The team is talking: Podcast Measurement Tools, Brand Safety, AI Voices, and more. Let’s dive in. “If you’re investing in endorsement, podcasts, radio, host-read ads, you’re investing in authenticity and trust. And if there’s anything that’s compromising that, it’s not worth it.” Rion Swartz (Legendary CAO) Tool Parity ⚖️ – CAOs agree: audio measurement tools aren’t great. 83% agreed audio tools are less useful than what they can get in other channels. Neal’s ideal solution? Two MMM models. One for sales and one for awareness. Of course, as they say; ‘’attribution is a bit like religion: at some point you have to pick something and decide that’s what you’re going to believe in.’ Lean vs. Extreme – When it comes to brand safety, CAOs are more worried about extreme political views (62%) than they are about political lean (23%). The first steps to filtering out extreme content for your brand? Checking for bias and personal attacks with help from our partners at Ad Fontes and Seekr. AI Voices – 80% of CAOs we surveyed were uncomfortable using AI voices. Why? Audio works on the triangle of trust: from brands, to hosts, to the audience. Anything that endangers that trust is a liability, and at least right now, that non-zero risk isn’t worth eroding trust for extra efficiency. Whether you’re a CAO, a podcast creator or on the network side, you need to hear firsthand what these top brands are looking for. First, download the ‘What Brands Want’ report by clicking HERE, then click the link below to hear the Media Roundtable team break it all down. Download the ‘What Brands Want’ Report Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re bringing you a hard-hitting story featuring a unique, journalistic perspective on the landscape of audio and media. Dan Granger, (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) sits down with journalist Brian Reed, (Host of S-Town, The Trojan Horse Affair, Producer for This American Life) about Brian’s new hit podcast Question Everything, 7 years in the making. Back in 2017, Australian journalist Gay Alcorn criticized S-Town as being “morally indefensible”. After brushing off that criticism, Brian Reed did something extremely clever… he sat down for an in-depth chat with Alcorn in the Question Everything podcast pilot. Together, Dan and Brian discuss: the origins of S-Town and Question Everything, ethics and bias in storytelling, journalistic principles for advertisers, and more. Let’s dive in. “There’s interesting data that’s been coming out suggesting that podcasts and hosts are the most trusted figures in media.” Brian Reed, (Host of Question Everything, S-Town – This American Life) Intellectual Honesty – In a divided world, feedback is the breakfast of champions. If you or your brand receive criticism, listen and look for ways to bring it into a larger conversation. You could even be like Brian Reed and bring one of your biggest critics onto your show… Journalistic Limitations ✍️ – Good stories aren’t always good for everyone. Just because a hot-button topic appeals to your audience, doesn’t mean there might not be collateral damage. Choosing which elements to include or omit in your story is a careful balancing act. In Brian’s words, “You’re always trying to minimize harm while serving the public interest.”  The Power of Audio Storytelling – With great audio power comes great responsibility. The growing trust in podcast hosts over other media formats is likely part of a bigger trend toward people seeking knowledge from individuals more so than institutions. Like a solid journalist, hosts and advertisers can benefit by deeply exploring how they interpret, incorporate and communicate factual information. For audio and storytelling insights that will prepare you for the future, check out the full episode below.  Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re bringing you one of our favorite panels from the CAO Summit, recorded live at Spotify’s Pod City Campus. There’s no bigger performance lever than our topic–message optimization. Stew Redwine (VP Creative Services, Oxford Road) hosts all-star CAOs Brynn Greenelsh (Marketing Manager, Auctane–Stamps.com & ShipStation) Robbie Giles (VP, Performance & Lifecycle Marketing, MasterClass), Emily Deason, (Senior Manager, Offline Marketing, Babbel), and Cassandra LaPrairie (Performance Marketing Lead, Audio, Wise). This all-star lineup is talking: testing the right thing, trusting hosts, cross-pollination, and more. “Take big swings.” Robbie Giles (VP, Performance & Lifecycle Marketing, MasterClass) The 2 Cs of Testing – To make sure your A/B tests help performance, remember Cassandra’s 2 Cs: “Do you have confidence that you know what you’re looking to test and do you have conviction that the test you’ve proposed is going to help you measure that?” Trust vs. Control – Want the most from your hosts? Spend more time onboarding to give context and less time trying to make hosts your sock puppet. As Brynn puts it: “Who are we to say, ‘you have to say it this way’… if that’s the way we’re going to be, then we shouldn’t be in the podcast advertising space.” Take the Best from Other Channels – Audio doesn’t have to be a silo. You can take a sonic logo from your app or reuse your best valprops from other channels. The one thing you need: someone who understands the quirks of audio. And CAOs, if you don’t have that person internally, drop Stew a line. Want to upgrade your messaging approach? Check out the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re featuring one of the most insightful talks from the CAO Summit–Audio’s Role in the Marketing Mix. James Ingrassia (EVP, Client Service, Oxford Road) moderates an all-star CAO panel with Alexis Gossard (Senior Manager, Media Strategy, Bayer), Ethan Shibutani (Senior Director, Growth Marketing, DraftKings), Steve Blackford (Head of LifeLock Customer Acquisition, Gen), and Tor Thilert (Senior Lead for Global TV Advertising, Shopify). They’re talking: Audio Allies, Budget Splits, Podcast’s Blurring Lines, and more. Let’s dig into it. “When you can find the right partnership with a host,  it can truly transform your business.” Steve Blackford (Head of LifeLock Customer Acquisition, Gen) Internal Audio Allies – Audio success takes a village. For these CAOs that means having accurate analytics, and C-Suite supporters who care about and believe in audio. Is audio being viewed as part of your whole marketing mix, or is it siloed in your company? We’ll show you where to look to strengthen your audio village. Budgets Splits: Testing & Performance ⚖️ – Our CAOs agree–you shouldn’t penalize what’s working to try something new. YNAB: You Need a (Testing) Budget. Our rule of thumb: 70% is performance. 20% is probably going to work. 10% is experimental. That’s a healthy mix of exploring new wins while exploiting previous ones. Podcast’s blurring lines – Currently, podcasts are audio-first, video-first, influencer, and programmatic… so how do CAOs navigate these overlapping territories? One approach: Just focus on the audience. Does the show have an audience that includes your customer? If so, great! Everything else is just lagniappe. James Ingrassia and the super-star panelists are overflowing with key CAO tips you won’t get anywhere else. To hear them all, tune into the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 9 – “Simulacrum Ex Machina.” Newly-dubbed Audio GOAT Stew Redwine (VP, Creative Services, Oxford Road) welcomes Oskar Serrander (Co-Founder/CEO, Wondercraft) fresh from the launch of Wondercraft. Join Stew and Oskar as they talk Wondercraft’s origins, how to think in audio, and the most important audio factor: Ryan Reynolds. Plus–breaking down ~$20M in audio ads from BetterHelp, Toyota, Whole Foods, and Mint Mobile (Guess which one’s the best/hint: Ryan Reynolds ). “I just think audio deserves a little bit better.” Oskar Serrander (Co-Founder/CEO, Wondercraft)  Canva for Audio – Brands: you now have no excuses for making audio an afterthought. Wondercraft aims to be Canva for Audio–easy-to-use audio production from idea to draft in just minutes. More than lowering the barrier to entry for audio-newbies, pros can ideate and test early, creating richer, more thoughtful ads. Remix Duds – Light Their Fire – CAOs, if you want to up your creative game, here’s your next step: grab a weak ad, bring it over to Wondercraft and start playing around. Swap accents, music, cut the boring parts. Regardless of whether you turn it into audio gold, you’ll absolutely learn something about what makes the ads work. Think Audio Earlier – Audio isn’t text. But when advertisers make audio an afterthought, it might as well be. Single voice, no music CAOs, you can do better. Some ideas only work in audio. Focus on these concepts first, then figure out how to adjust them for podcast, radio, streaming and music channels. It’s less work than you think and tons more fun. Ready to play around in audio’s new sandbox? Catch the full episode below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 8 – “Sonic Truths.” Fearless host Stew Redwine (VP Creative Services, Oxford Road) welcomes JJ Healan (Vice President, U.S. Marketing, Brand Content and Engagement, McDonald’s) for a big bite of McDonald’s. The Golden Arches are an audio advertising giant, (celebrated extensively in Ad Infinitum S1E07 ‘It’s all in the Execution’) and we’re mining insights from Mickey D’s 20+ year “I’m Lovin’ It” journey. Join Stew and JJ as they explore; sharing the pen, fan truths, and being flawesome. Let’s indulge: “We no longer ask, when we have ideas presented, ‘will it work?’ We ask if it’s true. Because if we know it’s true, we know we’re onto something.” JJ Healan (Vice President, U.S. Marketing, Brand Content and Engagement, McDonald’s)  Embrace your Flawesomeness – Things don’t have to be flawless to be perfect. In audio. Take Brian Cox, for instance. The quirks and idiosyncrasies of his voice make it work. Being devoid of flaws doesn’t mean you’re iconic. Quite the opposite. Get comfortable being Flawesome. Fan Truths – McDonald’s talks 1-on-1 with McFans about their experiences. The truths gleaned from those conversations are shared in a Fan Truth book used to spark groundbreaking whole platform ideas. JJ shares; “The famous orders platform came from this fan truth; No matter how big or famous you are, everyone has a McDonald’s order.” CAOs, your fans have truths too–you just have to ask about them to capture insights. Sharing the Pen ️ – The best thing about having a strong center is the infinite variations that can be on brand. Instead of making your creative partners do things exactly the way you want, let them bring their personal experiences and tastes to the creative mission. You’ll still know it’s McDonald’s, even with your eyes closed. Ba da ba ba ba. Hungry for more? Taste the whole conversation by clicking below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week, we’re bringing you a key report from our CAO Summit: The State of Audio Advertising.  Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) took the stage at Spotify’s Pod City campus with fellow Oxford Road luminaries Steven Abraham (President, Oxford Road), Giles Martin (EVP of Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road), Miranda Romano (SVP, Media, Oxford Road), and Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road). They presented a first-of-its-kind report to help CAOs understand where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. The team covers: Automation–Our Frenemy, Going Global, Sufficient Brand Safety & Suitability, Transformational Tactics, and so much more. Let’s dig in. “What is the state of audio advertising? It’s under construction.” Dan Granger (CEO & Founder of Oxford Road) Automation: Our Frenemy – Can an industry built on authentic host reads embrace automation? Partially. We believe in leveraging AI to boost efficiency and help reach new audiences. As long as we understand, the automation is here to support authenticity, not supplant it. This industry exists because of the hard-earned trust between host and listener–it’s the not-so-secret sauce of podcast advertising. Going Global – The rest of the world is catching up to the US, which should be exciting news to every CAO. The international ad market is less developed, so while opportunity knocks for early movers, it can be a bumpy road to traverse.  Transformation Tactics – 2024 is still the age of efficiency, so your campaigns have to work hard. Our quick tips: Longer ads work better (If you’re running shorter ads, make sure they’re priced equivalently). Want more conversions? Focus on reach over frequency. With all of the non-exclusive talent deals, it pays to shop around. Get closer to the host for lower CPMs. And as always, host-read ads perform better and connect with listeners in a way that cannot be replicated by AI. #SaveTheLiveReads. Civility Suffices – Brand safety and suitability matters… While there are no perfect options in a complex world, with the right tools, it’s not an either/or proposition. For a good litmus test (with fewer false positives than the now-defunct GARM framework) check out Seekr’s Civility Score (an Oxford Road partner). Using the Civility Score can double your access (34% to 69%) to top podcasts that support a healthy dialogue, and ultimately help you avoid brand safety landmines. To start implementing these tactics today, download the full State of Audio Advertising report and watch the accompanying Media Roundtable episode for expert commentary and real-world applications by clicking the links below. Watch Here Download the State of Audio Advertising Report Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! Fresh from Podcast Movement 2024 in DC, we’re here to alleviate FOMO (ICYMI) and share the biggest takeaways from speakers and attendees. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) recaps and reminisces with fellow Oxford Roadies Miranda Romano (SVP, Media, Oxford Road), Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road) and welcoming Tess Ryan (Associate Media Director, Oxford Road). The team is talking: Two Kinds of True Crime, Research Superpowers, What Brands Want, and more. Let’s dig in. “The beauty of podcasting and its greatest challenge is this fragmentation.” Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road)  Two Kinds of True Crime ️ – True Crime’s a juggernaut of genre, but it’s not uniform, as Miranda’s panel addressed. While some advertisers avoid it altogether, smart CAOs should consider this question first: Is it exploitative or productive? There are amazing podcasters helping to solve cold cases (shoutout to our friend Ashley Flowers of Crime Junkie), and producing great journalism that’s morphed into a form of public service. These types of shows are worthy of your brand dollars. Research: Your Superpower – Great research guides the industry. Per Neal’s panel on research, we don’t know where we’d be without the work of Signal Hill Insights, Edison Research, Sounds Profitable, and many others. Neal’s tip to make sure you’re getting the most from the data? Consistency. ‘When I see consistency across sources, that validates the value of the research to me.’ What Brands Want: The Report – Adding to the realm of research, we’ve unleashed our Oxford Road PodLoad Report with Podscribe (now in the WSJ!) and our Oxford Clock. Plus, we teased a new report on What Brands Want, straight from our CAOs. One stat that’s currently driving discussion: 80% of brands surveyed say the tools available to them in podcasting are substantially less useful than what they get from other media channels. Don’t miss all the ‘you had to be there’ moments.  Catch the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

This episode of the Media Roundtable is a guaranteed jolt of energy showcasing the positive power of audio! This week, we feature the kickoff event from our 2nd Annual CAO Summit. The conversation focuses on what makes our work matter: Purpose. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) takes the stage with two audio titans; Ashley Flowers, (Founder & CEO, audiochuck, Creator/Host of Crime Junkie) and Brittany Clevenger (Senior Director of Growth Marketing, BetterHelp) to discuss harnessing the power of audio for ‘good.’ Together they cover: thoughtful ad breaks, long-lasting partnerships, celebrating wins, and getting started the right way. Let’s dig in. “The right stories, the right way, for the right reasons.” Ashley Flowers, (Founder & CEO, audiochuck, Creator/Host of Crime Junkie) Celebrate Your Wins – One benefit of knowing your bigger purpose? The wins become a lot clearer and they energize you along the way. Ashley and Brittany both share story after story of lives they’ve touched. The takeaway for CAOs? Define your big, purposeful goal early and be on the lookout for wins to sustain your mission. Be Thoughtful – The fireside chat’s just a MasterClass in GOAT-iness. Ashley (2.5B downloads) and Brittany (top podcast spender) are both at the top of their game. One thing that separates them? It’s not just doing the big things right. When you know your work matters, you take care of the smaller details too. Like consciously building ad breaks into your content in places where the ads will shine.  Getting Started – Brittany helped scale BetterHelp into a podcast juggernaut. Her one bit of advice for getting started? Don’t do it on your own. Whether you’re tapping a consultant, a colleague who knows the space, or a top audio agency ( ), leveraging existing expertise gives you a head start and makes the journey so much easier. Let these experts inspire you. Tune into the full episode with the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

For every podcast ad you’ve bought, there’s a hidden variable that swings performance in double-digit percentages. It’s time to talk about that. This week, in a ground-breaking episode of the Media Roundtable, we reveal our newest report, The Danger of Rising PodLoad: How Increasing Clutter Erodes Podcast Advertising Value. This industry-first case study on ad loads and performance answers the question that every CAO wants to know: “What’s the right amount of ads for a podcast?” Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) joins Pete Birsinger (CEO & Founder, Podscribe) onstage at our recent CAO Summit to present the PodLoad Report. Oxford Road partners with Podscribe to analyze 1.7 Billion podcast impressions across 1800+ shows, tying ad loads to real performance for 159 brands. Here’s what we found: “If the ad load of an episode goes from 5% to 15%, you can reasonably expect a 30-40% drop-off in conversion rate.” Pete Birsinger, CEO & Founder, Podscribe Ad Load Matters ⚖️- Ad load: the percentage of ads in every podcast. 10 minutes of ads in a 100 minute podcast? Ad load is 10%. When shows go past 6% ad load, performance starts to dip. Your Cost Per Purchase will be around 12% worse when ad loads hit 10%. When ad loads hit 15%? It’s 31% worse. What’s At Stake – Compared to other channels, podcast ads are well tolerated, for now, anyway. Nearly half of listeners enjoy or don’t mind podcast ads. Less than 10% of listeners find ads intolerable. Plus 28% of listeners watch/listen to all of the ads, the high mark for all media surveyed. This is the secret sauce of podcasting. But increasing ad loads can erode podcasting trust–and effectiveness. Starting the Oxford Clock ⏳– Ad load for shows and publishers vary widely. That’s why we propose a standard breakdown of an optimized podcasting hour. Presenting the Oxford Clock. It features a 10% ad load, emphasizing live reads and balancing listener, host, network, and brand needs. Have a show going beyond 10% ad load? Time to start asking for a discount. For insights that’ll change the way you buy podcast ads, check out the full episode and click here to dive into the PodLoad Report. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 7 – “Audio Affects.” Fearless host Stew Redwine (VP, Creative, Oxford Road) welcomes bonafide Audio Legend, Kraig Kitchin. Kraig’s a highly regarded Talent Manager for many well known on-air personalities and longtime Senior Strategic Advisor for Oxford Road. (Check out his epic episode on the Media Roundtable) As if that weren’t enough, he’s also Co-Chair and 2024 Inductee to the Radio Hall of Fame and Co-Founder of Premiere Networks. Join Stew and Kraig, as they wax poetic on the science and emotion of audio and break down ads from Lowe’s, Progressive, Babbel, and Home Depot. “You don’t need pictures in front of you to see what you’re feeling.”  Kraig Kitchin, Audio Legend Theater of the Mind – Audio processing in the brain is deeply connected to emotions. It’s our fastest sense (Olympic starting gun, anyone?) All this is to say that if you’re not trying to create a true theater of the mind experience in your audio ads, you’re leaving feelings on the table. CAOs, take these emotionally affecting audio tools and use them to your advantage to tell your story. Getting Distinct – Let’s give it up again for sonic distinctiveness. (Special shout out to Lucinda of Moink‘s “I’m just so happy I got Moinked.”) Great brands take up intentional auditory space and sound unique, like no one else around them. CAOs, this is well worth your time. When it comes to audio logos, heed Dolly Parton’s words; “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” Speaking of which… Sounds like a Winner – The first ever Ad Infinitum contest! Hear our sizzle reel of audio logos and email Stew on how many logos you can identify. Guess right and you could win your very own signed, laminated Audiolytics™ handout, a one-of-a-kind item of incalculable value! Ready to unlock all the audio-feels? Click the link below to catch the full episode. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re going back to our roots and one of our passions: Civil Discourse in Audio. Dan Granger, (CEO & Founder at Oxford Road) welcomes bi-partisan hosts of the new podcast; The Campaign Managers with Kellyanne Conway (former Campaign Manager and Senior Counselor to former President Trump) and David Plouffe (former Campaign Manager and Senior Advisor to former President Obama). They’re talking: The Power of Listening to Other Opinions, The Divided and the Deciders, Civility, and more. Let’s dive in. “It’s easy to be enraged. It’s essential to be engaged.” Kellyanne Conway (former Campaign Manager and Senior Counselor to former President Trump) Big Divide, Few Deciders – In elections, there are very few votes actually up for grabs. The lesson for CAOs? Know who you should talk to. When running your campaigns, think about the people who are hearing your message, who would truly make a difference. Focusing on anyone else won’t deliver the same incremental impact. Staying Civil  ⚖️ – For a long time we’ve said for brand safety and suitability that following the GARM framework isn’t enough. That’s why we’re big proponents (and investors) for Seekr’s Civility score. The Campaign Managers scores a 93, supporting the idea that you can discuss hard topics–without agreeing–in a productive, civil conversation. Engaged, not Enraged – We’ve spilled tons of digital ink on the Outrage Industrial Complex. Anger = listeners and ad dollars, but Kellyanne and David are hoping for something more… motivation for listeners to engage with civility and affect positive change. It’s okay to hear an opinion you don’t like (and according to former President Obama, definitely a good thing). However, what we do next, is up to us. For unparalleled insight into our current political situation and (maybe) a little hope, check out the full episode in the links below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we recap the epic whirlwind of our 2nd Annual Oxford Road CAO Summit in Hollywood last week. Dan Granger, (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) breaks down the highlights with brilliant CAOs/attendees: Mae Haynes, (Brand Media Manager, The Home Depot/GCC/Blinds.com) Brynn Greenelsh (Marketing Manager, Auctane–Stamps.com & ShipStation) Dominic Palombo, (Senior Partnerships Manager, Caldera + Lab) James Ingrassia, (EVP of Client Services, Oxford Road) The team’s talking: summer camp vibes, creative testing, the maturing audio industry, ideal ad load, and more. Let’s dig in. “It was just great to see that [CAO] community taking place right in front of our eyes.” – James Ingrassia, (EVP of Client Services, Oxford Road) Don’t Bunt ⚾ – The creative panel was a highlight for many of our CAOs. Takeaways for creative testing? Make sure you’re testing the right things in the right ways. Changing just 3 words out of 180 will give you dreaded inconclusive results. You want big swings. A massive strikeout is better than a bunt. Older and Wiser – Podcasting isn’t the Wild West anymore. Nowadays there are effective tools (plug: like Seekr & Podscribe) to dial in your campaign with intention. Which leads us to the next breakthrough… The Oxford Clock ⏱️ – Another highlight for our CAOs… The Oxford Clock. We previewed a case study we’ve been working on with Podscribe that lays out the ideal podcast hour with ad breaks. More to come, but performance starts to drop when 6% of the show is ads—there’s another cliff at 10%. For CAOs, looking at the percentage of ad load on shows you’re sponsoring may be the biggest lever you’re not pulling. If all of the above is giving you FOMO from not attending this year’s event, apply to join the CAO Club now so you can be at the next one. Click here for more information and to sign up.  And for this year’s CAO Summit highlights and so much more, check out the full episode by attending to the links below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

We’ve got a jam-packed edition of the Influencer this week, but first, we’d be remiss not to address the attempted assassination of Former President Donald Trump this past weekend. What the world witnessed Saturday was shocking but sadly, no surprise. From what we know, this heinous act of violence was carried out by a sole deranged individual. And yet, the culmination of rhetoric coming from all sides of the political spectrum are undoubtedly a factor here. Words matter! Saturday’s events are the most extreme version of what happens when words send feelings and emotions spiraling out of control. Sometimes we forget that we’re all members of the human race; including those who may have divergent ideas and values from our own. Addressing differing opinions while maintaining human decency is what we strive for on behalf of Oxford Road here in the Influencer and on the Media Roundtable podcast.     As marketers, we must support building bridges across our differences and preserving fair-minded discussion in the media landscape in an effort to reduce the likelihood of tragic events like this from happening again. We do this mainly through the corporate language of “Brand Safety and Suitability.” This is best represented by our advocacy for the Civility Score as a key metric in podcasting, as a measure of personal attacks in sponsorable content. Only through civil discourse can we, as President Biden so accurately asked, “lower the temperature in our politics” and focus on progress.  Stepping off the soap box, we do have a great edition of the Influencer this week; our Ad Infinitum superhost Stew Redwine sits down with special guest—Mike Jensen, CEO of Rhapsody Voices—to chat about the “Rules of 3” pertaining to audio and advertising.  Audio is replete with 3’s: First, there’s production: voice-over, sound design, and music. Second, there’s the classic story structure of beginning, middle, and end. Of course third, there’s the timeless rhetorical appeals: pathos, logos, and ethos. Mike adds a fourth dimension: the Host, the Audience, and the Sponsor. With all these forces at play in audio advertising, how can marketers make heads or tales of things to get the best ad for their buck?  “We really want to deliver on the connectivity between the host, the sponsors, and the audience.”  – Mike Jensen, CEO of Rhapsody Voices Mike channels his inner audio advertising guru to come up with 3 takeaways for forging connections with brands to make the host-read ads work.  Authenticity is Key: Authenticity in host-read ads is paramount. A host should be able to demonstrate their genuine connection to the product—otherwise, why are they reading the ad?  Simplicity: For Mike, authenticity goes hand-in-hand with simplicity. For example, if a Starbucks ad has 20 potential value propositions, the host shouldn’t try to highlight all of them. Instead, they should focus on one or two things, like perhaps new summer drinks and caffeine-free options. This way, the host can elaborate on what they genuinely like about the product.  Clear Call to Action:  Everyone knows an ad works best when it has a call to action. However, not all CTAs are equal. Triple down on having a clear, concise, and persuasive CTA, and triple-check the copy to make sure it’s solid. After all, a read is only as good as the copy presented. Check out this Ad Infinitum episode for more valuable insights from these two major players in the audio space. Plus, you won’t want to miss everyone’s favorite segment; the air-check ad ratings! Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

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. ⬇️  Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Independence Day is a time to reflect on beginnings. While most of us will be celebrating the birth of our nation, at Oxford Road, we’ll also be celebrating the birth of our agency, which intentionally launched on July 4th 2013. Eleven years ago, it felt like we had arrived on the ground floor of the podcast ecosystem, and that’s mostly true, but this week’s Media Roundtable guest is the OG who truly paved the way.  Adam Curry (MTV VJ and host of No Agenda) is known in the industry as “the Podfather,” because he, along with programmer Dave Winer, are deemed inventors of the medium. Listen to Adam’s journey from radio pirate to MTV host, to literally creating the podcast industry we find ourselves immersed in today. Needless to say, the conversation on this week’s episode covers a wide range of topics, from the peculiarity of last week’s presidential debate to the evolving definition of “podcast,” and literally everything in between.  “Why am I in podcasting? Because I’m a pirate radio broadcaster. Because I want to share something with my audience.”  Adam Curry, Podcast Founder, MTV VJ & Host of No Agenda Here are just a few of the highlights from our 4th of July week MRT Special Edition:  Selling Spring Break – Adam Curry worked with MTV for nearly 8 years, playing a big role in developing one of their most successful shows: MTV Spring Break. Back in those daze, advertisers were spooked by cable. It felt phony and complicated compared to the existing mid-80’s ad landscape. Adam’s vision for MTV Spring Break was to be an ad-friendly program that authentically integrated product promotions into the fabric of the show. The result? A harmony of brand identity and creative playing out on cable TV.  Pioneering the World Wide Web – Back in ‘95, Adam Curry was developing websites in “Silicon Alley.” He became a self-made internet expert, when most were still side-eyeing the medium with uncertainty. This paid off for Adam in a big and unexpected way. For years, he had been cultivating an idea for something new, but the tech just wasn’t there to support it. All that changed when he came upon the first iPod, everything clicked. It wasn’t a jukebox—no, it was more like a radio receiver. Thus, the concept of podcast was born. So, what do we make of this? Don’t be afraid to be nerdy. Push the envelope. Don’t try to catch up to tech—let it catch up to you.  The Valor of Local Programming ️ – We’re all here because we know audio is a powerful format. It’s hyper-personal, creative, and adaptable. Adam Curry strives to push the boundaries of how we think about podcasting today, beyond general entertainment and national news stories. Podcasting shouldn’t necessarily be exclusive to entertainment, nor should it be reserved for creators with massive, national or international followings. Adam Curry’s vision? Local, informative, useful radio shows and podcasts that serve as an essential function within their communities. For Adam, this is what podcasting was meant to be.  Take it from us: You won’t want to miss this MRT. Hear the full episode by tuning into the links below.  Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Next, we have a true Ad Infinitum gem! Show Host Stew Redwine (VP of Creative Services, Oxford Road) covers all things B2B podcast ads with Hala Taha (CEO & Founder, YAP Media & host of Young and Profiting) AKA the Princess of Podcasts herself! “[With a show like YAP] a podcaster is talking to your exact target audience.” Hala Taha (CEO & Founder, YAP Media) These two Advertising Pros reveal their deepest secrets to making B2B podcasts more effective by resonating with show content. Hala’s insider tips?  Know and use the product : Hala invests in the brands that invest in her. For example, Shopify is one of the sponsors of her show, so of course she uses Shopify for her business. As a result, Hala speaks with utmost authority about everything from Shopify’s offerings, to their price points and workflow. Beyond that, she knows how to talk about the product in a way that turns her listeners—usually other entrepreneurs—into customers.  Be a storyteller : Hala’s ads always tell a story. She wants them to be entertaining and funny—yes, funny! She isn’t afraid to bring in her own personal life tales to enliven the ad read and dissuade listeners from hitting that skip button.  Be a broken record : Often, host-read ads don’t mention the brand they’re advertising for until the very end of the ad. Don’t be that host. Figure out a way to mention the brand early and often, no matter how short the ad is.  Listen to the full episode to hear Stew and Hala get into the nitty gritty of making great B2B ads and hear their live ratings of real-world podcast ads! Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

You’re in for a treat this week, CAOs! We’re airing not one but two—count ‘em, two ✌️—special episodes of the Media Roundtable!  First, if you missed out on Cannes Lions 2024, we have you covered. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) jumped in the booth at Spotify’s Podcast Studio at Cannes to talk with Conor McKenna (Partner, LUMA).  Together, they channel all the excitement and buzz from the festival into an engaging conversation, packed with insights from their week on the Riviera. We’re talking about creativity’s role in marketing, forecasts for the macro environment in 2025, the value of AI in audio, and so much more. Here’s a teaser:  Rethinking Creativity at Cannes : People familiar with David Ogilvy may remember his famous quote; “Creativity is the most dangerous word in the lexicon of advertising.” While creativity and originality might not be the only elements bringing in revenue, they’re a HUGE part of the equation for crafting meaningful ads. Dan and Conor discuss the merits of creativity in marketing coming off of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024 and dive deep into why it’s at the heart of any strong ad campaign.  Surviving, Reviving and Thriving : Conor shares his insights from LUMA’s recent State of Digital presentation, breaking them down in detail on the pod— TL;DR 2023 was a year of layoffs where many brands prioritized tech over people. In that context, 2023 was about Surviving. 2024 is about Reviving. And 2025 will be about Thriving.  Podcasters are Creators—Not Brands ‍ : When we think about monetizing audio, especially in podcasts, it’s important to keep in mind what makes this medium unique. Podcasters forge authentic connections with their listeners through their own creative practices and personal endorsements. Conor views podcasters as creators akin to musicians—even though we don’t hear ad breaks in the middle of a Beyoncé album. Podcast ads need to recognize and fit into the creative angle of the medium and the host.  Listen to the full episode here, to hear audio advertising insights you won’t find anywhere else. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re looking into the present through the lens of history. Dan Granger, (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts Lindsay Graham (not Lindsey Graham). This Lindsay is a Webby Award-winning and Ambie-nominated history podcasting superstar, a repeat Media Roundtable guest, and CEO & Founder of Airship, a podcast publishing company (American Criminal, American Scandal, American History Tellers, & more.)  Together, they discuss our messy past, uncertain futures, and everything in between. Let’s dig in. “When we think of AI, it is a forward and a backward-looking question. ‘What’s going to happen?’ We don’t know. ‘Have we ever not known before?’ Well, every day of our history, we’ve not known. So there’s the lesson.” Lindsay Graham (CEO & Founder, Airship) AI’s Precedent – AI sure seems like an unprecedented shift in our world, so it helps to remember our past. The Printing Press, Radio, The Internet… These were massive influences in our world as well. That’s not to say AI isn’t a giant shift (TBD), but these types of changes have been a constant part of our existence. There is no time exactly like now, but there are years and years of similar upheavals to pull from. Efficiency vs. Effectiveness – Podcasts are no stranger to change either. A big shift we’re following: the shift from live reads towards programmatic. It’s no surprise that we love live reads, and we’re hoping CAOs balance the benefits of the efficient programmatic ads with the effectiveness of live reads. That way a host like Lindsay doesn’t have to voice every ad, while delivering that deep connection with his audience, as some topics demand. Unsafe History? – History podcasts are (historically ) well-researched and cover undisputed facts, making them especially brand-safe. The problem? With automatic brand safety tools, the discussion of death in history makes them look violent and unsafe. Our advice to CAOs? Don’t leave history behind. Check the history shows’ Civility Score and give them a test if it matches your target audience. To understand more of the present through history’s lessons, research the full episode with the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re conversing with two extremely successful Chief Audio Officers to answer the key question: “What do brands want?” At Podcast Movement Evolutions, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) took the stage with Kezia Koo, (Senior Director of Global Employer Performance Marketing, Indeed) and Robbie Giles (VP of Performance & Lifecycle Marketing, MasterClass) diving into the unique benefits and challenges with audio. We’re curating all their insights (and changes they’re hoping for) and bringing them straight to you. We’re talking brand safety, testing in the age of efficiency, audio’s role in your media mix, and more. Let’s get started. “Rather than trying to throw brands in at the deep end of the pool, how do we build them a staircase?” Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) Cheaper Tests – We’re not in the era of $200k show tests anymore. Our CAOs want to test cheaply and scale, if it works. And that makes sense. Every CAO wants to scale (assuming it works), so if we can de-risk early show tests, we get more chances to find a winner. Even better, when the tests are cheaper CAOs are more likely to be patient with new shows and adjust creative before pulling the plug. Brand Risks=Channel Risks – If a brand catches heat for sponsoring a controversial episode, the conversation isn’t: “Should we stop supporting that show?” It’s “Should we stop advertising on podcasts?” CAOs like Kezia have to protect the whole buy every time there’s a controversy. Her ask? For creators to be more mindful about their content, especially when big brands are supporting their shows. (Plug for Seekr’s civility score, which gives us a brand safety nutrition label, so brands know in advance what’s under the hood.) Always in the Mix – How important is audio to marketers? Maybe the better question is: How important is audio to your customers? Because if your audience is enjoying podcasts and streaming music for several hours every day, that’s incredibly powerful. You know you reach them while also supporting the shows and content they care about. Plus, podcast ads can run longer, and remain engaging with a trusted source of authority. Altogether, this means audio plays a vital role in explaining complex attributes of a brand while keeping listeners engaged. These gems from our superstar CAOs are just the beginning. To find out once and for all what brands want, tune into the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re recapping our whirlwind adventures at the 3rd International Podcast Show in London. If you missed out, we’re here to ease your FOMO (and hopefully inspire you to make the trip across the pond next year). Steven Abraham (President, Oxford Road) hosts fellow Oxford Road jet-setting leaders Miranda Romano, (SVP of Media, Oxford Road) and Giles Martin (EVP of Strategy and Measurement, Oxford Road). Plus our old friends Amelia Coomber (Head of Marketing and Growth, Podscribe) and keynote speaker James Cridland (Editor of Podnews and Podcast Business Journal) share their added highlights. The team is talking: US & International markets, the future of international audio, lessons for stateside events, navigating nuances, and more. Let’s jump in. “It just takes a little bit of bravery, but also just understanding the nature of the medium, and how powerful it can be.” Amelia Coomber (Head of Marketing and Growth, Podscribe) Different Markets? Marked Differences – True: Podcasts are truly international, with the opportunity to reach +500M worldwide (and growing). Also True: buying in different countries comes with unique nuances, challenges, and opportunities. Case in point, non-English speaking countries (i.e. Germany & France) can have max ad loads of 3 spots per episode total, earning their higher CPMs. TL;DR, for international-curious CAOs, it helps to have experienced guides. (Email us ) The Next 18 Months – It took the US more than a decade to develop a mature podcast market. The European industry is a bit behind, but catching up very quickly, incorporating a lot of hard-won learnings from the US. The next 18 months will be exciting and critical. In Miranda’s words: “These markets are still sort of building the groundwork, and I think there’s a real opportunity to be a part of shaping the future.”  Compact & Connected – Podcast is a niche. International podcast is a niche. By keeping the venue compact (and in the same place as years past) the International Podcast Show fosters a close-knit environment where cross-collaboration between all industry enthusiasts can easily take place. Different cultures and miles (and kilometers) diversify attendees, but this event also unifies them, with our shared love of audio. Music to our ears (chuffed to bits). CAOs, for future stateside events, we recommend prioritizing ones that are just the right size for your needs. For the next best thing to being in London, tune into the full episode of the MRT by engaging the link below. If this episode is giving you MMF (Major Marketing FOMO), The Podcast Show is offering a recap of the week’s events on their site (at a discount). But, if you’re craving more of an in-person audio magic experience, we suggest the 2nd Annual Chief Audio Officer Summit, coming to L.A. SOON, July 17-18. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 4 – “Scary Ads.” Context is everything for ads, but what do you do when the podcast is fiction? How do you put your ad in the middle of a story and not feel like an uninvited guest? Ad wizard and Host Stew Redwine (VP, Creative Services, Oxford Road) welcomes scripted podcast experts, Nathalie Chicha (Producer, I Hear Fear) and Ray Harkins (Senior Account Executive, Wondery) to find out. Join Stew, Nathalie, and Ray as they dive into the best and worst ads in scripted audio, and break down spots from advertisers like BetterHelp, Dave, and (controversially for Ray) Twizzler. What lessons can CAO’s learn from these audio allstars before venturing into these pre-scripted waters? “If you get too cute, too kitschy with it, that could turn people off in the wrong way where they actively dislike the brand.”  Ray Harkins, Senior Account Executive, Wondery Earn your: 60 ⏳ – When your ad is placed next to very tightly scripted audio, different content can be even more glaring. Do you really need the full 60 seconds or are some phrases redundant (gasp) filler? It’s okay to not say everything, as long as what you do say matters to the listener.  Find one Element ☝️ – If for any reason a host can’t read your ad, try a producer. You can try using a musical element from the show or even a show character as well. Fictional podcasts–especially with sensitive material, are high risk, but high reward. Be thoughtful as you draw connections with the show. Pick your Shots – With custom ad creative for scripted shows, give it more thought and do it the right way. Don’t go BIG on more scripted podcasts than you can be thoughtful about. Instead, start small and put as much care into the ads as the creators put into their shows. (And if you need help coming up with ad ideas, just email Stew) Want to learn how to navigate the powerful sound waves of fictional podcasts? Catch the full episode by clicking below. (And please leave an “honest five-star review.”) Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Chief Audio Officers, rejoice! The Media Roundtable is back, covering this week’s top stories in audio… and there’s a LOT to digest. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts fellow Oxford Road luminaries James Ingrassia (EVP, Client Service), Kyle Jelinek (VP, Client Strategy), and Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights). The team is talking: Podscribe’s International moves, Smart Moms, the VC Podcast Rush, Attack of the Clone (Voices), and so much more. Let’s dive in. “You could envisage a future where a run-of-network buy was voiced by the person who’s hosting each individual show through the power of AI.” Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) Radio’s Melting Iceberg – Traditional radio’s steady revenue decline is… still steadily declining. Streaming and Podcast revenue continues to grow, meaning a pivot point is on the horizon, likely in 2026. Total audio revenue should top $20B by then, with podcast and streaming contributions accounting for more than half. The takeaway for CAOs? Radio’s reach is still massive, and deals are still to be had–it’s absolutely worth adding radio to your audio campaign, if the CPMs are right. Send in the Clones – AI Voice Cloning–friend or foe? Thanks to ElevenLabs, users can now clone their own voices with startling accuracy. It’s eerie now, but voice cloning may go mainstream sooner rather than later. The upside for marketers (if we don’t erode trust, and with proper acknowledgment), is that programmatic buys with AI host clones are a possibility for every ad. Our hope? Sonic logo usage when a voice is faked/cloned. Maybe we get DJ Khaled to say “Another CL-ONE?” before each AI ad? And the Emmy goes to… Podcasts?  – YouTube CEO Neal Mohan is pushing hard for creators to get 25% of EGOT (Google it). Creators from MrBeast to Joe Rogan have outsized influence in the culture–should the Emmys recognize them too? This might be a Hollywood fantasy for now, but the takeaway for CAOs is you can’t ignore YouTube’s impact on culture. And the winner is… simulcast? For audio insights into the future (and present) that you won’t find anywhere else, check out our full episode by opening the envelope to the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back, and we’re giving you all the best insights from last week’s IAB Upfronts and our latest Chief Audio Officer Messaging Forum in NYC. Stew Redwine (VP of Creative Services, Oxford Road) hosts fellow Oxford Road audiophiles Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) and James Ingrassia (EVP, Client Service, Oxford Road) with special guests Cassandra LaPrairie (Performance Marketing Lead, Audio, Wise) and Nikhil Arora (Chief Growth Officer, Albert). The team explores: getting the most from your host, Zero-to-One Sonic Branding, A/B Testing that actually works, and more. Let’s jump in. “We live in an age where customers are omnipresent. They’re everywhere. Your brand needs to be omnipresent and Sonic Branding is part of that.” Nikhil Arora (Chief Growth Officer, Albert) The Host with the Most – For a stellar forward the clip to your whole company ad read–try this: Go deep on context and light on copy. For a host onboarding that makes all the difference, talk through your business objectives. Share your goals. Immerse them deep into your product. For tactics on how to best communicate their love of your product to their audience, let the hosts handle it. In fact, we’re experimenting with a minimal ad copy test with just two questions. Speaking of tests… Branches Not Twigs – When it comes to A/B testing, the worst thing is not losing to the control, it’s not getting a definitive answer. When you test, do it with branches, not twigs. Test the changes that are big enough, so you can really see the difference, despite all the variability audio has to offer. Get definitive, clear knowledge (and then test again). Start Where You Are – (Pretty much) Everyone agrees sonic branding is a good thing. We could talk stats for hours, and have on our Ad Infinitum podcast with Stew Redwine, about why your brand should show up sonically with intention. But as we’ve discovered when trying to change the Media Roundtable podcast intro music, thinking sonically is intense. Analysis Paralysis abounds. To go from “0 to 1”, mine your existing sonic assets, get a good enough proof of concept out into the world, and test it against the control. If there’s a lift in performance or recall, great, now make it better. To capture a piece of the audio magic from our CAO Messaging forum, tune into the full episode via the link below. (Not a member of the CAO Club yet? Join HERE for no FOMO.) Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back! This week we’re devoting the episode to one question that every Chief Audio Officer should ask themselves: “What’s the core purpose of Audio in an advertiser’s ecosystem?” Steven Abraham (President, Oxford Road) hosts fellow Oxford Road luminaries Miranda Romano (VP of Media Operations, Oxford Road) and Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road) with special guests Chris Binns, (Chief Strategy Officer, Open X a WPP agency) and Andrea Stillacci (Founder & President, Herezie, Paris). This all-star audio team is talking: $200 headphones, the ultimate sidekick, the value of deep dives, and more. Let’s jump in. “Media is not math. And anyone who’s looking at media from a mathematical perspective is going to end up with the wrong answer and no competitive advantage. Media is human behavior.” Chris Binns, (Chief Strategy Officer, Open X, WPP) Ultimate Sidekick – Audio doesn’t get its fair share of spend (5% of marketing budget vs 25% of audience time spent listening to audio), but in Mark Ritson’s words, it’s the ultimate sidekick. How can CAOs think of audio as a necessity that makes ALL campaigns work harder, instead of audio being just an afterthought? Going Beyond Impressions and Reach – To get the most out of audio, CAOs need to know that audio listenership, especially podcast listenership, looks very different from other impressions. Yes, audio has broad reach, but its real power is in how deeply it touches listeners. As Steven says, Podcasts are paid media’s “closest equivalent [to] word of mouth.” Don’t Swim, Dive – Get past maintenance-level marketing. Go deeper into your messaging and the context of your audience to see what’s truly possible with audio. In Andrea’s words, “When you dive, you discover.” Want to understand the power of audio? You owe it to yourself to check out Andrea’s passion: Intrusion project. Check out this gripping 1977 Live Italian broadcast of free radio being shut down by police. To learn more about how audio can enhance your campaigns, tune into our full episode with the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

