Why Big Spend Doesn’t Mean A “Sound” Strategy–Ad Infinitum Season 2 Kicks Off With A Bang; Concerned About Your Drop In Podcast Downloads? Don’t Be.

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 , 苹果 , Verizon , AT&T , and 辉瑞 . 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.

The Classifieds

Financial Advisor Brings the Tough Love

It takes a lot to exasperate Caleb Hammer to the point of exhibiting comical looks, and yet he does it every week on his YouTube channel. Dubbed as the Millennial Dave Ramsey , Hammer himself was merely scraping by not so long ago. He now helps countless subscribers audit their spending, so that they can climb out of debt toward a brighter future. Hammer puts out multiple episodes weekly, spending each video focusing on his guests’ collective financial woes, with candid, yet intense conversations. His approach is a mix of tough love and realistic empowerment, also bringing light to the state of our current economy. Hammer is nearing 1m subscribers on YouTube, a high-performing opportunity for his network, Creators Agency LLC . Any B2B advertisers looking to reach a younger demo will align well with Hammer’s brand of edutainment and his consistent viral success.

Never In a Bad Mood

What else do gamers watch besides their favorite Let's Play videos? Most marketers have asked themselves that question at some point in time. Luckily, The Grumps are here to provide answers. Game Grumps co-hosts Arin Hanson and Dan Avidan have teamed up with Headgum , and are now selling sponsorships for their iconic channel. Their best-known segment is the 10 Minute Power Hour , chronicling a weekly activity that often devolves into gross, messy antics for our viewing pleasure. Game Grumps do everything, from baking with an Easy Bake Oven, to salsa dancing, even electrocuting themselves inadvertently. (Yes, for real). They’re often viewed as definitive comfort creators , with major crossover appeal outside the platform that made them famous. This is an exceptional opportunity for all interested advertisers.

In Case You Missed It

Podcast Downloads Have Dropped - The Audience Hasn’t

Apple Podcasts ' update to its automatic downloads system has caused a significant decline in audience numbers for popular podcasts. Downloads fell by 19% month over month and 24% year over year among top publishers, affecting long-running shows the most. Despite the decrease in downloads, podcast listening has remained strong. Take a deep breath. The launch of iOS 17 has led to a decrease in podcast download numbers. However, don't interpret this decline as being indicative of a shrinking audience. While downloads are valuable for gauging the popularity of individual podcasts, they no longer serve as the sole metric for understanding a podcast audience. Fortunately, we've progressed from the era when downloads were considered the ultimate measure.

Follow The Lead of Retail in Streaming Audio

Digital audio ad spending is on the rise, projected to constitute a fifth of total time spent with digital media in the US. Retail dominates this spending, with personalized and localized messages resonating well with consumers. Despite fluctuations, digital audio advertising is expected to continue on this trajectory, particularly in retail. Competitive spending intelligence for streaming audio has often been elusive. While this report doesn't explore top spending brands in streaming audio, it does shed light on leading spend categories. Unsurprisingly, retail claims the top spot, with other notable categories including travel, CPG, and eCommerce.

Unlike Cheap Trick, Podcasting Isn’t Big in Japan (But it is in Mexico and Brazil)

Latin America is projected to lead global podcast listenership by 2027, driven by its vast Spanish and Portuguese-speaking populations. With 135.2 million listeners in 2023, Brazil leads and is expected to surpass North America by 2025. Challenges like monetization and attribution persist, but opportunities abound for growth and professionalization. If you're a marketer with international ambitions for your podcast campaigns, this report offers valuable insights into the Latin American market. If you haven't already considered LatAm in your international efforts, reading the report will likely prompt you to do so.

#SaveTheLiveReads

“Babbel”ing on with Justin Martindale

As we get older, it becomes harder to learn new hobbies, especially new languages! But this week, Justin Martindale , host of the JUST SAYIN’ Podcast, shows his audience how to adopt the number one rule of comedy, “Yes, And!” , when it comes to learning something new. Martindale’s substantiation about learning French with Babbel is the perfect setup for a great ad read. Jusin’s background in stage performance and comedy offers the audience an exciting listen as he lays out the special offer and CTA. The key words from him are FUN and EASY, which make his execution count. This is precisely the kind of forward-thinking laid out in Oxford Road Audiolytics? components, creating the perfect formula for success!?

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If you've read this far, thank you!

The Influencer is a production from the team at Oxford Road .

If you like our sometimes sassy, mostly informed POVs on the wonderful world of audio advertising, you should see what we do for our clients.

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