Podcasts: Attention Seeking Advertising

I’m a huge podcast fan. It is perhaps my only real multi-tasking hack—a great way to learn and discover while travelling, commuting, running and cycling. I know I can’t listen to a podcast and read effectively at the same time. 

1. Podcasts are a fast growing advertising channel.
2. Listeners tend to be more engaged, educated and affluent.
3. “the best ads are the ads that are organic, natural, and originate from the voice of the show talent”

As a marketing tool, it is proliferating. Over 7.1m people in the UK listen to podcasts each week. More than 50% of Americans have now listened to a podcast, and 32% listen monthly. Some statistics suggest that podcast listeners are generally younger, better educated and better paid than average. Production platform Anchor estimates that Apple podcasts and Spotify control more than 70% of listenership. 

Podcast advertising revenue is growing at over 65% CAGR and is quickly on track towards an estimated spend of over $1bn by 2021. (Techcrunch)

The attraction to advertisers is that hosts often read their ads, lending some authenticity. However, I’m finding some of my favourite podcasts now saturated with pre-roll and mid-roll ads.

Spotify is placing a bet having spent over $400m last year purchasing three podcast companies (Parcast, Anchor & GimletMedia). Some investors believe this could add a welcome revenue line to the streaming giant. 

In the past, the bespoke nature of the format and lack of ad marketplaces made the format hard to scale. Podcast advertising is changing with companies like Midroll and Anchor offering platforms and solutions.

My current podcast playlist: 

Finance, Marketing and Economics

1. Freakonomics. The hidden side of everything https://freakonomics.com/archive/
2. Pivot with Proff Scott Galloway and Kara Swisher. Tech, Politics, Marketing and more https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot
3. The Twenty Minute VC.  Adventures in VC. https://thetwentyminutevc.com/
4. Rich Pickings. Sensible comments from Fidelity International. https://www.fidelityinstitutional.com/en/rich-pickings/
5. Crypto Weekly. An amusing romp through crypto land. https://soundcloud.com/cryptoweekly
6. Macro Voices.  Decent guests on topical issues. https://www.macrovoices.com/

Music, Psychology & Comedy

1. Work Life with Adam Grant. Exploring the science of making work not suck. https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife 
2. Esther Parel. Recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. https://www.estherperel.com/podcast
3. Club Life by Tiesto. An hour of best club tracks. https://soundcloud.com/clublifebytiesto
4. Deep House Cat Show. Deep, soulful and funky house music. https://dhcat.com/filter/deep-house-cat-show/
5. Desert Island Discs. Guests share the soundtracks of their lives.https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr/episodes/downloads
6. Happy Place with Ferne Cotton. Interviews and advice to unlock inner happiness. https://www.officialfearnecotton.com/news/2018/2/26/happy-place-podcast
7. Friday Night Comedy. Plenty of satire. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02pc9pj/episodes/downloads