Retail marketers are facing a highly competitive season where every budget decision needs to prove it can drive real sales. Digital audio stands out here because it captures attention at the right moments, helping brands spark conversions and build lasting shopper loyalty.

The Retail Rush Meets the Audio Advantage

This peak shopping period brings intense competition, and brands are prioritizing media that can influence shoppers closer to the moment of purchase. Retail media spend is climbing globally, and in the US, programmatic digital audio is expected to reach $2.26 billion in 2025. The reason is simple: During Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and year-end promotions, shoppers are flooded with messages on every screen. 

Today’s shoppers move fluidly from one screen to another and from one place to the next. Someone might scroll through gift ideas on a phone during a commute, compare prices on a laptop later in the evening, then stop by a store on the drive home. Digital audio reaches people in those in-between moments, when their hands might be busy but their attention is still open.

About 79% of Americans age 12 and up listen each month, with even higher numbers among younger listeners. And it works. Studies show that audio ads create strong recall and can influence brand choice, helping turn seasonal interest into actual purchases.

Audio Adtech Has Your Back

As more shoppers tune in through digital audio, the technology behind it has accelerated to meet the pace of retail. Modern audio adtech gives marketers the flexibility and automation they need during the busiest time of year.

With the right adtech in place, retail marketers can automate key processes and still deliver ads that feel timely and personal. Imagine promoting a new line of sweaters on a cold morning or reminding a shopper about curbside pickup when they are just minutes away from your store.

This kind of agility sets the stage for what comes next, moving from reactive campaigns to storytelling that adapts to every listener’s moment.

Personalization at Scale With Dynamic Creatives

Personalized audio advertising no longer has to be complicated. By leveraging Dynamic Creatives with Synthetic Voice technology, brands can now produce studio-quality audio spots in minutes. This tech uses data such as location, weather, time of day, device type, demographics, and listening context to create millions of unique ad variations in real time. A listener in Chicago on a rainy afternoon might hear something completely different from someone in Austin on a sunny morning.

By making personalization fast and scalable, dynamic audio helps brands move beyond one-size-fits-all messaging and connect with people in more meaningful ways.

Here is how marketers use it:

• Instant voice production: Generate natural-sounding voiceovers without studio time or voice talent.
• Flexible workflows: Preview, edit, and launch campaigns quickly through a self-service platform.
• Consistent branding: Maintain a unified brand voice across thousands of creative variations.
• Real-time personalization: Match each listener’s moment, mood, or location so every ad feels relevant.

Smarter Targeting That Reaches Every Listener

Personalization is powerful, and precision targeting takes it even further. As the retail season ramps up and consumers face endless messages, the real advantage lies in reaching the right people at exactly the right time with messages that feel natural and relevant.

Tools like contextual targeting make this possible by using non-personal, privacy-friendly signals like listening patterns and even music choice. This helps brands move beyond one-size-fits-all campaigns and deliver messages that feel timely, relatable, and personal.

Here are a few ways this can work:

• Location targeting: Reach listeners nearby. A shopper walking past a mall might hear an ad for a weekend sale close by.
• Weather targeting: Match creative to the forecast. A coffee brand can push hot drinks on a cold morning or iced options when the temperature climbs.
• Multicultural targeting: Reflect diverse audiences. Build connections with growth audiences using bilingual ads or cultural messaging that resonates.
• Contextual music targeting: Align ads with what people are listening to. A shopper streaming a holiday playlist or relaxing after work hears a message that fits the mood.

How Retailers Can Activate Audio Campaigns

For retailers, success during the shopping season depends on being present at the moments that influence buying decisions. Audio connects with listeners throughout their day in ways that feel natural and personal.

Here is how to make it work:

• Plan for key retail moments: Launch campaigns early to build awareness before major sale events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Use audio to stay top of mind while other channels compete for visual space.
• Keep creative fresh: Update messages based on timing, weather, or product trends. Highlight weekend deals, feature trending categories, and shift tone as the season evolves.
• Reach nearby shoppers: Use location data to deliver local promotions and combine it with multicultural and contextual targeting for greater relevance.
• Integrate across channels: Pair audio with display, social, or in-store messaging to strengthen recognition. Someone who hears a podcast ad is more likely to recall the product later while shopping.
• Measure and refine: Track engagement, conversions, and brand lift, then use insights to optimize creative and targeting in real time.

