Recognition Signals Success with New Programmatic Host-Read Platform
For more than 10 years, the OMMA Awards (Online Marketing Media and Advertising) have honored agencies and advertisers that push the potential of digital advertising. This year, AdsWizz has been selected as a finalist in three categories: Excellence in Online Advertising for Podcasts/Digital Audio; Excellence in Online Advertising for Programmatic; and Online Marketing Excellence in Travel/Tourism. Two of the three awards recognize our first-to-market technology to dynamically deliver programmatic host-read ads on podcasts, as well as the smart speaker targeting capabilities on our platform. The third recognizes our innovation in audio attribution. You can check out all the finalists here.
We’re honored by the recognition given to our team, clients, and partners, and excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish with our partners. In all three award categories, agencies took our innovative audio advertising technology and added their creative spark to deliver uniquely effective ad experiences for their clients. It’s a win-win!
Why Host-Read Ads Are the Future
To understand the innovation behind the first award category, it helps to have a bit of background on the industry. Host-read ads on podcasts are proven to be more effective, as they deliver a more relevant listening experience and build trust with the listener. Data shows that 78% of listeners actually approve of podcast ads, as they understand the ads help fund the podcast itself. Not only that, 67% of listeners remember brands and products from podcast ads read by hosts, and 63% made a purchase after hearing a podcast ad.(1) The catch is, the ability to leverage the power of host-read ads in a more dynamic way has historically been elusive. For example, a podcast host who does a read promoting a brand within a podcast (also known as “baked in” ads) runs the risk of the ad being “stale” if the podcast is listened to weeks or months after the initial recording. Similarly, buying host-read ads historically is done on a show by show basis — with the top shows getting most of the buys.
Changing the Game
Now, through the AdsWizz Audio DSP, AudioMatic, agencies can write scripts which are automatically sent out to many podcast hosts, who can then choose to record these ads, and send them back to AdsWizz to have them delivered programmatically within the participating host’s podcast. This capability will help accelerate and democratize the podcast industry, so that advertisers can more easily access all podcasts, and not just the top shows.
If you’d like to dig deeper into the OMMA awards, below is a look at what we entered in the three categories in which we’re finalists. We’re thrilled and proud to be a finalist for these awards and congratulate all of the companies selected. At AdsWizz, we will never stop pursuing our mission to innovate in the audio ad tech space. If you’re interested in learning more, click here.
Excellence in Online Advertising: Podcast/Digital Audio
To promote advanced network protection against cyberthreats in its Panoramic Wi-Fi service, Cox Communications used programmatic ads read by podcast hosts to target audiences in real-time during the pandemic summer of 2020, when podcast listening had risen due to lockdowns. Listeners were told that they could turn on these advanced features in their Cox Wi-Fi app, and to shake their phone to get more info. This campaign utilized the new AdsWizz Programmatic Host-Read feature, that enables advertisers to programmatically run host-read ads across a number of shows, without having to buy and run the ads on a show by show basis. In addition, the campaigns utilized ShakeMe, the innovative format that has run on mobile phones all over the world, that lets listeners trigger an action like visiting a website, downloading an app, asking directions, or more – all with the shake of their phone.
Excellence in Online Advertising: Programmatic
Cox Communications wanted to highlight a variety of new products, so it developed personalized audio ads for podcasts running on Amazon Alexa and Google Home. The ads aim to catch users’ attention in new moments during the day as they listened at home. Historically, these host-read podcast ads were either baked-in to the podcast, or the result of an episode sponsorship. Through the AdsWizz Audio DSP, AudioMatic, Cox was able to programmatically purchase and run the host-read ads on these smart speakers.
Online Marketing Excellence in Travel/Tourism
A destination marketing service was looking to attract travelers to Scottsdale, Arizona, in the winter months of 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic. They were measuring success in the campaign by traffic to its website. To stay economical, the organization used digital audio with podcasts, smart speakers and online. The city has much to offer, from music and arts to loads of outdoor options and high-end spas. Audio engagement can score on the engagement front but getting listeners to convert into consumers can be tough. Savvy ads and copy, alongside sophisticated tracking on its site, helped Scottsdale’s agencies monitor conversions in real time.
The destination marketing service worked with digital marketing agency Winstar Interactive Media to help them develop audio ads and track conversion on their website. Winstar tapped into AdsWizz Audio DSP, AudioMatic, and its newly developed Audio Pixel technology, which offers a solution to allow agencies to track conversions in real-time. Audio content is predominantly consumed in a mobile environment, and because of that, it’s hard for listeners to engage with an audio ad in real time. With Audio Pixel, Winstar was able to efficiently track the effectiveness of audio ads and shed light on non-click conversions that would have otherwise been attributed elsewhere.
References:
1. https://www.marketingdive.com/spons/is-podcast-advertising-effective/553581/
