RedCircle Launches First Automated Podcast Advertising Platform to Scale Host-Read Ads on Thousands of Popular Podcasts
PRESS RELEASE — August 14, 2020
RedCircle, one of the largest platforms for independent podcasters, has launched a new automated ad insertion platform that allows brands and agencies to quickly and easily access thousands of vetted, independent creators and launch easy-to-scale campaigns that reach target audiences in days, not weeks. 40+ brands have bought RedCircle inventory and about 25% of them have already utilized the platform during the beta testing period to execute campaigns in full and more are in the process.
Through the easy-to-navigate RedCircle dashboard, advertisers have the unique power to access metrics for hundreds of podcasts at once, allowing more specific audience targeting. The first-of-its-kind platform enables advertisers to visit the profile of a show, which contain social reach and previous ad-reads / episodes in order to deeply understand it, then easily communicate with creators through the platform about campaign messaging, sample product, and pricing, facilitating more impactful brand/creator partnerships, which are helping scale this important and growing media segment.
Michael Kadin, Founder and CEO of RedCircle stated: “With more than half the US population turning to podcasts for information or entertainment, the medium shows no hint of slowing down. The ability for brands to quickly and easily manage ad campaigns targeting key demographics, including the coveted 18-34 year old category which make up half of the podcast listening audience, can be a critical piece of the marketing mix for brands ranging from CPG to DTC to subscription services. With RedCircle, advertisers have the opportunity to partner with hundreds of podcasters through one, scalable platform because we don’t follow the traditional radio model that’s replicated throughout the podcasting space. We’ve simplified the buying experience in what has traditionally been a very fractured market, helping brands buy on one podcast, a hundred, or more.”
Additional features of the RedCircle platform allow advertisers to:
- Select as many podcasts as they’d like to work with based on a variety of metrics provided by RedCircle including: podcast topic/category, audience size, listener demographics and CPM.
- Set budgets, campaign dates and identify specific episodes (either new episodes only or all episodes downloaded during the length of the campaign) for each podcast they partner with.
- Review ad reads, and provide feedback to creators throughout the length of the campaign,
- Track budget and performance across shows that are running their campaign and adjust in real-time as necessary.
- Optimize and A/B test campaigns through ad formats, messaging and show placement.
With thousands of podcasters on the platform hosting shows spanning every conceivable topic including sports, finance, comedy, pop-culture, fashion and style, health and wellness, politics, current events, and true crime, brands have the opportunity to reach either a wide or very niche audience, depending on their marketing strategy. RedCircle’s network is “app agnostic,” reaching listeners regardless of which of the 40+ available podcast players they use, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play Music and Overcast.
For the independent creators on the RedCircle network, this new advertising platform enables them to seamlessly partner with world-class brands, record promotional spots, and insert them into natural breaks throughout their episodes in intervals agreed upon by the host and brand, all on one easy-to-use platform. Additionally, creators can take advantage of the streamlined platform by accessing multiple monetization opportunities on the dashboard including:
- Subscriptions – Listeners can sign up for exclusive content and creators will be able to track the growth of their paid offering
- Donations – Listeners can donate to their favorite creators on individual episodes or on the platform
- Cross-promotion – Creators can connect directly to negotiate and track cross-promotions across podcasts in the user-friendly messaging portal