Boost Your Retail Season With Audio

Ready to enhance your retail marketing strategy? 

Contact AdsWizz to learn how our digital audio solutions can help you increase both in-store and online sales this season.

by Bianca Stanescu, Senior Director, Product Marketing

The post Driving Conversions with Audio Ads During Peak Retail Season appeared first on AdsWizz.

Although podcast audiences have grown significantly, monetization has not always kept up at the same pace. Many publishers continue to encounter challenges such as unsold inventory, underperforming campaigns, and less-than-optimal revenue streams.

In this guide, we’ll explore proven podcast monetization strategies and show how AdsWizz’s advanced adtech solutions can help publishers maximize their ad inventory and grow revenue faster.

Why Today’s Podcast Monetization Still Has Gaps

The podcast ad market is booming, but many publishers still experience unfilled ad slots and missed revenue opportunities. The root causes often include fragmented delivery systems and a lack of real-time forecasting and reporting.

To unlock full revenue potential, publishers need to evolve beyond static sales models and adopt smarter, data-driven podcast ad monetization tools.

Smarter Planning for Maximum Monetization

Effective monetization begins with accurate forecasting. AdsWizz’s advanced Inventory and campaign forecasting tools help publishers accurately predict opportunity availability by syncing with each show’s release schedule.

When episodes are delayed, canceled, or released, forecasts automatically update to reflect the latest publishing plan and listener trends.

Equipped with tailored forecasts based on a podcast’s unique release cadence and traffic trends, publishers can plan campaigns more effectively, allocate inventory with precision, and fully capitalize on their monetization potential.

At the campaign level, publishers can:

• Forecast delivery for draft and active campaigns
• Identify additional impressions to boost revenue
• Simulate and apply optimized targeting and pacing

From Planning to Precision Targeting

Once inventory is forecasted with confidence, the next step is delivering it to the right audiences. AdsWizz offers a powerful suite of targeting solutions that help publishers increase relevance, reduce waste, and drive better campaign results.

• Audience segmentation: Enables publishers to reach listeners based on detailed demographics, interests, and behaviors using precise segmentation tools.
• Privacy-friendly demographic modeling: Through partners like NumberEight, publishers can target audiences by age or gender without relying on cookies or first-party data.
• Contextual targeting: Allows ads to be served in the most relevant context by aligning with episode topics, listeners’ interests, or content affinity. This goes beyond basic genre or language classification. More than 60% of AdsWizz targeting dimensions are contextual, according to internal data, helping publishers improve relevance while maintaining listener trust.
• Predictive Audiences: Leverages Comscore-powered personas to reach hundreds of audience segments based on real-world behaviors such as TV viewing, shopping intent, or automotive interest. AI-driven contextual matching places ads within episodes most relevant to each listener. This approach expands reach, improves discoverability, and drives stronger monetization across the catalog.

Predictive Pacing Improves Revenue Efficiency

Podcasts generate more inventory when a new episode is released, but that inventory declines over time. These fluctuations are hard to detect with standard pacing methods, often resulting in under or over-delivery.

To address this, predictive pacing uses real-time and historical listener data to continuously adjust campaign delivery. It aligns ad spend with actual listening behavior and ensures consistent impression delivery.

How Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) and Dynamic Creatives Boost Podcast Revenue Year-Round

Optimized delivery is just one piece of the podcast monetization puzzle. To fully capitalize on every episode, tools like (DAI) and dynamic creatives enable scalable, personalized ad experiences. These technologies help publishers boost delivery, enhance listener relevance, and maximize revenue across their entire catalog.

(DAI) is a game-changer for monetizing both new and archived podcast episodes. Instead of permanently embedding ads, DAI inserts targeted creative at the time of download, keeping content fresh and revenue flowing.

Dynamic Creatives take personalization further by generating ad variations in real time. Messaging adjusts based on listener context, driving higher engagement and better results. 

For example, a listener in New York on a rainy morning might hear, “Don’t let the rain stop your run. Grab our waterproof sneakers, available now in NYC,” while someone in sunny Los Angeles hears, “Step into the sunshine with our lightweight running shoes, available now in LA.” These real-time adjustments make ads more relevant and boost listener response.

