Recently, I had the privilege of presenting at the IAB's Audio Day of Learning alongside Scott Davis, Senior Vice President of NPR Sponsorship at National Public Media. It was an incredible event that brought together industry experts, and I'd like to share some of the major takeaways, both from our session and the event as a whole.
Brand Safety Is Alive and Real
Brand safety has never been as high a priority for the podcast advertising industry as it is today. In fact, according to PWC and the IAB U.S. Podcast Advertising Revenue Study 2023, utilizing brand safety and suitability solutions has nearly doubled YoY from 44% to 69% and 33% to 62%, respectively. It’s critical to emphasize that brand safety is not just a buzzword, but an essential solution.
At Sounder, we provide brand safety and suitability for our partners by analyzing content before it's ever published to public RSS feeds. Pre-publishing classification ensures that advertisers align with content that is not only suitable to their values but also relevant to their campaigns.
Without this component, it is virtually impossible to establish a trustworthy and transparent environment for advertisers. Reactive brand safety is not true brand safety and only addressing issues after an ad campaign runs is not a sustainable path forward.
Contextual Targeting Takes Center Stage
Perhaps the biggest key takeaway from our aptly named “The Power of Precision: Contextual Targeting Insights” session at the IAB's Audio Day of Learning was the increasing significance and value of contextual targeting in podcast advertising. This trend was further reinforced during the presentation’s Q&A session where Scott Davis noted:
The immediate reaction to what we offer would be like “No politics podcast, can't do it, too much risk,” but layering on Sounder tools we'd be able to be more surgical and see that that episode doesn't mention either of those things so we can still include NPR Politics in that, and I think that's where the value lies, in the ability to parse it a bit.
With privacy more top of mind for advertisers than ever before, contextual targeting gives advertisers peace of mind that their campaigns are running adjacent to relevant content without using listener data for targeting. Plus, advertisers can keep the relationships with hosts and amplify their message across trusted publisher’s content, directly.
The shift towards contextual targeting directly addresses the need for more precise and effective advertising. As audiences expand across a broad spectrum of shows, it's vital to connect with listeners in ways that resonate with their interests and preferences. Contextual targeting enables advertisers to connect to the content listeners care about.
Programmatic: The Future of Podcast Advertising
The final major takeaway from the IAB's Audio Day of Learning was the growing prominence of programmatic advertising in the podcasting world. While programmatic advertising has been prevalent in other digital advertising channels, it's poised to significantly impact the podcasting industry in 2024 and beyond.
Programmatic advertising offers several advantages: automation, real-time data analysis, and precise audience targeting. With the continued growth of the podcasting space, programmatic advertising can help streamline the buying and selling of ad inventory, making it more efficient and accessible for both advertisers and publishers — built with the same safeguards that are available in other forms of media advertising.
The IAB's Audio Day of Learning provided invaluable insights, and we were delighted to share our expertise with our industry peers. As the podcast advertising landscape continues to evolve, Sounder remains at the forefront of innovation, providing cutting-edge solutions to meet the evolving needs of our partners.
Stay tuned for more updates on these trends and how Sounder is adapting to provide solutions that meet the changing landscape of podcast advertising. We are committed to driving innovation and ensuring that our partners can navigate the ever-expanding podcasting world with confidence.