Month: January 2024

Seekr Introduces Align, A Brand Safety And Suitability Platform

~ jen

Seekr, an artificial intelligence company specializing in transparent content evaluation and generation, announced the release of Seekr Align, an advanced brand safety and suitability tool that unlocks new audience reach by giving brands and ad agencies unprecedented visibility into hundreds of thousands of podcast episodes whose brand safety and suitability is largely unknown. Align, which is built on Seekr’s large language model, combines Seekr’s proprietary content evaluation and scoring capabilities with and industry-leading user-friendly interface.

“Seekr Align unlocks more brand-safe advertising opportunities in a podcast landscape that is notoriously complex and difficult to navigate,” said Rob Clark, President and Chief Technology Officer of Seekr. “In a short period, Align has already evaluated over 8 million minutes of podcasts and applied Seekr’s proprietary scoring, enabling the desired alignment between a brand and content. The volume of content scored by the platform will increase five-fold by the end of the year, far outpacing competitive offerings.”

During the product beta launch, Align generated pre-order commitments from top brands whose collective 2024 spends are expected to exceed $100 million. Leading brands that have signed on to use Align include Babbel, Bayer, Constant Contact, MasterClass, Quip, SimpliSafe, and Tommy John, among others.

“Brand safety and suitability should do more than blocking words or avoiding complex conversations. First-gen audio tools have been overcomplicated and unreliable: they are too prone to false negatives and false positives, routinely allowing key words to trigger risk content ratings. This has created confusion among marketers, while scaring them away from responsible podcasts and generally causing them to underutilize podcasts for advertising,” said Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road, the nation’s largest independent audio advertising agency, which helped in the development of the platform. “Align simplifies the process of finding safe and suitable podcast by marrying world-class engineering with innovative and transparent ratings, allowing brands to navigate with nuance so they can confidently grow their audio campaign with increased clarity and speed.”

Align is being introduced at the outset of what promises to be a highly polarized political season, and at a time when many brands say they’re facing growing repetitional risks as their ads inadvertently appear next to problematic content. At the same time, brands continue to face challenges in reaching larger, highly engaged audiences safely because they have little to no visibility into the brand suitability of the “long tail” of podcasts – thousands of shows that fall outside of the Top 100.

Seekr Align identifies never-before-measured, industry-specific signals that strike at the heart of safety and suitability by capturing the nuanced essence of a conversation, going above and beyond the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) brand safety and suitability floor, ultimately enabling brands to safely reach a much bigger audience.

The first of these signals, Seekr’s Civility Score, (patent and trademark pending), tracks personal attacks, including those that might not necessarily register as hate speech under GARM, but are still hostile in nature. The Align platform, which is built in Seekr’s large language model applied for the Civility Score, allows the end user to overlay desired risk filters, including GARM, giving brands more control and simplicity.

Because of the limitations of current technology, Seekr offers human-in-the-loop capabilities to ensure that brands can feel confident they’re aligning with programs that discuss a broad spectrum of diverse topics without promoting divisive and incendiary content.

Seekr Align is redefining how podcast content is evaluated to align with brand objectives because of its ability to truly understand the nuances of language in audio. Anticipated advances in brand safety and suitability are one of the main reasons why the interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) projects podcast advertising revenue will do more than double to $4 bullion in 2025.

“There is a different way that Oprah and Alex Jones might treat the same subject in a piece of content,” added Granger. “Align supplements GARM with more nuanced capabilities such as the Civility Sore, which puts the emphasis on the spirit of the conversation, instead of punishing creators who take a responsible approach to discussing important issues that are potentially controversial.”

Podimo And Troop Form Strategic Alliance To Support Podcasting In Latin America And Mexico

~ jen

Podimo and Troop announce a strategic alliance that will allow them to offer new ways to create and listen to high quality content. Almost a year after its launch in Mexico, Podimo already has thousands of subscribers, while Troop has managed, in a very short time, to consolidate an audio division that is an essential reference in the region.