It’s a brand new episode of the Media Roundtable, and we’re tackling the biggest audio stories of the day: big podcast revenues, platforms too big to quit, and becoming a sports giant. Back on the lead microphone, fresh from hosting Ad Infinitum, is Stew Redwine (VP, Creative Services, Oxford Road). Stew is joined by fellow Oxford Road experts James Ingrassia (EVP, Client Service, Oxford Road) and Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road). Plus we have the world’s favorite Audio Futurologist, James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal). We’re talking: Neil Young getting back together with Spotify, Spotify quiet-quitting the IAB, Audacy’s wide world of sports, and more. Let’s dig in. “You can say you’re compliant, but if there’s no auditing, you’re judging your own homework.” Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road) ‘Young Man’ Takes a Look At His Boycott – Back in 2022, Neil Young boycotted Spotify to protest Joe Rogan’s vaccine misinformation. Now that Rogan is non-exclusive, the boycott makes a lot less sense, since Young’s music appears on multiple platforms where Rogan’s podcast is also found. The takeaways? 1. Hard to beat a tech giant. 2. Non-exclusive deals spread out risk for controversial hosts. Decertified – Spotify quietly lets their IAB certification lapse. They say they’re still compliant, but without a third-party audit, who’s to say? Spotify’s in a position of being bigger than the IAB (which covers a lot more than just podcasts). The IAB has been critical in setting podcasting standards. Maybe it’s time for a separate podcast-focused industry organization. The Next Joe Rogan? – Is comedian Theo Von the next Joe Rogan? A recent article in The Atlantic seems to think so, and our panel believes the podcaster who delves into existential themes with his unmistakable southern drawl and charming backwoods wit may have what it takes. But despite parallels with Rogan’s format, Von’s podcast, This Past Weekend, explores deeper spiritual and philosophical realms, pondering solitude, divine presence, and the allure of darkness. For full breakdowns of these big moves and a whole lot more, hey hey, my my, catch the full episode by tuning into the links below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back with a new episode! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 3 – “Branding with your Eyes Closed.” Host Stew Redwine (Oxford Road’s VP of Creative Services) welcomes an icon whose name is so synonymous with sonic branding, he needs his own Sonic logo. Joel Beckerman is the author of Sonic Boom and Founder of Made Music, an award-winning global sonic branding agency racking up wins with every brand from Tostitos to AT&T. “When we’re creating sonic identity systems, [the] people we’re dealing with are experts in absolutely everything in their job except this.” Joel Beckerman, Founder of Made Music Join Stew and Joel as they cover all the major and minor notes of sonic identity, breaking down radio heavyweights like Whole Foods, Vicks, and Xfinity. Can’t Build a Moat around a Rented Castle – Sonic assets should be ownable. How many times have you heard a music bed that you’ve forgotten the moment the ad ended? How many times have you used tracks like that for your spots? Your brand’s important. Your sonic brand’s important. Take pride in finding a sonic identity that’s ownable and uniquely yours. The Ham Sandwich Factor – A sonic boom moment–a sound that connects with the audience–works even when you’re in the other room making a ham sandwich. It doesn’t happen by accident or all at once. Show up sonically with intention for your audience, again and again, and you won’t have to fight for their attention. Take out the Trash ️ – We’ve all heard ads with sonic overkill and ahem a bit TOO much? That’s called Sonic Trash–where so many sounds flood your brain, that nothing gets through. CAOs, as you figure out your sonic brand, find one key sonic element you want to highlight, and give it a chance to shine. That’s your Sonic Boom. Want more essential insights that’ll stick with you while you’re making lunch? Catch the full episode by indulging below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The Media Roundtable is back, and we’re tackling one of the thorniest, most misunderstood, yet most rewarding aspects of audio advertising: B2B. Our deep dive was inspired by this excellent recent report from Pierre Bouvard (Chief Insights Officer, Cumulus Media | Westwood One) on reaching B2B decision makers through the magic of audio. “You can’t just say, ‘hey, let’s give audio a shot–we’re just going to throw a bunch of money at it and see what happens.’ You really need to hone in on what you expect will happen and what your benchmarks for success are going to be.” Rion Swartz (VP, Brand Marketing, Constant Contact) Hosting again is Oxford Road Founder and CEO Dan Granger, along with Pierre Bouvard and an all-star crew of deep thinkers with extensive B2B chops. ⭐️ James Ingrassia (EVP, Client Service, Oxford Road) ⭐️ Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road), ⭐️ Rion Swartz (VP, Brand Marketing, Constant Contact) Together, they’re talking all things B2B audio including; balancing long-term and short-term plans, why everyone should look beyond business, why good things take time, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive in. Hands in the Air – For B2B, you need to incentivize your hand raises. It’s not enough to say “Call NOW for a free consultation.” What’s truly the highest item of perceived value you can offer your customers? You don’t need to close the deal in one ad, just start the conversation. Especially for bigger ticket items, take the time to develop trust through personal endorsements and relationship-building. Flexibility in audio works wonders. The New Channel Problem – Scaling channels means proving ROI to stakeholders. Rion was fortunate at LegalZoom, because they tested audio successfully before channels multiplied and spending ramped. So what’s a CAO to do? If you’re not in a mature marketing environment, test audio NOW for a cleaner read. Otherwise, Rion recommends media mix modeling, and of course, we’re big believers of our two-tiered survey that has worked wonders for Bambee, a true B2B audio success story. The 18-24-58 Rule – Starting a new campaign but not sure when you’re going to see its impact? Use the rule of thumb Pierre recommends from Gain Theory: 18% the first month. 24% in 2-5 months. 58% in 6 months and beyond. TL;DR, let your audio cook. ‍ After hearing this you’ll not only become a B2B Audio Evangelist, you’ll also know how to make sure ALL of your B2B audio campaigns live up to their potential. Tune into the full episode by engaging the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

This week on the Media Roundtable, we’re bringing you a warm and welcoming fireside chat direct from our recent Chief Audio Officer event in SF. Oxford Road Founder and CEO Dan Granger chats with the one and only Jason Calacanis at our CAO Measurement Forum. Jason’s been shaping the internet for decades as an entrepreneur, angel investor, author, and podcaster, hosting multiple shows, including This Week in Startups and the world-famous All-In Podcast. Together they talk about the age of efficiency, why Brand wins, getting the absolute most from your ads through big swings, and a whole lot more. Let’s dig in. “It’s really about consistently showing people you care and just relentlessly reinforcing that the product or service you provide is getting better too.” Jason Calacanis, Entrepreneur and Podcaster A.D.D.ing Efficiency – It’s the age of efficiency (for at least a little longer). Jason’s framework? See what you can automate, deprecate, or delegate. The things remaining have earned your time and extra effort, especially… Big Swings – For podcasts, if you’ve built a good relationship with hosts, it’s time to ask the question: what big swings can we take? Are there deeper integrations, and weird promotions worth trying – the honest to goodness creative opportunities that come to mind when you ask; “What else should we do?” Jason’s approach: “If you’re going to do 50 ads or 25 ads with a partner podcast, I would ask them; Got any pot sweeteners for us?” Brand Wins – Turns out the secret to building a brand is like building a blog. Jason invokes the advice of Peter Rojas: “Show up every day and don’t quit.” As this age of efficiency transitions into the next era, brands will matter even more. Consumers will remember how your brand has (or hasn’t) been showing up for them, day after day. Pull up a chair at this fireside chat by clicking the hot link below. Want to make sure to attend our next CAO event in person? That’s easy! Just apply here to join our CAO Club! Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

CAOs, did you miss out on Podcast Movement Evolutions last week? We have the cure for your FOMO right here, in an all-new Industry Edition of the Media Roundtable. Join us as we recap the most significant takeaways at this year’s event and distill days of insights into bite-sized chunks. No travel or expense report required. Dan Granger (Oxford Road CEO & Founder) is back on the host microphone, joined by fellow attendees and Agents of Influence Stew Redwine (Oxford Road VP of Creative Services), Giles Martin (Oxford Road EVP of Strategy & Insights), and James Ingrassia (Oxford Road EVP of Client Service). And, we’re beyond pleased to welcome back (albeit with technical difficulties) one of the featured speakers at this year’s event, and frequent MRT special guest, James Cridland, the world’s favorite Audio Futurologist (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal). “To see somebody (Amy Poehler) that has the option of being in any type of media they want, choosing podcasts… is very validating for where we are at with this channel.” Dan Granger (Oxford Road CEO & Founder) We’re talking about why Amy Poehler prefers Podcast as her platform, how Stew Redwine is taller than you might think, why James Cridland’s MowPod shirt may be a collector’s item, and so much more. Let’s listen in. Finding Common Ground – For the first time in a long time, advertisers and content creators are on an equal playing field. Creators are being hit by the perceived loss of downloads and company layoffs, while advertisers are being hit with increasingly higher standards in measurement and performance. As a result, pie-in-the-sky opportunities are experiencing a deeper level of scrutiny, as pathways to growth are becoming the norm. YouTube Saving Live Reads – ​​Inadvertently ▶️ – There appeared to be an aversion to YouTube (overall) at this year’s Evolutions event, with content creators feeling like the video streaming giant is not taking the podcast medium seriously. But content creators are keen to note how baked-in ad reads on YouTube actually expand reach, allowing them to sell more impressions. #SaveTheLiveReads Take the “AI” Out of Audio… – …It’s all about the “U-DO”. Everyone at this year’s event was talking about AI and how it will change our industry.  Stew Redwine so cleverly suggests to those of us in the space, that the personal connection is what has made Podcast successful in the past, and while AI may streamline some processes, it’s what “U DO” that makes the difference. Personal connection will matter even more in our future AI world. For audio insights you won’t get anywhere else, tune into the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

CAOs you are in luck– this week, The Media Roundtable has partnered with GoLocalise to feature their new inter-species translation capabilities IRL. Tune in to hear our panel discuss the top news of the day for the Chief Audio Officer with your fur babies and non-human friends as they learn best practices in Sonic Branding and the stunning new achievements of AI!  This week, Dan Granger (Oxford Road CEO & Founder) is hosting again, joined by fellow Agents of Influence William Guernsey, (Oxford Road Associate Media Director), Tyler Percheron, (Oxford Road EVP of Strategy & Insights), and Warner Foghorn (Oxford Road VP of Client Services). We’re talking; buzzy new alfalfa, which milking machines are the best, and why Moink is the best thing to happen to the family farm since Willie Nelson. “Folks are educating themselves about where and how food is grown – they’re hungry for the truth. Family farmers bring us good food, protect our soil and water, and strengthen our country. The Farm Aid concert is a day for us to honor that truth and keep working for family farmers.” — Willie Nelson Chewing the Cud – 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. Sniff  Out The Bargains – 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. Attempting to Rule The Roost – 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. Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

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. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back with a new episode! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 2 – “Hosts are People Too.” Host Stew Redwine (Oxford Road VP of Creative Services) discusses the importance of advertisers remembering that hosts on the other end of those talking points they’re sending over are human too. He welcomes real host/human Jordy Meiselas, at the top of his game, but always looking to be even better. Jordy’s one of the three Founders of the wildly popular MeidasTouch Network and co-host of The MeidasTouch Podcast. Join them as they break down four ads from BetterHelp which aired on some of the top sports podcasts. Which are better (and which need help, and why)? “I know my audience better than anybody… as long as I can understand where the brand wants me to go with that message, I can find a perfect world to marry the two.” Jordy Meiselas, co-Founder MeidasTouch Network, co-host The MeidasTouch Podcast Impersonal Endorsements ️- Personal endorsements can make a read really sing. Even if a host doesn’t have personal experience with your product, they can still connect authentically with the problem it’s trying to solve and a solution. Stew and Jordy take their best shots–their thoughts earn a place in your next ad. Most Valuable Podcaster – One sports host stands helmet and shoulder pads above the rest when it comes to ad reads. One key tip? Take a moment outside the podcast read to find the right story with a strong connection to the ad.  Telling & Selling ️ – You’ve probably heard “the more you tell, the more you sell” (possibly from us). But Jordy adds a key caveat that anyone creating copy (or reading it) needs to keep in mind: Don’t ramble! Craving more essential insights from both sides of the mic? Catch the full episode by clicking below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Chief Audio Officers, it’s time for an all-new Industry Edition of the Media Roundtable. Dan Granger (Oxford Road Founder & CEO) is back on the host microphone, joined by fellow agents of influence, “Funkle” Kyle Jelinek (Oxford Road VP of Client Strategy) Spencer Semonson (Oxford Road Media Buyer & Planner Extraordinaire), and Neal Lucey (Oxford Road EVP, Strategy & Product).  And we’re overjoyed to welcome back James Cridland, the world’s favorite Radio Futurologist (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal). We’re talking Oscars, why brands need to focus on female listeners and hosts, Rooster Teeth shutting down, whether or not Crime pays, and so much more. Let’s dig in. “If you’re looking for them to make a great impression with your ad, first, you need to make a great impression on the host.” Dan Granger (Oxford Road Founder & CEO) Like Pulling Teeth – Rooster Teeth was a pioneer for YouTube and after 21 years (and being acquired by Discovery) they appear to be closing their doors. We’ve worked with their podcasts for years and have only stellar things to say about them as partners (and how well they performed for clients). The podcast network’s being shopped around–here’s hoping they find a great new home; for CAOs, a strong recommendation to try placements on their shows when they do. The Host with the Most – Spotify is dominant for listening, but also for hosting podcasts. Their free service, Spotify for Podcasts hosted ~31% of all episodes published in February according to Livewire Labs, dwarfing 2nd place Buzzsprout’s 9%. But Spotify for Podcasts is pretty limited for advertising options. In fact, Joe Rogan switched to Spotify’s paid option, Megaphone (#5, 4%), after just a few weeks. Something to watch for CAOs – will Megaphone’s share grow, creating greater advertising opportunities? Crime Pays ️– IAB Australia’s ‘Crime Pays Report’ shows that compared to listening habits, advertisers under-index on true crime podcasts (whoever designed the report clearly had a lot of fun doing it). Advertisers are understandably hesitant to align their brand with challenging contexts, but the study recommends testing the genre with a few ‘how to’ tips, since it’s so effective. Two suggestions for CAOs – match the understated tone and try a light thematic tie-in. There is so much more covered in this episode (including Spencer’s new iPhone-buster) that we can’t cover here–so to get all of the audio insights you won’t get anywhere else, tune into the full episode by engaging with the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

It’s a brand new episode of the Media Roundtable, and for all our Chief Audio Officers, we’re focusing on the other side of the microphone. That’s right, we have a bonafide celebrity podcast host, sitting down with our very own Stew Redwine (Oxford Road VP of Creative Services). Taking time from her busy podcasting schedule is Joanna Robinson. Joanna is a writer, podcaster, and cultural critic for The Ringer appearing on several shows including The House of R (covering all things fandom) and Trial By Content. She’s a former senior writer for Vanity Fair penning multiple cover stories, and in 2019, SyFy dubbed her the “Queen of Game of Thrones.” Together Stew and Joanna cover the intimacy of fandom and podcasts, how brands should write copy that hosts will actually use, plus the joy of long-term sponsorships. Let’s dig in. “[What’s] fascinating about podcasts…  is the idea of intimacy that it creates because people so often listen to podcasts while they’re doing something else… and so then you become this friend in their ear.” Joanna Robinson, Podcaster, Author Fan Service – Hosts with the strongest communities are the strongest advocates for brands. What should CAOs look for in a healthy podcast community? Make sure the host authentically shares their voice–you should know who they are by hearing an episode. Also, are they perceived as welcoming to new members of the community? Even though Joanna’s expertise runs deep for different fandoms she serves, she remains a smart and friendly guide, not a gatekeeper. Killer Copy: Host Edition – Want to make sure your ads sing when hosts read them? Joanna gives 3 tips: In-depth experience = in-depth endorsements. Whenever possible, give hosts the product. Encourage tandem reads. Co-host ad reads are more fun than solo-mode. Five bullet points max. Long copy = bored hosts = bored audience. Simplify, Simplify – Think your product’s complex? Wondering how to explain ‘Game of Thrones’ so a newbie can get it? Whether it’s deep lore or a marketing deck, hosts like Joanna bridge complexity to simplicity. Some advice for CAOs: Stick with a core story that connects and hooks your audience. Sprinkle in the extra details after you’ve made that connection. To be lured deeper into fandom (and no doubt become a Joanna Robinson fan yourself), check out the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

In a brand new episode of the Media Roundtable, we’re going DEEP on data with Podscribe’s Q4 2024 Benchmark report. There’s a treasure trove of insights, so we’re sifting, questioning and transforming them into real action for all of you Chief Audio Officers out there. Back on the host microphone is Oxford Road Founder & CEO Dan Granger, along with fellow Oxford Road luminary Neal Lucey. And we’ve brought back the absolutely best person to break down this report, Pete Birsinger, CEO & Founder of Podscribe. Together we’re talking ad lengths, iOS shake ups, and whether the juice is worth the squeeze for your audio picks. Let’s dig in. “If you are an advertiser who tried podcasting in the last two years, and it wasn’t all that you ever dreamed it would be, it might be time to revisit it soon… because the performance has gotten better.”  Pete Birsinger, CEO & Founder of Podscribe Digging the Download Dip – iOS 17’s change in automatic downloads caused some sensational headlines, showing a drop in downloads (h/t to Pete for leading the charge on highlighting the issue). But this is good news for CAOs. Actual listening impressions haven’t changed, our reporting just got better, and conversions are up. The More You Tell, the More You Sell – Lots of great nuggets on best creative practices from the benchmark (✅ Baked-in, ✅ Host-read), but one that really stands out, is length of ads. Generally, according to the Podscribe data, the longer the ad, the better the performance. Of course, it’s worth testing for yourself to see where your most efficient ad units are (and to see if some clever host thought-starters can stretch the conversation). Metrics and Price – Most of all, now that you know what generally performs better for the industry, you can price it accordingly. All of your audio options can be worth it–at the right price. According to the report, podcast beats streaming (1.4-1.8x), so if you’re paying the same CPM, you’re either getting a great deal on podcast or a bad deal on streaming. Make sure to track your metrics and ask for discounts when you don’t see enough value. (And shoot us a message if you need help!) To see your Q4 in a whole new light, with some bold CAO moves, tune into the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back with a new season! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 1 – “Sound Strategy.” Host Stew Redwine (Oxford Road VP of Creative Services) discusses the importance of strategy in audio advertising and ranks ads from five top audio spenders. But this job is too big for one person, so Stew welcomes Strategist Supreme Mark Pollard–podcast host, author, and CEO of Sweathead. “Either do the hard work of finding words that work hard, or use words that make hard work for everyone else.” Mark Pollard, Author of “Strategy is Your Words” Join Stew & Mark as they break down ads from big names with big budgets–Progressive, Apple, Verizon, AT&T, and Pfizer. The real question: are their strategies sound? Or do they hit a sour note? Respect Your Audience – Progressive showed why they’re not just a big spender, but a big thinker too. Sonically rich, funny, and still effective. Plus thoughtful about their ad context. In a packed commercial break, Progressive was the only ad inviting listeners to stay tuned in. Behind the Logo – Mark’s the owner/creator of a very cool sonic logo for his podcast. How’d he land there? He needed one in line with his love of absurdism, and didn’t want to take himself too seriously. The CAO takeaway? Showing up with a bit of sonic intention is better than showing up with intentions of instant perfection. Inform or Entertain? – Inside every marketer, there are two wolves–one that wants to entertain and one that wants to inform. Which one will win? The one you feed, of course, but the truth is–you need to feed ‘em both. We’ll see which advertiser should divvy up their delicious ad copy more evenly so our wolf pack can thrive. Plus, why advertising in the US is so different than elsewhere, and why it’s an especially exciting time to be a CAO. Kick off Season 2 of your audio ad Masterclass by clicking one of the links below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

In this episode of the Media Roundtable, we’re blowing things up and getting back to our roots–talking with a giant making a ruckus on topics we care about deeply–the fragmentation and polarization of media and impacts on democracy. Back on the host microphone is Oxford Road Founder & CEO Dan Granger, along with fellow Oxford Road luminary Neal Lucey. And joining us for the first time ever is special guest Evan Shapiro. Evan is a Media Cartographer and CEO of ESHAP, with a most fascinating background. He’s an adjunct professor, Former EVP of NBCUniversal Media, the Former President of IFC (thanks for Portlandia, Evan!). His substack, Media War & Peace, is a must-read for Neal and more than 9,000 other subscribers. Together we’re talking about the decades-long decay of trust in news media post-Watergate, our social media echo chambers, and of course, we “follow the money”. Let’s dig in. “I trusted what [the press] were telling me for the most part… and then social media comes along and says; ‘Not so fast democracy!’ and it really just pulls everybody into their corners to never emerge.” Evan Shapiro, Media Cartographer, CEO of ESHAP A New Fairness Doctrine ⚖️– While many of us look at the state of the media and shake our heads (70% of Americans distrusted the media in 2023, flipped from 70% trusting it in the 1970s). Evan looks to Reagan axing the Fairness Doctrine in 1987 and how that opened the door to the vitriol and polarization of our current mindscape.  What would a new Fairness Doctrine look like? What can brands do now to encourage good actors in the space? (A good step forward is our partner Seekr’s civility score.) 26 Words that Control Everything ‍⚖️– Even if you’ve never heard of Section 230, it shapes everything you see on the internet. Basically, companies are not liable for anything ‘other’ people post on their sites. But since companies are still able to profit from misinformation (selling ads next to wildly engaging, manipulative content), the incentive structure is set against being great at moderating content. Imagine how the social media landscape might change if Meta, Google, and others had their own version of a Dominion lawsuit? “Community is Better than Audience” – How does podcast fit into the media landscape? Podcast is still so intimate and niche, there can be enormous trust with hosts, even though trust in media has declined overall. If there’s an upside to the fragmentation of media, it’s that emerging voices and niches can reach an underserved audience, and build a community that wasn’t previously possible. Dive in with us for a fiery, wide-reaching, deeply important discussion. No matter what, you won’t be able to look at media consumption the same, ever again. Tune into the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Attention Chief Audio Officers! We’re back with a very special episode of the Media Roundtable. Dan Granger (Oxford Road Founder & CEO) is hosting, joined by audio heavyweight Bryan Barletta, (Partner & Founder at Sounds Profitable) and Oxford Road’s newest Agent of Influence Nathan Aminian (EVP of Operations, Oxford Road).  We’re talking about what Joe Rogan’s new $250M Spotify deal means for podcasting, and an even bigger deal–Nathan joining us at Oxford Road. Let’s dig in. “You get to a size where there’s a lot more downside in taking on a risk of switching (attribution) partners than upside.” – Dan Granger, Oxford Road Founder & CEO A Quarter Billion and Non-Exclusivity – Rogan and Spotify make it official–the walls are coming down. So much to sift through but in no particular order: If Rogan were an athlete, it’d be the 35th biggest contract ever (Sorry, Steph). A new age of big deals for big podcasters (not just big stars) is upon us. A bigger market with an ad rev-share could mean Spotify feels good about non-exclusivity and getting a piece of that sweet YouTube simulcast revenue. CAOs, ride those coattails. If the JRE is out of your budget, book spots on the shows of JRE guests–they get a whopping 47% bump in engagement–bonus impressions! Oxford Road’s Big Hire – If you’ve been in the audio space, odds are you’ve felt the impact of Nathan Aminian’s analytics leadership at some point. As we announced last week, Nathan recently joined Oxford Road as our new EVP of Operations and he’s already making things happen (in the greatest possible way). We live and die by our data but despite the fact that audio is not in short supply of options that promise an attribution silver-bullet, nothing is perfect (Bryan Barletta’s big compliment to Oxford Road: “I don’t know if I’ve heard of a vendor that you haven’t worked with or have a perspective on.”) With Nathan, Oxford Road is taking a huge leap in our abilities to integrate disparate sources of information together, while lowering dependencies on third-party vendors. Ultimately, we’ll achieve a level of trust and truth that’ll help all of our CAOs make better decisions. Hard not to get excited about that. As always, for audio insights you won’t get anywhere else, tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Chief Audio Officers, welcome back to another raucous episode of the Media Roundtable! Dan Granger (Oxford Road Founder & CEO) is back to host, joined by fellow Agents of Influence Kristen Duenas (Associate Media Director, Oxford Road), Stew Redwine (VP of Creative Services, Oxford Road), and everyone’s favorite Audio Futurologist, James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal).  We’re talking virtual products, the podcast to TV pipeline, Seekr’s new brand safety bet, the next “cool” era of podcasts, and more. Let’s dig in. Hey Brand Spender – Podcast brand spend continues to shift the advertiser landscape. In December 2023 Amazon overtook longtime top advertiser BetterHelp by out-spending everyone. Amazon, the up-and-coming online bookstore, pushed many messages to support their array of sub-brands, but what put them over the edge? Prime Video, particularly to promote their newish addition of Thursday Night Football. If only there was a link between Podcast listening and TV viewing.  Hearing is Seeing? – Right on cue, a new survey by Hub Entertainment Research shows how podcasts can help shape TV two major ways. 50% of podcast listeners are more likely to watch a TV show based on their favorite podcast, and 47% have discovered TV shows via podcasts. Will podcasts be the new tested-IP goldmine like comic books were in years past, or are they a marketing vehicle? Tune in to hear our take.  No Product, No Problem ️ – Backed by UTA and L’Oreal, AI technology startup, Rembrand is showing off their virtual products for simulcasts. Is there any harm with an AI-generated poster on the wall that isn’t actually there? TBD, but as the technology improves the line separating real or not continues to blur. A challenge in an industry based on authenticity and trust. …And that’s just scratching the surface of what the team covers in this episode. For audio insights you won’t get anywhere else, tune into the full episode by clicking the link below. But before you jump in, we’d like to officially announce the hiring of Nathan Aminian, EVP of Operations here at Oxford Road. Nathan’s leadership and technical prowess will undoubtedly strengthen our competitive advantage in data analysis, measurement, and attribution strategy. We couldn’t be happier to have him join our team. Read more about Nathan and his plans to take Oxford Road to the next level HERE. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Ad Infinitum, the world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back with a very special Season 1 Finale. Presenting Episode 7 – “It’s All in the Execution.” Host Stew Redwine (Oxford Road’s VP of Creative Services) welcomes two Sound Strategists; Steve Keller, Sonic Strategy Director for SXM Media’s Studio Resonate, and Bjorn Thorleifsson, Head of Research & Insights at amp sound branding, to discuss the 9th and final Audiolytics™ Key Component: Execution. In short, does every word count? “[Sonic strategy] is the blending of sound science with sound art in order to help us make sound decisions.” – Steve Keller, Sonic Strategy Director, SXM Media’s Studio Resonate Join us as we try and feast on a combo of the best audio ads McDonald’s has to serve up. Are we “lovin’ it” or are these arches made of fools’ gold? Caveats about Disclaimers – When you have a lot of words that don’t need to count, how do you still make them count? Instead of breaking the ad and switching talent as McDonald’s does for their disclaimer, try delivering it in character or adding in an extra sonic element afterward. Make sure the last morsel of your ad doesn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth.  That’s a Mouthful – How can you change up the quality of vocal delivery? In one spot that dives into the ASMR experience for Mickey D’s, there’s a missed opportunity to do an ad read while actually eating a burger. How can the way talent performs the copy be an extra part of the execution? The Secret Sauce ⌛️- Channeling back to our episode on Scarcity (listen now, it could go away any minute!) making an offering scarce, like the limited-time mambo sauce, makes it feel like an urgent event you need to take part in. How do they do it, and how can you take the knowledge to your brand? We have thoughts for you to chew on. Plus a deep dive on how to show up sonically on a massive scale (and how strict you need to be with your sonic brand standards). Sounds good? Complete Season 1 of your Audio Ad Infinitum Masterclass by clicking below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Chief Audio Officers, the Media Roundtable’s back with a roundup of all the industry news you need to know  up this week, preserving and celebrating audio quirks. On the host microphone again is Oxford Road Founder and CEO, Dan Granger. Joining him are fan-favorites Kyle Jelinek (Oxford Road VP of Client Strategy), James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal), and special guest Scott MacDonell, (Former Oxford Road Managing Director and 5x Oxford Road client ).  “We’re chasing something that’s easier to transact, but not nearly as valuable as what they could be selling.” – Dan Granger, Oxford Road founder and CEO We’re talking-stretching ad budgets through digital audio, getting IAB de-certified, the foretold rise of programmatic, and more. Let’s dig in. Getting with the Program(matic)? – Programmatic audio spend is expected to double by the end of 2025 to $4B. But CAOs… tread with caution: programmatic has nowhere near the impact compared to host reads – It threatens to devalue the audio content it’s interrupting by cramming it full of impersonal ads. Turning podcasts into radio with skippable ads is no one’s dream. This Time I Mean It… – 10 companies are in line to lose IAB certification after being uncertified for over a year. The IAB made strides in standardizing the podcast industry, maybe it’s time for an audio-specific organization to give the industry a core and preserve its unique flavor. YouTube’s Podcast Era ▶️ – As promised, RSS feeds are a go for YouTube. As it is for all things audio, there are some quirks and caveats. There are no dynamically inserted ads allowed, and although an October 2023 study showed YouTube as the most used channel for podcast consumption, viewing/listening habits… volume might be very different. The takeaway? For creators and CAOs, YT’s a big enough player to warrant adding it to your audio toolbelt, especially if you want a baked-in ad buy to show off a visually deserving product. If you’re short on time, recaps of some of these stories and more are below, but for audio insights you won’t find anywhere else, tune in to the full episode by clicking one of the links below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Chief Audio Officers, as we plan for 2024, it’s the perfect time to go back and see how well we predicted audio in 2023. Because as Churchill said; “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” So how did Oxford Road do on our 2023 predictions? TL;DR, scary good. Like a 90% hit rate. And not to toot our own crystal ball, but for all the CAOs who care about where audio is heading, you’ll want to hear what we think is coming down the RSS feed in 2024. Hosting the Media Roundtable once more is Oxford Road Founder and CEO, Dan Granger, joined by fellow Podcastradamuses James Ingrassia, Spencer Semonson, and Stew Redwine. “[Audio] is the last kitchen table conversation that exists in this country.” Dan Granger, Founder and CEO of Oxford Road So, let’s recalibrate our crystal ball and make a full tarot deck’s worth of bold predictions that’ll no doubt shape your year and budgets. 1. Grading our Homework We made 10 predictions at the beginning of 2023 and 9 came true (the 10th was about an emerging remnant marketplace–we think we’re still right on it happening, but wrong on the timing). Some of our top-called shots: The Age of Verification ✅- We predicted a significant focus on ad delivery verification with more emphasis on where ads land in podcasts and standardizing verification– that hit in a BIG way. Brand Safety and Suitability – We said the tools were coming to make it safe for big brands to enter the podcast space and they absolutely arrived. Big Brand Bucks – We predicted a shift from D2C to brand advertisers (helped by the brand safety tools) and that happened in a very real and measurable way. 2. How we see 2024 To help you make better choices (and also hold our feet to the fire come 2025) we’ve compiled one handy source of truth of all our expert predictions for 2024. What kind of 2024 are we tuned into? There’s strong agreement that listenership (and revenue) will go up in aggregate (h/t to an election year). CPMs and Content Investment look to trend down, thanks in part to radio’s melting ice cube and production companies trying not to get burned… again. For the industry, we’re betting that chaos prevails over standardization. Plus, our experts are calling some other big shots for 2024: ⚖️ We’re counting down to the first advertiser sued for a fake AI endorsement. (To make sure it’s not you, Dan’s advice is a good starting point: “Don’t pay somebody to say that they did something they didn’t actually do.”) 2024: the year of HDYHAU – because you need attribution that won’t get destroyed when Google changes its policy. Not satisfied merely dominating all things music, Taylor Swift will launch a podcast that crushes all others (Sorry, New Heights). For full breakdowns of these bold predictions and a whole lot more (including Oxford Road’s hot dog marketing experiment and Spencer’s lasting anti-iPhone bias) listen to the full episode by clicking the link below. For a full, detailed report on all of our 2024 predictions, click here. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

