Month: November 2024

Platform Media Acquire Majority Stake Of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby

~ jen

Platform Media, the next-generation media company, has announced its majority acquisition of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, the world’s biggest rugby show.

It follows the company successfully launching the YouTube channels for two of its most popular sports podcast this year, FC Bullard and For The Love of Rugby. YouTube channels are one key strand of Crowd’s wider content marketing offer, as it goes beyond podcast production into video social media strategy, merchandise support, and live show launches.

Crowd’s expanded offer to brands comes as demand for video and social media content grows amongst both podcast followers and brands alike. Video content has already been proven successful for Crowd, generating hundreds of thousands of longform YouTube episodes and tens of millions of views across social media.

As well as launching YouTube Channels for For The Love Of Rugby and FC Bullard, Crowd has also made strides in bringing in multichannel women’s sports content to audiences. Crowd launched the Chelsea women’s team’s We Are Chelsea podcast in March this year, leading the way for women’s sports brands. We Are Chelsea received over a million views across Chelsea’s digital channels just two weeks after launch, with TikTok videos hitting 50 million views over summer.

Crowd now works alongside multiple household names to amplify their exposure across channels such as podcasting, social media and more. This includes Greenpeace’s Oceans: Life Under Water which won the bronze award in the Climate category at the British Podcast Awards in 2024. It’s partnership with big brands are set to grow in 2025 as it eyes new collaborations.

Mike Carr, CEO at Crowd Networks commented: “We’ve seen the market undergo massive change in the last year alone. Audio and even video is no longer the only avenue in podcasting but we’re now seeing a need to provide a 360 approach to working with brands to achieve successful multichannel engagement with audiences.

“This year has been a pivotal one for us. Welcoming big names such as Greenpeace and Chelsea to Crowd Branded, has enabled us to work with some incredible teams, who are keen to tell stories and reach new audiences in a fresh, dynamic way. I’m excited to see how our team continues to expand our branded offering to achieve impactful engagement with fans and audiences.”

Crowd Network Expands Team And Production Services For Brands

~ jen

Crowd Network (Crowd), one of Europe’s fastest growing independent podcast networks, has expanded its capabilities and welcomed two new video producers to its team following the increased demand for video and social content from its audiences and brand partners.

It follows the company’s successfully launching the YouTube channels for two of its most popular sports podcasts this year, FC Bullard and For The Love of Rugby. YouTube channels are one key strand of Crowd’s wider content marketing offer, as it goes beyond podcast production into video, social media strategy, merchandise support, and live show launches.

Crowd’s expanded offer to brands comes as demand for video and social media content grows, amongst both podcast followers and brands alike. Video content has already proven successful for Crowd, generating hundreds of thousands of views of longform YouTube episodes and tens of millions across social media.

As well as launching YouTube channels for For The Love Of Rugby and FC Bullard, Crowd has also made strides in brining in multichannel women’s sports content to audiences. Crowd launched the Chelsea women’s team’s We are Chelsea podcast in March this year, leading the way for women’s sports brands. We Are Chelsea received over a million views across Chelsea’s digital channels just two weeks after launch, with TikTok videos hitting 50 million views over summer.

Crowd now works alongside multiple household names to amplify their exposure across channels such as podcasting, social media and more. This includes Greenpeace’s Oceans: Life Under Water which won the bronze award in the Climate category at the British Podcast Awards in 2024. It’s partnerships with big brands are set to grow in 2025 as it eyes new collaborations.

Mike Carr, CEO at Crowd Network commented: “We’ve seen the market undergo massive change in the last year alone. Audio and even video is no longer the avenue in podcasting but we’re now seeing a need to provide a 360 approach to working with brands to achieve successful multichannel engagement with audiences.