As of January of this year, Troop in Mexico will operate and invest in Podimo. While Podimo brings a cutting-edge technological platform, an attractive portfolio of shows, and a wealth of international experience to the table, Troop will provide local expertise and infrastructure to promote and produce content in-house with the help of an experienced production team, reinforcing its position as a first-class media hub. Podimo’s local team joins Troop under Joaquín Colino, CEO of Troop, who will now also serve are Podimo’s Regional General Manager in Latin America.

“In the dynamic audio universe, we are excited to announce the integration of Podimo to Troop, consolidating our presence in the Mexico, US Hispanics and Latin American markets. Podimo proves to be the ideal partner, with a spectacular platform designed to meet the needs of the most demanding and passionate audio enthusiasts, says Joaquín Colino, CEO of Troop and Regional General Manager of Podimo Latam. “With this alliance, Troop will continue to expand its audio division, generating content not only for Podimo but also for the rest of the audio platforms in the market, with clearly differentiated strategies that will generate an interesting and necessary synergy for the strengthening of the industry and the growth of audiences, who will benefit form the unique and exciting experiences that our content guarantees.”

“In the dynamic audio universe, we are excited to announce the integration of Podimo to Troop, consolidating our presence in the Mexico, US Hispanics and Latin American markets. Podimo proves to be the ideal partner, with a spectacular platform designed to meet the needs of the most demanding and passionate audio enthusiasts, says Joaquín Colino, CEO of Troop and Regional General Manager of Podimo Latam. “With this alliance, Troop will continue to expand its audio division, generating content not only for Podimo but also for the rest of the audio platforms in the market, with clearly differentiated strategies that will generate an interesting and necessary synergy for the strengthening of the industry and the growth of audiences, who will benefit form the unique and exciting experiences that our content guarantees.”

“Podimo’s local-first approach is further strengthened by Troop, who shares our mission, vision, and dedication to a subscription-based model,” says Morten Strange, CEO and Founder of Podimo. “Together, we will amplify our investment in local creators, cultivate new podcast audiences, and elevate our original content through a unique product experience. Our continued focus is on attracting top-tier talent and fostering a community in the Latin American spoken audio entertainment landscape.”

This strategic alliance between Podimo and Troop opens doors to a wider range of opportunities for local creators, listeners, and the industry at large, and will provide a significant boost in the market. Additionally, through the curation of a powerful pool of intellectual property, the collaboration sets the stage for diverse adaptations and formats, securing a path to becoming the most attractive player in spoken audio entertainment in the region.”

“We have seen the enormous potential that the subscription model has for the podcast format, it’s very exciting what has happened in such a short time,” says Wendolín Perla, Head of Content at Podimo Latam. “However, as we went along, it became clear how important it was to have a local partner that understood the opportunities and complexities of the Mexican market and that would provide us with the strength and infrastructure to become a great Content Hub: with Troop, we will guarantee our consolidation and expansion in the region.”

AI To Revolutionise Podcast Advertising

~ jen

In an Australian first, Artificial Intelligence (Ai) will transform content from Australia’s leading news website, news.com.au, into content marketing placements for inclusion in Acast’s content catalogue.

Acast, the world’s leading independent podcast company, hosts and distributes some of Australia’s popular podcasts across categories including Sport, Business, Lifestyle.

Listeners to the Acast network will receive real-time news headlines advertising news.com.au.

Aaron Matthews, Head of Creative at Creative Fix, said the technology will not only deliver new content to listeners in real time, but that news categories can be paired with relevant podcast.

“It also overcomes the traditional barriers faced by audio producers, with most audio ad production being time-consuming, making this ideal for productions with tight timelines.”

Gina McGrath, Head of Marketing for news.com.au., said the relationship allows readers to be on top of he latest news, wherever they are. “This activity embodies our brand promise to ‘be on it’, delivering the news that matters to our audience the way they want to consume it.”

The initiative is a collaboration between Acast, news.com.au., Creative Fix, and Audiostack, and will use Audiostack’s scalable AI audio production to convert news articles into audio while also augmenting the voiceover with music and sound design.