Welcome to 2024, Chief Audio Officers! Podcasting is now old enough to order a beer. And of course, the Media Roundtable is back to prepare you for what looks to be a very eventful year in audio. Back as host is Oxford Road founder and CEO, Dan Granger. And by popular demand, we’ve brought back the Wizard of NYU, Steven Goldstein (founder and CEO at Amplifi Media). We’re talking about the big money questions of audio: from CPMs to content investments, and why our theme music is so terrible on this podcast. How low will radio sink, and how high will podcast climb? And in an election year that promises to be anything but boring, how wide of a berth will advertisers give to all things political? Let’s put our ears to the crystal ball and see what it tells us. “Radio is a melting ice cube, and the good news is it takes a while for that ice cube to melt.” – Steven Goldstein of Amplifi Media Marketer-Friendly CPMs – You heard it here first. We’re predicting audio, on the whole, see lower CPMs, especially in radio (big melting ice cube) and streaming (pixelpocalypse). If you can prove ROI pixel-free (oh, and we have THOUGHTS) you might get to take advantage of this tailwind in 2024. Media Roundtable Music Found Wanting – Steve pulls no punches and piles on the mounting chorus of voices asking us to change our theme music. And like a true friend, offers to help us find something better. Finding your Niche – On the content side we’re seeing a couple of trends. No more dumb up-front money, but possibly a race to the bottom with some very cheap “zoo crew” style podcasts that contribute to the radio fiction of the space. Our money bet? Look for niche content that’s not trying to be mass-market. You can go outside the relatively stable top 20 shows and find a perfect match for your audience. And maybe still True Crime? The genre keeps killing it after all these fiscal quarters. Election Year Marketing: Ride Waves, Don’t Wipe Out – Elections are on the horizon, and with it, a lot of engagement on some very polarizing content. Marketers will need to get more sophisticated with brand safety and suitability to surf the chop. One partner plug? Seekr’s Civility Score, which might be a figurative and literal lifesaver. For full breakdowns of these bold predictions and a whole lot more, tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

It’s that time of year when you don’t really know what day it is and probably haven’t worn real shoes in days (hopefully). But 2024 is right around the corner and there’s work to be done! So with one ear to the past and one to the future, we’ve assembled an unparalleled group of audio journalists and industry experts. And what’s more, they’re taking strong positions on 2024 trends that we’ll 100% hold them to (well, mostly). Back on the host microphone is Oxford Road Founder & CEO, Dan Granger with the World’s Favorite Radio Futurologist James Cridland, along with Ariel Shapiro (Lead Reporter, Hot Pod) and Skye Pillsbury, (Author of The Squeeze). We have some of the most informed and spiciest takes ever on this show. On the docket, we have: Video Podcast – terrible term, or convenient catch-all? Rogan and Spotify – should he stay or should he go? And, whether the audio industry will feel productive pain in 2024, or just the regular kind . Let’s dig in. “To… refer to videos of podcasts as podcasts–every time that happens, a little piece of me dies.” – Skye Pillsbury, Author of The Squeeze Keeping it Simple ‍♀️– The movement of the industry is towards complexity, making it a mess for brands to navigate. (See the variety of “standards” between networks) So even if calling videos of podcasts on YouTube “podcasts” breaks your brain, it’s probably better for all of us to stretch and put it under the podcast umbrella. Otherwise, the industry fragments and gets even more complex. Better that it’s held together with duct tape than not at all. The End of Exclusives? – In a similar move, we haven’t seen many exclusive deals in 2023 and we think 2024 will follow. Eliminating the caveat of “only on ____” is at least one thing listeners and buyers shouldn’t have to worry about. It’s hard enough to find an audience when you can be everywhere–no need to make it harder by showing up in “only” one place (TBD what happens with Joe Rogan and Spotify). No Pain, No Gain – Back to those so-called standards. We think rule shifts, changes, and chaos will continue between publishers in 2024, but if and when we’re “sick and tired of being sick and tired” we might work toward something a little more cohesive in the future. It might be another full year before we bring such a powerhouse group of industry experts together again. Soak up their wisdom while you can and listen to the full episode by clicking the link below.  Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

We hope you’re stocking up on holiday cheer and doing your last minute shopping because the season’s almost over! Why are we inciting panic? Because it’s time to talk about ads and scarcity. That’s right, the world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back with a special edition–a very limited-time offer! We’re covering the Audiolytics™ key components of offer, scarcity, and path. Presenting Ad Infinitum Episode 6 – “Why Now?” Host Stew Redwine (Oxford Road’s VP of Creative Services) welcomes Amanda DiMarco, VP of Client Success at Veritonic, who has unparalleled expertise in understanding why people do (and don’t) act after hearing audio ads. “At the end of the day, the consumer wants to have a perceived value–a sense of; “I won, I got this great deal.” – Amanda DiMarco, VP of Client Success, Veritonic Join us as we talk about compelling offers, clear CTAs, and the urgency to act before it’s too late. And what’s fast becoming our favorite Ad Infinitum tradition, we’re breaking down top spending creative from Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Whole Foods, and Macy’s. Let’s see which ones have been naughty and nice. ‘Tis the Season Of Promos – No offer, no deal. In a recent study, 76% of frequent podcast listeners expect a discount code of some kind. Knowing these expectations, how do you make sure you’re not showing up for your customers empty-handed? Equal Cost ≠ Equal Value ⚖️– It pays to test different versions of the same offer. $5 off, 2 for 1, and 50% off isn’t necessarily valued the same way by customers, even if it costs the same. We Crown a Champion – One ad absolutely crushed the others this week, and might just have the highest score of any Ad Infinitum ad. The Four Keys? High energy, early and often brand mention, a strong CTA and a stand-out offer. Want to finally understand why some ads instantly move your hand to your wallet and some don’t move you at all? Listen now before this episode is removed forever on December 31st. Listen to the whole episode (and complete lesson #6 of your audio ad masterclass) by clicking below.  Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

2023 was a BIG year for all things audio. The Media Roundtable takes an inside look at the stories and trends shaping the soundwaves. Back on the host microphone is Oxford Road Founder & CEO, Dan Granger with fellow agents of influence James Ingrassia, Spencer Semonson, and Stew Redwine. We’re taking stock of this landmark year in audio with a special look at the so-called Podcrash, the industry impact of big brands and big brand bucks, YouTube’s surprise rise as the top place for podcast discovery, and a whole lot more. Let’s dig in. “Audio is its own unique language. It has shades of digital, shades of influencer, shades of traditional media–it is all of them and it is none of them.” – Dan Granger, Oxford Road Founder & CEO Big Brands, Big Bucks, Big Mistakes? – Just as we called the end of “dumb money” with the end of big, exclusive celebrity podcast deals, the shift to brand advertisers is also changing the industry. Big brands entering the space should lift all boats, but the new companies don’t have a Chief Audio Officer who understands how very different audio can be, meaning those brand dollars could exit the industry as quickly as they entered. Authenticity and AI – You can’t talk 2023 without discussing the leaps AI has made. Clone voices are out there–but when a host can endorse anything without really endorsing it, what does that do to trust? Similar to how live sports is a bulwark against ad skipping on TV, we’re calling out authentic, bespoke host reads on audio as a stronghold of trust with audiences. YouTube: Not An Afterthought ▶️– According to a Cumulus Media and Signal Hill report, YouTube is the top place for Podcast discovery. Podcasters doing YouTube right is now a niche element of our niche industry. Still, if brands can recognize and utilize the right partners, the ongoing discoverability of episodes (and baked-in ads) could be huge. It’s going to take the right sherpa to guide those campaigns in 2024. Which industry-shaking waves have crashed, and which are just beginning? For every CAO steering a brand through rough waters, you owe it to yourself to tune into the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here: Spotify Listen Here: Apple

With 2023 almost over, it’s time for the Media Roundtable to look back at the big shifts we’ve seen in the industry. Hosting this week is Oxford Road Founder & CEO, Dan Granger, with special guest, Steven Goldstein, an internationally recognized executive leader in the audio space. Steven is the Founder & CEO of Amplifi Media, an audio innovation firm shaping sound waves since the early days of podcast. Steven’s also behind the top branded podcast in the US, and he’s an NYU professor teaching “The Business of Podcasting”, the first of its kind course at a major university. As we look back on a wild year, we’re going beyond the RSS feed, investigating the end of “dumb money,” and what, if anything, advertisers should do on AM/FM radio. Let’s dig in. “The biggest impediment for radio… is that they want this to be profitable on Tuesday. And it’s not going to be profitable on Tuesday. It’s going to take a couple of years.” – Steven Goldstein of Amplifi Media Bad News/Good News ⚖️ – The audio world mirrored a lot of industries this year and was certainly not immune to layoffs (Spotify just cut another 17% of their workforce). While it’s easy to get swept up in the bad news, there’s still incredible opportunity here, companies are just trying to adjust to take advantage of it–growing too big, then pulling back. What will survive in the post-dumb money era? Look to high-value, high-awareness content, a la the “Grid of Pain“. No Toothpaste Podcasts, Please – This year, it seems every company pondered if they should do a podcast. Sometimes it’s aspirational–maybe they want to connect with their customers, but the relationship isn’t really there yet… and perhaps never will be. (We can just buy your toothpaste–it doesn’t need to be a lifestyle choice.) That said, if you have a niche that’s being underserved, there might be value there! Just don’t bet the farm on it or assume everyone will line up immediately and fall in love with your show. Multi-Platform Mastery – The future is “any audience, anywhere.” Podcasts don’t need to be on just one platform, because podcast apps aren’t binary–72% of listeners use more than one app. Listeners might check in on YouTube but listen elsewhere. Or they might consume a clip on TikTok. In 2023, some of the most successful podcasts were the ones meeting their audience in their preferred media space. Dive in with us and take one last look at audio in 2023 (and get ready for a look ahead to 2024 in January). For full breakdowns of these stories and a whole lot more, tune into the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here

This week, we shift focus from our Media Roundtable podcast to another near and dear to our hearts; Ad Infinitum. Yes, the world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back with a must-listen episode. Presenting, Ad Infinitum Episode 5 – “Trust Factories, or Illusions of Credibility”. Host Stew Redwine (Oxford Road’s VP of Creative Services) welcomes Richard Shotton, author of “The Choice Factory” and “The Illusion of Choice”. Richard has written extensively on consumer behavior and is a renowned thought leader in the advertising space, applying findings from psychology and behavioral science to help people make better marketing choices. “Don’t think you have to solve these problems yourselves–there’s 130 years of experiments into how to persuade people more effectively.” – Richard Shotton, author of “The Choice Factory” Join Stew and Richard as they try to answer the age-old question, “Why should I trust you?” They also break down top-spending creative from Bank of America, Babbel, Vick’s, and Upside. Getting Precise – Hear the one study that proves why “47%” hits harder than “around 50%.” Lightning-Bugs vs Lightning⚡️– The right word makes all the difference. Audience associations with the words we choose (say Vick’s gummies vs supplements) have a big impact. (h/t to Mark Twain) An Honor Just To Be Nominated – How you show up is part of the message. Your audience knows if you’re spending big on ads and that costly signaling helps your credibility. If you want to understand why some ads just “feel” more trustworthy than others, you absolutely should hear the 7 influential studies in this episode that shape your trust every day (including right now). Listen to the whole episode (and complete lesson #5 of your audio ad masterclass) by clicking below. Watch Here Listen Here

Happy Thanksgiving Chief Audio Officers–We’ve got a lot to be thankful for, including an all new episode of Media Roundtable: Industry Edition! Hosting our auditory feast is Oxford Road Founder & CEO, Dan Granger, with fellow Oxford Road celebrants, Jennifer Laine, Spencer Semonson, and Stew Redwine. We’re talking brands and politics, Spotify’s surprising podcast trend report, and the quarter-trillion marketing engine. Pass the stuffing and let’s dig in. Less is More? : Cut 10 words of ad copy and boost performance. That’s what a UK report from Colourtext says, correlating smaller word count in ads with higher creative standout scores, and higher web traffic. For us, file this one under “good tip” instead of “creative silver bullet.” Trim the fat in your ads, for sure, but if they’re already lean, cut too deep and you hit bone. “Ouch!” Comedy is King : Spotify released a new report showing comedy ranks #1 for podcast genres, accounting for 35% of all listening hours. Not testing comedy yet? Could be a good time to start. Comedy’s a smart performance play, due in no small part to how well the format transfers to video, and the intimate long-term relationships comedic hosts build with their audience. Under the Influence ️: Goldman Sachs values the Creator economy at $250B, and expects it to double in 5 years. Influencer marketing is shifting from afterthought to campaign centerpiece with agencies taking notice. Two things to keep in mind. 1. Work with people who care about bottom-of-funnel metrics to prove out ROI. 2. Invest in longer term relationships. The difference between one-off collabs and ongoing partnerships (like in podcasts) is huge. For full servings of these stories and all the sides, dive into the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here

We’re back with an all new episode of Media Roundtable: Industry Edition! Back on the host microphone is Oxford Road Founder & CEO, Dan Granger. Joining him are fellow Oxford Road luminaries, Neal Lucey, Julia Palermo, and Kyle Jelinek. We’re talking big brand bucks, Bill Gates’s new AI podcast picker, podcasting from behind bars, and streaming audio–the quiet juggernaut. Let’s dig in. The Land of Brands : A new IAB report says 61% of podcast spend now comes from brand advertisers. Partial credit goes to the massive increase in brand safety and suitability tools (now used by ~2/3rds of publishers). Are advertisers supporting a new influx of brand-worthy shows? Love to see it. But we hope the industry doesn’t shift too far away from the performance side. At the end of the day, all the ads still need to work. Bill Picks Pix ✅: Discoverability isn’t always a Podcast’s strong suit, but that might change with Pix, a free personalized AI-powered recommendation tool from Likewise (backed by Bill Gates). Hard to say if this is a game changer or a nice occasional tool for cutting down decision paralysis, but it works for Podcasts, books, movies, and TV. Streaming FTW : Streaming audio doesn’t always get the buzzy headlines like Podcast, but it’s been growing steadily as radio’s continued to decline. A new Edison/Amazon Ads study shows that 3/4 of US Adults have recently listened to streaming (a 74% increase over the past decade). Plus, it’s a huge advertising opportunity reaching 78% of monthly listeners with ad-supported content. For full breakdowns of these stories and a whole lot more, tune into the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here

Calling all Chief Audio Officers–it’s time for another all new episode of the Media Roundtable: Special Edition! To give you the tools to ask the right questions, we’re bringing you a deep dive into an issue that has plagued the industry since its inception – “What is a Download?” And we couldn’t ask for a better group of guides on this journey. Making his hosting debut is longtime guest, Oxford Road EVP of Strategy & Insights, Giles Martin. Joining him are fellow Oxford Road luminary and VP of Media Operations, Miranda Romano, along with special guests Bryan Barletta, Partner and Founder at Sounds Profitable, and Pete Birsinger, CEO & Founder of Podscribe. The question of “What is a Download?” is a surprisingly tricky one. Our industry leaders have worked hard to ensure our podcast compasses are pointing north (or as close to it as possible). This is the story of how they did it and what’s next for CAOs navigating with these same tools. Download Schmownload? – Having the common language of downloads–what counts and what doesn’t, are key infrastructure investments in the industry. If podcasting were the “wild west”, having standards on accurately measuring listening intent across all publishers would be the road that makes commerce possible. Get a crash course to understand the work that leaders like Bryan and Pete have already put in to make it happen. The Data Tells The Story – What do you do when you start seeing discrepancies in data that you can’t ignore? That’s the situation Pete found himself in, looking over download data that enabled a coalition of podcasting experts to find an automatic download issue from Apple that was skewing the numbers. Any CAOs who’ve had to risk being wrong can surely relate. What to do? First steps: explore alternative explanations and collaborate with outside experts. The Long Tail ⏳- Apple has fixed the auto download issue in iOS 17, but because adoption of iOS 17 is slower than expected, how long will it be until we get to a more realistic download count? And how should podcasters and advertisers handle ad buys while we wait for a better source of truth? The answer to the “What is a Download” question is still not definitive, but thanks to the panel on today’s episode, we’re closer than ever before. To add “Podcast Download Savvy” to your CAO’s toolbox, check out the full episode by clicking the link below. Watch Here Listen Here

Calling all Chief Audio Officers–it’s time for another all-new episode of the Media Roundtable: Special Edition! Leading us once again is Oxford Road Founder and CEO Dan Granger. Joining him are fellow Oxford Road Experts Miranda Romano, James Ingrassia, Jennifer Laine, and Giles Martin. Last week in New York, Oxford Road hosted the Chief Audio Officer Measurement Forum. There were so many good takeaways that we knew we needed to share our learnings with the wider CAO community. We’re talking Verification, Brand Safety & Suitability, and a team favorite–Attribution. Let’s get in the weeds as we distill insights from 20 or so CAOs just like you. “The old is evaporating very slowly, and the new is trying to find its footing, but nothing is quite where it’s going to land for a long period of time.” – Dan Granger, Oxford Road Founder and CEO There’s a Dashboard for That – For Verification, we asked the CAOs, “What are your dream metrics?” and a lot of those measurements already exist–just maybe not in the most visible way. If, like many of our CAOs, you want impressions over time or audience overlap, you should be able to get that data. So, speak up! (Words to live by: “Closed analytical mouths don’t get fed.”) Getting the right pieces in place (tracking-wise) can help tease out potential cases of delivery fraud. Brand Safety Grows With You – Polling our CAOs, the companies that cared more about Brand Safety & Suitability were major brands, and the ones who prioritized performance above everything else were smaller brands. It makes sense that risk appetite and Market Cap are inversely correlated, since the more brand equity you have, the more you have to lose. The best advice for everyone in the room, regardless of size? Have a plan for a media crisis before your brand is in hot water. (And if you need help making a plan, we’d love to help). Attribution – It’s a wild time for Attribution! For a while, there’s been an arms race for pixels to solve everything, and increasingly it looks like pixels will not be our Attribution panacea. There’s news of Google hiding IPs in Chrome going forward, and Facebook and Google are pushing open-source AI market mix modeling tools instead. Likewise, for our CAOs, nobody relied exclusively on their pixels for Attribution, but data points like an auto-populating post-purchase survey are immensely powerful. If you’re feeling the FOMO and wish you could have been a part of last week’s event, you can sign up to be a part of the next one HERE. For full discussions of these topics and a whole lot more, check out the full episode by clicking the link HERE.

Hello Chief Audio Officers, it’s time for another all new episode of the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition! Back on the lead microphone is fearless host Jennifer Laine. Joining her are fellow Oxford Road luminaries, Kyle Jelinek, Steven Abraham, and Stew Redwine. We’re talking podcast merch straight from Spotify, sports fans in audio, and AI shenanigans. Let’s dig in. In Pod We Trust : A new Acast study shows that podcasters are now the most trusted media personalities, with half the podcast listeners saying they trust podcasts more than any other type of media channels. Spotify & Shopify? Sounds Like : Spotify is rolling out a custom merch store for podcasts (shoutout to Oxford Road client Shopify for powering it all). What does it mean for marketers? Well integrated revenue for shows might mean hosts aren’t as reliant on ad sales, so fewer discounts during lean times. At the same time, this builds a more sustainable business for podcasters and ensures they endorse products influencers truly believe in. We’re optimistic. Virtual Fools, Real Learnings : When Stew Redwine’s not hosting Ad Infinitum, produced by Oxford Road Creative Services Producer Caitlyn Spring, he’s teaming up with our Creative & Financial Services Administrator Morgan Gonsoski to create Virtual Fools—the first podcast named, written, and hosted purely by AI. Virtual Fools is created utilizing Descript, ChatGPT, WellSaid Labs, and more. It’s a great testing ground for what AI tools can and can’t do well. For a creepy and compelling hike through this uncanny valley, we recommend the true crime episode. For full breakdowns of these stories and a whole lot more, tune into the full episode by clicking here.

This week, we’re back with an all new episode of Media Roundtable: Industry Edition! Commandeering the host microphone for the first time with authority is Oxford Road Media Buyer and self described “all around menace” Spencer Semonson. Joining her are fellow Oxford Road experts, Neal Lucey, Julia Palermo, and Stew Redwine, along with our preeminent radio futurologist, James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal). We’re talking ad skipping, a strategy turnaround for a major podcast producer, and how to use holiday creative to make spirits (and ROI) bright. Let’s dig in. YouTube Hits Play (and Skip) : YouTube is rolling out RSS ingestion this week to take a bigger slice of the podcast pie. The catch? No ads allowed. So, if it’s baked in, it’s not allowed, and if you want to buy ads on YouTube, you still have to go through Google. TBD how it all shakes out. “UK Skippers–” ⏩: Nearly half of UK listeners skip ads, according to a YouGov survey. While ad tolerance may vary across the pond (the US is more used to audio ads), we have a tip from the panelists. Our consensus is to buy mid-rolls over pre-roll because skipping an ad when you’ve just pressed play and your device is still at your fingertips is much easier. By the time mid-rolls come along, taking your phone out of your pocket again to skip an ad is less likely to happen. Podcast Is Good, But Needs Mayhem : Industry milestone unlocked podcasting is now featured in a pitch-perfect ad from Allstate. Not a bad fringe indicator of Podcasting’s rising star as it shapes the cultural conversation. We eagerly await the unlikely sequel where the podcast enthusiast talks to Mayhem and recommends Ad Infinitum. For full breakdowns of these stories and a whole lot more, tune into the full episode by clicking HERE.

“Don’t make podcast ‘radio.’” – Dan Granger, Oxford Road CEO & Founder This week on the Media Roundtable: Special Edition, we present a rebroadcast of Oxford Road CEO Dan Granger‘s address from Podcast Movement 2023, “A Decade of Defiance,” with participation from Oxford Road founding team members, Gary Brown and Miranda Romano. For the full effect, we highly recommend checking out the video version on YouTube–there are some great visuals along the way you won’t want to miss. This may be the most important message we’ve put out to the market to date. The talk offers insights gathered from hard-won experience and Oxford Road’s first ever Chief Audio Officer Summit held earlier this year. We’re tracing Podcasting’s disruptive origins while taking today’s new challenges (from Brand Safety to AI) as an opportunity to disrupt ourselves again. Because if we don’t, we risk turning Podcasts into “Radio 2.0.” Let’s dig in. Brokering Trust – “Not everything that is artificial belongs in an authentic medium like audio,” says Dan. Podcasting is an industry built on trust– an intimate connection from host to audience, sharing what’s important to them.  What guidelines can we use with programmatic and synth voices to improve the inefficient, genuine connections that make audio special, without destroying it? Responsible, Not Restricted – One of the best things about podcasts? They give space to voices and communities that didn’t exist in radio. The goal isn’t to create unnecessary restrictions on what people can say but to accurately label who’s being responsible with their platforms. Tools like Seekr’s Civility Score give advertisers an “audio nutrition label” for better transparency about who they’re supporting. Giving Podcast Its Fair Share ️ – “Podcasting will never capture its full share of media allocation without third party verification,” says Miranda Romano (VP Media Operations, Oxford Road). This, along with listen-through rates and placement transparency, are the pillars of clear measurement standards that will help grow the industry past $2B. If you were at Podcast Movement in August, this is a perfect opportunity to watch our presentation again, without a negroni induced hangover. If you missed this year’s event, for the full effect, work on getting a negroni hangover, and to digest all the industry insights distilled from a “decade of defiance” in the audio advertising industry. Listen Here

Today’s your lucky day! We’re back with a double dose of audio insights! First, we’re rounding up the news you may have missed on an all new episode of Media Roundtable. Taking the host microphone for a spin is MRT fan-favorite and Oxford Road Associate Media Director Kristen Duenas, along with fellow Oxford Roadies, Neal Lucey, Ricardo Martinez, and Spencer Semonson. We’re talking AI translation, some good news for radio, top Brit Pods, and the immense Hispanic podcast audience. Let’s dig in. Podcasts Speak Your Language : Spotify’s AI Voice Translation means your favorite podcasts may soon talk to you in your mother tongue. (h/t Podnews) The feature doesn’t merely translate; it keeps the essence of the podcaster’s voice intact. Pros: Using AI to bridge language gaps and make global podcasts more accessible. Cons: YMMV. On Armchair Expert, Dax’s accent was a lot better than Kristen’s. Radio Strikes Back  : TV’s loss the audio world’s gain? Production delays from the longstanding Writers/Actors Strike still have viewers turning down the TV volume, and amplifying audio from podcasts and radio. The content void in fall TV programming is a golden opportunity for podcasts. Marketers, this might be your cue to shift focus and test the waters, but it may be a case of leading the witness. The Taylor Effect  : All Hail Queen T Swift? Travis Kelce’s podcast (co-hosted with brother Jason) “New Heights” is reaching just that, thanks to an influx of Swifties. Advertisers always keep an ear to the ground– current events can trigger unexpected gains. In short, make sure you’re ready. For full breakdowns of these stories and a whole lot more, tune into the full episode by clicking the link here.

Plus, for an embarrassment of riches, we present Ad Infinitum Episode 4 – “Demonstrated = Persuaded.” This is the only podcast all about how audio ads work, and it does not disappoint. This week, host Stew Redwine (Oxford Road’s VP of Creative Services) welcomes a Powerhouse Panel from across the Podcast Polyverse – Amelia Coomber (Head of Marketing at PodScribe, Host of Make Better), Adam McNeil, (VP of Marketing at ADOPTER Media, Host of Make Better), Arielle Nissenblatt, (Head of Community and Content at Squadcast.fm) and Paul Riismandel (Chief Insights Officer, Partner at Signal Hill).  “We are most persuaded when we consider a thing demonstrated.” – Aristotle Join Stew and crew as they break down top-spending creative from HelloFresh, BetterHelp, Angi, and Instacart. Did they demonstrate, and are we persuaded? It Demonstrates Too Much, Methinks – Which ad gets dinged for explaining too much about how things work, so you can’t retain a thing? Curtain’s Up – Which ad makes the most of theater of the mind, helping the listener truly imagine what it’s like to use their product? Off-Target – There’s no perfect ad, just a perfect ad for the audience. We get into the nitty gritty of why one ad might have been perfect for the 30-something crowd… but the podcast it was on has an audience about 10 years younger. If you’ve never understood why some ads have moved you and others haven’t, you owe it to yourself to hear the experts grade these ads (and offer key fixes). Listen to the whole episode (and complete lesson #4 of your audio ad masterclass) by clicking here.

If you’re an audio advertiser, this week’s podcast may be the most relevant episode we’ve ever had. As we continue to highlight our favorite sessions from this summer’s Chief Audio Officer Summit, this week we’re excited to share one of the most dynamic discussions of the event: the Attribution Panel. Regular listeners to the podcast know the team at Oxford Road has some BIG thoughts on attribution. This panel was the perfect way to expand the conversation by bringing in some of our expert CAO partners.  “Sometimes simpler is better, even though it doesn’t make you feel as smart.” – Paul Hillen, VP, Performance Marketing, SKIMS Our very own Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) moderates the panel of audio attribution veterans including; Paul Hillen (VP, Performance Marketing, SKIMS), Vanessa Stark (Senior Marketing Manager, Performance Marketing, Instacart), and Jessica Tennant (SVP of eCommerce, Hello Bello). They’re some of the best in knowing what their audio ad dollars are up to, so let’s see what they’re doing right–and where they could do better. Remember to Sell Internally  – As marketers, we sell to consumers all the time, but selling to stakeholders? Not so much, yet it’s so important. Whether you’re talking to a longtime marketer or a novice, we have tips on how to structure the conversation to make your audio sing. Triangulate Everything  – Is there a perfect data point? No. But mixing together post surveys, vanity URLs, promo codes, and more can go a long way to help you (and your stakeholders) feel confident you’re moving in the right direction. Our marketers share their approaches (and yup, they’re all different). Focus on Incrementality  – At the end of the day, marketers are just trying to answer the question, “What did this investment do for our brand?” Our experts break down some of their favorite ways to conduct incrementality tests (scale the channel and keep everything else steady, then check CPA) and caveats (if your incrementality test is a year old, it might be time to refresh). Flexible Measurement, Greater Reach  – If there’s only one kind of data you trust (like IP matching), you’re going to get shut out from some opportunities. But if you have multiple paths to getting a signal that’s good enough for decision-making, you can have your pick of testing options. Patience, Patience  – In an environment where we need to drive results this quarter, how much runway can we give our audio? Navigate top-of-funnel vs. bottom-of-funnel audio with us, and the benefits of nurturing customer relationships without over-dependence on deep discount promo codes. While we can’t promise listening to this week’s show will solve all of your attribution woes, we can promise you’ll come away with more tools to help you get closer to the truth. Click here for the whole episode.

We have an abundance of audio riches for you this week. First up, we revisit one of our favorite sessions from the Chief Audio Officer Summit – the blockbuster creative panel. Our very own Stew Redwine moderates with CAOs Jess Jacobs (Shopify), Shane Pittson (quip), and Margaux Natiello (Athletic Greens). You’ve absolutely heard their ads, and more likely than not, you may be a customer of one of these Podcast Pioneers. Tune in to hear the all-star panel break down their all time creative hits and add to your CAO toolbelt.  “What’s so beautiful about audio to me is that it’s inefficient intimacy.” – Stew Redwine, VP Creative Services, Oxford Road Start Where You Are – You don’t need to create your sonic logo from scratch – you might’ve already done it. The now ubiquitous Shopify Cha-Ching started with the team mining the company’s existing audio assets and finding a mother lode of positive associations. The rest is history. Plan for Risks ⚠️ – When you advertise on as many podcasts as quip does, at some point, you’re bound to run into some controversy. This is where CAO’s have to fight ‘immediate reaction’ instincts.  The panel discusses how to set a plan beforehand, so you know what your next move is and next steps will be. (if you need help setting a plan, reach out!) Empowering Hosts  – Learn why a 15-minute onboarding call with every host should be mandatory, just like Athletic Greens requires. These calls aren’t just prep. They empower hosts to speak more freely in their ads, create a deeper connection between the host and your company, and set the trajectory for a successful podcast campaign. The panel shares their best practices on how to make the most of this valuable onboarding time with hosts. Turning Setbacks into Success  – Earlier this year, quip jumped at the opportunity to sponsor the New Heights podcast with NFL brothers Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce, just before they faced off in the Super Bowl. quip felt it was the perfect time to do a competition based integration with the uber competitive Kelce brothers. However, when the campaign first dropped and fell short of expectations, quip stayed the course. With clear communication and out-of-the-box thinking, they transformed the opportunity into a super memorable moment, exceeding the client’s performance goals. We’re just scratching the surface here. Tune in for a 101 year old radio ad, an exciting round of “guess that jingle,” and everything you need to ensure your next audio creative inspires action. Click the link here to listen to the whole episode.

This week, we’re coming at you with a brand new Media Roundtable: Industry Edition! Oxford Road CEO and Founder Dan Granger welcomes back Oxford Road vets Neal Lucey, and Kristen Duenas, along with preeminent radio futurologist James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal) to bring you up to speed on the the biggest news in the audio advertising industry you need to know. We’re talkin’: The $18k White Noise Gravy Train The Rise of the “Podhead” SXM’s New Brand Safety Tool For recaps of these stories and others, read on–and for the whole picture plus industry insights you won’t get anywhere else, catch the full episode by clicking the link here.

In this episode of the Media Roundtable, we’re joined by a very special guest, Larry Rosin (President, Edison Research). If you’ve been following us, you know that Edison Research has been on the cutting edge of audio insights, and we’re nothing if not data-driven. What’s the data telling us this week? That audio, especially digital audio, doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Our hot take? Listeners and advertisers should be glad that it doesn’t. Oxford Road founder and CEO Dan Granger and fellow Oxford Road luminaries Neal Lucey, James Ingrassia, and Miranda Romano. Let’s dig in. On-Demand Demands More Ears  – On-Demand Listening surpassed Linear Audio in 2023. It’s a long-coming shift in the audio landscape, accelerated by the pandemic–and it mirrors the change for video. This doesn’t mean these ears are unreachable, but it raises the bar for ad relevancy and interest since advertisers are interrupting a lean-forward audience. Podcasting Milestone  – Podcasting now claims 10% of listening time. Even so, there’s an underinvestment in ad spend for podcasting relative to listening habits. That doesn’t make it a free lunch, but with lower ad loads and higher host trust, digital audio is still a great value meal for advertisers and listeners. AI-Influencers  – Remember that host trust we’ve been toting? Well, AI host-read ads are on the horizon, and with them, the question of authenticity. Benefits: Unmatched efficiency. Downsides: Are we turning the golden goose into a cyborg? Listener preferences for host-endorsed products suggest authenticity still matters. We’ll see if robo-hosts can make real recommendations. “All of Audio is underfunded.” – Larry Rosin, President of Edison Research So, what would happen if “Audio” got the investment it deserved? As the industry makes room for more ad dollars, we’re pulling up the cautionary tale of radio. Unrestrained ads compromise the listening experience, and we’d lose the magic we’ve come to expect from intimate host reads. The position shouldn’t just be “Audio’s underfunded, so let’s increase ad investment,” instead, “How can we be sure we’re investing in audio that makes it an amazing investment for decades to come?” Dive in with us and develop your hot takes from these Edison Research insights, which absolutely deserve a spot in any Chief Audio Officer’s toolbelt. For full breakdowns of these stories and a whole lot more, tune in to the full episode by clicking here.