Automated Host-Read Ads Combine Personalization and Scale

Host-read ads are trusted, authentic, and consistently effective—often driving 25% more spend than standard formats, according to AdsWizz’s internal metrics. But managing these campaigns at scale can be difficult.

With automated host-read ads, publishers can produce and deliver campaigns across multiple shows with a single brief. Once the host records and the creative is approved, the campaign launches within minutes—complete with targeting, tracking, and real-time measurement. It’s the perfect blend of credibility and operational efficiency.

Actionable Steps to Improve Podcast Monetization

Ready to optimize your ad inventory and grow podcast revenue? Here’s what publishers can do right now:

• Audit underperforming campaigns and refine their settings and targeting for optimal delivery
• Leverage DAI, dynamic creatives, contextual targeting, and automation tools
• Expand monetization beyond audio to social platforms and smart devices
• Partner with an adtech provider that offers end-to-end monetization solutions

With AdsWizz, you can unlock the full potential of your podcast business. From smarter targeting to real-time forecasting, our platform is designed to help publishers scale their revenue and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.

Reach out today to learn how AdsWizz can help you monetize more, faster, and smarter.

by Nicoleta Vieru, Senior Staff Product Marketing Manager

The post How Publishers Can Maximize Podcast Revenue With Smarter Adtech appeared first on AdsWizz.

As presenters for AdsWizz, we took things a step further this year. It wasn’t just about getting people excited about buying audio. We showed how brands can unlock their full potential by buying programmatically.

Audio Is Everywhere and It’s Deeply Personal

One of the most powerful things about audio is how effortlessly it fits into everyday life. Whether it’s a morning news briefing, an evening podcast, or a workout playlist, audio is there throughout the day. It doesn’t interrupt or compete for attention—it just fits naturally.

That presence gives brands a unique opportunity to engage with people in personal, meaningful ways. You’re not forcing a message into a scroll. You’re entering a space where people are actively listening, and in the case of podcasts, where they are leaned in and open to suggestions or learning about something new.

During our presentation, we shared a few data points that stood out:

• 70% of people in the UK listen to digital audio weekly
• Digital audio reach has grown 43% since 2018
• The average listener spends 2 hours and 34 minutes a day with digital audio

Despite high levels of engagement, audio still lags behind other media channels when it comes to ad spend. It makes up 21.4% of media time but receives only 9% of digital ad budgets. That gap points to a clear opportunity. Buying audio programmatically is one of the smartest and most efficient ways to close it.

The Value of Programmatic Audio

We focused our session on how programmatic advertising brings efficiency, flexibility, and smarter targeting to the audio space. It’s more than automating delivery, it’s about elevating the entire campaign experience for both brands and listeners. When used effectively, programmatic audio gives advertisers a way to connect in ways that are timely and relevant, without disrupting the listening experience.

The advantages are clear:

• Targeting based on real-time behavior, context of the podcast the listener is tuning in to, and demographics like age/gender
• Optimization throughout the campaign based on performance insights
• Delivery across streaming music, podcasts, and digital radio
• You leverage Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) to personalize messages to fit the moment and format

Bringing It to Life With Bwin

To illustrate how this all works in practice, we shared a recent case study in partnership with Bwin, a leading sports betting brand. The objective was to boost brand recognition among podcast listeners in Germany during the Euros. 

Our team used programmatic tools to target people who regularly tuned into sports podcasts, as well as any podcast that was talking about the Euros, whether it be a news or comedy or sports podcast. The ads featured upbeat music, clear messaging, and repeated brand mentions, all tailored to resonate with Bwin’s audience. This campaign showed that with the right mix of creative, context, and targeting, audio can deliver strong, measurable impact.

The results were significant:

• A 20-point lift in brand awareness across the exposed audience
• A 15-point lift among individuals who regularly attend live sporting events

What We Heard on the Ground

After our session, audience members came up to continue the conversation, making it clear that audio is earning a bigger seat at the table in media strategy discussions.

Several themes came up repeatedly:

• Surprise at how advanced programmatic audio has become
• Curiosity around scaling campaigns across multiple markets
• Interest in new creative formats and smarter measurement models

What Comes Next

The future of audio is already here. With engaged listeners and proven technology, brands are ready to create more meaningful experiences. We’re proud that AdsWizz is helping lead the way, as both a sponsor of this event and a trusted partner to those shaping what comes next. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We’re excited to keep the conversation going.

