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(By Renee Cassis) Now in its fifth year, the changes in the presenting networks at the IAB Podcast Upfront in New York City Wednesday have noticeably broadened, indicating a significant investment in podcasting by entertainment and information entities. Over the last year or two, we saw audio broadcast companies expand into podcasting. This year companies like Meredith and Warner Media are jumping into the space, which could be game-changing.
The IAB Podcast Upfront targets advertisers and advertising agencies, and the near-capacity audience was comprised primarily of audio and digital buyers, who came to learn about the latest trends from a whopping 13 presenting companies: Wondery, Pandora, Westwood One, Slate, authentic/Podtrac, Warner Media/The Roost, Stitcher/Midroll, iHeart, WNYC Studios, Podcast One, NPR, Market Enginuity, and ESPN.
The relatively straight-forward panel discussions at the IAB Podcast Upfront this year were a marked departure from the glitz and glitter of presentations in previous years. In a medium that’s all about storytelling, the substantive format gave hosts the opportunity to tell their stories of what inspired them to start podcasting and how their podcasts have grown and, in some cases, even evolved. Several podcasters revealed that their own inquisitive nature spurred them to explore specific topics or stories. What they learned what that they weren’t as well-versed in these topics as they thought. As was mentioned throughout the day, an inquisitive nature and authenticity from the hosts is a big part of what makes podcasting so powerful and why listeners are drawn in.
As it gets harder and harder for an advertiser’s message to resonate with consumers in a constantly expanding media landscape, the intimate nature of podcasting is giving them a voice in the clutter. In his opening keynote, Hernan Lopez, CEO of Wondery, capsulized that thought with the question, “Without audio, is your ad on mute?”
Print journalists as podcasters is an emerging trend that was described as ‘narrative journalism’ by more than one presenter at the IAB’s Podcast Upfront. Wondery CEO HernanLopez took the opportunity to announce his network’s partnership with NBC.
Later in the day, in a discussion with Mark McCrery, Founder and CEO of Authentic and Podtrac, Ira Glass echoed that narrative journalism, when done right, can make even the most banal story engaging. To prove it, he played a clip from a podcast where someone shared a story about an experience he had in his office. While not a compelling story on the surface, it definitily made the point. Glass cut off the clip at a cliff-hanger moment and asked the audience if they wanted to hear more. It was a pretty unanimous, ‘yes.’ The secret sauce, according to Glass is “forward-motion in storytelling. It pulls you in, and pulls you forward,” he explained. “Even the most banal story can create narrative suspense of what will happen next,” he added.
Renee Cassis is owner of RC Communications Marketing, a PR and marketing consultancy for broadcast and entertainment companies. She can be reached at cassis2@msn.com.