This week on the Media Roundtable: Special Edition we’ve got a two-parter for you. First, we’re recapping everything Podcast Movement, with the “Roadies” who were there to discuss hot takes from this year’s event. Next, we jump into the fireside chat with Oxford Road Founder & CEO Dan Granger, and the always insightful Allan Jones, visionary CEO & Founder of Bambee. Back on the host microphone is our very own Jennifer Laine, along with fellow Oxford Road luminaries Ashlei Kramer, Julia Palermo, Miranda Romano, and Steven Abraham. And of course, the world’s favorite radio futurologist: James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal). Let’s dive in. The Rise of YouTube (again)  – Podcast Movement was all “a-buzz” about how “Simulcast” (YouTube and other non-audio podcast components) is paying off for advertisers and network partners alike, since it’s a true baked-in experience that reaches a different audience. Also coming, YouTube’s going to ingest RSS feeds, expanding the reach for creators and keeping their tracking intact. Will YouTube be the biggest podcast channel soon? Podcast Radio  – Coming to four markets in September… radio stations made entirely of podcasts. While not exactly new (NPR has been shuttling content from podcast to radio and back for years), we’re curious to see how it’ll translate with 20 minutes of ads per hour First 10%/Last 10%  – How does Allan Jones reconcile gut based courageous decision-making with a data-driven culture at Bambee? Try First 10%/Last 10%. Your gut can give you insight into what’s worth pursuing, and when to take a leap to close the deal. Make the middle 80% data-driven due diligence. For industry insights you won’t find anywhere else, listen to the full episode by clicking the link here.

This week on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, we’re talking Podcast Movement, strikes and celebs, and attribution drama. Hosting again is Oxford Road’s Jennifer Laine, along with fellow Oxford Road luminaries Kyle Jelinek, Neal Lucey, and Spencer Semonson. And joining us again, this time live from Denver, is James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal). Let’s dive in. Podcast Movers and Shakers  – Podcast Movement is happening right now in Denver! A full recap of everything will be coming soon, but if you’re at the conference right now, we have three notes from the experts: 1. Catch the Oxford Road panelists; they’re going to be amazing. 2. See the puppies with James. 3. As much happens off-stage as on-stage. Make some new friends, people! Acast + Podscribe = ❤️– Acast makes it official and names Podscribe as its “Global Preferred Attribution Partner,” essentially leaving Spotify’s Ad Analytics out in the cold. Spotify, understandably, thinks this is not great (for advertisers, but also for them). But if you want third-party attribution, this isn’t a bad development for you (and most likely, not the last domino to fall). LINK TO ARTICLE Check Your Email – Glenn Beck’s podcast disappeared from Apple, though it seems, not because of censorship. Instead, it was a trademark dispute lacking a response.. CAOs–make sure that for any owned media you have, the email you use for Apple Podcasts Connect is the one you actually use. Of course, if you do miss an email, you can always spin it for some controversy.  LINK TO ARTICLE Christmas Comes Early for Hallmark Fans – Moms everywhere rejoice! Unaffected by the SAG-AFTRA Strike, Hallmark is getting into scripted podcasts with Crimson Hearts Collide. Will a new demo flock to podcasts in the absence of new TV content? LINK TO ARTICLE Short on time? Links to the discussed articles are shared above, but for industry insights you won’t find anywhere else, listen to the full episode by clicking here.

This week on the Media Roundtable: Special Edition, we’re diving into the news and highlighting an all-star panel from our recent inaugural Chief Audio Officer Summit. Hosting is Oxford Road’s Founder and CEO Dan Granger, joined by fellow Oxford Road experts Neal Lucey, Spencer Semonson and Stew Redwine (fresh from his appearance on Podscribe’s Make Better podcast). And joining us again, now from his mobile sound studio, is the ever-insightful James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal). “There isn’t a type of audio that doesn’t work for us, it all works for us. Fair enough, some types of audio took us longer to figure out to unlock. But, in order for us to be at the scale we’re at we had to get that to work because the reality is our customers were there. They were responsive, so we needed to be there.” – Kezia Koo, Senior Director of Growth Marketing at Indeed Fake Endorsements, Real Scams ️– If they’re copying you, you must be doing something right, right?. Scammers are pretending to be podcasters (sharing fake clips of them talking on famous podcasts) in order to shill for products. Patreon X Spotify – Patreon podcast feeds can now be integrated into Spotify. There’s no financial play yet, but there could be in the future, and it’s another step Spotify’s taking to solidify and grow market share no matter what. Listen Up ↗️– Podcasts are now 10% of listening time, up from 5% in 2020. Also checking in on radio, “the slowly melting ice cube.” Chief Audio Officer Summit Recap: For the second part of the episode, get ready to be the smartest person in the room when it comes to buying audio as we recap some of the highlights from our recent CAO Summit. Kezia Koo (Senior Director of Growth Marketing, Indeed), Mei He (GVP of Digital Marketing at Netsuite/Oracle), Eliza Davis (Director of Growth, Offline Marketing, Babbel), Miranda Romano (VP of Media Operations, Oxford Road) team up to share the hard-earned questions you should be asking before you spend money to land in your customers’ ears. Guided by Oxford Road President Steven Abraham, the team covers: When you need to have budget on hand to act fast (and how much) Proof that audio is currently a buyer’s market How to work with hundreds of partners when everyone has their own way of operating Why you can’t cancel your way to optimization To cure your FOMO and get an invite to the next CAO Summit, email us at info@chiefaudiofficer.com. And for insights you won’t get anywhere else, check out the whole episode by clicking here.

This week, on The Influencer, we’re showcasing the latest episode of Ad Infinitum. This week our host, Oxford Road’s Stew Redwine (Oxford Road’s VP of Creative Services), welcomes unstoppable wordsmith Lucinda (co-founder and Head Hen of Moink), who is a positioning genius, Shark Tank veteran, and on a mission to save the family farm, one box of ethically grown, pasture-raised box at a time… “I know my WHY. I’ve been knowing it my whole life.” – Lucinda Cramsey, co-founder of Moink Ad Infinitum’s 3rd episode, Serious Positioning, isn’t like the preceding editions. We’re unpacking what makes a brand stand out from competitors and breaking down top-spending audio ads from Sofi, Ethos, Upside, and Progressive. Who’s in pole position, and who’s trailing the pack? And, of course, we’re adding more power tools to our Chief Audio Officer’s toolbelt. Tune in to hear: Lions, Zebras, Elephants – A first-hand report from the Chief Audio Officer summit and why it’s so important for brands to take a pause in a reactive environment. Mildly Annoying isn’t Enough – If an ad can’t delight and is skewing obnoxious, is there a benefit to going full-on rage-remembering? Ride the Why – For companies that have a strong reason to exist; you’re underselling yourself if you don’t make it front and center as a fight against the status quo. Lucinda shows you how it’s done. Free Smells, Live Steam – From Jimmy John’s to Mad Men to Schlitz, how do you position a brand that doesn’t have a key differentiator? Whether you’re buying, creating, or hearing ads, when you understand positioning, you unlock the hidden hierarchy of the world. Click here to listen to the whole episode (and complete lesson #3 of your audio ad masterclass).

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.

WARNING. This edition of The Influencer is intentionally short this week to save you time to read our latest report. We promise it will be well worth your time. We’ve all heard of a CEO, and readers of this newsletter likely know what a CMO does, but what about CAO? This week on Media Roundtable: Special Edition, we’re spotlighting our new, game-changing white paper: ”Chief Audio Officer: The Champion Every Brand Needs to Win in Audio.”  We start the episode with a lightning-quick recap of our recent Chief Audio Officer Summit, where audio experts from brands including Shopify, Athletic Greens, Skims, Indeed, Netsuite/Oracle, Hello Bello, Instacart, quip, Bambee, and Babbel took the stage to celebrate, dissect and give insight into this powerful and peculiar medium we all love and depend on. If you’re getting FOMO, keep reading. You may have already seen news stories from PodNews and Sounds Profitable about this landmark whitepaper, but in this week’s podcast, you can hear it all straight from the horse’s mouth. Hosting this week’s episode is Oxford Road’s Jennifer Laine, joined by fellow Oxford Road CAO boosters Dan Granger, Giles Martin, Spencer Semonson, Stew Redwine, and Steven Abraham. “[Audio] is not the biggest channel… but the trust gives you the largest return on investment.” Dan Granger, Oxford Road CEO & Founder Chief Audio Officer: The person responsible for the success of a brand’s audio advertising program. The core of this week’s episode highlights what makes the Audio channel so unique and why Chief Audio Officers are so crucial to the future of this industry: One of a Kind ✨- A channel unlike any other needs extra care to flourish, from attribution (see our last white paper on how to level up your attribution) to creative. But those who truly put the effort in can unlock intimate marketing that scales. Building the Moat  – The crown jewel of audio ads is personalized, trusted endorsements–and they’re the part of your marketing plan no competitor can take from you. Host relationships are the key, and it takes a CAO to build them. Embracing Fearlessness – Audio content has the potential to break through noisy chatter, and the same goes for audio ads–if you’re just as authentic as the channel demands. To stay truthful to the brand and find partners who embrace and reward the same values, you need the guiding hand of a CAO who’ll take the right risks. If you want to learn more about what it means to be a CAO, first listen to this week’s episode by clicking here. If you want to dive in deeper, please download the full CAO whitepaper by clicking here.  We’ll be sharing the insightful, intimate talks from the CAO Summit over the next few weeks, but if you, yourself, believe you are a genuine Chief Audio Officer, and wish to participate in future events, connections, and special content, email us at info@chiefaudiofficer.com to apply for membership.

This week on the Media Roundtable: Special Edition, we’re spending the entire episode discussing our new partnership with Seekr to launch the first-ever Civility Score for podcasts. How does it work, who’s behind it, and why will it change how you advertise on podcasts forever? Stay tuned Hosting once again is Oxford Road’s own Jennifer Laine, who’s joined by fellow civility advocates Dan Granger (Founder & CEO of Oxford Road) and special guest, Pat Condo (Founder & CEO of Seekr). Pat has built a career out of search and navigation. From working on launching the Space Shuttle program to building secret government-backed search engines for the deep and dark web, Pat has always been at the forefront of leveraging technology for the greater good. With Seekr, Pat has teamed up with Oxford Road to create the first-ever “Civility Score” to help advertisers grow their audio footprint while minimizing safety concerns.  Lowering the Temperature – The Civility Score uses AI to quantify personal attacks in podcasts so advertisers can direct ad dollars toward podcasts that encourage civil discourse instead of polarization. Getting In Front Of Brand Safety – Having a long-time host go off the rails can be a challenge for a brand. Seekr allows advertisers to get ahead of brand safety so they have a more clear and objective picture of what kind of content they’re sponsoring. Always Current ✨- Life comes at you pretty fast. Seekr’s Civility Score shows risk trends–so if a show shifts focus from civil discourse to more polarizing content with personal attacks, you’ll see the trend and be able to take action if needed.  Seriously, if you’re in the podcast advertising space, you won’t want to miss this groundbreaking chat. Click below to hear it all.  To learn more about Seekr’s Civility Score or participate in the beta program, go to Seekr.com/audio-score. Listen Here

As we celebrate 10 years of Oxford Road making the ads work, we’re bringing you another episode of Ad Infinitum, our show that’s all about understanding how audio ads work (and how they could work harder). This week, host Stew Redwine (Oxford Road’s VP of Creative Services) welcomes the brilliant Phil Agnew (Host of Nudge, the consumer psychology podcast with “an MBA’s worth of insight in every show”). We’re talking powerful psychological nudges in top-spending audio ads. Kohl’s, State Farm, Granger, and AutoZone: who’s moving the needle and who’s blowing their budget? And, of course, we’re adding more power tools to our Chief Audio Officer’s toolbelt. Tune in to hear: Coming Soon, Leaving Soon After – What movie theaters can learn from Scarcity Getting in the Zone – How to make AutoZone’s oil even better with The Labor Illusion  The Media Mix is the Message – Why Costly Signaling makes some ads hit different Good Trash People – What a man in a trash bag can teach us about the Mere Exposure Effect and AI voices Whether you’re buying ads, creating ads, or just hearing them, you deserve to understand the hidden psychological forces that are shaping your actions every day. To listen to the whole episode (and continue your audio ad masterclass), click below. Listen Here

This week on the Media Roundtable: Special Edition, the agents of influence celebrate a staggering milestone: Oxford Road’s 10th anniversary. Kicking off the festivities is Oxford Road’s very own Dan Granger hosting, with fellow Oxford Road originals Miranda Romano, Stew Redwine, Kyle Jelenik, and Gary Brown on board to reminisce on lumps, lessons, and leaps of faith. Kudos will be showered. Tears will be shed. Buckle up for nostalgia and “oh-my-god-I-can’t-believe-we-did-that” stories with the crew that’s seen it all. We didn’t raise any money. We didn’t ask for help. We just truly built this out of our trunk.” – Dan Granger First We Bootstrap – Take a behind-the-scenes look at how Oxford Road was incubated while our original Roadies still had their day jobs, plus the key decision points. Enter the multiverse of what almost was, where Oxford Road becomes a leading podcast network. One Ad, Please – Seriously, what were Podcast ads even like in 2013? Take a trip in the Wayback Machine to a simpler time and see how far we’ve come–for better and for worse. “Next time, on Serial” – In the Podcast world, it’s pre-Serial and post-Serial. What does it mean for Oxford Road when people finally understand what a Podcast is without having to explain it? And how was Serial just one of the waves our Roadies were riding? Humble Middles – How Oxford Road went from growing fast to growing too fast, and the lessons that helped everyone finally focus and allowed them to do what they do best.  What Really Matters ✨– The team reflects on what they’re most proud of and what makes it all worthwhile. From homemade lasagna dinners that treat clients like family to creating the Koala Corps–when you show up and show you care, day after day for a decade, amazing things happen. To grab a seat on Oxford Road’s rocketship and hear the stories you won’t get anywhere else, listen to the full episode by clicking the link below.  Listen Here

This week on the Media Roundtable: Special Edition, the agents of influence are sifting through Spotify news, next-level AI ads, the demise of exclusivity, and the main event: the battle of the KPIs: ROAS vs. CPA. Grab your popcorn–let’s dive in. The new show format continues this week with Oxford Road’s Dan Granger and James Cridland (Podnews, Podcast Business Journal) breaking down the biggest news in the media world alongside Ricardo Martinez and Charisse Miller.  For the second half of the episode, we transition to Jennifer Laine, who attempts to wrangle a panel of Oxford “Roadies,” including Dan Granger, Kyle Jelinek, Giles Martin, Ricardo Martinez, and Charise Miller, to answer the age-old question; “how do we track success?” On everyone’s mind: Megan’s Out, Trevor’s In – After 12 episodes and a $20M upfront payment, Megan Markle’s exclusive show is ending on Spotify. Up next, a Trevor Noah podcast (with no exclusivity or upfront payment). Does this signal a sea change for the industry? If so, it could help lower advertiser CPMs. “Nice Blue Shirt” -Joe Rogan -Adtech company A Million Ads announces an AI-powered ad product with the power to change fundamental parts of ads based on data triggers–like a synth host voice commenting on our clothing from our purchase history. Creepy, cool, or just the next mail merge? All of the above. There’s Probably A Patreon – From Pew Research: Almost a third of top-ranked podcasts have a paid subscription option, and around the same amount sell merch. How does a diversified revenue approach affect the host-advertiser relationship? ROAS vs. CPA – Which should guide your dollars? Return on Ad Spend or Cost Per Acquisition? The wrong KPI means leaving money on the table or lighting it on fire. Enter the cage match for the most exciting KPI fight ever recorded on audio. Learn the hidden pitfalls and strengths of ROAS and CPA so you can make better choices. Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights you won’t get anywhere else (and to develop your own spicy take on the ROAS vs. CPA), listen to the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here

This week on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are teaming up with the Podcast Business Journal to tackle exclusivity, availability, a hybrid audio marketplace, and more. Let’s jump in. Leading the charge again is Oxford Road’s very own Dan Granger on the host microphone, with fellow Oxford Road experts Stew Redwine, Miranda Romano, and James Ingrassia. And we’re welcoming back fan favorite James Cridland (editor of the Podcast Business Journal and Podnews).  On everyone’s mind: Top Heavy, Long Tail ️– The top 10 shows reach 35% of all podcast listeners, according to Edison Research. That goes to 60% with the top 100 shows.  As an advertiser, when do you focus on the big buy, and when do you look to the long tail? We’re talking niches, tests, and moats. Gov’t Saved the Radio Star? ‍ – On the heels of EV makers saying new cars won’t have AM radio, broadcasters want the government to pump the brakes, citing emergency broadcast needs. The bigger issue: outside of emergency broadcasts, there’s not a lot most listeners find compelling on AM radio. If You Liked That, Try This – Podchaser launches Collections+, an AI-powered lookalike finder for podcasts. Pros: Goes deeper than descriptions to understand connections on a content level. Cons: Just because they sound alike doesn’t mean they perform alike. We’re No Longer Exclusive – Spotify reverses course on exclusivity for Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert. It makes sense–tough to grow reach and ad revenue from behind a gate. Who wins in the tug-of-war between advertisers, fans, creators, and publishers? Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights, you won’t get anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here

Rather than dropping a typical Media Roundtable podcast this week, we’re launching a completely new show! Fan favorite and Oxford Road VP of Creative Services Stew Redwine is launching a new mini-series called Ad Infinitum. This is the only podcast solely focused on audio ads, the creatives who make them, and the latest thinking that informs them.  The show’s first guest is Dallas Taylor (last heard on a killer Media Roundtable episode). Dallas is the Creative Director of Defacto Sound, the sonic source for the world’s most thoughtful brands, and host/creator of the award-winning podcast, Twenty Thousand Hertz. The first season will focus on individual Audiolytics™ Key Components and how they show up in the ads for some of the top spenders in audio. Episode 1 is titled “Starting Right” and Focuses on Audiolytics™ Key Component #1, “Setup: Why Should I Listen?”. Tune in to hear: The Home Depot vs. Lowe’s Audio Showdown Dallas is taking a stand on behalf of humanity against AI voices Some spicy ad takes, takedowns, and breakdowns Interpreting top audio spenders with Audiolytics™ We’ve gathered decades of experience onto one show for a masterclass on audio ads. Click below to listen to the whole episode (and never hear an ad the same way again). Listen Here

Summer is unofficially here, meaning backyard get-togethers, hiking adventures, and summer road trips–all adding up to more time chatting with friends and family.  We have great news. Listening to this week’s episode will ensure you’re informed and ready to conquer any awkward silence with the most important topics facing marketers today. This week we have a special 2-part edition of Media Roundtable. We kick things off with an entirely new segment we’re creatively calling Industry News with Podcast Business Journal featuring James Cridland, Editor of Podnews and Podcast Business Journal.  With Oxford Road’s Jennifer Laine hosting, James is joined by Dan Granger and Neal Lucey to discuss how this new segment came together and what it means for audio advertising nerds like us. Then the team gives a taste of what this segment will sound like as the panel dissects this week’s biggest topics. YouTube’s Podcast Plans ▶️ – We got hold of YouTube’s RSS ingest trial details for podcasting, which doesn’t leave a lot of space for podcast ads.  Attack of the Clones – Spotify was claimed to be building AI-cloned voices for host-read advertising. Our panel discusses the pros and cons of the new technology.  Edison Travels Across the Pond – Edison Podcast Metrics is set to launch in the UK. It will be the country’s first ranker. Why did it take so long?  It’s All About The Benjamins – Acast released ROI data in the US for podcast advertising, and the results are seemingly wonderful.  Podcasts Up Down Under – The IAB reported that podcast ad revenue saw 20.7% annual growth in Australia. (This is against a total online ad revenue decline in the country of 0.8%). As if this weren’t enough, for the second half of this two-parter, Jennifer shifts to a new panel featuring Oxford Road Giles Martin, Steven Abraham, Kyle Jelinek, and Neal Lucey as they talk about the state of audio internationally. Discover the hard-learned tricks you should employ and the potential pitfalls you need to avoid while advertising in new countries. If your business is looking to expand audio advertising efforts outside of the US within the next year, you will not want to miss the second half of this episode.  Listen Here

Welcome to the Media Roundtable, Industry Edition! In this episode, we’re recapping the IAB Podcast Upfronts conference highlights. Our fearless host is once again Oxford Road’s very own Jennifer Laine, along with fellow Oxford Roadies and Upfront Attendees Steven Abraham,  Spencer Semonson, Kristen Duenas, and special guest, Director of Digital Audio & Video for the IAB, Matt Shapo, taking a well-deserved victory lap from the event. Missed the Upfronts? We’re giving you a front-row seat to trends and your new favorite show so you can like it before it’s cool (Spoiler Alert: It’s probably NPR’s Body Electric). Niche is the New Cool – Networks are slicing, dicing, and bundling what they hope are deeply engaged audiences. One very smart approach from The Believe Network is next-day recaps of every game from major sports leagues featuring players from each team. This might be the gold standard in niche-perishable media. Cross-Channel Power Play – How do you take advantage of ads on companion podcasts? Imagine sponsoring a TV show and then deepening your campaign with that same message on the companion podcast recapping the show. We’re covering all this and a whole lot more, from tapping into built-in audiences, what amazing co-branded content looks like, and what next year’s upfronts could look like for the fastest-growing channel in digital media. To hear the full episode, click the link below. Listen Here on Spotify Listen Here on Youtube

“Don’t be in a hurry to rise to the top so quickly. Feel free to take a little bit more time, because the slower and steadier your rise, the more stability every one of your decisions and every one of your new trusted listener relationships will have.” -Kraig Kitchin This week on the Media Roundtable, Dan Granger speaks to Kraig Kitchin. In 1987, Kraig redefined broadcast syndication as a Co-Founder of and President of Premiere Radio, and today is the Chairman of the National Radio Hall of Fame (and a long-time friend and Advisor to Oxford Road). While much of today’s audio industry behaves as though our field was created by the launching of Serial, there are lessons learned from the 100 years before it that we can all profit from today. Kraig has been in the room where it happens for two generations and makes his wisdom available to us all to help us navigate the changes ahead. Kraig’s been an on-air talent, was a sales manager of the Katz Radio Group in LA, managed and worked with high-profile radio hosts like Jim Rome, Rush Limbaugh, and Steve Harvey, Co-founded Premiere Networks, and has served as President of Sound Mind, a talent management firm since 2008. If there’s a part of radio that Kraig doesn’t have experience in, we sure haven’t found it. Add to that that he’s singularly insightful, humble, and generous, and you can see why we’ve wanted to get him on the show for such a long time. We sat down to talk about the rise and fall of radio in this expansive conversation. Was it a eulogy or something else? Join us as we cover: The One Rule ☝️ – Kraig has an impeccable track record of working with huge talent. His guiding principle for who he partners with? “I want to work with people who are trying to improve themselves every day.” Rethinking Radio & Riding the Digital Wave – We break down 5-plus decades of industry changes as digital platforms disrupt the traditional AM/FM dominance. The one reason why audio still matters? It’s all about choice. The Fairness Doctrine & Rush ⚖️ – How relaxing one key FCC rule led to the creation of political talk radio and changed the industry landscape and the country. Playing The Long Game ⏳– Building an audience takes time. Building trust takes time. Kraig leverages his experience to show why it pays to be patient in audio, especially when everyone’s thinking short-term. NO ONE has had a better seat for the last half-century of audio changes than Kraig. To understand where we’ve been and where we’re going, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here

“We’re driving, but we can only see through the rearview mirror.” – Dan Granger This week on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are tackling A.I. disruption, old guards learning new tricks, and the demos powering podcast advertising. Let’s dig in. Hosting is Oxford Road’s CEO Dan Granger, along with fellow Oxford Road savants, Stew Redwine, Neal Lucey, and Spencer Semonson. At the top of everyone’s mind: The Old Empire’s New Bet – Hearst invests $2.25MM in Barometer to further Barometer’s AI-powered brand suitability platform. The established media giant has a vested interest in furthering trust for advertisers to flock to their subsidiaries, so this is one bet that could pay off. Brand Safety GPT – We’re big proponents of effective brand safety tools and were all ears when we heard about Podscribe’s AI approach to ensuring brand safety. They’ve mixed ChatGPT with the GARM framework we know and trust and could make brand safety a whole lot easier for brands and publishers. Interested? Join the waitlist. Click “Heard About it on A Podcast”  – 33% of all podcast listeners say they’ve actually bought something based on listening to a podcast. Worth calling out are millennials, Black and Hispanic listeners, and listeners making over $100k, all of whom are purchasing at even higher rates. The advertiser takeaway? If you’re trying to talk to these demos, you need to be where they’re listening. It’s Like a Japanese Podcast  – Japan has traditionally been a source of innovation, but they’re slow to dive into podcasts with less market penetration than the US ten years ago. The team discusses why. Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights you won’t get anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here

This week on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are tackling billion-dollar ideas, 13,000 true fans, and two-tiered surveys. Let’s dig in. Leading the charge again is Oxford Road’s very own Jennifer Laine on the host microphone, along with fellow Oxford Road luminaries Dan Granger, and Steven Abraham. We also welcome a special guest, 5-time author, marketing thought leader, and host of the podcast Joseph Jaffe is Not Famous, the one and only Joseph Jaffe. At the top of everyone’s mind: HDYHAU FTW – The game-changing Oxford Road attribution white paper is out! We’re tossing vanity URLs into the bonfire and riding predictive text into the sunset. Download it for free now (and tell them the Influencer sent you ). The MVP YouTube Podcast – Can you say minimum viable product? Podcasts on YouTube can still work if they’re messy, imperfect, or barely video. We break down why Podcaster and advertisers shouldn’t wait for perfect to get on YouTube and jump in. Welcome to the (3rd) Party – Podscribe’s download counting method has just now been certified by the IAB, which means there’s finally an IAB-certified measurement provider that’s not selling media. It’s a big trust-building step for the industry. Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights you won’t get anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Now

This week, our podcast returns for its first true “roundtable format” in weeks, with longtime MRT contributor, and Oxford Road Associate Media Director,  Kristen Duenas leading as our host. Joining Kristen is Neal Lucey, our EVP of Strategy & Product, and Gary Brown, our Director of Growth, to dive into the most important topics facing marketers right now, including… TikTok Shut Down? – –  Is Congress’ obsession with the Chinese social media company truly about data concerns, or is there more to it than that? The team dissects the underlying issues at play. Audio’s Forgotten Child – – P&G is diving into radio big-time with a 40% increase in spending YoY. Our team reveals the not-so-secret reasons why. Edison Research’s Latest –   –  Is YouTube more popular than terrestrial radio? The latest release from Edison Research on audio listening habits may surprise you. Follow The Money – – Do you think artists are getting a flat rate per download of their song babies? NPR’s Planet Money created a fake record label to determine exactly how artists get paid, and it’s not what you think. Take a Beat on AI? –  + – Are you ready to lay down to the AI overlords yet, or are you on the side of Elon Musk, who says we should all take a beat and think about it? Our team chats about the pros and cons of each. Your fast track to being “in the know” on today’s news is just a click away. Listen Here

(Drumroll please) On this Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, we’re bringing you a special episode called “Sound Success.” Haven’t given much thought about how your brand should sound? All that’s about to change. Oxford Road’s Stew Redwine is back on the lead microphone, joined by fellow Oxford Road audiophiles Steven Abraham, Neal Lucey, and Jennifer Laine. We’re on a mission to prove why audio is so valuable, powerful, and frankly fun that it deserves a place of honor in all of your campaigns. Here’s why: Listen to the Data – Some eye/ear-opening results on why you should include music, sonic branding, and multiple voices. Pavlov Would be Proud – Ring Doorbell’s sound is so memorable, dogs react to their TV ads. Off-Target – The spicy take on why creative matters five times more than targeting. Sounds like Jargon – Get the definitive difference between Sonic Branding, Audio Logos, and a DNA Brand Anthem–and why it matters. Listen up, and you’ll never hear your ads the same way again. Listen Here

On this Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, we’re back for Part 2 of our attribution deep dive (Part 1 was –catch up here). Oxford Road CEO Dan Granger is joined by fellow Oxford Road data wonks Giles Martin and Kyle Jelinek. Now audio attribution is almost nobody’s favorite topic, but if you care about you the money you’re stewarding, attribution is huge. At Oxford Road, we live and die by the accuracy of the results we can drive for our clients. That’s why we’re breaking down attribution so everyone can make smarter money decisions on what’s working on what’s not. Tune in for: Next-Level Surveys – Simple meets smart with predictive text. Time for Shade – The problems of porting Time-based analysis from TV to audio. Pixels – What this purported holy grail can and can’t do (peek into the famed Jelinek method of handling un-pixeled shows) MMM, That Sounds Good – The pros and cons of Media Mix Models Listen up, and you’ll not only stop glazing over when someone starts talking attribution, you’ll have a few back-pocket questions to ask and nerd out with fellow attribution buffs. Check out the episode by clicking the link below (use promo code INFLUENCER2 ). Listen Here

AI, SVB, and ROI–oh my! This week on the Media Roundtable: Special Edition, the agents of influence are distilling insights from their whirlwind time at Podcast Movement–the world’s largest annual gatherings of podcasters and the podcast industry. Couldn’t be there? We’ve got you covered. Hosting is our very own Jennifer Laine, along with fellow Oxford Road movers and shakers Dan Granger, Steven Abraham, and Spencer Semenson. What new tools, forces, and trends did we see emerge that will shape our weird, beautiful industry? Let’s see : Monkey Hear, Monkey See  ️ – Thanks to AI, coming soon to a podcast near you will be visuals cued by audio clips. No more will a sports host have to describe a chart they’re looking at. Imagine showing the exact product a host is talking about on a live read… Suiting Up For 2024 – Everything is political. Ahead of the next election cycle, what’s the right way to approach conversations around brand suitability while trying to limit surprises? “Hey, You Look Familiar”  – Amazon, Wondery, Sirius, and more, Oxford Road alums are making waves all over the industry and We. Love. To. See. It. A Buyer’s Market – Budgets are contracting, inventory is expanding, and for the right brands, there’s a real opportunity to scale efficiently. Choose Your Own Ad-Venture ↔️ – Also, thanks to AI; interactive content is coming. How will it revolutionize perishable content (like sports), and what tailored ad opportunities will come from it? Missed the conference and want to soothe your FOMO? Get the industry insights you can’t get anywhere else by checking out the whole episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here

You’re a young marketer who needs a win–how do you test audio, show it works, and not get fired? On this Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, Bambee CEO Allan Jones tells us his marketing superhero origin story. Our very own Oxford Road CEO Dan Granger welcomes Allan back to the podcast with Oxford Road experts Giles Martin and Kyle Jelinek. We’re talking attribution, that messy, just-out-of-reach challenge that has plagued marketers since the beginning of time. Attribution’s all about doling out credit as close to the truth as possible (because anyone who says they’ve solved attribution is a liar). If you can get even a little bit better than the next company, you’ve unlocked a massive scale. As CMO of ZipRecruiter, Allan needed to drive growth for his new company. He saw the opportunity in podcasts and tackled it with an extremely data-based approach (Allan famously said, “I don’t wipe my ass unless the data tells me to”). Linking up with Dan in the early days of Oxford Road, Allan was able to incrementally build enough trust in podcast acquisition attribution to spend millions efficiently. He changed the trajectory of ZipRecruiter from a pre-series A startup to a billion-dollar publicly-traded powerhouse. Allan is an inspiration for many reasons. Instead of staying as a high-flying CMO, he started over with a new challenge, founding the successful HR-tech startup Bambee–who has the guts to do something like that? After his last podcast appearance in the wake of George Floyd (a must-listen), Allan fundamentally changed the way he leads, integrating his identity as a Black man into his leadership approach and leading with his whole self. And Allan is undeterred by even the most complex problem–chipping away at it with data, diligence, and building enough trust to move towards what matters. Tune in for: Hear me out: How Allan convinced Dan to be Bambee’s Interim CMO – and how, together, they were able to massively upgrade their attribution mode Goldilocks, SQL, and courage: The three things Allan recommends for marketers Low tech, high intellectual horsepower: Allan’s rule for any attribution system This week’s episode is two-fold. By the end of this episode, we promise you’ll level up your attribution skills and become a big fan of Allan Jones. Check out the episode by clicking the link below (and use promo code INFLUENCER ). Listen Here

What can three brothers teach us about fighting fair and depolarizing the country? Find out in this week’s Media Roundtable: Special Edition featuring the Meiselas brothers of The MeidasTouch Network. Jennifer Laine hosts Oxford Road CEO Dan Granger and brothers Ben, Brett, and Jordan Meiselas, Co-Founders and Co-Hosts of The MeidasTouch. Like many of us, the Meiselas brothers started COVID quarantine–texting family and feeling anxious about the future. But they leveraged their unique skills (a legal degree, Emmy-winning editing talent, and professional marketing prowess) to form first a PAC, then a media network reaching millions that they’re hoping will shape America for the better. How do you go from zero to millions of fans in under three years? The Meiselas brothers focus on a broad charter of pro-democracy. Though decidedly left-leaning (just a casual scroll through their website will confirm any suspicion), the gang eschews labels, welcoming in followers across the political spectrum who think democracy in America is worth protecting. And they’ve built an engaged community that values honesty and transparency. You’ll see this trademark transparency on full display when the brothers highlighted times when their portrayal of conservatives worked against them or how, while in the passionate discussion, they’ve said something they’ve regretted.  This humility and ability to say, “I was wrong,” shouldn’t be surprising, but in today’s media landscape, it is. This level of openness runs through the entire MeidasTouch Network and is something we at Oxford Road love to see; and presents a major opportunity for brands looking to advertise to a highly engaged, massively responsive audience. Listen to the full episode here

This week on the Media Roundtable: Super Bowl Edition, our “agents of influence” are breaking down the winners and losers of this year’s multi-million dollar advertising showdown. Under center is Oxford Road’s very own Stew Redwine on the host microphone, along with fellow Oxford Road pro-bowlers Kristen Duenas, Neal Lucey, Jennifer Laine, and Alyssa Meyers (reporter at Marketing Brew). Who converted, and who doinked it off the posts this past Sunday? Here are the highlights and lowlights: Hold My Beer – Booze was big, but Miles and Keleigh Teller’s hold music dance for Bud Light was a brand standout for capturing a real moment. Like a Rock Star ‍ – Splitting the crowd (and possibly the uprights) was Workday taking aim at corporate speak with the help of a game Ozzy Osbourne. Gronk Shank – FanDuel’s kick of destiny didn’t go as planned with a wide-left miss, but on top of that, the whole stunt was confusing–managing to make a live moment look like it was pre-recorded. Once the 2023 Super Bowl Ad Winners are declared, this week’s podcast focuses on exploring viewership trends and discussing whether or not the seven-million-dollar bet is worth it. For MVP-caliber ad breakdowns and Monday morning quarterbacking you can’t find anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here

This week on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are tackling the rise of the video podcast. Let’s dig in. Oxford Road’s own Stew Redwine is back on the host microphone, joined by fellow Oxford Road luminaries Neal Lucey, Spencer Semonson, and Kristen Duenas. At the top of everyone’s mind: Listen Here Video Can’t and Won’t Replace Audio Podcasts – Audio-only is great for listening while doing something else, but people generally prefer video content to audio. The result? Expect higher production-value video podcasts to steal share from TV in the future–there’s only so much watch time in the day. Podcasters Want Your Eyes Too – YouTube has a bigger reach than Cable TV (68% vs <50% of US HH), and it’s preferred as a podcast platform over Spotify and Apple Podcast. If podcasters can tap into the YouTube market, it would represent a massive boost for their audiences. No Google Podcasts in Google Search – It used to be a Google search for a podcast that let you play an episode right in the search results. Not anymore. Could this be a nudge towards YouTube for consuming podcasts? Right Wing Throw Down – The Daily Wire and Steven Crowder feud over contract negotiations that fell through. A key clause was multi-million dollar salary losses from getting demonetized–a real risk for the controversial personality and a sign of brand safety conversations to come. A Smarter Alexa? – ProKNX launches the first ChatGPT-enabled smart speaker. But this goes deeper than AI conversations in your living room. Consuming AI-created content is only increasing from here.