“This year has been a pivotal one for us. Welcoming big names such as Greanpeace and Chelsea to Crowd Branded, has enabled us to work with some incredible teams, who are keen to tell stories and reach new audiences in a fresh, dynamic way. I’m excited to see how our team continues to expand our branded offering to achieve impactful engagement with fans and audiences.” About Quill:

Quill is an industry-leading branded podcast production agency working with some of North America’s largest brands such as Walmart, Yelp, Interac and more, reaching global audiences. Through producing results-oriented, collaborative and experimental content, the company is providing podcast services that fit the needs of every brand. Quill’s overarching mission is to increase brand reach, build new relationships and provide impactful results through compelling stories. Quill is the parent company of CoHost, a podcast analytics and audience insights platform built for brands and agencies.

One-In-Three Americans Report Having Changed Their Opinion On A Topic

~ jen

As brands continue to find ways to compete for share of voice, podcasts have become an increasingly valuable medium for capturing the attention of target audiences, gaining trust, and even changing perceptions of brands or topics.

The 2024 Podcast Marketing Trust Index Report, issued by Quill Inc in partnership with Ipsos, found that one-third (33%) of Americans reported having changed their opinions on a topic discussed in a podcast, with 35% being males and 50% being those ages 18-34. This further illustrates the power of podcasting with just under half (42%) going as far to say they, to some degree, trust podcasts more than traditional forms of media such as TV or newspapers.

The report released today finds that:

IMPACT ON TRUST:

Over half (56%) Americans say the endorsement by the host of the podcast influences their trust in a product or service to some degree, with men (60%) and those aged 18-34 (62%) most likely to be influenced by host endorsements.

Just under half (42%) of Americans say they trust or somewhat trust information presented on podcasts compared to traditional forms of media. Whereas 37% feel about the same toward podcasts as they do traditional forms of media such as TV or newspapers.

Trust in podcasts sponsored by a brand is primarily driven by transparency or clear disclosure of sponsorship (54%), followed by expert guest or a diversity of perspectives (45%)

CONSUMER TRENDS:

Three-in-five Americans listen to podcasts (59%). Among them, one-third discover podcasts through social media (34%), and over one-quarter do so through recommendations from friends (30%) or by searching online (24%).

44% of Americans say they have or have considered purchasing a product or service they heard about on a podcast, with this ages 18-34 having purchased or considered purchasing the most (66%)

“This survey reassures how important trust is for effective storytelling, and the unique power podcasts have to instill trust and influence opinions on critical topics from politics to personal values,” says Fatima Zaidi, founder and CEO of Quill Inc.

“In a world where we are constantly bombarded with information, we are committed to showcasing how authentic storytelling can spark meaningful conversations and reshape perspectives on topics and brands, driving real change in how people think and engage with important issues.”

As consumers increasingly seek and value authenticity and transparency, brands need to collaborate with hosts and experts who genuinely care about the brand or topic to move the needle.

About Quill:

Quill is an industry-leading branded podcast production agency working with some of North America’s largest brands such as Walmart, Yelp, Interac and more, reaching global audiences. Through producing results-oriented, collaborative and experimental content, the company is providing podcast services that fit the needs of every brand.

Quill’s overarching mission is to increase brand reach, build new relationships and provide impactful results through compelling stories. Quill is the parent company of CoHost, a podcast analytics and audience insights platform built for brands and agencies.

Spotify Experiences 12% Growth YoY In Video Advertising in the US Market

~ jen

As Spotify further embraces video advertising with its new ad exchange (SAX), the platform has seen an 11% year-over-year growth across all formats, and +12 on video ads in 2024 YTD (January to September). Now, video ads account for 20% of all digital ads for Spotify, according to Guideline, the single source of truth for advertising spend and pricing data, which captures actual agency investment from all agency holding companies and most large independents.

Other findings from the same period in Spotify include:

Other Ad Types Stay Steady: Ad spending on audio ads was up 11% year-over-year, while spending on digital display ads was up 3% year-over-year.

