We collaborated with Sounds Profitable to highlight what makes a good podcast ad by breaking down real examples from popular podcasts.
Hosted by: Whitney Port and guest (husband) Timothy Rosenman
Ad placement: Mid-roll
Ad type: Dynamic Insertion
Start point: 00:11:57
Ad copy:
“There's so much about fertility that's a complete mystery at this point in my life. I've had three miscarriages and a chemical pregnancy while trying to have a second child. I don't know why I had such an easy time having Sunny or what the reasoning really is behind anything but I'm definitely currently struggling. The next step is finding out what is going on in both my body and Timmy's body, specifically our fertility. So, you think about your fertility hormones as like tiny detectives - they can bring you tons of insight into your egg count, your reproductive timeline, and even possible outcomes for egg freezing and IVF. So everything you need to know to get proactive about your fertility and that's why Modern Fertility was created. It's the easy and affordable way to test your fertility hormones at home with a simple finger prick. Mail it in with a pre-paid label and you'll get your personalized results within 10 days. Traditional testing with your doctor can cost over a thousand dollars but Modern Fertility gets you the same info at a 159 dollars - a fraction of the price - and if you go to ModernFertility.com/withwhit you can get twenty dollars off your test. If you want kids today or you feel like maybe even one day at the future you want clinically sound info about your body that can help you make the decision that's right for you. Right now Modern Fertility is offering our listeners twenty dollars off the test when you go to modernfertility.com/withwhit, which means your test will cost 139 dollars instead of the several hundred or even a thousand plus dollars it could cost at a doctor's office. Get twenty dollars off your fertility test when you go to modernfertility.com/withwhit, modernfertility.com/withwhit”
The hook:
“There's so much about fertility that's a complete mystery at this point in my life. I've had three miscarriages and a chemical pregnancy while trying to have a second child. I don't know why I had such an easy time having Sunny or what the reasoning really is behind anything but I'm definitely currently struggling. The next step is finding out what is going on in both my body and Timmy's body, specifically our fertility. So, you think about your fertility hormones as like tiny detectives - they can bring you tons of insight into your egg count, your reproductive timeline, and even possible outcomes for egg freezing and IVF. So everything you need to know to get proactive about your fertility and that's why Modern Fertility was created.”
As a way to kick off ‘With Whit 22’, Whitney Port decided to take a look back at some of her favorite moments from episodes with her favorite guest, her husband - Timmy. During the first part of the episode, Timmy discusses all-things self-care and burnout. Whitney Port then chimes in, “now a break to hear from our sponsors” and immediately begins the ad read for Modern Fertility. Whitney Port hooks listeners by starting off with her own personal story with fertility issues, “I’ve had three miscarriages and a chemical pregnancy”. Let’s be honest, it is almost impossible to stop listening once you hear those words. Then, the host reveals to listeners the steps she and her husband took to work through their fertility issues, leading into Modern Fertility.
This is a strong hook for two reasons:
The pitch:
“It's the easy and affordable way to test your fertility hormones at home with a simple finger prick. Mail it in with a pre-paid label and you'll get your personalized results within 10 days. Traditional testing with your doctor can cost over a thousand dollars but Modern Fertility gets you the same info at a 159 dollars - a fraction of the price - and if you go to ModernFertility.com/withwhit you can get twenty dollars off your test. If you want kids today or you feel like maybe even one day at the future you want clinically sound info about your body that can help you make the decision that's right for you”
Whitney Port explains clearly how Modern Fertility works - finger prick, send it via mail, and get personalized results within 10 days. She also highlights the services unique selling points - affordable, easy-to-do, and again, affordable. As mentioned in the pitch, Modern Fertility’s service costs $159 dollars (and if you use her discount code, you save $20!) - which is much cheaper than doing these types of tests through your doctor.
The host also makes sure to connect to couples that aren’t currently interested in having children, but haven’t yet taken it completely off the table. This is important because while there are way too many women suffering from unknown fertility issues, there are also many women (and men) who haven’t yet discovered potential future fertility issues and may not have considered using Modern Fertility today.
The offer:
“Right now Modern Fertility is offering our listeners twenty dollars off the test when you go to modernfertility.com/withwhit, which means your test will cost 139 dollars instead of the several hundred or even a thousand plus dollars it could cost at a doctor's office. Get twenty dollars off your fertility test when you go to modernfertility.com/withwhit”
The host has mentioned the affordable aspect of Modern Fertility a number of times during this ad read - so why not save another $20? Also, by using the words ‘right now’, listeners feel a sense of urgency - no one wants to lose out on saving even more money!
Hits the spot:
Whitney Port has opened up about her fertility struggles a number of times on her podcast, such as in the episode I Had Another Miscarriage and My Fertility Journey: Testing Hormones, IVF & the Costs to Make it All Happen. So, although this specific episode did not talk about fertility, the brand partnership with Modern Fertility wasn’t completely farfetched.
Room for improvement:
The only aspect of this ad-read that may need a little improvement is the leadup to the brand promotion. As mentioned above, this episode is mostly narrated by Whitney Port’s husband, so when Whitney Port suddenly makes an appearance just for the ad-read, it makes the ad sound less seamless.
Partnership track record:
Over the last year, Modern Fertility has sponsored 103 podcasts and has sponsored White Whit 3 times.
Where else has Modern Fertility sponsored?
Dear Gabby, Have You Heard?, The Endless Honeymoon, A Beautiful Mess, Morbid: A True Crime Podcast
What other brands have appeared on With Whit?
ThirdLove, Ritual, Green Chef, KiwiCo
When a host adds a personal touch to an ad-read, it makes the brand promotion much more enjoyable to listen to and increases the chances of engagement. Whitney Port took it one step further and shared her fertility journey and issues with her listeners - making it impossible to ignore the advertisement. Not only does it pull on your heartstrings, but it builds a stronger connection with the host - as if she is letting you into her personal life, and creating a create endorsement for this brand in the process.
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