Dr. Timo P. Kunz, Co-founder and CEO of AudioStack.ai said: “We’re really excited about the massive innovation Creative Fix has brought to the audio advertising sector. Using news headlines is exactly the type of use case we built AudioStack for: creating audio fast and at scale.”

The news audio ads are delivered as 30-second news bulletins across Acast’s full network.

Visit Creative Fix for more.

BIN – Black Information Network Elevates Chris Thompson And Angela Ingram

~ jen

BIN: Black Information Network, the 24/7 comprehensive national audio news network dedicated to providing an objective, accurate and trusted source of continual news with a Black voice perspective, announced  that Chris Thompson has been elevated to Senior Vice President of News and Programming, and Angela Ingram has been elevated to Senior Vice President of Public Engagement.

In this newly created role, Thompson will oversee news, content, and operations for the Black Information Network. Thompson previously served as Vice President of Network Operations. As Senior Vice President of Public Engagement, Ingram will lead BIN’s efforts to build more meaningful public and private sector partnerships and lead the network’s engagement effort for both the national BIN platform as well as all BIN markets. Ingram’s role as Senior Vice President of Public Engagement will also include her continued work with iHeartMedia Chicago.

“Chris and Angela have been integral to the growth and success of Black Information Network, Thompson previously served as Vice President of Network Operations. Chris has worked closely with our newsroom since day one and unifying our news and programming operations under his direction will enable us to grow and strengthen our network, podcast, and digital content at a faster pace,” said Tony Coles, President of BIN: Black Information Network. “I am equally excited about Angela’s new role, which will enable the Black Information Network to work even closer with leaders in government, business, and non-profits to improve our content, coverage, and impact.”

Chris Thompson joined iHeartMedia in 2020 with over 20 years of radio experience in the areas of Broadcast Operations, Programming, Sales, Affiliate Relations and Talent Management. Prior to joining BIN, Thompson served as Vice President of Radio Operations for Reach Media, and the Executive Director of Network Operations for Connecticut-based Buckley Radio, successfully managing syndication and affiliate clearances for 15 nationally syndicated weekday and weekend Talk Radio programs under the WOR Radio Network brand and its 500-plus unique affiliations.

Angela Ingram joined iHeartMedia’s Chicago station group as Director of Marketing in 1995 after holding marketing and promotions positions for the company’s stations in Louisville, Kentucky and Charlotte. Ingram was elevated to Senior Vice President of Communications for the Chicago Region of iHeart Markets Group, where she led a number of advocacy initiatives, working with more than 50 civic and business leaders to support education, voter registration, health awareness, volunteerism, women’s issues, and other causes.

Ingram is the recipient of the Illinois Broadcasters Association’s first-ever Vanguard Award in recognition of her 40 years of service in the radio industry. She is also the recipient of the Ad Council’s Public Service Champion Award and the Dress for Success Worldwide – Central Luminary Leadership Award.

BIN: Black Information Network is distributed nationally through the iHeartRadio app, available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices, as well as on local AM/FM broadcast radio stations in 34 markets, including Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Dallas.

About BIN: Black Information Network

BIN: Black Information Network is the first and only 24/7 national and local all-news audio service dedicated to providing an objective, accurate and trusted source of continual news coverage with a Black voice and perspective. BIN is enabled by the resources, assets and financial support of iHeartMedia, and the support of its Founding Partners: Bank of America, CVS Health, GEICO, and Sony.  BIN is focused on service to the Black community to help foster communication, accountability and deeper understanding.

ALIVE Podcast Network And Barometer Partner To Drive Equitable Monetization For Black Creators

~ jen

The ALIVE Podcast Network, a leading media-tech platform dedicated to amplifying Black voices and increasing monetization, is excited to announce its partnership with Barometer, a renowned provider to challenge historical disenfranchisement faced by creators of diverse backgrounds and revolutionize monetization opportunities for Black creators and media owners.

Brand suitability and safety technologies have played an essential role in safeguarding advertisers. However, they have long been associated with disproportionately impacting creators from diverse backgrounds. The root causes of this disenfranchisement lie in keywords-based solutions and stereotypes. Keywords-based solutions disregard context, imposing culturally homogenous “norms” that fail to capture the nuances and richness of diverse cultures and communities.

