We collaborated with Sounds Profitable to highlight what makes a good podcast ad by breaking down real examples from popular podcasts.
Hosted by: Joel Anderson
Ad placement: Mid roll
Ad type: Host read
Start point: 00:27:13
Ad copy:
If you're listening to this show then you're probably a fan of unique and interesting stories. I want to tell you about Pocket. Pocket is a website and app that finds the most interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining articles from trusted sources around the internet and puts them all in one place. Low on time, Pocket lets you save articles, as well as anything else you find online, like videos, recipes and shopping pages, to your personal Pocket for digging into later. Pocket will even read stories you saved aloud to you like a podcast of back-to-back articles. Want to go deep on a topic? They also have some incredible curated collections that are hand selected by Pocket editors or an expert Pocket partner like me. Want to learn more about what we discussed in today's episode go to Pocket.com/slate and check out Slow Burn to see my collection of articles that dig deep into everything we talked about.
The hook:
If you're listening to this show, then you're probably a fan of unique and interesting stories. I want to tell you about Pocket.
Immediately the ad starts by building the connection between the product and the content, whilst flattering the listener at the same time. This makes this ad sound like it has a natural place as part of this episode - it has contextual relevance to the wider episode and season.
The pitch:
Pocket is a website and app that finds the most interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining articles from trusted sources around the internet and puts them all in one place. Low on time, Pocket lets you save articles, as well as anything else you find online, like videos, recipes and shopping pages, to your personal Pocket for digging into later.
This part of the ad explains what the product is. The description focuses around two main selling points: it saves you time (“low on time”) and it is versatile (covering articles, videos, recipes and e-commerce sites). The mention of “trusted sources” comes across like a subtle rebuttal of fake news, suggesting that Pocket is a defense against untrustworthy content, and that the app can help users to filter out this kind of material.
The extra offering:
Pocket will even read stories you saved aloud to you like a podcast of back-to-back articles.
This audio narration is a natural selling point to emphasize to podcast listeners: the app allows them to enjoy written long-form content “like a podcast”.
The creator relationship
Want to go deep on a topic? They also have some incredible curated collections that are hand selected by Pocket editors or an expert Pocket partner like me.
The brand has recruited the podcast host, Joel Anderson, to be a “Pocket partner” and curate his own selection of articles. This means that Anderson’s relationship with the brand goes beyond the simple ad read, and listeners can actually use this product to access more of his recommendations and insights.
The offer:
Want to learn more about what we discussed in today's episode go to Pocket.com/slate and check out Slow Burn to see my collection of articles that dig deep into everything we talked about.
There is no special offer (like a discount or free trial) so the only offer that is made to listeners is the chance to find the collection of articles relating to this season that Anderson has put together on the site.
Landing page:
The landing page has been customized to highlight the collaboration between Pocket and Slate (the publication behind the Slow Burn podcast). The page has been designed to look like a blog post, and promotes the curated collections from Slate journalists rather than focusing on any pricing offers for the app:
Hits the spot:
This ad read provides listeners with a clear understanding of what the app does and how it relates to this specific podcast and its listenership - the app is for people who enjoy in-depth, engaging stories, and like to consume them on the go. The overlap with Slow Burn’s audience is undeniable.
Nothing in this ad ties this particularly to the topics explored in this season of Slow Burn, so instead of relating directly to this podcast and its narrative, it sounds rather general. After all, there are countless podcasts that can claim to appeal to “fans of unique and interesting stories.” To make the ad more specific and targeted, it would have been interesting to hear some examples of the actual articles the host has curated for his listeners and how these relate to the topics of the show.
Where else has Pocket sponsored?
Slate Daily Feed, One Year
What other brands have appeared on Slow Burn?
MailChimp, BetterHelp, Policy Genius
Pocket has identified content that compliments the core offerings of their app. The ad is made more effective by the fact that the host isn’t simply reading the script on behalf of the brand - when you visit the landing page you see that Joel Anderson has actually curated 3 different “Pocket Collections”. This means this thought leader not only introduces customers to the app, but is also there to guide their experience of using it. This makes for a great integrated experience that blends that content in which the ad was placed with the product it is promoting. The one place the ad could be more effective is in directly referencing the subject matter of Slow Burn Season 6 (the 1992 LA riots), rather than offering general statements that could apply to a wide range of other podcasts.
Have you heard a great podcast ad recently? Tell us about it.
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