Spotify seeks to solve podcast media’s interactivity puzzle

Spotify says it wants to transform podcasts from a medium that can only be heard into an experience that can be seen and clicked.

What’s happening?

• Spotify is rolling out its interactive call-to-action (CTA) cards ad format for podcasts to new markets including the UK, Australia and Canada, following a US launch earlier this year.
• CTA cards can feature customisable messaging and clickable options. They appear in the app when an ad begins to play, and then can be used to retarget listeners at a later point.
• Early tests by brands such as BT, GoDaddy and Huel have resulting in a doubling of site visits when compared to non-clickable podcast ads.

Why it matters

Up to now, podcast publishers have relied on direct response-style tactics to prove the effectiveness of the medium. This has often resulted in listeners trying to remember unwieldy URLs to claim discount offers, and prevented brands from attributing sales to investments in podcast ads.

Much work has gone into proving the effectiveness of the medium, for instance ‘Sonic Science’, a recent study by Neuro-Insight suggesting the “lean-in” qualities of digital audio can boost advertising outcomes.

By introducing interactive formats that do not require action in the act of listening (for instance, when at the gym or cooking), Spotify aims to ensure that podcasts sit equally comfortably in a performance media plan as they currently do in a brand-building campaign.

Key quote

“The investment we’re making in measurement will help us to prove the impact of podcasts. We want to get to a position where we can help advertisers to achieve all their different needs” – Sally Keane, Head of Enterprise Sales for Northern Europe, Spotify.