Who Is Investing?:  The top three product categories inviting in Spotify by share of spend were CPG, Technology and Retail. Wellness (+66% YoY), Pharmaceuticals (+54% YoY) and Apparel & Accessories (+38 YoY) increased their investment the most. Automotive ( -21% YoY) decreased their investment the most.

Spotify Leads: Spotify continues to lead the US digital audio market in ad revenue, while growing its market share. It’s biggest competitor’s ad revenue, Pandora, is up +2% in the year-to-date.

Alberto Leyes, Head of Product Strategy at Guideline, said: “Spotify’s SAX exemplifies how publishers are stepping up to provide advertisers with enhanced transparency across multiple types of placements in the programmatic landscape, while reducing costs and elevating control as they cut players from the supply chain.”

About Guideline

Formed in 2020 as a partnership between Scott Knoll, David Hahn, Michael lantosca, and GTCR, Guideline is the world’s most trusted authority for accurate media data and collaborative planning tools to guide your advertising decisions.

With the 2022 acquisitions of Standard Media Index and SQAD, as well as the 2023 acquisition of Mediaocean’s Lumina, the company offers a single source of truth for advertising spend and pricing data that provides unprecedented accuracy and transparency across the media industry as well as a powerful centralized media planning platform that delivers collaboration, efficiency, and analysis across multiple global media teams and agencies in one interface.

To learn more about Guideline, visit guideline.ai. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Sonnant Launches Groundbreaking Programmatic Marketplace Platform

~ jen

Sonnant, a leader in audio data and advertising innovation, is proud to announce the launch of its cutting-edge Programmatic Marketplace Platform (PMP). This platform is set to revolutionize how brands and advertisers approach audio advertising by unifying multiple major publishers and providing unparalleled targeting capabilities.

Key Differentiators of Sonnant PMP:

Global Reach with Unified Publisher Partnerships: Sonnet’s PMP unites major audio publishers, including Audioboom, providing brands with unmatched global coverage. This enables advertisers to seamlessly extend campaigns across a broad network of podcasts and audio content.

Proprietary 1st and 3rd Party Data Integration: Sonnet leverages first-party and third-party demographic data, contextual insights, ad marker placements, and content alignment to ensure precise audience targeting.

Simplified Audio Segment Creation: Sonnant makes it easy for brands to create and target specific audio segments, saving time and maximizing effectiveness, making audio buying accessible for all brands.

Mirroring Programmatic Channels for Buyer Familiarity: The Sonnant PMP mirrors popular programatic channels, simplifying campaign setup, launch, and measurement, allowing seamless integration into multi-channel strategies.

Smart Ad Marker Capabilities: Sonnant;s smart ad markers show buyers where their ads will run in advance, enhancing transparency, content alignment, and brand safety of optimal ad placement.

Scot Herd, SVP Partnerships USA, for Sonnant commented, “I’ve been in the industry for decades, and I’ve never seen audio buying so simple. Sonnant is changing the game by unifying publishers, enabling real for any brand. Previously, targeting niche audiences like fishing gear meant limited listeners and complex registrations.

Now, we unify shows, create ideal audience segments, and reach 100,000 listeners effortlessly. Our smart ad markers let buyers see where their ads will run in advance. It’s perfect for brands aiming to build premium audiences or extend campaigns. With Sonnant, audio advertising is precise, contextual, brand-safe, and far more cost-effective than channels like Meta or Google.”

Sonnant’s PMP marks a significant milestone in audio advertising, opening new doors for brands seeking precision, reach, and efficiency in their campaigns. As audio continues to grow as a vital advertising channel, Sonnant stands at the forefront, delivering innovative solutions that simplify and enhance the buying process.

About:  Sonnant is dedicated to transforming audio advertising by offering comprehensive programmatic solutions that unify publishers, simplify audience targeting, and optimize ad performance. The Sonnant PMO is the latest addition to its suite of tools, redefining the ease and effectiveness of buying audio audiences.