Ready to take your audio strategy to the next level? Reach out to our team to explore how programmatic audio can elevate your campaigns.

by Lindsay Lynch & Rowan Hamill, Business Development Directors

The post Tuning Into Tomorrow: Reflections on The Future of Audio and Entertainment 2025 appeared first on AdsWizz.

Why Brand Safety is Essential

As audio publishers embrace advanced adtech and brand safety solutions, advertisers can reach their target audiences with confidence—without compromising security or content suitability. This evolution is transforming digital audio into a more dynamic and impactful medium for advertisers.

As Franz Bernstein, VP of Ad Product at SiriusXM Media & AdsWizz, explains in The State of Audio Adtech Report 2025, ensuring ads appear in the right environments is key to fostering deeper, more authentic connections between brands and listeners:

“We’re redefining audio as a versatile and powerful pillar of digital engagement. It’s no longer just about delivering ads—it’s about reaching listeners wherever they are with personalized, contextually relevant, and privacy-first experiences. By adapting to audience environments and prioritizing brand safety, audio now fosters deeper, more authentic connections—turning every moment into an opportunity for meaningful impact.”

This shift toward privacy-first, contextually relevant experiences is only possible when advertisers have control over where their ads appear. Without strong safety measures, ads risk being placed alongside misaligned or inappropriate content, undermining both trust and effectiveness.

Key Benefits of Brand Safety

• Brand safety ensures ads appear in contextually appropriate environments.
• Advanced verification tools help brands reach real, engaged audiences.
• Real-time transparency allows advertisers to monitor ad placements and performance.

Why Advertisers Are Demanding More Control

The stakes are high for brands investing in digital audio. Unlike other media, audio often delivers intimate, one-on-one engagement with listeners, making alignment with brand values even more critical. However, traditional brand safety measures—such as broad keyword blocking or avoiding entire content categories—have often limited advertisers’ reach.

With more comprehensive brand safety solutions available, brands can confidently place ads in contextually relevant environments that support both brand image and campaign performance.

Next-Generation Audio Adtech: Transparency and Protection

Cutting-edge audio adtech is giving advertisers unprecedented control, providing real-time transparency into where ads are running and how they’re performing. These features eliminate guesswork, ensuring campaigns reach real, engaged audiences.

• Instant tracking: Advertisers see real-time data on ad placements and performance.
• Fraud prevention: Invalid Traffic (IVT) filtering helps block bots, fake traffic, and fraudulent domains before they cause harm.
• Smarter targeting: Improved contextual intelligence ensures ads appear in brand-safe environments without restricting reach.

By purchasing inventory through secure marketplaces like the AdsWizz Marketplace, advertisers can connect with verified audiences, protecting both their ad budgets and brand reputation.

The Future of Audio Advertising is Built on Trust

With growing brand safety solutions, real-time transparency, and advanced fraud prevention, advertisers no longer have to choose between security and scale. The rise of real-time verification, suitability controls, and bot filtering is fueling greater confidence, allowing brands to invest in audio with trust and precision.

Why This Matters for Advertisers

• More secure placements: Ads appear in suitable, fraud-free environments.
• Higher engagement: Reaching real audiences leads to better campaign performance.
• Stronger brand reputation: Avoiding unsafe placements enhances trust and credibility.

As the industry continues to evolve, these advancements are making digital audio one of the most reliable, effective, and impactful advertising channels today.

Want to Dive Deeper into the Future of Audio Adtech? 

Download The State of Audio Adtech Report 2025 for the latest insights on brand safety, transparency, and the innovations shaping digital audio.

by Catalin Georgescu, Senior Product Marketing Manager

The post How Brand Safety Can Make or Break Your Digital Audio Ad Strategy appeared first on AdsWizz.

On February 11, 2025, AdsWizz Audio Days Milan brought together brands, agencies, and media professionals to explore the rapidly evolving world of digital audio advertising. Featuring market-shaping data, bold discussions, and real-world case studies, the event served as a launchpad for the future of digital audio.

If you missed out, don’t worry. We’ve got all the highlights right here!

State of the Union

 

Digital Audio Market Trends

Italy is emerging as a European leader in digital audio consumption and its fast-growing digital audio market presents a massive opportunity for brands to connect with highly engaged audiences. Andrea Lamperti, Senior Advisor at Osservatorio Internet Media, and Francesco Paolo Tarallo, Head of Partnerships and Business Development at Mediamond, took the stage to explore the key trends driving this rapid shift.