This week on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are tackling how podcasts are responding to market pressures. Let’s dig in. Leading the charge again is Oxford Road’s very own Jennifer Laine on the host microphone, along with fellow Oxford Road luminaries Dan Granger, Neal Lucey, and Bloomberg’s expert audio reporter Ashley Carman. “If somebody has to start by following one journalist in this field (audio advertising), it is Ashley Carmen, period.” – Dan Granger. Join Dan, Ashley, Neal, and Jennifer as they deep dive into the world of Podcast advertising and share practical insights for marketers in the space. At the top of everyone’s mind: The Great Podcasting Market Correction  – Hiring freezes? Fewer blockbuster acquisitions? Ashley Carman walks us through her excellent reporting on where the podcast boom goes next. “If It’s Not Bolted Down, Sell it.” – From interactive events to guests paying their way. Welcome to non-traditional revenue sources for podcasting as a hedge against lower ad sales. Is 2023 The Year for Brand Safety – With brands focusing on their bottom lines, new brand safety tools will help lane lines. Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights, you won’t get anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here

This week on the Media Roundtable, we complete our special two-parter with a look ahead at the podcast trends shaping your 2023. Leading the charge again is Oxford Road’s very own Jennifer Laine on the host microphone, along with Oxford Road CEO and founder Dan Granger, Alyssa Meyers (reporter at Marketing Brew), Bryan Barletta (founder of Sounds Profitable), and James Cridland (editor of Podnews and radio futurologist). The panel puts their collective heads together to prognosticate what will transpire in what already promises to be a dynamic year for marketers and the world. Click the link below to hear their take on… Verification, All I Ever Wanted – When you buy a mid-roll, what are you getting? Across publishers, impressions, downloads, and the number of ads in a break vary greatly. The panel expects verification and standards to reach a critical point in 2023. Did someone say a savvy buyer manifesto? The Rise of Remnant – Signs point to remnant ad buys playing a big role in 2023 media mix. The panel takes lessons from radio and hopes spot values won’t tank as a result. DTC BRB? – When DTCs advertise in difficult climates (*cough* recession *cough*), they’re looking for what they know will work. Will that be podcast, or will they let the brand advertisers swoop in? The Value of Values – There are no atheists in foxholes, but are there still values-driven companies in recessions? The panel is split on whether or not purpose can compete with profit in this financial climate. For industry insights you won’t get anywhere else, listen to the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here

It’s that time of year when we take account of the past and start to think about the future. This week on the Media Roundtable, we’re doing just that in a special, two-part episode. We kick things off with a look back at what 2022 brought us from a media perspective with host Oxford Road’s very own Jennifer Laine, along with Oxford Road Founder & CEO Dan Granger, Alyssa Meyers (reporter at Marketing Brew), Bryan Barletta (founder and Partner at Sounds Profitable), and James Cridland (editor of Podnews and radio futurologist). In part one of this conversation, our industry experts touch on a number of topics, including: A Podcast By Any Other Name – 2022 was the year of Audio with “Podcast” leading the way. However, with Podcasts now showing up on YouTube, Audio Streaming Platforms, and even Radio, what does the term mean anymore? Our panel discusses the need to define the term Podcast and proposes renaming the term all together. Rise of Subscription-Based Podcasts? – With Apple, Spotify, Patreon, and more now offering listeners a premium service for a price is ad-supported content threatened? The panel has a mixed take on the topic, but the general consensus is no. Data, Data, Data – The second half of this week’s episode is about data in the Podcast industry. The panel discusses the massive growth of available data but questions the transparency, validation, and bias in the areas of performance tracking and impression counting. The consensus is that the Podcast industry needs a truly independent third party to tackle these issues and then pray Spotify doesn’t acquire them.  Next week we’ll release the second half of this conversation, where we look to the year ahead, make predictions, and someone gets thrown under the bus.. Stay tuned! Listen Here

This week on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are tackling where advertisers should put their dollars to help their brands keep growing. Let’s dig in. Hosting is Oxford Road’s very own Jennifer Laine, along with fellow Oxford Road luminaries Dan Granger, James Ingrassia, Neal Lucey, and Stew Redwine. At the top of everyone’s mind: We Missed You – Podcasters to performance marketers: “Come back” Courting Controversy  – Does it hurt to associate with controversial hosts? Nothing Killed the Radio Star   – Radio: surprisingly resilient and a solid bet? Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights, you won’t get anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here Oh, You Want to Talk Again? Brand Safety Playbook Audio’s Hay Day The Alternative-Media Industrial Complex Revolution I’m a Friend of Sarah Connor

American broadcasting entrepreneur who founded both the radio network Westwood One and the podcast network PodcastOne, Norm Pattiz, passed away on Sunday at the age of 79. The Influencer is honoring him in two ways. First, we have produced a special podcast episode of the Media Roundtable discussing the man and his legacy with Oxford Road Founder Dan Granger, Kit Gray, President of PodcastOne, and one of the network’s biggest names, Jordan Harbinger. This introductory conversation is followed by a resharing of Dan’s interview with Norm from May of 2020, early into the Pandemic, and talks about his life, career, and state of the world at that time. It’s a fascinating time capsule as well as a character study. Listen Here Second, we are sharing a tribute to Norm written by Dan about the Norm he knew and what he meant to the industry and as a friend; an excerpt from that tribute begins below. On Sunday night, Podcast lost a Founding Father. Norm Pattiz, the architect of modern Network Radio who launched Westwood One in 1976 and pivoted to create Podcast One in 2013, passed away at 79.  Like most Founding Fathers, Pattiz’s career was marked by the complexity of great deeds while daring greatly, enjoying the spoils, and of stories of a high-flying media mogul from a bygone era colliding with the values and expectations of our modern world.  Tributes this week describe Norm as a “Pioneer,” “Innovator,” “Charismatic,” “Imaginative,” “Showman,” “Unstoppable,” “Always trying new things,” “Could see around corners,” “Crazy about his wife, Mary,” “Revolutionary.”  Beyond his defining contributions to the radio and later podcast industries, Norm was chairman of the board of Lawrence Livermore and on the board of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He was appointed by President Clinton to the United States Broadcasting Board of Governors and reappointed by President Bush in 2002. In 2009 he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.  Norm was a staple at Laker Games, always sitting Courtside across from Nicholson wearing something audacious, often attracting nearly as much attention as the players.  At the time of publication, the author remembers Norm Pattiz as a friend.  But it didn’t start that way… Read More

This week, on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are tackling the future of podcasts, from misinformation to the specter of ad overload. Let’s dig in. Hosting is Oxford Road’s founder and CEO, Dan Granger, along with fellow Oxford Road experts Jennifer Laine, Spencer Semonson, and Neal Lucey. Joining them for the first time, audio giant Tom Webster, Partner at Sounds Profitable, is your go-to resource about the business of podcasting. At the top of everyone’s mind: Warnings from Radio – 7 mistakes Podcasts can learn from Radio. That Sounds… Wrong – Who’s responsible for flagging misinformation? Keep Searching ️ – Acast lets you target keywords–does it deserve your dollars? Anybody Want Fajitas? – From sizzles to sax riffs, the joy of effective sonic branding Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights you won’t get anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Radio’s Seven Warnings for the Podcast Industry Americans See Audio As Safe Haven In Deepening Sea Of Misinformation Acast Adds Keyword Targeting Capabilities for Advertisers ​​How Brands are Using Sonic Branding Beyond Advertising TikTok’s Secret Weapon Has Always Been Audio

This week, on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are tackling media nutrition labels, Twitter’s problems, and more. Returning to host is Oxford Road’s founder and CEO Dan Granger, along with fellow Oxford Road experts Spencer Semonson, Stew Redwine, and Neal Lucey. The show launches with the team discussing a recent article about Brand Safety featuring Dan Granger that requires a lot more unpacking than we can do this week – check back next week for a proper breakdown. After that, the team discusses the following: Maybe Wait and See – How brand-unsafe is advertising on Twitter right now? Welcome to the Party – Nearly 2,000 new brands spent on podcasts in Q3–what’d they learn? The Perfect Ad Length ⏳- Longer than you think… with a catch. Going Global – The one check before advertising globally. Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights, you won’t get anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Twitter Part 2 2,000 New Brands on Podcast Podcast Advertising Universally Boosted Brand Metrics Global Podcast Forecast

This week, on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are tackling free speech and brand safety. Let’s dig in. Returning to host is Oxford Road’s founder and CEO Dan Granger, along with fellow Oxford Road experts Kristen Duenas, Neal Lucey, and Steven Abraham. At the top of everyone’s mind: Letting that Sink In – What Elon’s shakeup will mean for Twitter advertisers. A Head’s Up Would’ve Been Nice – Should Lex Fridman have warned his sponsors about Kanye West? Candy Crush Always Crushes – Gaming: a recession-proof channel for marketers? Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights, you won’t get anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here Watch Here Chief Twit’s First Week From a dad joke that fell flat to a mass lay-off of employees to charging $8 for the coveted blue checkmark, Elon’s first week as Twitter’s new owner has been eventful. While the panel shared concerns about the viability of Twitter as an advertising platform in its current state, the consensus is that love him or hate him; Musk knows how to disrupt and innovate. So while truly making Twitter a safe place to exchange ideas regardless of point of view is a lofty goal (one also shared by Media Roundtable), we anxiously hope for the best and wish Elon the best. Read More The 100% Brand Safe Podcast Doesn’t Exist Ye has gone off the rails (again), and his storm recently landed on the Lex Fridman Podcast, a show that we’ve worked with for years and one that is generally extremely low on the controversy spectrum. While Lex held his own with Ye and pushed back appropriately when the rapper went off the rails, it stirred some controversy about brand safety. In this case, the brand safety tools we use, like Ad Fontes and Barometer, which look at past show content to determine if it’s safe for a brand, couldn’t help. How do we navigate from a brand safety perspective? Our panel’s consensus is that networks need to give advertisers a heads-up when potentially polarizing guests are booked to ensure they’re not advertising on the content they don’t want to be on. The silver lining to all this is that we’re getting some networks to agree to share potentially controversial guests in advance so we can do that! Read More Recession-Proof Industries? A Microsoft exec recently said that gaming is “somewhat resilient’ to economic weakness.” It makes sense, given that once you have the hardware, gaming is essentially free, and consumption will rise as a form of entertainment in periods of economic downturn. The panel discusses the pros and cons of gaming for marketers and agrees that it will work for many advertisers, but proceed with caution. Read More Podcast In Its Hay Day Oxford Road’s resident data junkie Neal Lucey shared findings from NPR and Edison Research’s recent Spoken Word Report. According to the report, Podcast is the preferred platform (by just a hair) over terrestrial for personalities. We’ve seen this shift happening for years, and there is no looking back – Podcast is in its hay day. Read More TikTok Podcast App? Springboarding off of the previous article, everyone seems to want to join in on the podcast boom, and the latest may be TikTok. According to our friends at Podnews, podcast hosting company Audiomeans spotted a new bot scraping their feeds, and tracked it back to TikTok. Moreover, Podnews shared that TikTok “recently registered a trademark for TikTok Music which includes the provision for podcast content; and the company is already talking to record companies.” All signs point towards a podcast attempt from the social media platform. Most of our panel is excited about the prospect of short-form audio and extended reach this platform could provide for podcasts, but Dan shared a word of caution about privacy concerns on the platform as a whole. Read More

This week, on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are tackling legitimacy–from partners grading their own homework to watermarking voices. You won’t want to miss it. Hosting is Oxford Road’s very own Head of Marketing, Jennifer Laine, along with fellow Oxford Road experts Stew Redwine and Neal Lucey. And we’re welcoming special guest Bryan Barletta of Sounds Profitable, a newsletter about the business of podcasting (a must-read if you’re making or spending money on podcasts). At the top of everyone’s mind: “Ads: A Netflix Original” – How Netflix builds trust in their new ad-supported tier. Ghosts in the Machine Learning – Joe Rogan and Steve Jobs’s creepy/cool AI chat. Frequency Cap Issues? – Checking the data on conventional wisdom. I Like Those Odds – ESPN + DraftKings = Legitimizing sports betting? Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights, you won’t get anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here Watch Here Podcast Frequency Caps? This article was brought to the panel by our own Neal Lucey as a potential topic, but unbeknownst to him, the article’s author was to be a guest on this week’s episode. Sounds Profitable analyzed the top 50 podcasts to determine if the industry has a problem with duplicate ads running the same episode of podcasts. Surprisingly, unlike CTV, where it’s common to deliver the same ad multiple times in one episode, the overall finding is that there is not a major issue in Podcast. Phew! The panel goes on to discuss the possibilities of sequential narrative ads that could tell a larger story and how that could be a unique opportunity for the medium, one that few have even tried. Read More Netflix Ad Free No More They’ve been hinting at it for months, but Netflix finally unveiled the details on their new ad-supported tier, which comes in at $6.99 per month, which is $1 less than Hulu. But for advertisers, the ad-supported tier has a wildly high $60CPM! The panel discusses how the high price tag may be worth it for some brand advertisers while questioning whether the move will change the quality of content coming from the streaming platform in the future. They go on to discuss how unlike Spotify which is an increasingly walled garden, Netflix has opted into third-party measurement which will give prospective advertisers the assurances that the ads will run where they’re supposed to and confirm ads are viewed according to industry standards. Regardless, the available impressions for streaming advertisers just got a whole lot bigger. Read More Audio Gets Its Day in the Sun ANA’s recent message to advertisers is “Audio Is A Powerhouse Medium,” and most brands under-invested in the medium. This week’s panel is full of audio lovers, so as you can imagine, this is music to their ears. As the economic headwinds gain momentum, marketers are looking where to spend their money the smart way, and the case for audio is only getting better as time goes on. Lower cost than other channels, broad reach, intimate connection, and engaged listeners makes it a smart choice. Plus, with improvements in reaching audiences in high-impact moments at scale with unprecedented accuracy due to a clearer picture of listeners over-the-air, digital audio, and podcasts consumption, audio is finally getting the credit it deserves. If you haven’t fully tested into audio – now’s the time. Read More  Place Your Bets Earlier this month, Ed Hammond and Crystal Tse of Bloomberg covered an anticipated deal between ESPN and sports-betting firm DraftKings. As a result, DraftKings’ stock rose as much as 8.8% in response to the news. This week’s guest, Bryan Barletta, had so much to say on the topic he produced a whole show about it. Business is booming for the sports betting industry, and with its geo-targeted capabilities, Podcast and Streaming Audio are perfect for brands that require geo-specific messaging. The panel talks about the growth of the sports-betting industry and the creative opportunities the emerging audio channels open up. But you don’t have to be a sportsbook marketer to imagine how localized creative could reinvigorate your campaign. Read More The Rise of The Fake Interview The Influencer covered the fake, AI-generated interview between Joe Rogan and Steve Jobs in last week’s edition, but we wanted to put it in front of our panel to get their thoughts. While the coolness of the technology is unquestionable, the panel agrees that it opens a Pandora’s box of ethical and legal questions about AI-generated content as a whole. One thing is for certain, the interview is a fascinating 30 mins. Read More

This week, on the Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, the agents of influence are tackling key metrics: what’s a sham and what’s worth shelling out for. Listen up to avoid pulling a Wanamaker. Leading the charge is Oxford Road’s VP of Creative Services, Stew Redwine, along with fellow Oxford Road experts Kristen Duenas, Neal Lucey, and James Ingrassia. Also bringing deep insider knowledge is special guest Alyssa Meyers, a reporter at Morning Brew’s always insightful Marketing Brew Newsletter. (A great subscribe–it will easily be your second favorite marketing newsletter). At the top of everyone’s mind: Gaming the System – Mobile game ads = junk podcast downloads? “You had my curiosity, but now…” – What kind of attention is worth paying extra for? Sorry, Dan Carlin – How long is the perfect podcast? The Most Interesting Fake Man in the World? Fictional characters are shilling for real products. Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for industry insights you won’t get anywhere else, hear the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here Watch Here Podcasters Gaming the System? Back in August, Marketing Brew broke a story about how some publishers were inflating their numbers by purchasing ads in mobile games like Subway Surfers. Using a practice called “rewarded inventory,” players earn in-game rewards for sitting through advertisements or, in this case, scrolling through articles. Last week, it came to light that some Podcast networks may be doing the same thing. Each time a player taps on one of these fleeting in-game ads—a podcast episode begins downloading on their device. The podcast company, in turn, can claim the gamer as a new listener to its program and add another coveted download to its overall tally. The fact that this is happening raises major questions about the definition of a “listen” and, subsequently, the value of ads served to those listeners. As you can imagine, we are taking this matter seriously and investigating independently and in-depth with any vendor who is considered involved in such practices. Though ultimately, inflated impressions aren’t affecting performance marketers to the degree it does brand advertisers, the integrity and performance of our media campaigns are of utmost importance. We will continue to update here and directly with our advertisers as we get to the bottom of this issue. Read More Paying for Attention At the Mi3-LinkedIn B2B Next Summit last month, Professor Byron Sharp broadsided marketers in  an attempt to bring them back to the “fundamentals of advertising.” In his presentation, Sharp commented, “our job is to get some attention…I don’t want to do advertising and not be seen. But after that, paying for a lot more? No.” In response, marketing doctor Mark Ritson wrote an opinion piece for MarketingWeek, that stood counter to Sharp’s assessment and presented evidence on the viewability and dwell time of different media. Ultimately, Ritson presented a case that view-time correlates with recall and (brand) choice. So is it worth it to pay more attention? If so, when is it worth paying a premium for media? At Oxford Road, our view is, yes, there is value in paying more for attention; after all, our job is to get our client’s ads noticed, and it matters if consumers are paying attention. Consumer attention is a key component in the effectiveness of Podcast advertising, which has a CPM much higher than other forms of audio advertising, yet often outperforms them. Read More Podcast Episodes Are Getting Shorter How long is the typical Podcast? According to podcast data company Rephonic, it’s 37 minutes and getting shorter. In the continual evolution of the podcast space, where content creators have complete control over the length of the shows they’re producing, it’s fascinating that things are continually moving towards the standards TV set decades ago. The 30-min sitcom was not by accident, and while long-form holdouts like Hardcore History still clocking in episodes that are hours long, the trend towards shorter content will likely prevail. For podcast advertisers, we see the trend as promising, making the medium more seeker-friendly while allowing podcast consumers to listen to more shows. Assuming those selling advertising on these shows don’t cram more commercials into a smaller window, shorter content should fare well. Read More The 5th, 6th, and 7th “P’s” Of Marketing? Looks like there may be three more P’s hitting your marketing arsenal, and they’re “Podcast Product Placement”. Scripted fiction podcasts are playing with the idea of including what they call “in-universe brand creative,” which is basically product placements we’ve come to see in TV and movies for years played out in podcast form. Characters within fictional podcast worlds are ordering products like Bud Light, Johnnie Walker, and HEB, who have already tested the platform for its viability. The question is, how do you measure the success of these types of placements? Our take is it generally takes the form of a brand study but is very difficult to measure accurately. Read More If Tell You, I Have to Kill You Everyone is jumping into the Podcast space, and now, the least probable organization you could think of is climbing on board. For its 75th anniversary, the CIA is launching its first podcast, The Langley Files, which shows the less glamorous side of the agency that has been shrouded in mystery and intrigue by Hollywood for years. Is it a PR effort? A recruitment effort? Who knows at this point, but we can all agree that this is of interest to the general public–it even made it onto SNL last week. Read More

This week’s Media Roundtable: Industry Edition tackles the news marketers like you need to hear, including Industry layoffs, Spotify’s podcast dominance, and why marketers need to take a deeper dive into your influencers before agreeing to anything. This week, Kyle Jelinek hosts the episode alongside returning Oxford Road team members Dan Granger, Spencer Semonson, and Kristen Duenas. Listen as these “Agents of Influence” put their years of industry experience to work, helping you make sense of the latest podcast news while occasionally taking a short detour into the inane with fake ad reads and just enough nonsense to keep it interesting. At the top of everyone’s mind: New brand safety measures account for what podcasters do outside of their shows Balancing subscription and ad-supported models Spotify turning web novels into podcasts Navigating the ad slowdown and content overload In 2023 Alexa’s best answer will be… an ad? Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but for the team’s whole hot take, catch the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here Watch Here Creator Economy Not Immune to Economic Downturn We’ve seen layoffs and cutbacks across the tech industry sector during this economic downturn, but creator economy companies have generally been immune. Not so anymore. Last week, premium content producer Patreon announced that it will lay off 17% of its workforce (80 employees) to “make sure Patreon continues to be a reliable monetization tool for creators.”That said, Patreon is a service for premium content behind a paywall. Our roundtable believes that ad-supported content creation will weather this storm far better than anything people have to pay for. Time will tell; keep reading… Read More Influencer Remains a Strong Channel in Current Climate We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again — influencer marketing is the key to continually reaching your audience during this recession. Find endorsers who authentically align with your brand voice (we can help you with that), and the impact will remain strong. With consumers looking for areas to cut expenses, free content platforms like podcasts, streaming audio, and radio will maintain the largest reach. That reach, combined with implicit trust generated by influencer marketing, should help you weather this storm. Read More The Rise of Andrew Tate Former kickboxing champion, and minor UK reality star, Andrew Tate created an empire of toxic masculinity through mass messaging on TikTok. Recently the infamous misogynist was working within the podcast space, specifically on Spotify, where he hadn’t yet been banned (vs. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Uber, Airbnb, Discord etc.). The meteoritic rise of this extremely polarizing figure can teach us a lot about brand safety in this age: #1 Reach and influence isn’t always the clearest indicator of success #2. Brand safety involves both monitoring existing content as well as what the hosts do outside of their programs (something our work with Barometer is currently addressing) #3. Spotify podcast charts are much more volatile than Apple charts, and their reliance on video content and fringe internet celebs will always keep it from being a reliable source #4. As lookalikes emerge, including Fresh and Fit, and are being legitimized in the podcast and YouTube space, we need to be hyper-vigilant not to validate dangerous ideologies that end up on the far ends of the political spectrum. Influencer marketing can be tricky. Simulcast and TikTok are especially useful for reach, but can also be a weapon in the wrong hands. Brand safety needs to be a concern for all clients, regardless of performance. We can help. Read More Podcast/YouTube Lines Increasingly Blurred Video podcasts are booming, giving creators access to new audiences. But does this risk ruining what made the emerging audio format so satisfying to begin with? While podcast purists may scoff at the notion of a video podcast (isn’t that essentially just a documentary?), from an advertiser’s perspective, there is no downside. Some of the largest interviewer creators are already working heavily with video simulcast (Logan Paul,h3h3, Call Her Daddy, Joe Rogan).he continuing trend will only help advertisers grow their visibility while ensuring we’re able to gauge performance through our attribution practices. So let the industry keep blurring the lines between podcasts and YouTube while the ad-supported content we buy gets shared with more and more users. Read More Watt’s Up? Wattpad, the global entertainment company and leading web novel platform, will launch a series of podcasts created by popular Wattpad authors exclusively on Spotify. Realm is getting bigger, Disney is putting out Marvel fiction podcasts, and so this trend towards audio fiction is becoming a new, underserved audience for marketers. What’s old is new again. Fictional audio stories have been around since the advent of radio (soap operas, radio dramas, radio plays, and film adaptations via audio). So while fiction podcasts don’t have the host read we very much want, we already buy a ton of announcer and producer reads on news content which always performs, so we see this channel as a growing and untapped subset of podcasts for DR advertisers. More info to come. Read More Alexa’s Sponsored Responses Think SEM for voice. We’ve been talking about the future of smart speakers for years, and so far, advertising opportunities have been limited. But that’s about to change. Next year, Amazon will incorporate ads into Alexa’s answers with its new Customers Ask Alexa feature. Companies will soon be able to essentially sponsor the voice assistant’s responses to questions relevant to their products, linking an advertisement for a cleaning spray to a query about how to remove stains, for instance. The feature brings commerce to the otherwise crowd-sourced Alexa Answers feature set up by Amazon a few years ago. Read More Patagonia Founder Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is This week in feel-good news. We see a lot of companies align themselves with causes. Some are true to the brand values; some are subject to scrutiny. But rarely does a brand truly put everything on the line for what they believe. Enter Patagonia. Last week the company announced that 100% of the company’s voting stock (2% of the total) had been transferred to the Patagonia Purpose Trust, created to protect the company’s values (its mission statement is “We’re in business to save our home planet”). At the same time, 100% of the non-voting stock (98% of the total) has been given to the Holdfast Collective, a non-profit dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature; funding for Holdfast will come from Patagonia in the form of a dividend – expected to be in the region of $100m this year. While some on the panel feel this move was entirely philanthropic, others believe there are untold benefits to the move, but we all agree that both truths can coexist. Read More

Media Roundtable Industry Edition returns this week, with the entire panel just back from their trip to Podcast Movement 22. Host Jennifer Laine leads this week’s discussion with Roundtable veteran Dan Granger and newcomers Tamara Zubatiy from Barometer and Oxford Road’s Gary Brown. The show begins with the panel discussing the biggest news of his year’s Podcast Movement; Ben Shapiro’s unannounced appearance and the social media s#*t storm that transpired. At the time of the recording, Podcast Movement hadn’t openly discussed their stance on the misinformed apology but has since addressed the situation on Twitter. It seems like they’re on the right track, though not without fallout. After putting the elephant in the room to bed (hopefully for the last time), the team discusses other hot news items of the day, including Twitter’s dance with Podcast, Snap Chat’s financial woes, Cadence13 going Hollywood, and Veritone’s AI box of possibilities. Click below to hear the whole episode, or check out the articles discussed below for those short on time. Listen Here Watch Here Podcasts are Coming to Twitter Announced last week, podcasts will now appear in Twitter’s redesigned “Spaces” tab, but you’ll be unable to choose individual shows: the interface gives pre-selected shows in topic-based playlists called “Stations.” It uses RSS feeds and is curated from what the people you follow are listening to. Twitter offers no search facility or ability to add your own RSS feeds, which significantly limits the platform as a legitimate content source. Our take is that while Twitter’s involvement in podcasts will undoubtedly help promote the medium, the way they’re going about it seems counter to how podcasts are typically shared and therefore lacks scale opportunity. Read More Snap Reducing Headcount by 20% Snap is reducing its headcount by 20% and restructuring its ads team. The social space is increasingly tough, and increased competition and privacy concerns make it tough to monetize. But perhaps the more interesting takeaway is that some of the upcoming apps (LiveIn, Locket) lean more towards authentic connection rather than the traditional follower counts and self-promotion that make social media (shall we say) unfulfilling. Read More Cadence13 Goes Hollywood Premium podcast studio, Cadence13 has hired Hollywood executive Patton Valentine to oversee IP adaptation strategy across its original content divisions. Cadence13 plans to adapt its audio documentary and scripted storytelling IP into the world of film and television, with several projects in work now. We’re going to start seeing more new podcast shows designed with the sole purpose of converting to television shows. The trick will be figuring out which ones are most likely to do so and negotiating baked-in ads so that 2nd and 3rd shelf life comes into play for advertisers. Stay tuned. Read More Veritone’s AI Voice Network Veritone’s Voice Network now offers creators a multilingual custom A.I. voice solution and podcast monetization service that combines synthetic voice creation and AI translation services to localize podcasts. A.I. has gone from beating humans at Chess, then beating them at Go, to solving a problem in 48 hours that molecular biologists have struggled with for 50 years. Interest in A.I. has tapered since it seemed to plateau in the late ’10s with accomplishments like identifying objects in images. But it’s not going away. Capabilities are, instead, accelerating, and they will continue to. It’s the most important tech of our time. Brands’ applications will also rapidly grow better chatbots, A.I. script generation, optimization, and better attribution. Don’t stop paying attention to this one. Read More Delivering a Scalpel to Comedy According to Edison Research, Comedy has topped the Q2 2022 podcast genre charts in the U.S. The team discusses that while some advertisers stay away from Comedy podcasts altogether due to brand safety concerns, with tools like Barometer, you can easily navigate the vast comedy podcast world while adhering to your brand’s values. Read More

Back by popular demand! This week’s Media Roundtable: Industry Edition tackles the news you need to hear about, including Spotify’s new brand safety tool, the panic and perils around hidden persuaders, and what a CNN transition means for the direction of journalism in this country. This week, Kyle Jelinek takes the panel out for a spin as the new host alongside returning Oxford Road team members, Dan Granger, Spencer Semonson (who finally corrected our mispronunciation of her last name), and Stew Redwine, with hard-won insights for those of us working in the media and audio industries. The show begins with a rapid-fire discussion on the top news stories like Audacy’s recent layoffs, MediaPost’s terrible Ad Spend Index report for July, TikTok’s mission to control misinformation, and how Finland’s Prime Minister likes to dance with friends. Quickly, the roundtable joins in to discuss the most important topics facing the media world. At the top of everyone’s mind is how to integrate imperfect data sets (Podsight’s Benchmark Report, Apple’s new podcast charts) to make better decisions when planning your media. Spencer gives her expert opinion on separating signal from noise that you’re definitely going to want to hear. Short on time? A recap of each topic is shared below, but if you want the team’s whole hot take (and trust us, you do), catch the full episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here Watch Here Podsights “Insights” Podsights released their Q3 Benchmark report, which continues to share recommendations that seem counterintuitive for some of us in the business. Podcast optimal frequency, the efficiency of Pre-rolls vs. Midrolls, whether Dynamic or Baked In ads perform better, and how many impressions an advertiser should buy are shared in this report as buying guidelines for the uninitiated. Yet based on our experience, this requires a much more nuanced approach. So take the data for what it is, but proceed with caution. Read More Spotify’s Walled Garden Gets A Little Higher Spotify just announced a new service that will create the ads you air on their podcasts. So now you can get your ads made and graded (for brand safety) and placed with content all owned by the same company. Not to mention, with their recent acquisition of Podsights, Spotify will tell you how it all worked too. Talk about vertical integration! Would you trust this level of control in any other industry? It’s like buying a house directly from the seller, who is also your real estate agent, appraiser, home inspector, and tax collector. It’s convenient for sure, but is this the best way to approach? We love the innovation, and Spotify is a valued partner of ours, but the answer is probably not. Read More The Hidden Persuaders 2.0 Acast’s new “conversational targeting” sounds a bit like buzz-word soup. It works by using advanced speech-to-text transcription technology combined with artificial intelligence and natural language processing to analyze hundreds of thousands of individual podcast episodes. Each episode is then categorized according to the industry standard IAB content categorization taxonomy (v2) to ensure that ad campaigns are automatically served against episodes of the highest relevance for their brand message. We’re seeing others in the industry doing similar things, but does this strategy lead to optimizing yourself out of a channel? It sounds similar to the almost Godlike powers attributed to marketers in Vance Packard’s 1957 book The Hidden Persuaders. Like most things in this week’s episode, we recommend looking at this as just another tool for planning, not a solution. Read More Huel Advert on Steven Bartlett’s Podcast Banned The brand Huel had an ad from a March podcast drop on The Diary of a CEO banned in the UK, as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed it wasn’t obvious that it was an ad. A thorough onboarding is the key to ensuring the creative services who craft the copy are properly heard when the content creators record their ad. As brands venture into foreign markets, this onboarding is even more important to ensure local protocols are met. However, this begs the question, does knowing you’re listening to an ad affect the performance of that ad? If listeners like the host, and feel a part of the audience (which is part of the two-prong “intentionality/intimacy” power of podcasting), they simply don’t care. So why not just be transparent, and aim to get the best, most honest message to your audience? Sounds novel. Read More Brian Stelter to Leave CNN CNN’s Chief Media Correspondent and anchor of the show Reliable Sources since 2013, Brian Stelter, is leaving the network following the cancellation of the long-running media news program. Our panel suggests this may be an indicator of less polarizing content in the media. Fox and CNN have been in a race to the bottom for years, hopefully, balance and integrity will prevail. Read More Apple’s New Podcast Charts Apple Podcasts is introducing a pair of new top 100 podcast charts that track subscription podcasts and subscription podcast channels. These include shows from all categories that offer exclusive content, early access to new episodes, bonus episodes, ad-free listening, and more premium experiences. Currently, the top US subscribed shows include Smartless, Something Was Wrong, and Fed Up, all attributed to podcast network Wondery, which is owned by Amazon. Podcast charts are the focus of much debate between agency folks and network contacts, useful for some aspects of planning rationale but not a sure indicator of the performance or even reach for a particular show. Again, another tool, but not a definitive answer to every question. Read More

Media Roundtable’s “Industry Edition” returns to discuss the hot topics of the day, including a quick recap of the latest from PodNews, the industry’s latest solutions for brand safety, the loss of HBO Max, and much more. This week, Dan Granger returns as host alongside other members of the Oxford Road team, Kristen Duenas, Spencer Semonson, and Stew Redwine, as they discuss the most critical topics in the world of marketing from those of us working in the media and audio industries. Dan begins the episode chatting about the latest release from PodNews, which highlighted the craziness of Apple’s rating system, a new Podcast growth agency for creators called Bumper, Audio Earning Reports that show how legacy media channels are changing with the growth of their podcast involvement, and the monetary cost of misinformation as demonstrated by the Alex Jones civil trial. For readers short on time, a recap of each topic is shared below, but to hear the team’s whole hot take, listen to the entire episode by clicking the link below. Listen Here Watch Here The Podcast Industry Gets Serious About Brand Safety Inside Radio shared the news about the new brand safety tool, Sounder. Backed by iHeart Media, its founders believe that their tool will help Podcast grow by offering brands an automated way to ensure the content they’re supporting aligns with their values, with the addition of offering contextual targeting at scale in the future. We love the momentum we’re seeing with the industry as a whole demanding more insight into content and welcome new solutions to solve  this problem. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t give a quick plug to our partners at Barometer, who’s automated solution for brand safety is already up and running. From what we can tell it offers everything Sounder is promising – perhaps more. If you’d like to give Barometer a test drive – shoot us an electronic mail message. Read More Sacrificing Short-Term Sales For Long-Term Growth This week in “Recession Talk”, we share a story from Media Post that urges marketers to shift focus from short-term goals to long-term goals during the economic downturn. History has many stories recounting companies that maintained or doubled down advertising efforts during an economic crisis and came out of it stronger than before, but is this realistic for most marketers? The panel discusses the pros and cons of this strategy and ultimately lands on the truth that it’s a gutsy move that ultimately depends on how long you can sustain a drop in sales to focus on the long-term. But for marketers simply doing the best they can with the resources available. In uncertain times, adjusting your creative strategy can be the most valuable move in your playbook. Read More Are You Ready for Some Football? The Athletic has announced the launch of 17 local football podcasts for the upcoming NFL season, giving fans new content to choose from when the season begins this Fall. Sports programming consistently performs well for many advertisers, and at Oxford Road, we’ve found that content with a local and regional focus has excelled, presumably due to their rabidly loyal fanbases. This localization could signify things to come as more regional podcast content outside of the sports world is made available now that consumption and engagement is high enough regionally (as prognosticated by The Influencer for years). For now, go sports! Read More HBO Max Dissolves It appears that HBO Max is going away and will be merging with Discovery Plus next year. While from a consumer perspective, we’re saddened to see our beloved streaming platform go the way of the dodo bird, as marketers, it presents a ton of opportunity. We already know that Netflix will be moving to an ad-supported model in 2023. Now it appears we may have the ability to advertise on the premium HBO content we all know and love. Expect more consolidation and more monetization in the streaming space as things progress which may be good for everyone. Read More Podcast Payola? Broke by our friend Ashley Carmen on Bloomberg earlier this week, podcast guests are paying up to $50,000 to appear on popular shows. While this may seem astonishing to the general public, for our panel, it was common knowledge and becoming increasingly prevalent. But should podcasts receiving money for interviews disclose it to their listeners? The panel says yes, and it harkens back to the old days in radio where payola and plugola scandals erupted back in the 60’s and 70’s. What do you think? Should podcasts have to disclose which interviews are paid and which are genuine as they do in traditional broadcast? Let us know your thoughts by emailing us. Read More More Players in the Podcast Sandbox As reported by the Podcast Business Journal, Lionsgate has entered the podcasting space with a new division called Lionsgate Sound, which will operate as a full-service podcast production company, handling podcast production for the studio’s film & television businesses while also overseeing all elements of podcast production for third party clients. Audio is hot, and everyone wants a piece of the podcast pie. Large production companies have a wide breadth of sources to pull from, plus talented production teams to produce high-quality content, and we expect to see more of this in the future. As an agency that works heavily in the podcast space, we say keep the original content coming. Read More

