Author: Brad Hill

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IAB announces addition of brands to its membership, new board members, leaning into digital and direct-to-consumer marketing at annual leadership gathering

Posted on by Brad Hill

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), a global trade and advocacy agency for digital media and marketing, is making a slew of announcements on the eve of its Annual Leadership Meeting this week. Key structural changes in the organization include over a dozen new board members, and the decision to include brands in the IAB membership. Continue Reading →

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Spotify reportedly pursues Gimlet Media

Posted on by Brad Hill

The media sphere burbled over the weekend with late-Friday reporting that Spotify is “in talks” to acquire podcast powerhouse Gimlet Media, with a price tag above $200-million. If this happens, it will be the richest institutional dive into podcasting yet. click through for details, and a history of podcast acquisitions, full and partial. Continue Reading →

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Sirius XM closes acquisition of Pandora; Jim Meyer lays out strategic bullet points

Posted on by Brad Hill

As predicted in this week’s Sirius XM earnings call for Q4 2018, the Sirius XM acquisition of Pandora closed today. Pandora is now a wholly owned component of the satellite broadcaster. In the earnings call, Sirius CEO Jim Meyer had things to say about Pandora, and was explicit in laying out broad strategic thoughts. Click through for abundant quotes. Continue Reading →

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Ben Shapiro loses podcast sponsors after live event, bringing a new spin to “brand safety”

Posted on by Brad Hill

Political podcaster Ben Shapiro, recently noted in RAIN News for his wide syndicated extension into broadcast radio, has lost two sponsors after a live podcast performance at a Right To Life rally. The fallout shines a new light on brand safety — a constant concern in advertising that messaging does not appear connected to controversial content. Continue Reading →

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AudioBoom 2018 financials: revenue & CPM leap upward above bottom-line loss

Posted on by Brad Hill

UK-based podcast company AudioBoom, which is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange, released its full-year 2018 financials. In a story familiar to leading streaming music services, the bottom line is in the red even as revenue jumped upward, and the earning per thousand listens (CPM) likewise spiked. It is a growth picture after a rough road in 2018. Continue Reading →