• Podcast listening has surged, with more brands investing in original podcast content to drive engagement.
• AI-driven ad personalization is making audio campaigns more precise than ever.
• With third-party data disappearing, privacy-focused targeting is becoming essential.

How Digital Audio Supercharges Multichannel Marketing

Brands that overlook audio in their marketing strategies risk losing engagement and conversions. Modern marketing isn’t about choosing between channels—it’s about seamless integration for a connected customer experience.

Moderated by Giuseppe Accardo, Senior Sales Manager at AdsWizz, this panel explored how digital audio enhances multichannel strategies, making campaigns more engaging and data-driven. The discussion reinforced that audio is no longer a standalone medium—when integrated effectively, it amplifies a brand’s entire marketing mix.

Paolo Artioli, Head of Audio at Dentsu; Sebastiano Vissani, Head of Digital Audio at OMD; and Riccardo Tacchetto, Digital Project & Campaign Manager at Officina.Tech then shared insights on how brands can leverage audio alongside other digital channels to improve engagement and maximize advertising impact.

• Digital audio boosts brand recall and engagement when paired with video, social, and display.
• Programmatic audio is unlocking hyper-targeted, personalized ad experiences.
• First-party data is now a critical asset for brands looking to maximize ad effectiveness.

Digital Audio Innovation in Action: Corona’s Game-Changing Audio Campaign

Nothing showcases the power of digital audio better than real-world success stories. AdsWizz’s Giuseppe Accardo and Nelsi Xhemalaj, Campaign Manager, Tangoo Media, took the audience through Corona’s groundbreaking campaign, which used geo-targeted audio ads to deliver real-time surf reports. 

The session demonstrated how dynamic creative optimization (DCO) is transforming personalized advertising, proving that well-timed, data-driven audio ads can create hyper-personalized experiences that deeply resonate with audiences.

• 751,000 real-time surf reports turned into engaging ad experiences.
• Geo-targeting ensured ads reached only listeners within 15km of key beaches.
• A 2% increase in brand relevance showed the power of contextually relevant, dynamic creative.

The Optimal Use of Data and Targeting: Smarter Ads, Better Engagement

As consumer expectations evolve, brands that ignore data-driven audio advertising risk falling behind. With AI and first-party data shaping the future of marketing, those who adapt now will gain a critical edge. In an era of advertising saturation, precision targeting, and real-time personalization are essential to breaking through the noise. 

Moderated by Alexandre Obino, Senior Director of Client Strategy at AdsWizz, this session explored how AI-driven insights and audience segmentation are transforming ad relevance in digital audio. Francesco Paolo Tarallo, Head of Digital Marketing at Mediamond; Christina Pianura, CEO of Audioboost; and Fabio Rastelli, Head of Digital Audio at Teamradio shared their expertise on how brands can leverage data to maximize ad effectiveness and audience engagement.

• Real-time personalization is creating audio ads that feel natural and relevant.
• Behavioral and contextual targeting are driving stronger engagement and performance.
• Voice-activated ads are paving the way for interactive, hands-free brand engagement.

Digital Evolution Between Podcasts and New Audio Ecosystems

Podcasts provide authentic, long-form engagement, making them a powerful tool in an era of fragmented attention. No longer just another media format, they have become a cornerstone of modern marketing. Fausto Amorese, Director of Marketing at Radio24, shared the latest data on podcast growth and offered insights on how brands can harness this rapidly expanding medium to build deeper connections with their audiences.

• 620+ podcasts are created every month, according to Radio 24 podcasts available on its website, app, and major on-demand platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
• 8.5 million monthly listening sessions show sustained engagement, based on a combination of websites, apps, and third-party platforms.
• 19 million+ monthly audio ad impressions prove brands are doubling down on podcast ads.

Measuring Audio’s Real Impact: Brand Lift & Attribution

With advanced attribution tools, brands can now track engagement, conversions, and overall campaign performance with unprecedented precision. Measuring the impact of audio ads has long been a challenge, but innovations in attribution are changing that. AdsWizz’s Giuseppe Accardo and Alexandre Obino showcased how brands like Mazda and Kraken are leveraging AudioPixel and Veritonic to measure campaign effectiveness and prove ROI.