One community that has been particularly affected by both keywords-based solutions and stereotypes are Black creators and Black owned media entries. Recognizing the harm caused by these challenges, the ALIVE Podcast Network has joined forces with Barometer to reshape this narrative by utilizing data and driving equitable monetization opportunities for Black creators and media owners.

ALIVE and Barometer are harnessing the power of Barometer’s contextual analysis engine to empower Black creators and media owners with insightful data. As a starting point, barometer conducted a thorough analysis of ALIVE’s podcast content over the past year and confirmed that the median ALIVE podcast poses no risk in any of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) categories. This signifies that, on average, ALIVE podcasts adhere to the highest standards of brand suitability and safety.

While a few shows exhibited low, medium, or high levels frisk in specific GARM categories, these outliers are exceptions rather than the norm. For instance, among the 36 analyzed shows, only two displayed a high risk for profanity, and one had a medium risk for profanity. These findings debunk the stereotype that Black content contains profanity, emphasizing the inaccuracy and potential harm of such generalizations. The power of data allows us to challenge these stereotypes and make decisions based on accurate information.

“Our team is diligent in our efforts to empower Black voices, drive monetization, and reshape the narrative surrounding Black content through leveraging real data to eradicate debilitating stereotypes,” said ALIVE Podcast Network Founder and CEO, Angel N. Livas.

Through the partnership with Barometer, the ALIVE Podcast Network aims to:

Drive Equitable Monetization: By providing accurate data on brand suitability and safety, this collaboration ensures that Black creators and media owners have fair and equal opportunities for monetization.

Challenge Stereotypes: Barometer’s contextual analysis engine debunks stereotypes associated with Black content by quantifying inaccuracies and highlighting their potential harm.

Empire Black Creators: Leveraging Barometer’s cutting-edge technology, the ALIVE Podcast Network will empower Black creators with actionable insights, enabling them to optimize their content for greater reach, impact, and monetization potential.

“Our partnership with the ALIVE Podcast Network marks an important step towards equity in the podcasting industry,” said Tamara Zubatiy, Co-founder and CEO of Barometer. “By harnessing the power of data-driven insights, together we strive to challenge stereotypes, drive equitable monetization, and foster a more inclusive landscape for Black creators and media owners.”

Flightpath Premiers First-Of-It’s-Kind Campaign Prediction One Year Into The Future

~ jen

Flightpath, a trailblazer in the podcast industry, has unleashed a groundbreaking availability engine, setting a new standard by delivering a full year of trusted campaign projections across all shows on the platform. This cutting-edge innovation not only elevates transparency and control within the industry but also empowers advertisers and creators to plan campaigns with unprecedented confidence, facilitating better collaboration and trusted partnerships.

Every existing Flightpath client on the platform has already experienced an upgrade, gaining the ability to visualize a comprehensive one-year forecast of campaign performance across their entire portfolio.

This feature seamlessly integrates with all campaign targeting criteria to include: frequency capping, brand exclusion, pacing, and geo-targeting down to the DMA level. In an industry where back of the napkin historical data has been the primary tool for predicting future placements, Flightpath offers a singular source of truth, giving teams a more accurate assessment of unsold inventory and campaign performance. Buyers turn to their trusted partners first. Flightpath help clients build and maintain that trusted status.

Key Features of Flightpath’s New Platform:

Trusted projection campaign performance one year in advance, helping publishers better manage expectations and deliver on their promises.

The industry’s inaugural availability engine, providing a year of reliable availability, supporting DAI run of show, tags, and “faked-in” (episode-locked) placements.

Full support for all targeting criteria to include: frequency capping, brand exclusion, pacing, and Geo inclusion/exclusion down to the DMA level.

Integration with leading DAI-enabled podcast hosts and Order Management Systems.

Access to a team with expertise in data science, ad operations, and revenue growth that is available to all clients for ongoing consultations as the industry continues to evolve.

