As the momentum of podcasts continues to grow in Australia, Spotify has created a new way for advertisers to make the most of this exploding media channel and reach the valuable, engaged audience that podcasts bring with the release of Spotify ads in Australia.
In 2020 Spotify saw a 100 per cent growth in podcast listening hours locally*, with Aussies taking advantage of the 2.2 million podcasts currently available on the platform, up from just a few thousand three years ago.
It is clear that audio is primed for continued growth and innovation.
2020 saw a host of Spotify Originals and Exclusives launched locally, such as Gee Thanks and VICE Extremes, and now brands can now reach their audiences with these titles, including global hits such as The Joe Rogan Experience.
Pieter Manten, Head of Sales AUNZ, told B&T that podcasts are so valuable to advertisers because “over the past few years we’ve seen podcasts evolve from a niche form of media into a mainstream activity that captures the valuable time and attention of consumers.”
“Listeners form a strong connection with their favourite podcasts and for brands, that connection creates a unique opportunity to connect with them in a trusted, direct, and engaging media environment.”
Spotify Podcast Ads offer the intimacy of traditional podcast ads, with the precision and transparency of modern-day digital marketing.
Powered by proprietary Streaming Ad Insertion (SAI) technology, which Spotify announced in 2020, Spotify Podcast Ads deliver and report on confirmed ad impressions rather than downloads, as well as reach and frequency, and with this new level of digital insight, advertisers are equipped to make even more data-driven decisions for their podcast campaigns.
“We launched SAI to break down the barriers that have kept advertisers on the podcast sidelines,” explained Manten.
“It will benefit advertisers through unprecedented podcast reporting and insights, including confirmed ad impressions, audience insights, creative insights, and measurable outcomes based on confirmed ad exposures.”
Historically, a lack of clear and equivalent measurement has prevented podcast advertising from truly taking off like its digital media counterparts. This is because podcast content is still largely downloaded via RSS feeds — which limits the advertiser’s visibility into whether their ad was actually heard. But the shift in consumption from downloads to streaming has opened the door for advances in data-driven podcast advertising.
Advertisers can purchase Spotify Podcast Ads on a title-by-title basis – running their creative across preroll, midroll, or postroll ad placements within the show’s episodes.
Select hosts across these shows, as well as a network of professional voice talent, can also team up with advertisers to help bring their podcast creative to life on Spotify.
Manted added, “we have millions of podcast listeners, best-in-class content, and a robust monetisation platform.”
“Add in the breadth and depth of our data and insights, advertising on Spotify offers a level of targeting which is unparalleled in any other audio format and it puts us in a unique position to support brands in really reaching their audiences.”
*Data from the Spotify platform September 30, 2019 to June 30, 2020.