• Mazda’s campaign increased website visits by 293%.
• Kraken’s podcast ads boosted brand awareness by 17%.

Navigating the Sonic Identity Space

Privacy regulations are constantly evolving, requiring the industry to push beyond its comfort zone to stay innovative. Moderated by Morgane Peron, Director of Audience Data Operations at AdsWizz, this panel explored how organizations address privacy, compliance, and industry-wide collaboration to provide customer-centric solutions for publishers, buyers, and demand-side platforms. The discussion highlighted the importance of leveraging technology partners for streamlined compliance.

The panel featured Leone Fossati, Head of Solutions at UTIQ; Francesca Gabaglio, Addressable Strategy and Audience Lead at Kinesso; Davide Rosamilia, Vice President of Product at ID5; and Tommaso Scudiero, Lead Associate Account Director at The Trade Desk. Together, the group led an engaging conversation on privacy, technology, and omnichannel strategies for reaching audiences across multiple devices.

• Continued collaboration in the industry will be key to providing advanced strategies with 100% compliance to allow various partners (publishers, buyers, demand side) to achieve their goals.
• As audiences continue to engage in multiple ways across multiple devices, fully compliant, unified strategies are necessary to reach larger audiences across different channels and target at scale.
• First-party data is more important than ever. We need to create and maintain an environment that makes data transmission a seamless, fully compliant, and efficient experience on all sides.

Reflecting on AdsWizz Audio Days Milan 2025

AdsWizz Audio Days Milan 2025 showcased just how fast digital audio is evolving—and the opportunities it’s creating for brands, agencies, and publishers alike. From DCO to data identity solutions and podcast storytelling, one thing is clear: Audio is no longer just a supporting player in marketing—it’s leading the conversation. The future of audio is now—are you listening?

A huge thank you to all the speakers, panelists, and attendees who made AdsWizz Audio Days Milan 2025 an unforgettable experience.

by Aimi Knowling, Senior Manager, Sales Marketing

What’s Next?

• Want to dive deeper into AdsWizz Audio Days Milan 2025? Check out the presentation slides here.
• Looking to take your audio strategy to the next level? Reach out today and see how our platforms can enhance your campaigns!
• Stay tuned for upcoming events, content, and innovations from AdsWizz. Don’t forget to sign up for Frequency, our monthly newsletter. 
• Did you know we released a new industry report? Download The State of Audio Adech Report 2025.

The post AdsWizz Audio Days Milan 2025 Recap appeared first on AdsWizz.

Programmatic I/O 2024 in New York highlighted various trends in digital advertising, including rising privacy regulations, tighter tracking restrictions, media fragmentation, declining engagement, and complex systems driven by vanity metrics. To offset these challenges, the event stressed the need for attention-grabbing strategies, greater transparency, supply chain optimization, and the growing role of AI. Reflecting on these discussions, here are key areas where digital audio ads are uniquely positioned to address these obstacles and shape the future of digital advertising.

Tackling Media Fragmentation and Attention Fatigue

One key theme was the growing fragmentation of media channels, making it more challenging than ever for advertisers to reach consumers. Audio platforms like podcasts and streaming services cut through the noise by offering an immersive space for listeners to genuinely tune in. In a world overflowing with visual ads, audio delivers messages in a more personal, less disruptive way—whether the audience is driving, working out, or juggling tasks.

Programmatic audio fits effortlessly into cross-channel strategies, becoming a secret weapon for campaign success. For example, by harnessing first-party data, retargeting, and ad-capping, brands can align their audio ads with other digital messaging to keep things consistent and avoid redundancy pitfalls.

Automation: Simplifying Digital Advertising

Automation and efficiency were prominent topics at this year’s conference, and yes, audio solutions are transforming this part of the industry as well. Once difficult to scale due to their host-read format, podcast ads now combine the personal touch of a host’s voice with the reach of programmatic buying. 

Today’s audio innovations make it easier to launch campaigns quickly, maintain authenticity, and integrate into broader media strategies. Additionally, greater supply chain transparency and adherence to industry standards are streamlining the ecosystem, cutting costs, and boosting performance, addressing the complex challenges advertisers face today.