Media Roundtable’s “Insider Edition” Returns to discuss the hot topics of the day, including more on how the advertising industry is responding to the economic downturn, the future of podcast discoverability and how advertisers may be ruining America’s pastime, and much more. This week, Jennifer Laine (Head of Marketing) hosts the show alongside fellow Oxford “Roadies,” Stew Redwine (VP Creative Services), Charisse Miller (Senior Account Lead Director), and Kyle Jelinek (Senior Account Lead Director) as they discuss the most critical topics in the world of marketing from an insider’s perspective. For readers short on time, a recap of each topic is shared below, but to hear the team’s whole hot take, listen to the entire episode by clicking the link below. Listen Now Watch Here Is Heavier Frequency Killing Podcast Conversion? This week’s podcast launches with the team discussing a recent article from Westwood One that hypothesizes the downward trend in conversion rate on podcasts (as reported by Podsights) is due to heavier frequency on the medium. To combat this, the article recommends: buying ad space on more than shows that are “obvious fits,” matching product categories with product genres, and spreading impressions to more than just top-ranking podcasts. Our take is that this is a bunch of malarkey–a misunderstanding of the true problem. Increased ad loads require more frequency and reduce the saliency of the message. The problem is that with the number of ads in each show increasing and DAI taking over the majority of podcast ad units, the industry is diluting the medium. It’s not that we’re reaching listeners too many times. Regardless of the cause, marketers need to know how the changes in the Podcast medium are affecting performance and how to counteract them. WWO is on the right track on solving the problem, and if the problem was purely frequency, they provided some solid solutions, it’s just that the root cause of the issue they’re solving may be based on an incorrect assumption. Read More  Economy’s Impact on Marketing Round 2 In what will, unfortunately, become a regular theme over the coming months, the team shifted focus to the economy’s effect on advertising, citing an article from eMarketer’s Insider Intelligence newsletter.  The article reports a recent report stating that one in five marketers have cut their spending due to economic uncertainty. Budgets decreased by an average of 16%. Upper-funnel campaigns have seen the most significant cuts, with 47% of marketers surveyed suspending connected TV (CTV), 44% halting digital video, and 42% pausing linear TV. While this is bad news for networks, agencies, and brands, the silver lining is within the opportunity for the performance side of the business. As brands shift focus from lofty branding initiatives in favor of performance-based KPIs, trackable platforms and tactics employed by performance marketers will help brands weather this storm while proving their worth. Read More The Future of Podcast Discoverability We love podcast-focused podcasts, specifically Podcast Pontifications, where host Evo Terra discusses how to improve podcasting. In a recent episode, Evo shared his future vision of podcast discoverability. With so many podcasts available for consumption, discovering new shows is becoming a challenge–the paradox of choice. But Evo mentions the need for an independent platform that would allow listeners to do a deep search to discover new podcasts that they enjoy based on much more sophisticated algorithms than currently available. Some are already here. Last month The Influencer shared info on, Fathom, the first-of-its-kind podcast streaming platform that uses AI to comprehend entire podcasts and give recommendations based on specific areas of interest. Regardless of how we get there, the industry needs to up its discoverability game, which will help podcast fans and content creators. Read More Is Congress Killing Targeted Advertising? We’ve already seen it in other parts of the world, but the US is about to get a lot more strict on privacy laws. Currently, in the bill phase, The American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADAPPA) will only allow companies to collect user data if necessary for one of 17 permitted purposes —authenticating users, preventing fraud, and completing transactions. Everything else is prohibited. The bill is getting bi-partisan support and looks like it will become a reality, so what do marketers do now? Self-imposed privacy laws have already significantly impacted many digital and social platforms’ ability to run targeted ad campaigns – will this be the end of the era? If the folks up in Silicon Valley are good at anything, it’s finding a way, but it will be a challenge. In the meantime, Podcast, Streaming Audio, and Radio look more attractive by the minute. Read More And The Ultimate Influencer is… Logan Paul? The WWE has nicknamed Logan Paul “The Ultimate Influencer.” Love him or hate him, with 23.5m YouTube subscribers, an acclaimed podcast, and success in acting and boxing Logan Paul is one of the most successful social media influencers in history. Like Paul, many YouTube/Podcast hosts are crossing over into other channels, and brands can get creative with integrations wherever they’re reaching their audience, but is this a smart move? The answer is maybe. You need to dig deeper. When podcast networks offer 360° packages with their influencers, they rarely work out from a performance standpoint. But, if the host has a proven track record of success with your brand and you want to take the relationship to the next level, it can make sense, but proceed with caution. Read More Marketers Ruining America’s Pastime? The MLB sold out. Beginning next year, baseball teams will be allowed to sell logo sponsorship onto their uniforms for the first time. The San Diego Padres were the first to announce a partnership with Motorola, but other deals are in the works. Is this the natural progression of things or the greedy hand of capitalism slapping America’s past time in the face? Our take? Go for it, baseball! Logos have been plastered over every square inch of NASCAR racers and their cars for decades, and pro golfers make more on their sponsorship deals than they do winning tournaments. Read More

In what could be described as a midsummer daydream, The Influencer presents our first ever Media Roundtable “Industry Edition” where industry insiders discuss recent industry news in true “roundtable” fashion. This week, host Dan Granger is joined by fellow Oxford Road team members Jennifer Laine Vanbeek (Head of Marketing), Stew Redwine (VP Creative Services), and Kyle Jelinek (Senior Account Lead Director). Together, these four “Roadies” discuss the hottest topics of the day and provide insights into what they mean for your business. For readers short on time, a recap of each topic is shared below, but to hear the team’s whole hot take, listen to the entire episode by clicking the link below. Listen Now Watch Here Do Brand Values Still Matter? A warning to all well-meaning brands: according to an article from Insider Intelligence, purpose-driven ads are not received well during economic downturns. Consumers are de-emphasizing social values when it comes to spending habits and focusing on switching to brands with lower prices. As players across the advertising industry experience setbacks and cut ad sales jobs in the uncertain economy, it’s vital for brands to always showcase a product’s value proposition in their messaging. Read More Brands are Shifting Towards Influencers Springboarding off of our first article, while consumers are becoming less brand-loyal, they’re still following the people they love, says a recent Marketing Brew article. In order to stay in front of the trend, brands should consider shifting their spend to trusted influencers. Podcast hosts are the ultimate influencers and also lay solidly within the most intimate channel (audio). In fact, Podcast listeners actually like the ads more than on any other medium and trust what their hosts say–2x more than radio. So if you want to stay present and relevant, consider Podcast. Read More Audio Ads Hitting Gaming Global, the international media & entertainment group, has announced that it has invested in Odeeo, a tech start-up that delivers non-intrusive audio ads in mobile games. We’re not talking console-type games, but the puzzle and word games you’d see on your smartphone. Audio ads in games are said to be immersive, non-intrusive marketing, so your message can be delivered without leaving the game itself. Is this a viable marketing channel that has yet to be tapped, or just another flash in the pan? Read More Ban TikTok Now? TikTok is all over the news lately about privacy concerns, both stateside and internationally. China has access to all of the world’s TikTok data and while they’ve banned the use of the app in their own country, the rest of the world is giving it away. We recommend that advertisers who are serious about sponsoring TikTok take a step back. Hit pause now, and wait for the promised fix on privacy concerns to be properly addressed before moving forward. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly during our discussion on the subject, Dan cited a recent Prof G podcast episode that suggests despite this threat to personal and national security, at least this is one problem both sides of the aisle can agree on. Read More Cowboys and Rifles The Dallas Cowboys announced a partnership with Black Rifle Coffee a day after a mass shooting left seven dead. “Set it and forget it” is great for a coffee maker – but not for your ad campaign. Here’s the real question, who owns each campaign? Was this just poor timing, or was someone asleep at the wheel? The team dissects the intent and backlash of this incredibly ill-timed promotion. In this dynamic newscycle, do you have someone looking over your entire MarCom who dissects every word, every image, every single customer, and every promotion, to craft the best, most relevant advertising for your company? If not, give us a call. Read More Misinformation Added to GARM GARM (Global Alliance for Responsible Media) just added “misinformation” as a brand safety element in their reporting. GARM’s brand safety framework has already changed how brands set strategies, how media agencies build media schedules, and how platforms and ad tech partners structure their tools. Historically called the evil 11, GARM expanded the brand safety list to include misinformation alongside topics like illegal drugs, explicit sexual content, arms & ammunition, and terrorism. If you’re concerned about ensuring your advertisements align with your company values, Oxford Road’s partnered with brand safety leaders like Barometer and AdFontes to help. Read More

This past week marks the official beginning of the end of 2022, and while you were BBQing and trying not to blow off an appendage during Monday’s festivities, The Influencer was hard at work, curating the most important things you need to know. The Media Roundtable takes a bit of a turn this week with guest host Stew Redwine (Oxford Road VP, Creative Services) taking the mic to discuss the art of sound with fellow audiophile Dallas Taylor</a>; a man who knows more about sound than anyone you’ve ever met in your life. Dallas is the Creative Director of Defacto Sound, the sonic source for the world’s most thoughtful brands. He’s the host and creator of the award-winning podcast, Twenty Thousand Hertz (the title of which refers to the highest frequency that can be perceived within the normal human hearing range), telling fascinating stories behind the world’s most famous sounds. “I really gravitated towards magic because there’s this really beautiful eloquent thing that happens right in front of you that you just can understand.” – Dallas Taylor Together they cover everything from the hidden craft behind the sound design and mixing to listening to other planets and solving communication breakdowns to playing “The Sonic Branding Game” (try and beat Dallas!). Tune in to hear: How to make EV cars sound powerful without an engine “vroom.” The story behind the Netflix “ta-dum.” How to make copy points that “sound” right for a podcast host. Buckle up and enjoy this conversation between two creatives discussing the craftiness and magic that goes into the sounds of marketing and entertainment we hear every day. You’ll never listen to sound the same way again. Click below to hear it all. Listen to the Interview Watch the Interview

Legendary Philadelphia hardcore rapper Gillie Da King is regarded as the “King of Philly” by fans who adore him and his writing skills. His cousin, Wallo267, after serving a 20-year prison sentence, transformed his life to become a TED speaker, social media influencer, activist, and marketer. Gillie and Wallo co-host the hit podcast Million Dollaz Worth of Game from Barstool Sports, and today they take a seat at the Media Roundtable… “We just regular human beings who understand that human beings make mistakes and everybody’s not perfect.” – Gillie Da King Gillie and Wallo have an ability to be genuine and nonjudgemental, creating a show where guests like Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Mike Tyson, Alicia Keys, and Swizz Beatz can open up and speak honestly, producing must-listen episodes. This authenticity also allows Gillie and Wallo to disentangle complex cultural issues like balancing cultural appreciation and appropriation with white audiences, social sensitivity, and forgiveness. Million Dollaz Worth of Game is a gold mine for brands looking for an authentic endorsement. Their ad-reads are unskippable–in Gillie’s words, “it’s not an ad when it’s with us”– case in point, this New Amsterdam Vodka read. If you’re looking for unfiltered, powerfully unique voices who know exactly what it takes to connect with their audience, this is definitely a podcast you should consider sponsoring. Tune in to hear: Gillie and Wallo’s unique take on endorsing advertisers Their top five life-changing guests of all time That time Snoop got vulnerable Wallo’s TED talk on why he forgave his brother’s killer Click below to hear the entire conversation (NSFW). Listen to the Interview

It’s the end of the internet, as we know it. It’s not news that social media is virtually unmanageable as its lack of governance reveals deadly consequences, and destabilizes our democracy. But what does it mean when Netflix, the leader in quality production, is losing more subscribers than it adds, introducing a previously unthinkable ad-supported layer, and doing layoffs? What does this portend for competing streamers who are now facing unprecedented scrutiny? One interpretation is that we’ve found the outer limits of how much media we can handle or consume. For decades, the volume of content creation has been growing exponentially through user-generated content, and now we can’t even handle more scripted films and series. Enter Matt Belloni, former top dog at The Hollywood Reporter, current co-founding partner at Puck News, and this week’s guest on the Media Roundtable podcast. He joins us to discuss his recently new podcast The Town, from The Ringer, where he takes you inside Hollywood with exclusive reporting about the business of show business. “Discovery is a big problem in streaming right now. It’s still overwhelming and they need to do a much better job with curation and pushing stuff to the right people.”  -Matt Belloni Marketers concerned with the implications of the latest changes and challenges facing media will find this conversation meaningful. Tune in to hear our discussion around the discovery of the edges of the digital media universe, and much more, Including: Why comedians are being attacked on stage and what that means about how we think about free speech Why everyone needs an ad-supported tier (except Apple) His experience of the Oscars slap as a member of the audience, and his emergency podcast live from inside the Dolby Theater Hot Takes on current media news including Twitter’s new potential owner How to balance the Wild West of the creator economy with the infrastructure that supports good journalism If you want to hear the perspectives of an industry insider and creator, whose job is to talk about industry insiders and creators, you’ll dig this discussion with Matt Belloni. Hop in by clicking below. Listen to the Interview

In a world where, according to Edelman’s Trust Barometer, corporations are more trusted than the government and media, what do you do with that trust? At SXSW, we assembled a powerhouse panel to answer that question. “Brands have been trying hard to be influential and now… you’ve got the influence. The responsibility is now on a brand to take a stand.” -Jory Des Jardins This week, Oxford Road’s Founder and CEO, Dan Granger joins media veterans, Jory Des Jardins (CMO, Countable) and Natasha Simko Morgan, Ph.D. (Head of Enterprise Marketing, Indeed) to discuss the increasing challenge of aligning brand values with media spend. Tune in to hear: How to actually measure brand purpose What you need to give up to  align with your brand values Apple’s calculated security move Brand-advertising alignment can be a frantic mess, or it can be a thoughtful step in your brand evolution. Click below to understand the difference. Listen to the Interview

This week we’re serving up a panel discussion with some of the leading minds of the industry, from last month’s SXSW for you to feast upon. Oxford Road’s Jennifer Laine sits down with industry experts Bryan Barletta founder of Sounds Profitable, iHeart Radio’s Chief Creative Officer, and self-proclaimed recovering Creative, Rahul Sabnis, and Ph.D., Engineer, and Polarization Expert, Kevin Kells to discuss the state of Podcast and what’s next in the medium. “14 years in ad tech and all I’ve watched is people kick things down the road. There’s not a lot of money in transparency” -Bryan Bartletta Together these deep thinkers and far-seers examine podcast industry trends from every angle and look into the future of the industry they’re collectively shaping. Tune in to hear: How brands are managing values and customer trust while advertising in podcasts How Podcasts Influence real-world behavior The good bad and ugly about Ad Tech in Podcast How voice is the key to trust in the Metaverse How Brands can use context to set tolerance levels in media planning You’re not going to want to miss this week’s episode. Click below to hear the entire conversation. Listen to the Interview

If you look back at the history of our newsletter, you’ll oftentimes find articles and insights sourced from Morning Brew. Morning Brew is many things we want The Influencer to be; a witty, to-the-point, take on media trends. Since you’re a subscriber to The Influencer, you owe it to yourself to subscribe to Morning Brew, the self-proclaimed “world’s wittiest business insights newsletter” and its sister newsletter, Marketing Brew. It’s with “stan” admiration that we’re elated to have Morning Brew’s Jason Schulweis as a guest on the Media Roundtable. “There is such an opportunity to inform, educate, and empower the business leaders of today and tomorrow with this kind of business news and information.” –Jason Schulweis Morning Brew’s revenue was $3MM in 2018 and is tracking to north of $80MM this year. How? By zealously guarding their audience’s time. Morning Brew is helpful quickly. That means an engaged audience that stays interested even through the ads, which Morning Brew writes in their witty, trusted voice. Looking to place your ads? Don’t settle for throwaway billboard space. Pick a partner who’ll find the overlap in your voice and values and theirs. That’s the secret to the success of Morning Brew. Tune in to hear: Why the world needed another newsletter What happens when branded content isn’t bullsh*t The infinite things that you can do with one piece of content With a TAM of everyone with an email address, newsletters are huge. Click below for some fresh insight on this sleeping giant of a marketing channel. Listen to the Interview

Retired San Francisco Ad Man Joey Dumont knows the power of engaging with uncomfortable truths when it comes to working with brands. While a former Questus managing director, Dumont wrote his memoir “Joey Somebody: The Life and Times of a Recovering Douchebag” so his sons would have a record of the messiness of their father’s previous transgressions as an executive in Media. “There are some really cool things that take place in your being when you’re humble and honest and authentic about who you are… and I was being a douche-bag at that moment.” -Joey Dumont Now a fully recovered douchebag, Dumont’s new journalistic platform, True Thirty lives in that same messy middle, exploring today’s most thorny issues through the lens of slow journalism with a politically-diverse team.  “Slow journalism is as simple as it sounds: it means taking the time to decide what we want to cover, why, when and how. We won’t spit things out quickly or irresponsibly. We’re not worried about our voice being heard constantly or loudly.“ One takeaway from Dumont is that authentic brands need to examine their ugly truth before someone else weaponizes it against them. If your brand is trying to build trust, his recommendation is to own your whole product and media supply chains, good, bad and ugly to see where you’re falling short. Then fix it if possible, and come clean either way and move forward.  This level of transparency is what makes his new media startup, True Thirty, a model for the future of journalism. “At True Thirty, the stories we present are about news – true news through the lens of slow journalism – not winning a fight. We are about learning and polite discourse. Leave enragement news to others.” Tune in to hear: How calling himself out as a douchebag saved Dumont from getting beat up Why he is okay with offending 30% of the population. Lessons on truth from Shaq and Patagonia Why Slow Journalism is the answer to many of our current woes and how TrueThirty is solving the problem How to admire people with whom you disagree Despite the self-deprecating approach, Joey has a serious mission that would benefit the state of journalism today, and therefore, the direction of our country. Click below to hear about the living model he’s creating for a better future in media. Listen to the Interview

The Influencer team is hot off of last week’s Podcast Movement Evolutions event and we have a bunch of news to share later this week, but for now, we’re sharing the details on this week’s Media Roundtable Podcast and our most recent guest, Baratunde Thurston. The term Renaissance man doesn’t do Baratunde Thurston justice. He’s an Emmy-nominated host who’s worked at The Onion and The Daily Show, advised the Obama White House, and wrote the New York Times bestseller How To Be Black. “Everything we know is becoming something we don’t know—constantly.” -Baratunde Thurston Currently, he’s the creator and host of one of Apple’s favorite podcasts of 2020, “How to Citizen with Baratunde,” he hosts the new PBS show, America Outdoors, and he’s a founding partner of the new media startup Puck where he just wrote the incredibly thoughtful piece “Will Smith’s Tragic Lesson.” Thurston understands what’s happening now and where we’re heading in a very, very rare way. Even rarer, you’re going to come away from this conversation without a sense of doom, but with an earned optimism that’s worth strengthening by, in his words, “citizening.” Tune in to hear: What technology should and shouldn’t be speeding up The near-impossible challenge of Baratunde’s data detox Your new favorite answer to what defines America Seriously, just listen to this episode. Click below to be inspired by the one and only Baratunde Thurston. Listen to the Interview

Lisa Carmen Wang knows about resilience. A four-time US National Champion in gymnastics, she failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics by .25 tenths of a point then swept the gold medals at her final National Championship, all while she was still a teenager. Despite achieving personal and professional success, the never-ending pursuit of success left her feeling hollow. It wasn’t until she stepped into her full power that she realized… “A woman steps into her full power NOT when she is finally given permission to do so, but when she realizes she never needed it in the first place.”  -Lisa Carmen Wang Wang is now a serial entrepreneur, podcaster, angel & crypto investor, and the founder of the Bad Bitch Empire, which helps women unapologetically build self-worth and wealth by leveraging the power of Web3. Her new podcast of the same name is out now and demands a listen. Tune in to hear: Wang’s heroine’s journey exercise that can help you through any failure What metacognition is and why you can turn it into your superpower How men and women respond differently to being told they’re not worthy Click below to listen and get inspired. Listen to the interview

For everyone who could not make it to Austin this week for SXSW and our special event, AudioHouse, where we announced the launch of Barometer for Brand Safety and Suitability, this episode is for you. A narrow view of the AudioHouse event would be to focus on the features and benefits of a new AI-Driven SAAS Tool that helps marketers bump into less controversy in placing ads. On its face, that’s what Barometer does. However, if we take a 30,000-foot view of the situation, our trust in American Institutions from media to government has plummeted, and we’re all suffering from the consequences in real life. This week’s episode is a recording of a live panel discussion about the state of trust in Media, where it’s gone, and our plan to repair our broken system. “Maybe we could do better than just call people out for the things they were doing poorly. Maybe we could incentivize people to contribute more positively to this crisis.” – Tamara Zubatiy “Media needs an objective third-party representation of its contents.” – Dan Granger Eric Shurenberg, former CEO of Mansueto Ventures (owner of Inc. Magazine and Fast Company) explains why he stepped down after January 6th from his post to fight misinformation. Eric moderates our panel discussion on media, truth, and overturning the outrage industrial complex, alongside our very own Oxford Road founder and CEO Dan Granger, Barometer founder and CEO Tamara Zubatiy, and Bloomberg Senior Software Engineer Kevin Kells. Bringing nutrition labels to Podcasts, Barometer has teamed up with Oxford Road on a mission to score every podcast marketers might consider sponsoring, using AI, and to provide consistent nutrition labels based on Brand Safety frameworks established by GARM, with support from the 4As and the IAB. Our thesis is that what is measured improves. By giving the marketplace unbiased, third-party information about the content itself and the associated risk levels for brands based on criteria such as violence, sexuality, and sensitive debated social issues, marketers can make better choices, while publishers and creators are incentivized to shift their focus from chasing attention, to earning trust. Tune in to hear: Listen to the Interview The difference between glamorizing, dramatizing, and informing in true crime podcasts How to train an AI you can actually trust How the FDA was established to bring quality standards and nutrition labels to food and beyond, and the parallels to our current environment What faith, hope, and charity have to do with the state of misinformation

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: NBC Asian America Lisa Ling Stop AAPI Hate NextShark Asian Mental Health Collective Asians for Mental Health AAPI Women League Hate is a Virus 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

Six months ago, few might have believed that Vladimir Putin would invade Ukraine, uniting US Democrats and Republicans, as well as most of the world against him, California would lift mask mandates, and that CNN would undergo a regime change and pivot from heavy opinion to unbiased news reporting. Suddenly we are in a different world, and for those of us seeking signs of hope that our polarized nation will not be undone by our differences, we have some recent signs of encouragement. Following last night’s State of the Union address where Biden presented his four-point, unity agenda, this week’s episode of The Media Roundtable offer’s a fifth point for Biden’s Plan: Mosheh Oinounou. Mosheh Oinounou. Oinounou is an Emmy-winning journalist with 20 years of experience as a reporter and executive producer at CBS, Fox News, Bloomberg TV, Conde Nast Entertainment, and CNBC.  In that time, he’s produced interviews with dozens of world leaders including five American presidents. (He also consulted with us in launching our Media Roundtable Initiative). Seeing the problem that news consumers face with too many sources competing for our attention and too little trust, Mosheh is now part of a new movement of independent journalists who are moving away from sensationalism and toward objectivity and mindful curation. His new venture, Mo News, which includes his Newsletter, Instagram feed, and weekly Q&A, Mondays with Mosh, is proving that there is a market for even-handed, calm discussion around today’s leading news events. “I’m trying to be a good news story in a bad news media environment, and luckily, the audience has responded well.” -Mosheh Oinounou Oinounou is that incredibly rare thing–a voice of reason. To listen to him is to feel calmer and more informed. After seeing how the incentive structure of the media landscape rewards the most opinionated and click-baity news coverage, Oinounou is trying, and succeeding with a different approach. Oinounou is not playing by the old rules of building a talking head. Through his own curated and well-sourced news channel, Mo News, on Instagram where he shows tremendous respect for his nearly quarter-million-strong audience. He informs without panicking and provides much-needed context. He is a perfect example of a new type of news source that brands should be falling over each other to align with and sponsor. Tune in to hear: The 11 minute stat that meant death for fact-based news coverage Why “I don’t know” is a powerful tool for building trust. If you want to understand the future of the news–and maybe feel a little hopeful– you need to check out this week’s episode. Click below to tune in.  Listen to the Interview

No one sees the truth and the Internet like Virginia Heffernan. Online since she was a child in the ‘70s, Heffernan is a Harvard Ph.D. whose book examining digital culture, “Magic and Loss: The Internet As Art” was called “An illuminating guide to the internet” by the Wall Street Journal. Heffernan’s a contributing editor for Wired, frequently writes for The LA Times, The Atlantic, and the NY Times, and hosts the podcast This is Critical which fans call “my drug of choice” and “a joy to listen to.” This week she joins Media Roundtable to talk about her career, the state of culture, and how the internet has changed life as we know it.  ​​“Every host is an unreliable narrator.” -Virginia Heffernan For Heffernan, advertising thrives on the blurring of lines between fact and fiction (that’s why ads try so hard to sound like the unpaid content that surrounds them). Brands can drive action by hypnotizing the audience because they don’t know what is true. But Heffernen argues, your brand will do better by meeting your audience in a playful space with ads that are clearly meant to entertain and engage a “willing suspension of disbelief.” Tune in to hear: Why older people not watching porn means Tucker Carlson gains a following How our polarization turned us into cows seeing a hat on a fence The sensory costs of the internet How Heffernan tries to “keep [her] apprehension of the culture right-sized” Ready to see the Internet differently? Click below to hear the entire conversation.  Listen to the Interview

This episode of the Media Roundtable is a little different from the norm. Last Sunday, over 100M viewers tuned in to watch the best of the best collide to establish dominance in America’s greatest showdown. We’re not talking about the Rams and Bengals; we’re talking about the commercials and in true Media Roundtable fashion, the impact they have on the world.  This week, latter-day madmen, Stew Redwine and Jason Harris break down the biggest winners and losers during what they’re calling The Nostalgia Bowl. But this exercise is not just a fun bit of “Monday morning Creative Directing”, their insights unlock creative insights your brand can use all year long. “I hate advertising that treats the audience like they’re dumb” – Jason Harris For the uninitiated, Stew Redwine is the Creative Director here at Oxford Road, and Jason Harris is an award-winning advertising executive and author, whose agency Mekanism has worked on multiple memorable Super Bowl spots including 2014’s iconic “Pepsi Soundcheck” ad. From Super Bowl LVI’s Barbie’s Dreamhouse to the Crypto Bros’ Screensaver, find out what it means for an ad in the “Big Game” to succeed, and which ads from this year will stand the test of time. Get a front-row seat as these two ad-pros to discuss the Soul + Science of why ads work and how to view them through the four lenses found in Jason’s book, Original, Generous, Empathetic, and Soulful. In this episode they cover: The Nostalgia Bowl Coinbase’s place in the ad world’s history books Why Super Bowl ads need to be the Second Act in a Three-Act structure Uber Eats and the David Ogilvy adage, “The customer is not a moron, she’s your wife.” Tune in and we promise, you won’t see Super Bowl ads the same way again. Listen To The Interview

Listen to the Interview If you want to understand the future of podcast advertising, spend 5 minutes with Bryan Barletta. This week, The Media Roundtable gives you almost an hour with the self-described “Podcast ad-tech by day, dungeon master by night.” “Nobody in this space comes from other spaces… 95% of the people in this space haven’t worked in other media, haven’t worked in other advertising channels, and definitely haven’t touched ad-tech before.” -Bryan Barletta Barletta is a towering authority when it comes to podcast ads. With an ad-tech background from Claritas and Megaphone (and someone who worked on the world’s first shakeable ad in 2009), he founded Sounds Profitable, a weekly podcast ad-tech newsletter and podcast jam-packed with industry insights that are actually enjoyable to listen to.  You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone else who understands the state of the industry as clearly as Bryan. If you want to feel smarter in your next media planning session as you look at your podcast ad buys, you need to hear what Barletta has to say. Tune in to hear: Why “it sucks” that we’re using podcasting as a catchall phrase Bryan’s take on Joe Rogan that’s actually informed Why Podcast needs nutrition labels  Where the next big global podcast audience will be How to release a podcast in your own voice, in any language We don’t care how long you’ve worked in the industry. If you listen to this episode, you’re going to see podcast ads in a new light. Click below to hear everything.  Listen to the Interview

“I genuinely think points of unification happen is when we listen. Your generation, my generation… we didn’t start this shit. We inherited a whole bunch of history… …We know the difference between you just want to sell me something, you just want your company to look good right now…” -Kierna Mayo It’s Black History Month and if you want to learn from someone who has been on the front lines of advancing underrepresented Black voices over the past 3+ decades, you may want to tune into this week’s episode…  Mayo co-founded and served as Editor-in-Chief of the iconic late-90’s fashion and lifestyle magazine Honey, was Editor-in-Chief and VP of Digital of EBONY magazine, and is now Vice President and Executive Editor of Roc Lit 101/One World (Penguin Random House). Mayo is the poster child of influencing responsibly. As the host of the new podcast Culturati: Conversations with Kierna Mayo from our friends at Breakbeat Media, Mayo speaks with other pioneers and leaders and such as W. Kamau Bell, Tanya Fields, and longtime friend Q-Tip, as they explore cultural hot topics from a Black woman’s perspective. This conversation goes deep and offers levity at times, but is challenging to anyone who concerns themselves with living anti-racist.  Tune in to hear topics such as: Interviewing Hillary Clinton and confronting her about charges of pandering to the black community Are corporations and others pandering to the black community in a post-George Floyd world? Critical Race WAP (Yes, you read that correctly) Offering Real Support to the Black Community Without Pandering Life at the Center of a cultural revolution Her involvement with Showtime’s “We Need to Talk about Cosby” How she deals with the work of Artists after learning about reprehensible behavior Maintaining a friendship with Q-Tip after he rose to superstardom How Advertisers can get involved supporting Black Women and Girls through supporting Culturati We can’t thank Kierna enough for sharing her experience and perspective on many of the challenging issues our country continues to face. Conversations like this are critical as we continue to dive deeply into the challenges of maintaining authenticity and business objectives with good faith efforts to lead this country to finally be true to what we said on paper.  Listen to the Interview

Serial entrepreneur Michael Bosstick has done it all. He’s sold beds for private jets and overcame his fear of public speaking to launch a hit podcast with his superstar wife, Lauryn Evarts Bosstick. But the reason we asked him to join us on the Media Roundtable is because of his tireless work as CEO of the podcast network, Dear Media, where he has created a platform for female podcasters to dominate the landscape. “Launch fast and adjust. Anytime that you want to do any kind of venture… stop waiting for perfection, get it out there, start, and adjust along the way.” –Michael Bosstick In our humble opinion, Dear Media (Life with Marianna, Lipstick on the Rim, Breaking Beauty, and many, many more) is quite possibly the leading female-focused podcast network out there. We’re talking dozens of shows reaching over 10 million rabidly loyal listeners each month. In addition, as advertising partners, Bosstick’s team consistently goes the extra mile to put together integrated partnership solutions, complete with thoughtful customizations from their talented hosts. Dear Media “gets it”  because Bosstick has one of the most complete understandings of the entire podcast ad space. How could he not when he’s held every single role? In addition to his role as CEO, Bosstick’s been in sales, operations, talent, and marketing. Plus, he’s been on all sides of the table; brand, agency, and client. It’s that insight, his desire to expand his perspectives continually, and his willingness to get started, get feedback, and make critical adjustments that make him a marketing role model from whom we can all learn. Tune in to hear: The secret to being in business with a famous spouse. How to “keep your side of the street clean” amidst a wave of criticism. How to build the confidence to talk to anyone. What you need to do once third-party tracking gets obliterated. You’re not going to want to miss this week’s episode. Click below to hear the entire conversation.  Listen to the interview

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. Listen to the Interview

In this season of gratitude, Jennifer Laine, Head of Marketing at Oxford Road and Executive Director for Media Roundtable, joins for this single episode recap of our Fall Season of Media Roundtable. Together, we look back at the changes we’ve made to the series, how we’re living out the Media Roundtable Values within the Ad Industry, and debate/recap/highlight all ten guests from the last season. For a quick refresher, here are the guest episodes we discuss:  9/8 Rudy Giuliani– Host of Rudy Giuliani’s Common Sense – Self Produced 9/15 Lindsay Graham– Host of American History Tellers – Wondery 9/22 Amy Westervelt– Host of Drilled – Critical Frequency 9/29 Patrick McGinnis– Host of FOMO Sapiens – Self Produced 10/13 Nick Leighton and Leah Bonnema– Host’s of Were You Raised By Wolves? – Self Produced 10/20 Megyn Kelly– Host of The Megyn Kelly Show – SiriusXM 10/27 Dave Mays– Host of The Dave Mays Show – Breakbeat Media 11/3 Bridget Phetasy– Host of Walk-Ins Welcome – PodcastOne 11/10 Julio Ricardo Varela– Founder of Latino Rebels – Self Produced 11/17 Metta Sandiford-Artest– Host of Mettaphorically Speaking – PodcastOne In reflecting on this season, the key takeaway for me is that there are many, many hosts of great programs that are living out the values of The Media Roundtable, advancing truth and civility in journalism, through content that is not just highly entertaining, but seeks to understand people at a deeper level, with compassion and empathy across differences. Most of our guests are doing EXCELLENT work in this regard and have given me renewed hope and confidence in our ability to overcome the challenges of polarization in this country. For those of us in the Media and Marketing business, we do have agency to promote content that aligns with our values and grow our businesses in the process.  I’m so grateful for the time you’ve taken this year to read our newsletter, listen to our podcast, and support our work. From all of us at The Influencer, The Media Roundtable, and Oxford Road, thank you for your support, and may this gratitude grace your homes over the holidays as we prepare for a bright new year.  Thank you and as always, Influence Responsibly. -Dan Listen to the Episode

“Life is not about paper.” – Metta Sandiford-Artest Metta Sandiford-Artest, aka Metta World Peace, aka Ron Artest, is ahead of every curve. He was canceled before you could get canceled. He’s been a passionate advocate for mental health for over a decade. And it sure seems like Facebook’s rebrand is following in his footsteps. How did he do it? Maybe it’s because Metta embraces transformation. He’s a podcaster with a new show Mettaphorically Speaking, has multiple business ventures including Artest Management Group, he’s an author, and a grandfather. In other words, he’s come a long way since being at the center of the infamous Malice at the Palace brawl that he estimates cost him $50-100 Million in his career. For marketers shepherding their brands, or recovering from controversy, Metta is living proof that you can change the way people see you. But, it won’t just come through a quick rebrand. It’s through the kind of passionate, time-intensive focus, ownership of mistakes, and years of impactful actions that are impossible to fake. All of which make his new podcast worth consideration for almost any advertiser, especially those looking to connect with authentic influencers like Metta. Click below to learn why Metta had no problem auctioning off his champion ring for charity, how he used his math major for basketball, and the power of forgiveness in this positive, wide-ranging conversation. Listen to the Interview

“If you’re not advertising in the Latino space now… in twenty years you’re just not going to be relevant.” – Julio Ricardo Valera Growing up bilingual and bicultural in Puerto Rico and the Bronx, Julio Ricardo Valera didn’t see media that was made for him by people who looked like him. Establishment media (and big advertisers) have long misunderstood that the Latino community is far from a monolith, and younger Latinos, like Valera, simply aren’t served by Univision alone. A Gen-X Harvard graduate, Valera’s desire for English-language Latino-focused media that catered to the younger generation of Latinos led him to create Latino Rebels in 2011. From humble, authentic, and definitely rebellious beginnings, Latino Rebels grew to become one of the top U.S. Latino digital media sites in the world. Valera has spent years building out a deep portfolio of work to serve a community that’s starting to get the recognition it deserves. Valera co-hosts the hit podcast In the Thick (Who Oprah says is “The Best Spanish and Latino Podcasts for Learning—and Laughing”), hosts Latino Rebels Radio, he’s the Editorial Director for Futuro Media, and enjoys millions of downloads annually across all of his shows. Valera’s ability to connect authentically with a bilingual, bicultural Latino audience is invaluable to advertisers. Instead of marketers lamenting that they can’t just translate their English ad into Spanish and call it a day, in Valera’s words, “You’ve got to look at the segmentation as a true opportunity.” Because Valera has been able to build a loyal, underserved audience, that he can speak directly to through the audio medium, he can now definitively state “our demographic is exactly the kind of Latino demographic that you want to be looking for.” And it’s paying off. His shows have attracted big brands such as Progressive, Miller Light, Don Julio, and Oxford Road’s own Indeed. Valera’s mission to authentically serve his community and spread joy is infectious. Click below to hear more from this true visionary.  Listen to the Interview