Flightpath CEO Sean Howard commented on the announcement, “2023 saw DAI podcast hosts announcing 90 days of availability prediction when we were already offering 9 months. We wanted to go even further and give our clients the ability to see campaign performance a year into the future with availability to match.”

“With so many clients confirming their up front contracts, we knew it was critical they be able to immediately forsee any shortfalls,” shares Flightpath CRO, Lauria Belleau. “It’s truly a game changer to enable our clients to quickly and confidently pull trusted availability for all of 2024.”

“Flightpath has a comprehensive grasp on the needs of podcasting ad ops teams,” added Ilwira Marciszek, Senior VP, Head of Revenue Operations and Digital Sales of AdLarge. “Their commitment to driving impactful results, optimizing yield, and consistently innovating through streamlined tools sets them apart, adding immense value to the entire process.”

To learn more about Flightpath, reach out to laurie@flighpath.fm.

Podchaser Leads The Pack In G2’s Winter 2024 Media And Influencer Targeting

~ jen

Podchaser, the podcast industry’s intelligence engine, has been distinguished as the leader in the G2 Media and Influencer Targeting Relationships Index as part of their Winter 2024 Reports for the Podchaser Pro product. This placement underscores Podchaser Pro’s excellence in service and the high value data and insights it delivers to clients on various areas of the podcast industry that are critical to their business objectives.

G2 Report draw on user reviews to gauge satisfaction and performance for products and services throughout the media landscape. Podchaser Pro’s top position, particularly in the media and influencer targeting category, reflects its exceptional ease of doing business, outstanding quality of support, and strong likelihood of recommendations by its users.

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work of the Podchaser team and the incredible group of clients we work with who made these recommendations,” said Bradley Davis, CEO of Podcaster. “Importantly, this award is also indicative of the value that Podchaser Pro brings to the table amid the rapidly growing influencer economy. As the global creator economy is tracking to reach a $480 billion value in the next three years, agencies and media buyers that are waking up to the critical role that podcasters play in that area.

Podchaser’s leading data-driven products and services will continue to help them engage with the medium and and the creators that drive it forward.”

In addition to its leadership in the Relationship Index, Podchaser Pro has also earned high marks across various other segments in G2’s comprehensive Winter 2024 reports:

* Media and Influencer Targeting Grid Report

* Implementation Index for Media and Influencer Targeting

* Momentum Grid for Media and Influencer Targeting

* Americas Regional Grid Report for Media and Influencer Targeting – Results Index for Media and Influencer Targeting

* Usability Index for Media and Influencer Targeting

Podchaser Pro’s robust toolset enables PR firms, Ad Agencies, brands and small businesses to target and engage with media and influencers effectively. For detailed information on Podchaser Pro’s capabilities, please reach out to sales@podchaser.com.

PRX To Distribute Condé Nast Podcasts

~ jen

Public media organization PRX announced a new podcast collaboration with Condé Nast. PRX, one of the world’s top podcast publishers, will distribute the company’s podcasts across all podcast platforms.

Condé Nast’s slate includes acclaimed shows across areas of news, narrative storytelling, fashion, food, politics, travel, technology, media, music, and investigative journalism. PRX will bring Condé Nast’s premiere podcasts to audiences and advertisers and help to unlock new revenue opportunities.

Condé Nast’s podcasts will continue to be available on-demand wherever listeners choose to listen. Shows now brought to listeners in partnership with PRX include the following: Inside the Hive from Vanity Fair, The Run-Through with Vogue, Critics at Large from The New Yorker, Dinner SOS from Bon Appétit, Women Who Travel from Condé Nast Traveler, Have a Nice Future, from Wired, The Pitchfork Review, and the Peabody Award-winning In The Dark, which is launching two new series with The New Yorker in 2024.

Several shows from The New Yorker, including the The New Yorker Radio Hour, will continue to be distributed in partnership with WNYC, with Condé Nast and PRX also collaborating on advertising initiatives.

“I’m delighted with this partnership in our evolution in audio,” said David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the hose of The New Yorker Radio Hour.