First-Party Data and Privacy: Audio’s Unique Advantage

The shift to first-party data and privacy-focused signals is reshaping digital advertising, and digital audio is ready to thrive. By tapping into first-party data, audio delivers targeted ads tailored to podcast topics or music genres, aligning with the industry’s evolving standards. With advanced targeting, brands can craft personalized messages based on listener behavior—without intrusive tracking.

Comscore Predictive Audiences goes further, offering a cutting-edge, cookie-free solution that unlocks over 300 audience segments, from TV habits to location-based activities. Paired with AdsWizz AI Transcription Technology, it ensures accurate targeting, even when signals are limited.

Cultivating emotional connections with listeners can coexist with protecting online users’ privacy. Mood targeting allows brands to connect more effectively with audiences by using privacy-conscious contextual signals, reaching them with music that aligns with the listener’s current mood. By placing ads between songs that match the mood of the music, brands can deliver more relevant messages, creating a more emotionally resonant and contextually meaningful advertising experience for listeners.

Optimization and Efficiency: Audio Adtech’s Competitive Edge

One of the key takeaways from the conference was the need for greater efficiency in programmatic ad buying, an area where audio adtech excels.

Dynamic ad insertion (DAI) enables precise, real-time ad placement, ensuring contextually relevant messages that boost user engagement and minimize wasted ad spend by targeting the right audience. This personalized approach benefits marketers, podcast producers, and streaming publishers by boosting engagement, increasing revenue, and addressing the growing need for more precise brand safety measures.

Cross-Channel Synergies: Audio’s Role in Holistic Measurement

Cross-channel measurement also took center stage, emphasizing the need to unify fragmented data across platforms.

Digital audio, especially podcasts, plays a vital role in this effort. Audio performs well on its own and amplifies the impact of other media, such as Connected TV (CTV) and social media. Research shows that combining podcast ads with CTV boosts brand recall and message association. Tools like AudioPixel further enhance this dynamic by tracking listener behavior and connecting podcast ad exposure to actions like website visits or purchases, making audio a crucial part of today’s integrated advertising strategies.

Enhancing Creativity with AI in Audio

Generative AI emerged as a prominent topic at the summit, and there was plenty of buzz about its power to transform creativity in advertising.

Audio is already ahead of the curve, thanks to synthetic voice technology that lets brands quickly produce personalized, scalable, and contextually relevant ads. With Synthetic Voice Ads now available on AudioGO and expanding across the AdsWizz platform, advertisers can easily create customizable voiceovers, making unlimited tweaks or script changes without missing a beat. This innovation reflects our commitment to pushing the boundaries of audio tech, with even more AI-driven tools on the horizon to supercharge the platform.

Audio Advertising is Leading the Charge

Audio advertising is poised to meet the industry challenges facing digital media presented at Programmatic I/O 2024 with its engaging, targeted, and flexible approach in a privacy-friendly way. As media fragments and capturing attention grows tougher, audio provides brands with a powerful way to connect. Focused on simplicity, efficiency, and creativity, it’s a future-ready channel in the digital landscape.

In 2025, don’t just keep up—lead the way. Invest in audio adtech now for a competitive edge and stronger audience connections. Contact us today to explore the benefits!

by Catalin Georgescu, Senior Product Marketing Manager

The post Insights from Programmatic I/O 2024 appeared first on AdsWizz.

This surge in popularity presents a golden opportunity for advertisers, yet it also brings forth new challenges in accurately analyzing campaigns. As the landscape evolves, the need for more sophisticated signals to transact and measure podcast advertising becomes increasingly critical.

At AdsWizz, we understand the evolving needs of advertisers in the podcast space. To address these needs and enable more precise targeting and measurement of podcast ads, we are passing GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) and RSS Feed information to DSPs (Demand-Side Platforms) and vendors.

Understanding GUIDs and RSS Feeds

A GUID is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by the hosting CMS (Content Management System) to each podcast episode. It ensures that each episode is distinctly identified, preventing duplication and facilitating reliable tracking and referencing across various platforms and directories. GUIDs remain static even if there are changes in the episode’s metadata or the hosting CMS.

An RSS feed is a specially formatted XML file that contains comprehensive information about podcast episodes. It includes details such as the podcast title, description, author, episode title, publication date, duration, and the URL where the audio file is hosted. RSS feeds are essential for distributing podcast episodes to various directories and platforms, ensuring that listeners can easily access new content.

