TPX launches programmatic advertising for premium podcasts
Brands and agencies can now buy podcast ads programmatically, thanks to a new initiative by The Podcast Exchange that leverages Triton Digital’s award-winning technology. TPX’s programmatic service is available to buyers now, launching with premium domestic and international podcast publishers.
This means that agency trade desks are now able to execute machine-based buying across multiple podcast shows and networks, complementing their direct, host-read, ad-buying campaign strategies. TPX can work with agencies to create deals that specifically meet the needs of their clients - whether it’s buying by genre, by demo (when data is available), by publisher, region, language or, in some cases, by building a collection of specific shows.
As the leader in Canadian podcast ad sales, TPX is pleased to be able to offer inventory in both English and French. This new offer will also allow agencies to buy ads in the US market as well.
Until recently, programmatic advertising has been a very small part of the podcast advertising ecosystem, despite the fact that it’s one of the leading methods for buying ads across other major forms of digital media. Concerns about brand safety, the absence of high quality podcast inventory and a lack of transparency have been obstacles to growth in programmatic podcast buying. Publishers have also been slower to embrace programmatic tech, wary of negatively impacting the listening experience as well as facilitating a “race to the bottom”, potentially driving down the premium CPMs that reflect the unique value of native, host-read podcast ads.
Because of this, we at The Podcast Exchange were very careful about identifying the kind of solution we felt could address the needs and concerns of buyers, while helping publishers grow revenue without decreasing the value of their primary sources of revenue - direct sales. We spent more than a year talking to different vendors - communicating with our agency colleagues, publishing partners and tech providers. Our research finally paid off, with TPX leveraging Triton Digital’s audio SSP to help podcasters monetize their inventory with full transparency and world-class audio technology.
Here are some reasons why we think the TPX programmatic solution is such a good fit:
Brand safety
The Podcast Exchange is the only sales organization in Canada whose entire business is 100% exclusive to podcasts and podcasts only. We have three years of experience as the leading direct sales podcast rep company in Canada, curating collections of podcasts across multiple networks to meet the needs of brands. We know the shows, we know the publishers, and we know what brands expect and need in order to safely reach their target audiences.
Some other competitors in the programmatic space are selling blind - they don’t necessarily know which individual shows they’re representing, or the nature of the content (Is it controversial? Is it kid-friendly? Is it full of swear words or other offensive language? Do audiences fit the profile of younger/more affluent/educated podcast listeners, or are they older, radio-on-demand consumers?, etc). Podcasting is just an “add-on” to some streaming sales businesses, but it’s in our DNA as a company. At TPX, we may not listen to every episode of every show we offer (that would literally be impossible!), but we are expert curators, and where possible we’ve added our own tags to help us keep your content brand safe.
Listening Experience
It’s important to remember what makes podcast listeners so unique and valued, relative to other types of media consumers. Podcasts engage listeners in ways that other media simply cannot. Most listeners are wearing earbuds, podcasts are on demand and therefore actively chosen by listeners, the content is engaging and in-depth and can appeal to niche interests, and listeners can consume it wherever they are on their mobile devices, while doing other things with their eyes. It’s lean-forward listening, and the connection (and devotion) listeners feel with podcasts and their hosts can be compared to the relationship music fans have with indie bands. So it’s no surprise that podcast advertising is the least avoided ad type compared to other media.
All this is to say - the last thing creators want is to diminish that relationship and negatively impact that unique openness to brand messaging. At TPX, we feel its our job to protect that relationship and listening experience, while targeting appropriate brand messaging to listeners and generating much-needed revenue for publishers.
TPX will work with agencies and brands, as we always have, to make sure that the creative is produced to match the format. No “tent sale” radio ads yelling at listeners, no dumping of ads designed for one medium into another. We can review the creative with you, offer you guidance or even produce it on your behalf. A well-produced podcast ad that respects the listening experience can be delivered programmatically in a way that’s invisible to the consumer when it’s done right.
Triton Digital also brings great credentials to automated podcast ad-buying tech - they offer volume normalization at the program and episode level, smooth transitions and clear ad delivery. Their focus on innovation and the continuous evolution of their audio and podcast technology makes their programmatic marketplace a leader in the space. And they don’t mix radio inventory with podcast supply.
Transparency
One of the biggest concerns we heard from agencies during our research phase was about blind buying. No one wants to have their ads placed in content they know nothing about. Brand safety is one issue, but it’s also about making sure that brands are actually reaching their target audiences to maximize their potential ROI.
The TPX solution addresses these concerns by giving agencies more control over which shows their ads appear in. We can not only work with agencies to build custom packages to help them reach their desired audiences, but we also report back with detailed analytics about how their campaigns perform - which networks they appear within (and shows when possible), in what position they’re placed (pre/mid/post), and the quantity and timing of the delivered impressions.
And although Triton’s SSP supports Open Auction, PMPs and Direct Deals, TPX’s podcast inventory is handled in PMPs and Direct Deals only, providing buyers with full transparency so they know exactly what they are getting. Because Triton does not own or endorse a specific Demand Side Platform, they collect no tech tax on the DSP side.
Not a race to the bottom
Last but not least, TPX is committed to making sure the automated programmatic marketplace we support does not create a “race to the bottom”. Podcast campaign CPMs are at a premium for a reason - they target desirable, hard-to-reach consumers that are deeply engaged and loyal to their medium of choice. They value the storytelling, intimacy and other qualities of the podcasts they consume, and they respond positively to brands that support their favourite podcasts because they understand the connection between advertising and what's needed to produce the shows they love. They also appreciate and respond to the context and the tone of the brand messages they hear. The CPMs offered in our programmatic podcast marketplace continue to reflect that value.
Host-read ads will always be the most effective and differentiated form of podcast advertising, and direct buys will continue to be the most powerful way to do that. Machine-based buying adds a layer of efficiency and control for agencies, giving access to trade desks who can now add podcasting as a programmatic line item along with the automated buying in place with other types of digital media. There are advantages to direct buying and to automated buying, and they can be employed in parallel with a strategic approach that can blend host-read and non-host read ads in a complementary way.
For TPX, this is just the beginning. We’re excited about introducing new ways for brands to reach relevant and receptive podcast listeners, and for publishers to add to their bottom lines. As the market grows, we’ll be bringing more premium podcast networks into the space, further increasing the variety and scale of the inventory we offer.
If you think TPX’s programmatic podcast marketplace could be a good fit for your organization and want to know more about our premium inventory, please reach out to our sales team so we can help you learn more about taking advantage of this exciting new opportunity.
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