Episodes Now Available for Advanced Contextual Targeting with AdsWizz PodScribe Technology, Made Brand Safe With Comscore
San Mateo, CA, (Oct. 28, 2020) – AdsWizz, the leader in digital audio adtech solutions, announced that it expects to surpass 1,000,000 podcast episodes this week that are available for contextual targeting with its proprietary PodScribe technology. PodScribe uses advanced content analysis to provide detailed insight into podcast content, enabling advertisers to target by keywords, concepts, topics, and interests within each episode. AdsWizz’s PodScribe technology is used today by NPR, Audioboom, PodcastOne, Spreaker, Wondery, Kast Media, idobi, and Librivox, and is also available on the AdsWizz Podcast Marketplace, PodWave. Innovative podcasters using the Simplecast podcasting content management system, such as Jam Street Media, are also using PodScribe to unlock brand safe advertising opportunities on their podcasts.
PodScribe provides third-party verified brand safety filters through its agreement with Comscore, giving advertisers the ability to target to or away from brand safety filters like Alcohol, Accidents, or Politics. Comscore recently expanded the brand safety capabilities to include brand suitability, which includes high, medium, and low risk thresholds for 15 brand safety topics, including topics like COVID-19. Brand suitability by Comscore is an industry first for audio advertising.
“With podcast listening exploding globally in this unique and very personal medium, advertisers are looking for a solution that enables them to target within podcasts in a way that is effective, intelligent, and brand safe,” said Alexis van de Wyer, CEO of AdsWizz. “Our PodScribe solution unlocks podcasts in a way that will accelerate the growth of the industry.”
At the IAB Podcast Upfronts last month, AdsWizz highlighted that based on the company’s internal data podcast listening increased approximately 21% from January 2020 through July 2020 — and marketers are taking notice, with podcast advertising up approximately 77% during the same period. However, advertisers have lacked a scalable way to effectively target advertising to the sought-after podcast listener, as actual podcast content may not be reflected in the podcast show or episode title. PodScribe enables advertisers to target within the podcast in a way that is also brand safe. In addition, using a mix of proprietary Artificial Intelligence and third-party technology, AdsWizz also provides ad buyers with actionable information, such as recommendations for which data points to use to increase campaign uplift.
“We’ve been using PodScribe since AdsWizz introduced it last year to enable advertisers to contextually target podcast content in a brand safe way,” said Jim Ballas, CTO and VP of Operations of PodcastOne. “The solution has been instrumental in giving clients an exciting new approach to customize their podcast targeting with a method that has proven to be both scalable and effective.”
“PodScribe enables us to offer advertisers the ability to reach unique podcast listeners with contextual relevancy in brand safe environments,” said David Krulewich, SVP Programmatic Sales at Audiology/Katz Digital. “Not only that, AdsWizz technology offers advertisers a targeting solution that is both scalable and highly measurable for brands.”
PodScribe is available via the AdsWizz Ad Server (AudioServe), and the AdsWizz Audio Buying Platform (AudioMatic). The AdsWizz platform includes solutions for dynamic ad insertion, ad serving, campaign management, trafficking and reporting, and programmatic buying. The AdsWizz Ad Insertion Suite and SDK (AIS), ad serving platform (AudioServe), and audio-centric SSP (AudioMax), combined with the Simplecast CMS and analytics platform, provide a complete solution for podcasters and publishers to scale their businesses.
About AdsWizz
AdsWizz has created an end-to-end technology platform that is powering the digital audio advertising ecosystem. AdsWizz is the underlying monetization solution for well-known music platforms, podcasts and broadcasting groups in North America and Europe, and is an audio ad buying platform for global agencies and small businesses. AdsWizz’s comprehensive digital audio solutions connect audio publishers to brands and agencies. Through dynamic ad insertion, advanced programmatic platforms, and innovative audio formats, AdsWizz efficiently connects buyers and sellers for digital audio and podcast advertising. AdsWizz is a subsidiary of Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI), and is headquartered in San Mateo, California, with a Technology Development Hub in Bucharest, Romania. AdsWizz has a presence in over 40 markets around the world.
Simplecast, a podcast management and analytics platform, was acquired in June 2020.
