Ad Infinitum

In this episode,  "Audio’s Rule of Thirds", Stew Redwine's guest is Mike Jensen, CEO of Rhapsody Voices and they discuss how brands can best connect with hosts, what the ingredients of a persuasive host read ad are, and rating some recent movers and shakers in the podcast space form Magellan.ai’s May 2024 report -  MeUndies, Rakuten, IBM, and monday.com. Audio is replete with threes: first, there’s production: voice-over, sound design, and music. Then, there’s the classic story structure of beginning, middle, and end. Of course, there are also timeless rhetorical appeals: pathos, logos, and ethos. And with Rhapsody Voices, Mike Jensen, focuses on three things to "deliver on the connectivity between the host, the sponsors, and the audience.” Mike's three suggestions for CAO's who want to make the ads work better than ever?Authenticity is key: Authenticity in host-read ads is paramount. A host should be able to demonstrate their genuine connection to the product—otherwise, why else are they reading it?Simplicity: For Mike, authenticity goes hand-in-hand with simplicity. For example, if a Starbucks ad has 20 potential value propositions, the host shouldn’t try to highlight all of them; instead, they should key into one or two things, like the new summer drinks and caffeine-free options. That way, the host can expand on what they genuinely like about the products.Clear call to action: Everyone knows an ad works best when it has a call to action. However, not all CTAs are equal. Triple down on having a clear, concise, and persuasive CTA, and triple-check the copy to make sure it’s solid. After all, a read is only as good as its copy.Special thanks to Benztown Studio for providing the space to record this episode at their recording studio in Glendale, CA.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

Season 2 Episode 5 of Ad Infinitum is titled "Sound Business is Sound Business" and is all about B2B advertising in audio.We discuss some of the best practices for B2B ad reads, why is audio such a good fit for B2B, particularly podcast, and then rank 4 recent B2B podcast ad spots with one of the best in the business of podcasting and B2B advertising; Hala Taha, CEO and Founder of YAP Media and host of the Young and Profiting Podcast.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

In this episode, host Stew Redwine discusses the creative approach to scripting fiction podcasts, the role of sponsors and ads in spoken word audio, and analyzes four ads from the Ambie Award-winning podcast Ad Lucem.Stew is joined by two guests:Ray Harkins, Senior Director of Ad Sales at WonderyNathalie Chicha, producer of the 2023 Ambie Award-winning podcast "I Hear Fear"Key points from the discussion:How knowing upfront that ads will be included affects the creative process when scripting a fiction podcast. Nathalie notes that while it can be challenging for listeners to shift from the story into a commercial break, it forces the creators to think strategically about building engaging cliffhangers to retain the audience through the ads.Ray shares insights on selling ads for fiction podcasts and the importance of matching the tone and style of the ads to the show's content.The rise of fiction podcasts and audio storytelling as an alternative to screen-based media. Stew believes there will be increasing growth in this space.The second half of the episode focuses on analyzing four ads from the podcast Ad Lucem:Sonos Era 300 Speaker - rated highly for relevance to an immersive audio experience, but critiqued for not demonstrating the product's capabilities.Twizzlers - seen as a weaker ad without a clear connection to the story themes.Dave Banking App - praised for capturing the financial struggles of the show's young characters, but felt longer than necessary.BetterHelp - the favorite of the four for cleverly integrating the show's AI assistant character into the ad copy.The overall takeaway was that while 60-second ads provide room for storytelling, the additional time must be earned through engaging, relevant content. Shorter ads may be preferable for fiction podcasts unless the extra length enhances the listening experience.Special thanks to Benztown Studio for providing the space to record this episode at their recording studio in Glendale, CA.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

Joel Beckerman, author of The Sonic Boom, and founder of Made Music Studio, joins the podcast to discuss the significance of sonic branding in audio advertising. They analyze top spenders' strategies and highlight the need for consistency, emotional connection, and clear messaging in sonic branding. The conversation emphasizes the value of frequency and long-term commitment to sonic branding for advertising effectiveness.

Season 2 of Ad Infinitum continues with Episode 2, “Hosts are People Too”, discussing the importance of advertisers considering the hosts' humanity on the other end of the talking points. And that's why the guest is a real host and a real person - Jordy Meiselas - one of the three Founders of MeidasTouchNetwork and co-host of The MeidasTouch Podcast.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

Welcome to Season 2 of Ad Infinitum, this Episode’s title is “Sound Strategy”; discussing the importance of strategy in advertising and ranking 5 recent top spenders in audio (Pfizer, Verizon, Progressive, Apple, and AT&T) through that lens with guest Mark Pollard - podcast host and CEO of Sweathead and Author of Strategy is Your Words.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

Ad Infinitum is the only podcast solely focused on audio ads - the creatives who make them and/or the latest thinking that informs them, how the space is evolving, and a round-up of recent audio ads and analysis by Stew Redwine, VP Creative at Oxford Road, and each episode's guest. The first season's episodes focus on individual Audiolytics™ Key Components and how they show up in the ads for some of the top spenders in audio.The finale episode of Ad Infinitum Season 1 - "It's all in the Execution" - welcomes two Sound Strategists; Steve Keller, Sonic Strategy Director for SXM Media’s Studio Resonate, and Bjorn Thorleifsson, Head of Research & Insights at amp sound branding, to discuss the 9th and final Audiolytics™ Key Component; Execution. In short, does every word count?Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

Ad Infinitum is the only podcast solely focused on audio ads - the creatives who make them and/or the latest thinking that informs them, how the space is evolving, and a round-up of recent audio ads and analysis by Stew Redwine, VP Creative at Oxford Road, and each episode's guest. The first season's episodes focus on individual Audiolytics™ Key Components and how they show up in the ads for some of the top spenders in audio.Amanda DiMarco, VP of Client Success, at Veritonic, is the guest for Episode 6: titled "Why Now?", with a conversation focused on the power of Veritonic's platform and Audiolytics™ Key Components #6, 7, & 8 "Offer, Scarcity, and Path".Why should the listener take action? By when? And where do they need to go? In short, Why Now?Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

Ad Infinitum is the only podcast solely focused on audio ads - the creatives who make them and/or the latest thinking that informs them, how the space is evolving, and a round-up of recent audio ads and analysis by Stew Redwine, VP Creative at Oxford Road, and each episode's guest. The first season's episodes focus on individual Audiolytics™ Key Components and how they show up in the ads for some of the top spenders in audio. Episode 5 is titled "Trust Factories or Illusions of Credibility" and focuses on Audiolytics™ Key Component #5, "Substantiation: Why should I trust you?".Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

Ad Infinitum is the only podcast solely focused on audio ads - the creatives who make them and/or the latest thinking that informs them, how the space is evolving, and a round up of recent audio ads and analysis by Stew Redwine, VP Creative at Oxford Road, and each episode's guest. The first season's episodes focus on individual Audiolytics™ Key Components and how they show up in the ads for some of the top spenders in audio. Episode 4 is titled "Demonstrated = Persuaded" and Focuses on Audiolytics™ Key Component #4, "Demonstration: How does it work?".Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.