“PRX has had an enormously positive impact on the development of the audio industry, and it has long supported original work by some of the most creative people in podcasting, said Condé Nast’s new premium shows while representing the ideals of public media and expanding its reach.”

PRX podcast partners also include TED, PBS, the Smithsonian, Radiotopia, and more. Shows brought to listeners in partnership with PRX have been awarded by the International Documentary Association, the DuPont-Columbia Awards, the Peabody Awards, the Tribeca Festival, and the Pulitzer Prizes.

Sonnant Celebrates The Opening Of A Dallas Presence With A Contract With Salem Media

~ jen

Sonnant, a leader in content monetization and workflow automation, is thrilled to announce the contract extension, to include more shows, with Salem Media Group. The decision to renew and expand the partnership was a strategic move, underscoring the seamless collaboration and undeniable success achieved through Salem’s and Sonnets’s innovative solutions.

The renewed contract comes as no surprise given the outstanding results and mutual benefits experienced during the initial collaboration. Salem, a key player in family themed content with conservative values, has recognized the unparalleled value that Sonnant brings to the table in terms of digital revenue growth, audience engagement, and workflow efficiency.

“We are excited about the extension of our partnership with Sonnant, as the more we use it, the more uses we find for it” said Michael Demarest, Director Audience Growth at Salem Media. “In these challenging times it is difficult to add new staff, so we look at what solutions could help our digital growth, without new overheads. Sonnant had already made huge inroads with our ad operations team, so we looked at other shows and other lines of business that we wanted to grow. The results have been superb.”

Sonnant CEO, Tony Simmons said, “When Salem Media announced they were focused on the growth of digital revenues, we know we were a match made in heaven. We challenged Michael and his team to throw away any and all challenges at us. The results and returns have been rabid, and pave the way for more radio and video content.”

Simmons continued, “…moreover, Sonnant is proud to announce the establishment of a presence in Dallas, Scot Herd joins as SVP Strategic Partnerships North America solidifying our commitment to providing North American support and fostering stronger relationships with clients in the USA.”

As this partnership continues to innovate and expand its footprint, both Salem and Sonnant look forward to pushing the boundaries of audio content engagement, automation and revenue generation.

Podcasters Invited to Go 90 Days Without Checking Their Stats

~ jen

Stats like download numbers, likes, reshares, and followers are important, but excessive focus on them can lead to distraction, frustration, and burnout.

Podcast and creative coach Mark Steadman challenges creators to go 90 days without counting their downloads and to raise funds for charity in the process.

“I want to shift the focus towards the things we can control and away from the things we can’t,” said Mark.

As a podcaster himself, Mark understands how easy it is for checking stats to become a habit. It can be like a nervous tic – a moment of boredom leads to checking for new downloads, only to be disappointed when the numbers haven’t changed sine the last check 15 minutes ago.

Mark believes that excessive focus on outcomes, such as whether numbers go up or down, distracts from focusing on outputs – the daily actions creators take to improve by just 1%. But staying away from analytics, creators can redirect their energy towards producing quality content and building meaningful connections with their audience.

“There are other ways to get feedback than looking at a graph. And you don’t fatten a chicken by weighing it,” Mark continues.

This playful campaign aims to foster a healthier mindset, enhance productivity, and contribute to the overall wellbeing of podcasters and internet creators.

What sets this challenge apart is that participants are invited to raise funds for a charity of their choice. By creating their own JustGiving page and sharing the link, creators’ audiences can challenge them by pledging an amount of money to encourage them to go further.

Creators can take up the challenge at nostats90.com and use the hashtag #nostats90. The challenges begins February 5th.

Mark Steadman is a veteran podcaster, published author, creative coach, and the host of the Morning Creative, a daily podcast for professional creatives, hobbyists, makers, and artists. He founded the Birmingham Podcast Festival in the UK’s second city, co-designed the Bullseye category of the British Podcast Awards, and has appeared on the BBC and ITV.

Morning Creative is a podcast intended to be a regular companion for people who do creative work or want to make a living from their own art. Each episode offers a story, lessons, and actionable advice for creators to consider on their creative journey.