Promoting Podcasting’s Workers and Open Positions
Sounds Profitable’s mission has always been to uplift the business of podcasting. Part of that is ensuring those looking for jobs can find them, and those looking to hire can find them. With that in mind, I’d like to take a quick moment to introduce newer readers (and remind long-time true believers) of what we have/can do. Firstly, of course, the Sounds Profitable job board. We plug the five latest positions submitted at the end of every Download, but there are dozens more waiting beyond those top five. It’s free to submit new positions as an employer and get access to the application. No login, no payment, go nuts. In addition, we like to spotlight those in the industry with a series called Coworking (found here in our thought leadership archive). If you work in the business of podcasting and have been recently laid off, please consider submitting for inclusion, as we’re aiming to do a special Coworking series.
Spotify’s ‘Audiobooks Plus,’ Tested in World Markets, Arrives in the States
Hot on the tails of a recent marketing campaign pushing audiobooks using trendy music-focused slang, Spotify’s adding more to their audiobook offerings in the U.S. The Audiobooks Plus add-on allows Premium, Family, and Duo users to buy an additional 15 hours of audiobook listening on top of the 15 that come standard with Premium. While the price varies based on market, as it’s been demoed internationally first, the U.S. price for the recurring monthly add-on is additional $11.99 on top of the cost of Premium.
Theo Von Interviews Arlen Propane Salesman
The Roost Podcast Network Vice President Catherine Browne has a new LinkedIn post discussing the 600th episode of This Past Weekend with Theo Von. In this special episode, Von incorporates a branded segment to promote the new season of King of the Hill with Mike Judge. Except, instead of interviewing Judge, he interviewed Judge in-character as series protagonist Hank Hill, with Hulu’s animation team putting an animated Hill in the video podcast (including the shadow of Von’s mic arm, a nice touch). As Browne notes, this custom segment stands as an example of flexibility and creativity possible with podcast brand integrations. While animated characters have appeared in special segments of TV shows before (e.g. the Oscars), Hulu chose a podcast as the delivery vehicle for this Hank Hill interview, and that’s a testament to podcasting’s growth.
Podcast Advertising Dominates Action-Driving Effectiveness
The latest edition of Sound Insights features coverage of Driving to Action, the third installment of data from The Advertising Landscape. Built from a survey of just over 5,000 respondents 18+ in the U.S., Driving to Action focuses on “Podcast Primes,” a section of respondents who consume podcasts at a daily or near-daily basis (who make up 23% of the monthly podcast audience in the U.S.). Primes are more likely to take in and process information from podcast ads more effectively than the many other ad-supported platforms they engage with regularly. Podcast advertising delivers measurable business outcomes with the actionable parasocial relationships podcast hosts form with their audiences.
As for the rest of the news…
- The latest episode of How Stories Happen features our very own Tom Webster and host Jay Acunzo has a post teasing the conversation.
- Variety has a new piece on Amazon’s restructuring of Wondery, featuring an interview with executive Steve Boom.
- Media Bodies has a new guide breaking down key strategic considerations for mobile game influencer marketing and podcast ad campaigns.
- Fairing Co-founder Matt Bahr has dropped “the closest thing you’ll find to a no-BS guide to attribution that actually work” after three months of effort by the Fairing team.
- Video sharing platform Rumble has signed a strategic partnership with Cumulus Media.
- Nielsen and WPP Media have announced a new audience measurement agreement that covers TV, streaming, audio, and cross-platform ad performance via Nielsen One.
- Signal Hill Insights president Paul Riismandel has a new piece on using brand lift to establish brand suitability.