If Media were Politics, Walk-ins Welcome would be a viable third-party option for Brands. Host, Bridget Phetasy is a walking masterclass in branding, who has pioneered a new, balanced approach to politics and culture. Comedian, writer (Playboy, The Atlantic, Newsweek), podcaster (Walk-ins Welcome), and YouTube star (Dumpster Fire), Phetasy invented the word phetasy to mean “when reality becomes parody” and vice versa back in 2006 for her disruptive greeting card company. Phetasy then adopted the “Phetasy” as Stage-Surname, anchoring her comedic, line-blurring point of view for everything she produces. Self-described as politically homeless, Phetasy has built a successful brand and vibrant community around curiosity, free speech, resilience, and fierce authenticity. Phetasy is a trailblazer of her own middle path, which, while messy, has been ultimately satisfying. She says what she thinks, yet talks with respect to people from all different backgrounds. While much of the world has fled to the fringes, finding commercial success in igniting a far left or far-right base, Phetasy has found a viable business model by directly serving an audience that doesn’t fit neatly into left and right. As you think about your marketing in a way that’s authentic for your brand, one takeaway from Phetasy is to build in the ability to recover from mistakes. Authenticity like Phetasy’s doesn’t demand perfection, it just asks that you seek to act in a manner becoming of what’s truly important to you. Her intellectual curiosity allows for opinions to change, and that flexibility (even when unpopular) is one of the promises her brand makes to her audience, and one of her strongest assets. With so much content trapping brands into a forced alignment with extremes, Phetasy offers listeners and sponsors a third option, bringing wit, humor, and a non-judgemental approach to a world that so badly needs it. Which is why the show appeals to so many performance marketers like Netsuite, Quip, Helix Sleep, and many more.  Meet Bridget Phetasy and see if her content is right for your brand in this week’s edition of The Media Roundtable. Listen to the Interview

A marketers’ job is to build communities around a love for their product or service. One of the fastest ways to accomplish this goal is to seek out those who devote their lives to serving communities that align with your brand, and locking arms with them. This is where this week’s guest Dave Mays’ story starts. When he was a sophomore at Harvard, Mays started a single-page newsletter to serve the hip-hop community he loved with a pipe dream of becoming hip-hop’s answer to Rolling Stone.  With millions of readers, a notorious annual awards ceremony, a nationally syndicated radio show, a clothing line, as well as being the first entrepreneur to introduce hip-hop to Madison Avenue, Mays’ fanzine The Source became an institution. Now, Mays turns his gaze to the world of Podcast with the new multi-media network, Breakbeat Media, built to serve and engage with the interests and perspectives of the hip-hop audience. Whether it was The Source’s unsigned talent column that led to discovering cultural icons like Biggie, DMX, Eminem, Common, and countless others, consciously working to deescalate the East Coast-West Coast rivalry in the ‘90s, or his new podcast network, serving the community he loves has guided Mays’ decision-making from day one.  For anyone who’s interested in authentically marketing in a way that will be embraced by a community, Breakbeat Media offers a point of entry to reach the hip-hop community, and this episode is a great first step to find your way in. Listen to the Interview

There are plenty of talking heads on radio, cable news, and podcasts. But how many became part of the news cycle themselves, over and over again, on the largest stories of the last century? Enter former corporate-attorney-turned-journalist, Megyn Kelly. Kelly is an enigma. As an early contributor to Fox News, she was handpicked and groomed for success by none other than Fox founder, Roger Ailes. She made waves in 2016 for challenging Donald Trump on sexist comments at a live debate, only to be dragged through the mud for nine months as many far-right conservatives found her challenges unacceptable. Months later, she would come forward as a victim of harassment during Ailes’ downfall, in what Charlize Theron (who plays Kelly in the movie, Bombshell), as the origin story for the “MeToo” movement.  After a brief stint with Megyn Kelly Today on NBC, she is back in action with her own media production company, Devil May Care, where her show runs on YouTube, Podcasts, and live Mon-Fri on SiriusXM.  Throughout her journey, she has adhered to a strict code of personal ethics and journalistic integrity. If you follow her coverage or how she speaks about people who have tormented her personally and professionally, you’ll hear that she is intellectually honest to her core, as well as a wildly intelligent and talented journalist. She does make enemies from time to time, but it is the opinion of this newsletter that she is worth the risk and that our world would be more balanced, better informed, and less polarized if there were more Megyn Kelly’s in the world.  In this episode, we’ll cover the major milestones, good, bad, and ugly of her career. Kelly also shares her perspective on which advertisers are and are not a good fit to sponsor her content, and how she goes the extra mile to make live reads her own… music to the ears of any advertiser.  Listen on Spotify

What can manners teach you about marketing? Based on this week’s episode, quite a lot. Emmy Award-winning journalist Nick Leighton and stand-up comic Leah Bonnema are the creators of the hit podcast Were You Raised By Wolves? a show about etiquette and manners in everyday life, and they join The Media Roundtable to connect what mamma taught you to a sound business strategy.  The Media Roundtable exists to encourage civility in our national discourse–Leah and Nick have found a way to further that same mission in personal interactions through honesty and setting polite, yet firm boundaries. Coincidentally, their ability to set those same boundaries as a brand is what makes them so valuable to advertisers. For one, they only partner with companies they believe are a fantastic fit for their audience, and (even more important) they actually believe in. As a result, Leah and Nick have tapped into hidden universal experiences to create a truly sticky podcast with a deeply engaged fanbase. Listen on Spotify

Success has many fathers, but FOMO only has one. His name is Patrick McGinnis. Yes, he’s a venture capitalist, writer, speaker, and creator/host of the hit podcast FOMO Sapiens, boasting over 2 million downloads, but his true place in history has been secured as the literal inventor of the Oxford Dictionary-recognized word “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out), naming the psychological force that has shaped our feelings (and marketing strategies) for years whether we knew what to call it or not. Join us as we dive deep into the origins of FOMO, as well as how a small group of well-placed, credible users of the phrase allowed it to spread (which sounds like a case study for a successful influencer campaign). We also get into the responsible marketing use of FOMO (and the unethical kind), and McGinnis’s rule of thumb for how to avoid the FOMO trap and make decisions faster (at least when it comes to the infinite media options at your fingertips). Oxford Road’s own EVP of Strategy & Insights Giles Martin also stops in as we explore what kind of demographic info for podcast audiences is the most helpful, and what kind of rich audience insight advertisers should be looking for from their podcast hosts. McGinnis also outlines the “valuable gift” approach he uses to figure out what advertisers he’s most excited to work with. We truly mean it when we say, you don’t want to miss out on this one. Listen to the Episode

 Years ago, advertisers could essentially run their commercials anywhere, as long as they hit their marketing objectives. But today, more and more advertisers demand far deeper insights than just what their ads mean to their bottom line. Marketing in today’s climate is about not only knowing if something “works” or not but, you want to feel good about the media you support. To that end, we’re excited about this week’s guest whose work through the podcast network she’s created and the shows she hosts is extremely purpose-oriented.  Our guest this week is Amy Westervelt, an award-winning climate print and audio journalist. Westervelt is the founder and executive producer of the Critical Frequency Podcast Network, and also the host of the hit true-crime climate podcast Drilled, along with the upcoming podcasts Rigged and Damages. Westervelt is a podcast giant not only for the massive amount of thoroughly researched journalism she’s produced but for the sharp insight she has into her audience that makes her a case study for successful podcast marketing. Tune in to learn why lawsuits are the sign of a great story, why fact-checking on podcasts is so much less common than on radio, what it looks like when climate change deniers go after Big Oil, and why all the moderate climate solutions are no longer an option. Joining us also is Oxford Road’s very own Kristin Duenas, to discuss how advertisers’ dollars can come with strings attached, and how Westervelt works to maintain her journalistic integrity. Listen to the Episode

They say history repeats itself, so there may be no better person than American history aficionado and podcast mastermind Lindsay Graham to show us what we have in store for the future of the medium. Lindsay’s podcast pedigree is unmatched, with nearly everything he touches worthy of sponsorship consideration for most advertisers. This week, he gives an insider’s look at the myriad of things it takes to make a great podcast and what he desperately needs from the brands he endorses.   Lindsay Graham (the podcaster, not the other one) has had a chart-topping rise to podcast prominence at the same time as the podcast industry itself broke into the mainstream.   Over the last past few years, Graham has evolved into a podcasting titan. He’s the Webby Award-winning host of American History Tellers, American Scandal, and American Elections: Wicked Game. He’s also the executive producer of scripted podcasts 1865 and Terms and has worked on Dirty John and Dr. Death, among many others. Needless to say, Lindsay Graham has impacted tens of millions of listeners through his work. Tune in to our conversation for gems such as why our nation’s messy history is a comfort during troubling times (which period is the best analog for our current polarization), and what one change to the country’s history he thinks would’ve had the greatest impact on racial inequality today. Along the way, you’ll also learn how the industry has changed during his watch, the hallmarks of his productions, and tells advertisers exactly what he needs to make a great ad read.  Click below for the entire fascinating chat with a podcaster who is unparalleled at making sure the past can speak to us now. Listen on Spotify

The story of America in the last two decades since 9/11 is the story of Rudy Giuliani, who joins us this week at The Media Roundtable. Our conversation begins in the 1960s, when Guiliani, then a promising young Democrat, meets two men he admires: John and Bobby Kennedy. Two decades later, Guiliani is U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York prosecuting the heads of the five families, when John Gotti motions to order his assassination. Fast forward to 2001, we all know Giuliani’s role on 9/11 as the picture of leadership during a crisis, earning him recognition as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, being knighted by the Queen, and dubbed, “America’s Mayor” by Oprah. The morning of our interview, he retraces his steps in Lower Manhattan, reliving his experience of that fateful day. Nowadays, Rudy describes how some people run up to hug and thank him for his leadership, while at the same time, others yell expletives that he is unwilling to repeat.  For those of us who long to recreate an age where our leaders set aside personal differences to stand united in the face of an existential threat, Rudy Giuliani will not be of service. His podcast, Common Sense, features a steady stream of unfiltered claims against leading Democratic figures. Spoiler Alert: Rudy does not like the Bidens. As a podcaster, his goal is to provide information that The New York Times will not. While Giuliani’s placement on the Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart ranks the show on par with Rachel Maddow and Anderson Cooper, advertisers who might consider alignment with his program must count the risks of his position on the right as commentator and participant.    The search for a modern unifying figure in America feels like an acid trip through a house of mirrors. The Rudy Giuliani we see today is beleaguered, but defiant, resembling more of the New York Prosecutor of the 80’s than the unifying figure we met on September 11th, 2001, but this time, without backing from the halls of power. Rudy explains that in recent times, people on the left will approach him and ask why he changed so much. He responds, “I haven’t changed. You have.” As we look back on the last twenty years, Rudy Giuliani serves as a figure who, for better or worse, is woven through some of the most significant moments of our nation’s history, and forces us to confront our divisions head-on. Listen on Spotify

The Media Roundtable has evolved in focus from helping marketers steer through a pandemic to taking a hard look at how media may be fueling outrage and driving us apart. At each stage, sponsors are the center to better understand where they advertise and how they can use ad dollars to improve the world around them. We have explored these topics through conversations with leading politicians, journalists, podcasters, and industry executives, amassing a loyal and growing tribe of listeners along the way. The new season of The Media Roundtable will launch as our (dare we say) final iteration of the program, which will serve as a sort of “Unboxing” or “Buyer’s Guide” to personality-driven shows for brands and consumers.  In each episode, we will profile a new podcast, introducing the program and its host(s), and focusing on not just WHAT is the show, but also, WHY. As consumers are increasingly focused on purpose-driven brands who do well by doing good, they want the same for media. The Media Roundtable is the perfect forum to showcase the purpose of each show and understand how it makes a positive difference in the world around them (or not) in the most entertaining show possible.  We’ve got some great guests signed up in the coming weeks, but for now, join host Dan Granger as he shares his vision for Season 4. Listen on Spotify

What do T-Pain, Bill O’Reilly, NYT’s Ben Smith, and leaders from GARM, IAB, and 4As all have in common? They are all featured in our season finale ofThe Media Roundtable Podcast. We know you’ve been busy, so this should be a fun way to catch up as Dan guides you through curated clips. With American’s trust inmedia erodingand news consumption becomingmore partisanby the minute, this podcast is a must-listen for media and marketers looking to balance brand values with business objectives.  Please don’t just listen… GET INVOLVED withThe Media Roundtableand help us mobilize marketers to advance truth and civility in media. We’ll return in a couple of short months with a brand new season. Remember, feedback is the breakfast of champions, and we would LOVE to hear your thoughts on ways we can improve. Email us!Influencer@oxfordroad.com.  Listen to the episode HERE

The Media Roundtable Podcast has been hard at work dismantling the Outrage Industrial Complex since early February. But the sun is shining, the vax is overtaking the mask, and while the work is far from done, it’s time for a break.   For those of you who have been interested but haven’t gotten around to keeping up each week, we present to you ourCliff’s Notesguide to the first half of this season, featuring highlights from provocative interviews with industry leaders. You’ll hear premium samples from some of our top guests, including David French, Carl Cameron, Eric Deggans, and more. If you’re a Marketer, Content Creator, or anyone else who shares our concern that media is profiting off the exploitation of our divisions, this is a great way to skim the surface of the work we’ve been doing without having to find 10 hours to binge. Part II in this “Best Of” series will run next week. Listen to the episode HERE

Top-rated Cable News host for 16 years. Author of best-selling non-fiction series of all time. Love him or hate him, you can’t talk about the state of modern media without acknowledging Bill O’Reilly’s influence. O’Reilly pioneered the advance of merging opinion into a nightly newscast and led Fox News to become the dominant network in cable news. Fox’s success catering to partisan sympathies with O’Reilly leading the charge created a formula that is now an industry standard for outlets large and small, left and right. Without Bill O’Reilly, today’s media landscape would be unrecognizable.  As our guest on this week’s episode of The Media Roundtable, Bill joins us and provides a path to understanding how we got here, through the lens of his own career and the strategies he employed to reach the top of his field, blending news and opinion. Fueling his meteoric rise was an uncanny understanding of what audiences would tune into and how to best use the emerging medium. In this episode, he reflects on the Frankenstein he helped create, as well as his new book, Killing the Mob, where he describes Bobby Kennedy as “The hero of the book.”  Coincidentally, we recorded one day following the announcement of his upcoming“History Tour”with none other than Donald J. Trump. We spoke candidly about this upcoming series of events and how he intends to bring his “No Spin” approach to live interviews with the 45th President. We also discussed his view on claims of election fraud, lab leak theory, and the movement toward stakeholder capitalism. Many of his views may not be what you think.  Most compelling in his reflections is a simple remark he makes about the modern state of corporate media where he concludes, “I’m just glad I’m out of it.” If you’re able to listen,let us know what you think. Listen to the Episode HERE

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes? Translation: “Who Watches the Watchmen?” This is the question posed in this week’s episode of The Media Roundtable by our guest, Will Phipps. Phipps is dedicated to charging Brands and Marketers through A&G’s initiative, Protect Our Press“. We discuss the importance of local and reasons why we must unite to support this critical part of the news media ecosystem as it struggles for survival. While journalists, aka “The Fourth Estate,” are needed to hold the powerful to account, it now falls to Corporations to support and hold this critical institution to account.  Phipps has been in the advertising industry for nearly three decades and knows firsthand how “the proliferation of programmatic media buying is the easiest way to reach audiences at the lowest costs.” But, it’s not all upside. Yes, you now have lower CPM’s, but it comes at the expense of local media which Phipps believes is the key to bringing us back together. Local publications tend to be less polarizing and have proven their worth through the existential threat we have faced over the last year. As it turns out, only regional journalism can give you guidance through such a crisis as rules and resources vary from state to state and county to county.  Protect Our Press is doing important work and has a clear plan that empowers marketers to take action. This episode is an eye-opener to any brand or agency not currently prioritizing support of local journalism in their media plans and is an excellent complement to the work of The Media Roundtable as we seek to advance truth and civility in media. Listen to the Episode HERE

Here’s what happens when you interview a once-in-a-generation journalist to discuss the wildly divisive industry he helped to create.  Ben Smith is a journalist’s journalist and has been described as one of the most powerful men in media. He was on the front lines as Politico turned political journalism upside down, eating The Washington Post’s lunch until Jeff Bezos rescued them. Then as Editor-in-Chief of Buzzfeed News, he converted the Startupy brand from a receptacle for listicles into a legitimate journalistic institution. Today, Smith is the Media Editor for The New York Times and this week’s guest on The Media Roundtable. The scope of this episode is wide and consequential. As a changemaker and working reporter, Ben holds court on a number of topics, including cancel culture (or “bad faith” when spoken by liberals), holding brands accountable for living their values, the future of content moderation, including Zuckerberg’s “Star Trek global court…sitting around a glowing table in robes”, how corporations are “constantly getting baited” by social media to have an immediate response to cultural issues rather than a more methodical process for addressing concerns, adding that this is not just from customers but also feeling rising pressure from their own employees.  Similar to our earlier episode with former CNN Washington Bureau Chief, Frank Sesno, Ben provides a true State of the Fourth Estate. You’ll not only hear perspectives from one of the leading minds in the industry; he does it in a way that is easy to listen to and understand.  Listen to the Episode HERE

Entrepreneur, disrupter, and recent author, Kara Goldin is Founder & CEO of the fabulously successful Hint Inc., where she successfully created a category for unsweetened flavored water, transitioned from reliance on retail to opening D2C, and proved naysayers wrong at every turn.   Everything about Kara and the company she founded shows that doing well by doing good can be wildly successful.  As our guest on this episode of The Media Roundtable, she shares lessons from her journey that led to her publishing best-selling book,Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters.  In this episode, she shares how the genesis of her company and the successes along the way generally came from organic experiences that led to organic products and later profit. One of the key takeaways is that to truly make an impact, you’ve got to pick your shots instead of being all things to all people.  This is a welcome conversation in an age where societal pressures encourage us to dive into every conflict. For those of us trying to work out how to make a truly positive impact from the products and services we create to the voices we support, we would all do well to take a page from Kara.  Listen to episode HERE

Media Roundtable aims to provide views from left, right, and center, in hopes that through presenting perspectives different than our own, listening with intent to understand, and being open to opinions different than our own, we can begin to lower the level of polarization in this country. It’s to this end we invited Steve Deace to come on the show.  Deace is a conservative Christian broadcaster and his podcastThe Steve Deaceshow is part of the Blaze family. On the surface, you’d label him a party-line conservative, but as you dig in deeper, you find he’s willing to go after people on his own side (R) and is a self-proclaimed member of “Team Elizabeth Warren” as it relates to treating social media as public utilities. Steve shares some very strong views, diving into the role social platforms have played in making us more selfish, how we’ve built a system where profit incentivizes propaganda, and how politics has torn apart the fabric of American society, turning neighbors into enemies.  Deace takes several positions that do not align with the values of Media Roundtable, in particular his decision to reluctantly participate in our modern culture war and his corresponding tactics. But make no mistake, Deace speaks for millions of Americans and issues a dire warning to brands that weigh in on thorny political topics. Some choice quotes on the subject here:  “The next generation of republicans will not protect business.”  “I have to warn folks in the corporate sector of the enmity you are creating. The reverb on this is going to be a son of a gun. Are you sure you want to go down this road?”  “These corporations are putting us in a position where you’re leaving us no choice but to punitively strike back.”  Recent actionsby conservatives looking to answer groups like Media Matters and Sleeping Giants may prove Deace to be prescient.  As you determine your approach to Corporate Social Responsibility, the decisions you make are not to be taken lightly. Listen to the episode HERE

What happens when the first job of your political career results in the historical presidential win for Barack Obama? Consider a lifelong career in politics? What if your second political job had you thrown into the midst of an ever-deepening social divide after the loss of Hillary Clinton eight years later? For our guest this week, it spawned action.  This week on The Media Roundtable, we are joined by Ciaran O’Connor, Chief Marketing Officer at Braver Angels, an organization founded after the 2016 election, in order to bridge our divided country by engaging with communities directly.  O’Connor knows we have deep disagreements in this country but believes that’s the way it’s supposed to be; it’s how we interact with whom we disagree that needs to change. His organization aims to bring both sides together through media content, workshops, skills training, weekly civil debates, and local community alliances.   Braver Angel’s goal is to have 1% of the population committed to their cause, and they’re breaking all the rules in getting attention. As CMO for the organization, O’Connor ironically uses conflict to bring people together, and his approach is something from which all marketers can learn. Many marketers actively avoid or ignore conflict altogether (especially the political variety), but Braver Angel faces it head-on; encouraging debate and finding peace by uncovering common ground in the process. O’Connor walks us through how he does it and shares some of the resources his organization has created to facilitate constructive conversations while addressing hot button issues. It’s not a popular path, but as a country, we need to stop making people “bad’ just because we disagree, and diving into the deep end may be just the place to start. Learn more in this week’s episode. Listen to the podcast episode HERE

The Media Roundtable has played host to multiple Emmy Award-Winning Journalists, Media Titans, Podcast Personalities, and a former Speaker of the House. Still, we’ve never had a guest like T-Pain. This Rapper turned Singer turned Entrepreneur has won two Grammys, has collaborated with everyone from Lil Wayne to Taylor Swift, and disrupted the music industry with his innovative use of Autotune. Then he lost everything. Years later, T-Pain has reinvented himself by expanding his record labelNappy Boy Entertainmentinto a multifaceted media company with revenue streams including a Record Label, Gaming, Drifting, and his newest venture, Nappy Boy Radio. On this NSFW episode, T-Pain describes his journey and POV on the media landscape today as it impacts culture.  We cover the usual topics like the Attention Economy, Cancel Culture, and Social Media and expand into how he approaches marketing, his brand, and the lessons he’s learned going up the ladder of success, falling down, and going back up again. This is easily the most fun we’ve had on the show, but you will be even more impressed by his vulnerability, insights, and inspiration.    T-Pain lives theMedia Roundtable values, and based on how persuasive his lyrics are (you’ll have to listen to get this one), we may have to ask him to rewrite it in his own persuasive style. T-Pain is on the cusp of launching his own show, the Nappy Boy Radio Podcast, with our friends at PodcastOne. Once you listen to this episode, you’ll know why.  Listen Here

“We don’t advertise in news content; it’s too controversial,” said a cacophony of brands just prior to the fall of our democracy. What happens to a society if the institution tasked with holding the powerful to account loses trust or retreats behind paywalls so that only the wealthiest in society have access to facts. This is the long-term risk as many brands abandon sponsor support of our Fourth Estate.  Irrespective of societal impact, forgoing news content may be to the immediate detriment of your business if you are in the avoidance camp.  This week on The Media Roundtable, we are joined by Brad Berens, Editor in Chief at theInteractive Advertising Bureau (IAB), whose membership accounts for 86% of online advertising in the US, including podcasts.   The conversation begins with Brad discussing the recently released,News Trust Halo Reportconducted by the IAB which found that84% of consumers feel advertising within the news increases or maintains brand trust.He also shares his perspective on the limitations of keyword blocking, choosing brand values that don’t alienate people, and data suggesting advertising in the news can increase customer perception.  This discussion travels from the history of journalism to the present, and into the future. This includes the sudden rise (and potential fall) of Clubhouse, Facebook’s firm step into audio, and how the new privacy standards surrounding Apple will affect brand advertisers. Brad is not only one of the best-informed minds in our industry, but he also brings keen insights to bear. Among them, he describes a likely future where many corporations do not survive. This and many more insights are now available for free, in this week’s episode of The Media Roundtable. Futuristorian.

As values-driven brands seek to “Do well by doing good,” they may find themselves biting off more than they can chew when they start making public statements about political issues, asmany are experiencingfollowing new Georgia Election laws. We covered ad nauseam the recent findings from theEdelman Trust Barometer, where corporations are more trusted for competence and ethics than government, media, and even non-profits. But how far should they go in weighing in on controversial matters of public concern? With companies to run and only so many hours in the day, where should they draw the line? How long can they maintain that public trust if they get pulled into the divisions that have been plaguing our country in recent years? Among other topics, this is one of the areas discussed on this week’s episode of The Media Roundtable, where we are joined by Emmy award-winning journalistsJill WagnerandCarlo Versano. Jill is an anchor for Financial News Network atCheddar, where Carlo is a Senior Producer. Together they Co-host  Need2Know, a daily consumer-focused newsletter, and podcast. Jill and Carlo seem to have found a formula for reporting the news, sharing perspectives, but removing the vitriol that can so easily descend into division, and they do this every day on theNeed2Knowpodcast.  As the duo sits ringside on business news and issues that keep executives up at night, they bring a unique perspective as practitioners committed to advancing truth and civility in journalism. 

This week, Dan sits down with two masters of media; Marla Kaplowitz and Rob Rakowitz. Marla is CEO of the 4A’s, the advertising and trade association that works with over 700 agencies (including Oxford Road). Rob is the Initiative Lead at GARM, a chapter within the World Federation of Advertisers.  Between these two groups, they support over 90% of global marketing spend, including every brand you can think of, including; Airbnb, P&G, Pepsi Co, Ikea, Kelloggs, CAA, Unilever, General Mills, Mastercard, GM, Adidas, Mars, McDonald’s, Nike, Spotify, T-Mobile, Volkswagen, and hundreds more. Tasked with addressing the largest problems facing marketers, brand safety is a primary focus. The discussion includes doing well by doing good through marketing, the importance of news, and the future of the industry. If you want a view from the top, this episode provides specific advice for brands and agencies and outlines the tools and resources to help companies live their values while protecting their brands.  Listen to Episode HERE

When Joe Biden said, “We need a Republican Party. We need an opposition that’s principled and strong,” he was talking about Hugh Hewitt. Hugh is an enigma. The Hugh Hewitt Show, through Salem Communications, reaches 2M+ listeners per week. Hugh is also the President of the Richard Nixon Foundation and proud to talk about his relationship with the former president, his affection for Mitch McConnell, and his three Trump Tattoos (one for each time the other former President insulted him publicly), whom he still voted for twice. But he’s equally proud of his relationship with personalities that many Republicans despise, including Al Sharpton, Joy Reid, and Dr. Fauci, who is Hugh’s favorite person in government.   Hugh is not your typical conservative talk show host. He’s never done a show about Cancel Culture. He refuses to gaslight his listeners for ratings, doesn’t interrupt, and never asks “Gotcha” questions whether he agrees with his guest or not. He chooses to appear on MSNBC over Fox and is a regular on Meet The Press. People who have known Hugh over the years will attest to his humility and fundamental decency in the way he treats all people. Perhaps this is why when he’s slandered, it is usually Democrats who are first to rush to his defense, as did Ron Klain in the not-too-distant past.   Hugh’s focus is on being “NPR” for Republicans and, we discuss what that means at length in this week’s episode of The Media Roundtable Podcast.  When you listen, you’ll hear pearls that can help guide the way you program, sponsor, or treat the next person you see. “You can be wrong and not rotten, you can be right and awful. That’s the big distinction in this world. I want no part if right and awful, I just want people who are level-headed.” Hugh believes every content producer needs to “counter-program, within [their] program” inviting opinions differing from [their] own and giving them the floor. He advises broadcasters to “Get out of the Professional Wrestling Business.” Bringing it back around to advertising, Hugh provides a call to action we can all get behind: “find the good and buy ads on it.” I hope you’ll give Hugh the same courtesy and consideration he gives those who disagree with him. If nothing else, it’s a fun conversation that folks on both sides of the aisle can benefit from hearing. Dan  Listen to the Episode

This week on theMedia Roundtable, Dan shares the blueprint to achieve 100% effectiveness in brand-safety.  As a leader in the Podcast space, so many brands and content creators ask how our mission to advance truth and civility in journalism is really achievable. Advertisers always ask us,“How can we be sure what we are sponsoring won’t be susceptible to controversy.”In partnership withAdFontes, since launching theMedia Bias Chart for Podcasts, lots of networks are now asking, “what does a brand-safe podcast even sound like?” This week we answer the question once and for all.  For the first time ever, we’ve conducted a live content demonstration of a 100% brand-safe show. So sit back, relax, and enjoy as we show you how it’s done. Tune in to hear the details on how your brand can sponsor the type of shows that will never cause any potential negative feedback in the marketplace.  Click Here to Listen to Episode

The topic of media bias hits close to home for Kaur. Having been born in India, she describes a world where misinformation leads to mob violence and lynchings,EVEN TODAY. Living abroad before coming to the US, she describes the toll that state-sponsored media and unchecked bias can take on a nation. For Kaur, January 6th should be a wake-up call to stop using the news to spread a narrative. Kaur shares how she used her engineering mind to solve the problem of identifying media bias and evaluating news stories from a more diverse, global perspective. Between sending rockets to space and fighting media bias, she finds the latter to be much, much harder. Ground News’comparison platform showcases how media outlets across the political spectrum and around the world are presenting stories, and then classifies those sources according to third-party evaluations of political bias. According to Kaur,“If you were to just rely on a single news source or single set of news sources in that settled spectrum, then you’ll miss out on the big picture.”While many may think media slant occurs predominantly from one political position, Kaur believes both sides are equally guilty of injecting bias into the stories they tell. “Storytelling is SO important in good journalism. It’s not just about putting in the facts. It’s about having an opinion based on their training, based on research, and what they understand of the issue. A fair opinion is not just purely there to enrage you or make you angry or click it. That’s not helping anybody.”  We couldn’t agree more. As consumers, we need to be aware of when this is happening, and as marketers, we need to support good journalism.  That’s what we’re committed to doing with this podcast and with theMedia Roundtable, mobilizing Marketers to support truth and civility in journalism. With the help of leaders like Harleen Kaur and her work withGround Newsand Ad Fontes’ work withPodcast Bias Chart, we hope to help marketers find a balance between their brand values and business objectives. Contact our team to find out more. P.S. Opportunities for sponsorship of Ground News may be forthcoming. Listen to the Episode

This week on The Media Roundtable, Dan sits down with NPR’s media critic, Eric Deggans. Much more than an “idiot box,” Deggans argues TV is not just important; it is the “heartbeat of society.”   Deggans KNOWS television at a level 99.9% of the population simply can’t. He’s been a TV critic since 1997 and has had“a front-row seat to the industry exploding, first with cable tv then the streaming explosion, ”where he sees parallels in the exponential growth in the volume of available programs.  “TV is important because it’s both a mirror and a catalyst in society that allows us to look at why something is popular, who it’s aimed at or why a show gets made, doesn’t get made, renewed or canceled.” He believes television “ultimately tells us things about society and the conversations we’re having about family, romance, employment, race, and gender.”  This comes through in many ways across all forms of media, but specifically, as it relates to tv, Deggans walks us through a few examples of where progress has been made and where it still has far to go. Further to the point, “the attention economy is the media economy now” and believes his role is “to help people figure out when something is trying to generate or grab their attention in a way that’s inauthentic or damaging or misleading or if something is really truly worth their time and attention.” With the current state of polarization, misinformation, disinformation, and hostility in the media, we couldn’t agree more.  Listen Here

This week onMedia Roundtable, Dan interviews two guests who personify what we’re trying to achieve on this podcast.Jean Cardworked as a top Republican communicator, including cabinet-level speechwriting in the George W. Bush administration, whileRobert Schlesingerbuilt a career as a journalist and Managing Editor for Opinion at U.S. News & World Report. On paper, their political views are miles apart, yet Jean and Robert can find common ground based on mutual respect and a 30+ year friendship since College. On their podcast,Bipodisian, Jean and Robert meet every week to engage in political conversations civilly. In a world where dehumanizing people on the other side passes for intelligent political discussion, the two show us how it should be done in this interview.   While they know finding common ground in politics is not a recipe for massive ratings, Jean and Robert discuss sacrificing short-term gains for the long-term future they’re trying to build, as Dan says,“it’s ok that this will not be the most sensational – we’re trying to build a house of bricks.” Toward the end of the conversation, Jean maps out how the media industry’s transformation has lowered the bar for journalism. When the news was printed and channels were limited, the quality was the expectation. Today, “everyone is a columnist” all they need to do is create their platform, present company included…  This episode sets the bar for content creators to approach the potentially polarizing subject matter with grace and inclusion. For marketers, it’s an example of the type of content that anyone can endorse. And for humans, it’s a model we can all lean into with those around us who have a different opinion or perspective from our own. Listen to Episode Here

This week on Media Roundtable, we shift to a more traditional “roundtable format”, with Dan interviewing two veteran media practitioners who describe how to use endorsements to change the course of a business. Bill Handel, is the polarizing, yet wildly entertaining morning drive host on Los Angeles Talk-Radio powerhouse, KFI, and the host of the top, nationally syndicated legal advice show in the country, Handel on The Law. Joining Dan and Handel is Scott MacDonell, former Head of Marketing for LegalZoom, and current Co-Founder and CMO of BizCounsel.  This trio has a lot of history. Dan used to sell advertising space for Bill’s radio station in LA, and Scott was one of Dan’s first real clients, buying ad space on Bill’s show. While the story of how they all came together years ago is almost a podcast episode in itself, the wisdom that has been acquired by these three since they first met, makes this episode a workshop for brand and performance marketers alike. Scott provides the client’s perspective. Cutting his teeth at Leo Burnett in Chicago, MacDonell gives listeners his blueprint for how to use the copy as a tool for lightening growth. He also discusses how his buying strategy has changed over the years given the shifting political climate. Bill Handel provides an influencer’s perspective. Having read advertising copy that has transformed hundreds of companies on air for more than 30 years, Handel says the audience can tell immediately if a host is just reading ads to get paid, or if they believe in a product. He has credibility with his audience and with those who run ads on his shows and doesn’t sugarcoat how much has changed in the process of approving brand advertisers.  When these three first met, the advertising landscape was a different world. Hosts who determined whether or not they would promote a business, now brands are approving (or disapproving) hosts and we dive into the complexity of meeting your business objectives while honoring your brand values. It’s a complex topic on most of our minds and who better to dive into it than these three who have been walking that line for decades together. Listen to the Episode

Building on last week’s episode with Carl Cameron from Fox News, part two offers a behind-the-scenes look at journalism’s devolution on Media Roundtable, with Frank Sesno, the Emmy Award-Winning, CNN Washington Bureau Chief, and Director at George Washington University. Frank IS journalistic integrity in human form. He presided over the end of an era at CNN and bemoans the current state of the fourth estate, declaring, “It’s a Mess.” Frank discusses his experience as a career journalist and the decline in focus on facts before ratings while recounting his direction to reporters during his time at CNN, asking them to “Avoid two words when live on the air, ‘I Think.’” Frank believes we lack curiosity in the media and in our culture, prioritizing assertions and accusations over investigation. Diving into the on-going challenge of urgency over accuracy, he says we use “Too many exclamation points and not enough question marks.” Frank acknowledges both sides are to blame for our polarized state, with bib throwers on the right and the existence of left-wing media bias, which has been met with defensiveness instead of accountability. Going on to add he “loves opinion”, but in order to have a healthy, engaged and informed culture, opinion should be based on fact, or it becomes very dangerous. Toward the end of the episode, Frank has strong thoughts on the difficulty brands face to reach a divided populace but sees a profound opportunity for those who will embrace a values-based approach and develop “over the horizon” strategies about who they want to be and why.  As the author of,Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors,Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change, it’s evident Frank is passionate about questions, making a compelling case for curiosity as a cure for what ails us. You can hear more from him in his new PBS special,Peril & Promise, as well as on his podcast,Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic.  You will leave this episode enlightened but also sad that Frank may be a remnant of a bygone era of journalism that truly sought truth with humility. The silver lining here is that Frank plays a crucial role in helping train journalists of the future through his work with GWU. Listen to the Episode

In this week’s edition of The Media Roundtable, Dan sits down with “Campaign Carl,” Chief White House Correspondent and 20 Year Fox News Veteran, Carl Cameron. Cameron takes us behind the scenes from 1996 when he started at Fox News and the change from an honest pursuit of “fair and balanced” to the present self-proclaimed, approach to “Standing up for what’s right”. Carl has interviewed every US President since Ronald Reagan and pulls no punches in this candid and sometimes scathing retelling of his experience.  While Fox may be the network that everyone loves to hate, we discuss the pervasive challenges in the Fourth Estate. As our journalistic institutions become increasingly partisan, chasing attention and competing with infinite online competitors, the loss of trust in media, and the inability to hold power to account is now causing cracks in the system and putting our republic in jeopardy. Carl describes the broader issue as “malicious partisanship of lies mixed with a business model that is solely focused on the numbers.” As brands retreat from the news format and quality journalism retreats behind paywalls, we have to wonder what happens to a country where only the most wealthy citizens can afford quality journalism. As the attention economy drives ad-supported media in a race to the bottom, polarization, misinformation, and violence increase.  It may be time for the business community to step in and raise the bar on ad-supported news and opinion journalism.   Listen to the Episode

We’re sharing the third installment of our podcast,The Media Roundtable. This week, Dan sits down with David French, Senior Editor ofThe Dispatch, Host of the Podcast,  Advisory Opinions, and author of the sobering book,Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.David French, who inspired widespread debate over what has been coined:David Frenchism, has been a vocal critic of the right, without shifting his conservative views and has suffered the consequences. In this episode, he opens up about threats he and his family received in the wake of being a Republican who publicly denounced Trump, shows us how increased cultural and media fragmentation has ignited a sense of real threat to our country, and calls us to choose the kind of people and brands we want to support for reasons we can defend in the public square of today’s society. For those of us carefully walking the line between business objectives and brand values, David brings a level of intellectual honesty to the conversation that can help us on the path. He brings a balanced perspective to topics like “Cancel Culture”, “Outrage Mobs”, and advises content creators: “Be the Media you think Media Should Be”.  Listen to the Episode

AND, WE’RE BACK… This week, our very own Podcast returns for Season Three with a few new twists: We have a new name,The Media Roundtable, and a new home as we are pleased to announce our new partnership with PodcastOne. Similar to our previous seasons, we will explore the evolving media landscape and the impact that the content we sponsor has on the negatively polarized state of our nation. What’s also new is that this time, it is more than a Podcast;Media Roundtableis a movement. Our aim is to mobilize marketers to support truth and civility in journalism. While brand safety and suitability is a goal for all of us, we must go beyond keyword blocking or genre narrowing and beyond allowing business objectives to supersede brand values. The modern shift to stakeholder capitalism means we all have a duty not just to protect ourselves, but our stakeholders. None of this is possible in a media environment that pits left against right and exploits divisions for profit.  It’s a lot to take in, I know. But if you’re reading this, you have a part to play on the road to healing the divides that threaten us.Start here. In episode one,What is The Media Roundtable?, we recap the call to action issued by President Biden in his inaugural address for ALL OF US to strive for national unity and in his words, the answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who don’t look like you do, or worship the way you do, or don’t get their news from the same sources you do. We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal.” Dan takes these words and walks through the history of how media has made the problem worse and outlines our vision and strategy to do our part as Brands, and Media and Marketing practitioners.  In episode two, Knights of the Media Roundtable, we assemble our Media Roundtable Founding Partners for a panel discussion about the divided state of our union, sharing our vision and plans to make positive change. Dan leads a discussion of expert panelists including:  Bob Bordone – Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School and Head of theCambridge Negotiation Institute Vanessa Otero – CEO & Founder ofAd Fontes Mediaand Creator of the Media Bias Chart Media Bias Chart Shane Pittson – Head of Marketing forquip, the electric toothbrush Jennifer Laine – Head of Marketing atOxford Roadand Executive Director of theMedia Roundtable Keith Allred – Executive Director for theNational Institute for Civil Discourseand President ofCommon Sense American If you are a reader of The Influencer, there could hardly be a more important conversation in 2021. We invite you tolisten, tosign our pledge, and to engage with us on the journey.  Join us on our quest as though the fate of our nation depends on it, cause it kind of does. Listen to the Episode

Less than 24 hours from the polls closing, legendary NPR host and decorated journalist Bob Garfield joins us in a state he describes as “filterless and at my wits’ end”. Beyond being an award-winning Radio Host, Podcaster, six-time book Author, Bob is also the founder of the Purple Project for Democracy – a non-partisan coalition, campaign, and movement to rediscover and recommit to our democratic values and institutions. During our conversation, Bob shared his exhaustion and disenchantment with seeking to understand and find common ground with those who support, “Trumpism”. His descriptions of those on the Trump side of the polarization spectrum ranged between “having much to answer for” and “blood on their hands”. He had similarly harsh words for sponsors of Fox News. Not unlike last week’s interview with Newt Gingrich, Bob is someone who spent part of the discussion talking about past efforts to find common ground but who generally sees both sides of the spectrum reaching a place of incompatibility (my words, not his). Like Newt, Bob is in what he sees as a fight to save democracy. He also believes in the impact that Brands can make through their stewardship of ad dollars. The other area where they both seem to agree is in the idea that I’m living in a fantasy world. My belief is that reconciliation is possible, but only if one side will have the humility to lay down their weapons and take responsibility for the problem. Then it will be safe for the other side to follow suit. As we move through our next series of decisions about what programs we will sponsor and how we will respond as citizens to already disputed election results, you will have to choose which reality you believe.  -Dan Highlights: Subscribe to The Divided States of Media 6:48 – Bob predicts Biden will be the next president. “Even with the highly conservative judiciary, even with a decided six to three advantage of the Supreme Court, it is extremely unlikely that the Trump campaign will prevail.” 16:01 – We learn about the Purple Project for Democracy – Bob’s non-partisan coalition, campaign, and movement to rediscover and recommit to our democratic values and institutions   28:42 – Instead of looking for common ground, this is an ongoing war. It’s the culture war with some exponent after it  29:41 – As a journalist, Bob confesses that regarding people who support Trumpism, he has lost interest in trying to find out the cause of their particular grievance 31:20 – People on both sides feel betrayed by their country  34:35 – “The left, as a rule, stands on a bedrock of data, facts, evidence. And the right, under this regime, have existed in a sort of political vaporware, where there is no there there, just accusations and lies.”   35:21 – Bob does not like Newt Gingrich. “He is a bad guy… There’s one guy I would not sit down with at a table for two”  45:15 – Bob bottom-lines it: “One of the early things we discovered in the process of trying to find the common ground that you’re talking about, it isn’t easy, dude…. it is very treacherous terrain.”  48:51– Bob deconstructs his perception of causes for the financial success of Fox News and slaps himself in the face eight times 50:25 – Bob shares what he believes the Left has to answer for 56:43 – Bob sets precedent in agreeing with Newt Gingrich that Dan is living in a fantasy land 58:03 – Dan disagrees with Bob and they have a spirited debate about the impact of boycotts vs. a relational approach by sponsors to improve discourse 1:10:24 – Bob makes a compelling case against the notion of media bias with a baseball analogy 1:16:25 – Bob calls out the media for bias toward ratings and giving Trump “Half a trillion dollars worth of free publicity” 1:17:43 – Bob gives advice on how we can solve the problem of polarization and save democracy

Pro Tip: When speaking about polarization with Newt Gingrich within seven days of a Presidential Election, prepare for a wild ride. Our thirty-five minutes together is all at once the shortest, most dense, and perhaps most consequential discussion we’ve had on this series. At 77, Newt is at once the storied Republican Warrior, fighting an existential threat with this election as the fate of America hangs in the balance, and concurrently the softened Elder Statesman, calling conservatives to listen and seek common ground with the other side. In our short time, he offers his thoughts on the history of our divisions, systemic racism, and prescriptions for how businesses, media, and politicians can pull us out of our “cycle of cynicism and negativism.” Newt’s comparison of today to the pre-Civil War era, where the prospect of war became inevitable, is concerning, to say the least. As a historian and political practitioner, few people have known more about the occupants of our Highest Office. We explore our contrasting expectations of Trump’s behavior, George Washington’s position on parties, and the secret to Newt’s success in collaborating with Bill Clinton. For extra credit, he regales us with a story about the time Richard Nixon gifted him a strategy that later resulted in the Republican Revolution, his position as House Speaker, and perhaps a clue that explains our union’s current state. If it makes you feel better, we also talk about podcasts. “For the country’s sake, it would be really helpful if starting in December or January, people could just listen to each other.” Chances are, something in this podcast will cause some to take offense, but conversation across differences is really the point, isn’t it? Whether you love or hate the man or his policy positions, this interview is an education. -Dan Highlights: Subscribe to The Divided States of Media 2:10 – Newt contrasts our current state of polarization with 1967-1972 7:59 – Newt draws a distinction between partisan politics and anti-American partisanship 13:21 – On the subject of our differences, Newt expresses what he sees as the incompatibility of the worlds which Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi would create 16:59 – “I tried to convince them and failed totally”. Newt describes his repeated efforts in the last four years to encourage The White House and Congressional Republicans to find issues to work on across party lines 20:26 – Congressional Delegations as a model for the value of getting people out of their elements, to live alongside people on the other side, as a way to humanize and bring them together 22:41 – “Republicans have always been boring.” Newt shares a story about the advice he got from Richard Nixon that resulted in him achieving the first Republican majority in Congress in 40 years, and how Trump used similar techniques to win the office 26:00 – “10% less Trump would be 100% more effective”. Newt tells Dan that his expectation of Trump to rise above the negative press coverage he receives is an irrational fantasy, but concedes 27:42 – Newt gives advice directly to businesses on deciding what to sponsor, and the appetite for content that focuses on advancing the good, rather than pointing out the bad 32:04 – Newt speaks to Republicans about the opportunity after the election to really listen to the other side and find common ground for the sake of the country 33:34 – “After the war”: Newt has parallel advice for the media to make a significant positive impact on the country, and get out of our cycle of cynicism and negativism

Matthew Yglesias represents a rare breed of journalists: both cerebral and compassionate, partisan and intellectually honest, progressive and unabashedly patriotic. Matthew is also Co-Founder of left-leaning Vox Media, signer of the now-infamous Harper’s Letter on cancel culture, and author of the new book, One Billion Americans – The Case for Thinking Bigger. Part of his promotional strategy was to enter remarkably civil interviews with the likes of Ben Shapiro and Glenn Beck. This week, Matthew joins us on The Divided States of Media to discuss how we can engage our differences across the political divide and find common points of agreement — which he has successfully achieved in the marketing of his book. He also describes the influence that advertisers have on the media products our nation has gone from devouring to choking on: “The advertising business fundamentally decides what kinds of media are worth creating.” His advice to the advertising community: “think about the consequences of your actions and the power that you have to shape the media going forward.” For marketers feeling sidelined by the vitriolic nature of modern media, this episode is your rallying cry to be part of the solution. Listening to Matthew not only makes you smarter, but it’s also a fun ride. Let me know what you think. -Dan Highlights: Subscribe to The Divided States of Media 11:30 – People on the left don’t try to sell things to people on the right, and vice versa 13:33 – This country is still a tremendous land of opportunity 16:31 – It’s bad for the symbols of the American nation to become coded into partisan politics 21:50 – What we’re seeing in the media is not an appealing vision of America 25:39 – How Disney’s censorship of content to appeal to China could play out in the long term 32:57 – Being a journalist and avoiding the worst of it — clickbait journalism 45:04 – Citizens — you’ve got to think about what you click on and what you spend your time on… what message does that send to the rest of us? 51:14 – It’s the advertising business that fundamentally decides what kinds of media are worth creating 54:31 – This week in Unsolicited Advice…

During her time with HP, Carly was pushing Stakeholder Capitalism before it was cool. In this hour plus conversation, she details her philosophy, “market share grows when customers and employees believe they are doing with a company that is principled.” It’s what she calls, “enlightened self-interest”. More than virtue signaling, she breaks down the ways the media is failing its customers by allowing “entertainers masquerading as journalists” to rile us up, instead of putting in the time and energy to hear from both sides, encouraging collaboration and problem solving to occur over time. She also explains how this correlates with distrust in media reaching an all time high. My conversation with Carly was refreshingly clarifying, if sobering. It’s a call to action for our industry to do the hard work, even if that feels like swimming upstream in our present climate. I hope you’ll make time for this one. 3:48 – Leadership is not about the individual, it’s about service 7:34 – If we don’t stop our country’s current slide, we’re heading for major civil unrest 16:56 – Trump, Reality TV, and Social Media – The symptoms and causes of polarization 30:39 – The only way to bring the balance of power in the U.S. back to center – Everybody must vote! 50:51 – Stop taking a passive role, and complaining about the results – A call for citizens to take action: 53:11 – This week in Unsolicited Advice 1:13:45 – Karly on being life-long Republican but endorsing a democrat. Vote for America, not for your party Subscribe to The Divided States of Media

This week on The Divided States of Media, Dan sits down with David Smick, Director of Stars and Strife, a new film that should be required viewing for all Americans as an antidote to the hate and divisions that plague us. The film was co-produced by Barry Levinson (think Rain Man, Good Morning Vietnam, The Natural) and includes interviews with Rahm Emanuel, James Baker, Leon Panetta, Alan Greenspan, and a host of other powerhouse contributors. Stars and Strife offers a history lesson in how our society has become so addicted to hate, the media’s role in the decline of civility, and the antidote to what ails us. In this interview, we dive deeper into the ways that we as business leaders and people in media can do our part to help heal as a nation. The film will bring you to tears, while this interview will give you a deeper understanding. Highlights: Subscribe to The Divided States of Media 3:48 – How hate is like a drug 7:34 – Globalization has fundamentally changed the economy over the past 30 years, leaving many in our society feeling humiliated 16:56 – Common threads between our current strife and the period leading up to the Civil War 30:39 – Is this the end of America as we know it? 50:51 – This Week in Unsolicited Advice 53:11 – The demand for clicks promotes divisiveness in reporting 1:13:45 – How David landed a licensing deal to use Sinatra music in his movie, and the time he talked to Sammy Davis Jr. about the entertainment industry’s march toward social justice

Last night, I asked my 15-year-old daughter to watch the debate with my wife and me so she might better understand major issues during our national inflection point from different perspectives. At the end, I apologized for exposing her to the dumpster fire that ensued. If the dangers of our polarized republic were ever unclear, the “debate” was like a Superbowl ad for our inability to work through differences in a constructive way. The timing of all this is strange poetry, because this week on The Divided States of Media, I talk with Jason Calcanis, Podcaster, Angel Investor (he turned a $100k investment into over $100 million), and philanthropist, who is delightfully outspoken about the economics of polarization and manages to provide a refreshing case for American optimism. Jason gives us a tech mogul’s view into the causes and solutions around the issues that plague us. He makes a sound argument for why podcasts are the answer to Media’s suicidal tendencies and has practical solutions for how the private sector can join forces to solve some of this country’s most difficult problems. For those of us who find our spirits hungover from yesterday’s gong show, Jason is a welcome breath of fresh air… -Dan Highlights: Subscribe to The Divided States of Media 4:19 – Jason’s Sneaky way to get guests on his podcasts 7:27 – Dan and Jason talk media polarization – why is nuance dead? 28:35 – How technology will help humanity, regardless of who’s in the Whitehouse 35:52 – “The problem is a lot of the people in the country don’t believe they can be successful” 40:25 – How Podcasting will save the world 55:33 – Will politics be Jason’s third act? 59:32 – Jason talks about angel investing 1:02:21– This week in Unsolicited Advice… 1:07:11 – Dan and Jason talk The Media Bias Chart 1:10:55 – Is stakeholder capitalism the future or just virtue signaling? 1:16:34 – How can marketers help reduce polarization?

This one’s for the data geeks. Marketers — wouldn’t it be great if you had a simple chart that could show how fair and objective the media you’re sponsoring truly is? This week on The Divided States of Media, Dan sits down with Vanessa Otero, founder and CEO of Ad Fontes Media. Using a weighting algorithm, her company’s Interactive Media Bias Chart®, objectively rates media outlets based on bias and reliability. Vanessa and her team’s efforts are helping advertisers and agencies get a clearer picture of how and where they invest their ad dollars. Highlights: Listen on iTunes 1:43 – What is Ad Fontes, and how is it making news consumers smarter? 4:50 – How being a patent attorney and a nerd led Vanessa to quit her job and starting Ad Fontes 7:53 – The Media Bias Chart® is uniting left and right extremes in their hatred for it 10:15 – Just how can you rank media bias objectively? Vanessa gives a look at how the Bias Chart works 25:04 – Polarizing media is like junk food 35:05 – How social media may affect our society in the coming years 45:45 – This week in Unsolicited Advice 50:02 – As perhaps one of the foremost experts on the subject of media bias, Vanessa shares the sources she goes to for the facts 1:00:30 Vanessa is bringing back journalistic integrity

“Quit your job and start a podcast!” This week on The Divided States of Media, Dan sits down with someone who actually “walks the walk” — Katie Herzog, reporter & Co-Host of the podcast “Blocked and Reported”. As a former journalist and new Podcaster, Katie discusses freedom and gratitude for independence amid shifting journalistic norms, and why after being canceled and harassed multiple times, she made the switch from traditional journalism (as a writer for The Stranger) to podcasting. From her show to her neighborhood, Katie’s on a mission to bring us all together — and that journey begins with empathy. Highlights: Subscribe to The Divided States of Media 2:56 – Don’t yield to the pressure to conform 11:40 – “Cancel Culture” can only emerge from your own side 17:29 – Diversity of THOUGHT is what’s really important right now 23:09 – People hate reading, but they don’t hate listening to podcasts 39:31 – Imagine a world where we lose party labels and “befriending your neighbor” as a metaphor for social civility 46:57 – The “Unsolicited Advice” Game 48:48 – Why you need to get off Twitter 55:16 – The Collapse of “The Old Guard”

“Media”, the Fourth Estate, is meant to act as an independent watchdog for the other branches of government. But these days, our media system is as polarized as our nation. This week on The Divided States of Media, Dan sits down with media executive, journalist, and founder of Fourth Watch, Steve Krakauer. Having worked for both Fox News and CNN, Steve gives a behind-the-scenes look at how the media works, shares his thoughts on how we got here, and provides a plan to get back to where we need to be. Steve’s insights can help marketers and American citizens as a whole navigate through today’s divided media landscape. Highlights: Subscribe to The Divided States of Media 5:30 – How the emergence of social media and increased audience fragmentation has facilitated the polarization in media 10:10 – Why Steve started the 4th Watch Newsletter 25:20 – How personal “brand building” affects media content 27:19 – How media should work – Steve’s 4 pillars of journalism: 1) Intellectual Honesty 2) Intellectual Consistency 3) Intellectual Curiosity 4) Intellectual Discomfort 32:00 – What happens if we stay on this non-healthy media diet we’re all on? 49:06 – The Unsolicited Advice Game 57:00 – How marketers can impact change

This week on The Divided States of Media, Dan sits down with fellow Michiganian and Wall Street lawyer-turned-podcast interviewer, Jordan Harbinger. As a podcaster who’s interviewed everyone from Kobe Bryant to Ray Dalio, Jordan has a strong word of caution to the media system as it stands, and a warning to all if we don’t turn things around soon. Highlights: Subscribe to The Divided States of Media 14:09 – Jordan on “Virtue Signaling” 18:34 – The importance of journalism and podcasting right now 31:42 – The challenge of the media self-censoring 39:59 – Extremism – “Talk to anybody on the extreme left or the extreme right, have a clue what the other side actually wants or thinks. They’ve never given it any modicum of thought.” 51:36 – This week in “Unsolicited Advice” 56:53 –  Jordan on “Cancel Culture” – “It’s unequivocally a bad thing.” 1:07:00 – How do we get back on track? “Education, education, education.”

This week on The Divided States of Media, Dan sits down with entrepreneur, political figure, and author of “Contract to Unite America”, Neal Simon. Dan and Neal discuss how by being unaffiliated with any political party, Neal was able to lead a charge to unite the country and bring pragmatism back to Washington and Madison Ave. For marketers dealing with a seemingly polarized consumer base, Neal shares practical insights to gain an edge by reaching out to the “Hidden Majority”. Highlights: Listen on iTunes 3:52 – Neal shares the challenges of running for political office without the backing of any political party 6:41 – What is the “Hidden Majority” and why are they important? 10:46 – How the lack of incentive structure makes it hard for politicians on either side to commit to unity 20:05 – Dan makes yet another recommendation to watch the documentary Stars and Strife 25:30 – This week in “Unsolicited Advice” 27:37 – “Marketers need to think about how they can be part of the solution and not part of the problem.” 36:23 – There’s no centrism in media and social media, it’s either black or white

This week, we launch our second podcast season: The Divided States of Media. 70% of customers believe it’s important for brands to take a stand on political and social issues. Over half of Americans think executives who donate to the two major political candidates in this year’s election SHOULD BE FIRED — 31% for Trump and 22% for Biden. 62% of Americans are afraid to make their political views public. America is fractured by extreme partisanship and brands are stuck in the middle. How can you do the most good for your business and stakeholders without exploiting the divisions in this country? Oxford Road has joined with the National Institute for Civil Discourse to help, starting with the re-launch of our podcast, Oxford Road Presents: The Divided States of Media. In the season 2 kick-off episode, Dan sits down with Keith Allred, the Executive Director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, to discuss the increasingly polarized American landscape and the steps that leaders in media and marketing can take to heal the divides while building their business. Highlights: 7:37 – Keith addresses the state of civil discourse in America today 11:53 – Most Americans agree on far more political issues than advertised — so why are we so mad at each other? 21:12 – History of factionalism in the US and how we got to where we are today 32:30 – What is “Cancel Culture”? How does it help, and how does it hurt? 46:02 – The “Unsolicited Advice Game” — our new segment where Dan asks Keith to give Twitter-sized advice to everyone from Donald Trump to the media and brands that sponsor 51:52 – How can we use our position in business or media to get involved and make a positive impact? 58:44 – What happens to America if nothing changes soon? 1:07:20 – Keith explains how can marketers improve civil discourse in media, without participating in “Cancel Culture” 1:11:20 – Is national unity really possible, or is it too late? Keith shares real-world experience

This week, we launch our second podcast season: The Divided States of Media. 70% of customers believe it’s important for brands to take a stand on political and social issues. Over half of Americans think executives who donate to the two major political candidates in this year’s election SHOULD BE FIRED — 31% for Trump and 22% for Biden. 62% of Americans are afraid to make their political views public. America is fractured by extreme partisanship and brands are stuck in the middle. How can you do the most good for your business and stakeholders without exploiting the divisions in this country? Oxford Road has joined with the National Institute for Civil Discourse to help, starting with the re-launch of our podcast, Oxford Road Presents: The Divided States of Media. In the season 2 kick-off episode, Dan sits down with Keith Allred, the Executive Director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, to discuss the increasingly polarized American landscape and the steps that leaders in media and marketing can take to heal the divides while building their business. Highlights: Listen on iTunes 7:37 – Keith addresses the state of civil discourse in America today 11:53 – Most Americans agree on far more political issues than advertised — so why are we so mad at each other? 21:12 – History of factionalism in the US and how we got to where we are today 32:30 – What is “Cancel Culture”? How does it help, and how does it hurt? 46:02 – The “Unsolicited Advice Game” — our new segment where Dan asks Keith to give Twitter-sized advice to everyone from Donald Trump to the media and brands that sponsor 51:52 – How can we use our position in business or media to get involved and make a positive impact? 58:44 – What happens to America if nothing changes soon? 1:07:20 – Keith explains how can marketers improve civil discourse in media, without participating in “Cancel Culture” 1:11:20 – Is national unity really possible, or is it too late? Keith shares real-world experience

The Influencer’s Podcast, Media’s New Deal, is going on a short hiatus this month as we prepare for Season Two. In the meantime, we have some great content to share. This week, we showcase Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights) in all his glory at last month’s Podcast Advertising Industry Summit presented by Voxnest. Moderated by Ahyiana Angel (host of Switch, Pivot, or Quit), Giles joins a panel of podcast insiders to discuss how to use data and succeed with host-read podcast ads. Whether you’re a current podcast advertiser or simply exploring the channel for the first time, learn how to make podcast ads work from the biggest names in the agency world, as well as content creators and measurement services. Highlights: 1:05 – The disparity between podcast and radio ad revenue 5:31 – The tools you should use to identify the right podcasts for your brand 9:56 – How racial sensitivity has impacted the podcast landscape 14:10 – How to know if a podcast campaign is working 17:48 – The benchmarks you should use to evaluate the effectiveness of host reads 20:24 – Branded podcasts: why most brands should stay away from content creation 29:07 – Dynamic Reads versus Baked-In — What’s the difference, and how should advertisers approach? Click HERE to listen to the full episode

Media’s New Deal is kaput. Ten weeks ago we started this limited-run series to help entrepreneurs and marketers with practical advice on navigating the new world amidst COVID-19. Henceforth, captains of industry and influencers came through with pro-tips to swim through the changes while keeping revenues intact. Finally, we shifted focus to marketers dealing with societal upheaval after the murder of George Floyd. Along the way, we’ve been the ones asking the questions, but this week the tables have turned. We’re putting Dan Granger in the hot seat as he shares what been on his mind the past 3 months with the host of Ricochet’s The Roth Effect, Carol Roth. Highlights: 1:49 – What it means to be an “Intrepreneur” 18:21 – Why Bill Burr is one of the greatest spokespeople in Podcast 26:30 – Why there is no playbook in this new reality 36:58 – Perceived Bias vs. True Bias 40:24 – What to do when the mob comes for you? 55:17 – Are advertisers influencing the audience, or are on-air personalities influencing organizational values? 59:20 – Dan gives a history lesson on when to celebrate Independence Day Click HERE to listen to the full episode Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Music Listen on Spotify

Our 10th Episode! This week on Oxford Road Presents: Media’s New Deal, Dan sits down with Benjamin Nazarian, the CEO of one of the fastest-growing companies in the space, Therabody, maker of the coveted Theragun. In this episode, Ben shares the secret to successfully growing a multi-million dollar brand from zero, as well as rebranding the business, expanding product lines, and pivoting from retail dependence to full DTC in 2020. This week’s episode is a master class for marketers looking to add zeros to their bottom line. Highlights: 4:27 – The origin — how Ben got involved with one of the most popular brands in the fitness world 7:03 – Rebranding a successful company when you’re practically a household name during a pandemic 10:06 – Entering a crowded CBD marketplace — DIFFERENTIATE! 13:05 – Doing good without pandering 17:14 – Balancing performance marketing and branding 20:20 – What channels truly drive growth for a growing DTC brand? 29:24 – How COVID is affecting the consumer landscape 36:39 – Ben’s Top 10 Habit Hacks Click HERE to listen to the full episode Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Music Listen on Spotify

This week on Oxford Road Presents: Media’s New Deal, Dan sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, NYT bestselling co-author, and Sirius XM Radio show host, Professor Karen Hunter. For those of us trying to navigate the complexity of race and societal upheaval as citizens and as marketers, Karen shares practical advice without shaming. You will be inspired by Karen’s insights so you can navigate and actually grow through these circumstances. Highlights: 3:57 – Professor Hunter schools Dan for reading from a script 4:55 – Why what’s happening now is nothing new 9:03 – The futility of brands that pander 12:04 – Authenticity in media and those who are using scare tactics 16:27 – How to build and engage an audience with integrity 20:02 – Why audio is the most powerful medium on the planet 29:56 – Karen’s thoughts on “Cancel Culture” 57:17 – The secret of education through entertainment 1:07:38 – Karen Troll Hunter – How Karen cracked the YouTube algorithm to snuff out “Keyboard Cowboys” 1:12:22 – Karen’s message to media personalities like Tucker Carlson Click HERE to listen to the full episode Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Music Listen on Spotify

This week on Oxford Road Presents: Media’s New Deal, Dan sits down with Nicholas Quah — writer, niche media entrepreneur, and founder of the industry’s premier podcast newsletter, Hot Pod News. Nick gives a deeply honest and raw interview on the state of the Podcast industry as well as the media’s role in an increasingly divisive political landscape. This one gets really heavy, really fast, but is grounded in a sense of mutual respect. Listen for deep insights on the inner workings of the podcast ecosystem and the road ahead, and get to know Nick as he shares the humanity behind his perspectives. Thanks to Nick for opening up on so many challenging topics. Highlights: 6:19 – Podcast industry’s role in the second national crisis of 2020 10:37 – Inequality in the Podcast industry 26:10 – Concerns about Spotify’s massive podcast play and what it means for the future of the medium 41:26 – How brands can think about sponsoring shows with content that is perceived as insensitive 1:11:09 – Nick’s top 10 habit hacks 1:13:40 – His journey in creating Hot Pod News 1:14:15 – The top Podcast trends in the industry right now 1:20:25 – The Smart Speaker revolution and its connection to Podcasting 1:32:36 – Nick previews his new podcast, Servant of Pod Click HERE to listen to the full episode Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Music Listen on Spotify

This week on Oxford Road Presents: Media’s New Deal, Dan sits down with Guinness Book record-breaking, podcast-pioneering, movie-producing, best seller-writing, Loveline-hosting comedian and friend of the agency, “The Ace Man”, Adam Carolla. Adam shares his commentary on the evolution of Podcast, the secrets of his success, and so much more. Marketers will be interested to hear his perspective on what goes through the mind of a host as they read your copy. Adam also shares a strong message for brands who are afraid of sponsoring shows that produce controversial content, and what it’s like to live and work in harmony with people who hold entirely different views across the political spectrum, from Tucker Carlson to Jimmy Kimmel. Highlights: 4:51 – Let’s celebrate accomplishment days 8:45 – How to pronounce “LiveXLive” 25:07 – Take a really cold shower — and other life hacks from “The Ace Man” 36:30 – Adam makes a challenge for business owners Click HERE to listen to the full episode Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Music Listen on Spotify

What is there to say? We take an important departure from The Influencer’snormal format to bring you an interview with Bambee founder and CEO, Allan Jones. Allan shares his journey as a kid from Lynwood with no college degree through his meteoric rise to CMO of ZipRecruiter before launching his current business, Bambee.com. As a black man leading a company that provides HR support for thousands of small businesses, Allan’s story is raw, inspiring, and vulnerable. For those of us who are upset by what we’ve seen in the last week, but unsure how to help or even how to talk about it, Allan’s perspective is a gift of immense proportions. Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Music Listen on Spotify

In Episode #5 of Oxford Road Presents: Media’s New Deal, Dan speaks with Dave Zohrob, Co-founder and CEO of Chartable, the podcast analytics company for both publishers and advertisers. Dave takes us behind the scenes of his industry-wide data set to comment on the issues of the day in this remarkably colorful interview with a data guy. Highlights: 4:33 – How a love of podcast led to the creation of Chartable 7:08 – What Joe Rogan’s move to Spotify means for the industry, especially for independent programs 11:09 – What is Chartable’s approach to attributing response in Podcast 12:07 – Dave uses the word “panopticon” in a sentence 13:43 – The arduous process of IAB certification explained, and why it matters 15:06 – Are advertisers using survey-based analysis overcounting or undercounting? 28:33 – How Joe Rogan’s lack of presence on the Podtrac chart lead Chartable to make their own chart 29:40 – Dave addresses the data privacy concerns in the space 44:43 – 10 Habit Hacks – How is Dave managing his time during the crisis? 51:37 – Why not having “POD” in the name allows Chartable to focus on audio as a spectrum of different devices and content   Click HERE to listen to the full episode Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Music Listen on Spotify

When radio mogul Norm Pattiz set his gaze upon the fledgling podcast industry in 2013, his entrance marked a massive shift toward developing infrastructure and the evolution of podcast into a legitimate business opportunity. Seven years later, Pattiz announced the sale of PodcastOne to LiveXLive. This signals a new wave of disruption, as network valuations come crashing down to Earth and the old guard gives way to well-capitalized conglomerates and public companies. In Episode #4 of Oxford Road Presents: Media’s New Deal, Dan speaks with Norm Pattiz himself, Chairman and CEO of PodcastOne and founder of Westwood One. Mr. Pattiz goes in-depth with Oxford Road, detailing his reasons for PodcastOne’s recent merger with LiveXLive while weaving in tales from a stunning career of transforming the audio business. Norm will remain at the helm of PodcastOne in the new organization and shares a behind the scenes look at the impact the merger will have on his business and the industry as a whole. Highlights: 6:27 – How losing his job at a fledgling Los Angeles TV station spawned the creation of one of the largest media companies in the world 12:24 – How Norm took his knowledge and transitioned from a radio mogul to a podcast pioneer 21:15 – How the podcast industry has shifted since he entered the business 27:07 – Norm and Dan go deep into the details on PodcastOne’s recent merger with LiveXLive, how he came to the decision, and what it means for the industry 52:56 – Norm answers 10 Habit Hack Questions on how he’s managing his time during the crisis  Click HERE to listen to the full episode Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Music Listen on Spotify

Welcome to Episode #3 of Oxford Road Presents: Media’s New Deal! This week, Dan speaks with Andy Lipset, CEO of SpokenLayer, the leading provider of media content on smart speakers for over 100 publishers including Time Magazine, TechCrunch, The Economist, Daily Beast, and just about every major publication you can imagine. Join us as Andy shares why short-form audio is the future, and how smart speakers are revolutionizing the audio landscape. Highlights: 7:26 – Why short-form audio is the future of audio broadcasting moving forward 15:03 – How smart speaker advertising offers exclusivity for brands without the clutter of traditional media 16:34 – Flash Briefings 101 25:15 – Why the smart speaker revolution is like mobile was 10 years ago 30:03 – How voice recognition will help performance marketers track at a level only dreamed about in the past 37:09 – Andy’s Top 10 Habit Hacks he’s using to push through the crisis 45:34 – How the pandemic has impacted the medium’s advertising portfolio Click HERE to listen to the full episode Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Music Listen on Spotify

Welcome to Episode #2 of Oxford Road Presents: Media’s New Deal, our limited-run series designed to help marketers keep up with the changes in the age of Coronavirus. This week, Dan speaks with David Field, Chairman, President and CEO of Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE: ETM). Reaching over 170 million Americans every month, Entercom is the second-largest radio broadcaster in the U.S. and owner of emerging media platforms such as Cadence13 and Radio.com. David’s place is firmly fixed on the Mount Rushmore of Radio power players, and he is deciding (not speculating) on what comes next… Highlights: 5:42 – The challenges Entercom has had to contend with due to the health crisis 10:21 – The hard decisions David has had to make as a leader to preserve the health of the organization 15:24 – How Entercom has fared against competitive media companies 20:13 – What the future looks like for media companies post-COVID-19 29:31 – How Entercom is utilizing their unsold inventory and the opportunities for advertisers who can spend right now 35:25 – David addressing the skepticism in the market around ratings reports 45:58 – How the crisis will impact the podcast industry’s growth trajectory 48:13 – How audio is uniquely positioned to be useful in this new environment 52:15 – How brands should think about hitting the right tone in their creative as listener preferences evolve 54:40 – David’s final advice to marketers planning the next few quarters Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Music Listen on Spotify

The Influencer is proud to announce the debut of our first-ever podcast, Oxford Road Presents: Media’s New Deal, (we know…we’re kinda late to the game). Our limited-run series is designed to help marketers adapt their businesses to the perpetually shape-shifting media landscape in the age of Coronavirus and beyond. You’ll get up-to-date insights on where things are headed, and practical advice for how you can win — no matter the circumstances. This week, Oxford Road founder and CEO Dan Granger meets with Hernan Lopez, the man behind podcast powerhouse Wondery and creator of hit shows such as Dr. Death, Dirty John, American History Tellers, Business Wars, and more. Listen as Dan and Hernan discuss the podcast landscape right now and what it will look like post-COVID, including: The state of podcast listenership from an industry titan Why host-read Podcast ads are here to stay, despite the influx of brand dollars How Wondery had a Tiger King podcast before the Netflix show The future of smart speakers as it pertains to Podcast Why the Axios newsletter is the most important item in your inbox Why “trust” is the most important thing for advertisers right now Please Note: Oxford Road Presents: Media’s New Deal will be released on iTunes and everywhere podcasts are consumed. Our friends at Apple are taking a bit longer to release the episode, but it’s up on Spotify and will be on iTunes soon. Watch it on YouTube now!