Key Areas of Focus 

Enhanced Targeting and Addressability

By integrating GUIDs, each podcast episode can be uniquely and consistently identified across different platforms and CMSs, which prevents duplication and ensures precise tracking. With enhanced data signals such as episode name, show name, and genre, advertisers can also reach their target audiences more effectively.

Improved Advertiser Confidence and Investment

Advertisers gain complete visibility into where their ads are delivered, identifying which episodes, shows, and genres perform best and understanding the behaviors they drive. This transparency empowers advertisers to make informed decisions, significantly boosting their confidence in programmatic podcasting. Enhanced content signals ensure ads are placed in suitable contexts, safeguarding brand equity.

Increased Revenue Opportunities

The introduction of podcast-rich data signals encourages advertisers who were previously hesitant to invest in signal-light traffic to allocate larger budgets to podcasting, unlocking significant demand. By incorporating more data into bid requests, the value of these ad opportunities increases, potentially leading to more revenue.

Seamless Integration and Consistency

GUIDs remain static even when podcasters change their CMS or update episode metadata, ensuring reliability in episode identification. The integration process involves ingesting and storing GUIDs/RSS feeds from various sources, such as Simplecast/VAST/RTB integrations, and seamlessly passing this information to DSPs. This ensures consistent and reliable data transmission, maintaining the integrity of the process.

Embracing the Future

• If you are an AdsWizz partner and want to learn more about enhanced signals in podcast advertising with GUIDs and RSS Feeds, check out our knowledge base. 
• If you are not an AdsWizz partner and would like to get in touch with us, please visit the Contact Us page.

by Ryan Dilworth, Senior Product Manager, Ad Platform and Marketplace at AdsWizz

The post The Need for Enhanced Signals in the Podcast Advertising Industry appeared first on AdsWizz.

Recent research shows that marketers using a multi-touch attribution model generate 65% more conversions from audio compared to last-touch models. That kind of lift makes layered audio touchpoints essential, and it leads directly into how Custom Audiences bring the strategy to life.

What is Custom Audiences?

With Custom Audiences, advertisers can retarget listeners who have shown an interest in their product, making them more likely to convert. This advanced capability allows brands to create more sophisticated campaigns that guide listeners from awareness to action, such as making a purchase or requesting a quote. 

Creating robust stories delivered sequentially over days or weeks or tailoring listening experiences based on interaction types, such as a website visit or a wishlist, helps advertisers build stronger relationships with audiences and meet listeners exactly where they are on their conversion journey.

Do you worry about meeting business objectives and boosting campaign efficiency? Worry no more! Custom Audiences helps deliver ads to the most engaged audience or test the best creative by splitting the same listener base. This results in higher conversion rates, reduced wasted ad spend, streamlined management operations, and minimal maintenance.

Key Benefits

Boost Campaign Efficiency

Create campaigns that align with listeners’ behaviors and retarget those who have already shown interest in a brand – all within a streamlined flow. With both AudioServe and AudioMatic, Custom Audience targeting ensures ads reach the right audience at the right time.

Strengthen Relationships with Audiences 

Offer a personalized listening experience tailored to previous interactions, building stronger connections with audiences. Whether through AudioServe’s detailed targeting options or AudioMatic’s sophisticated audience segmentation, robust experiences can be crafted to resonate deeply with listeners​​​.

Maximize ROI 

Delivering ads to a highly applicable audience reduces ad spend waste and boosts conversion rates. AudioServe and AudioMatic offer tools to measure and optimize campaigns, ensuring every ad dollar is well spent.

How Custom Audiences Works

Creating and growing an audience base has never been easier. New website visitors who perform custom AudioPixel actions or consented listeners of one or multiple ads from campaigns can be collected all in one place.

Additionally, at the flick of a switch, Custom Audiences can be populated with listeners of all future ads belonging to an advertiser without having to manually include each new ad in the setup. This ensures effortless maintenance of an always up-to-date audience base, complemented by the membership duration setting for how long each listener remains in the custom audience.

Looking Ahead

AdsWizz attribution tools are designed to close the loop on audio measurement, and Custom Audiences are the latest (but not the last) tool we’re adding to our stack. With this solution, the full potential of retargeting campaigns is unlocked, driving engagement, efficiency, and conversions like never before.

If you are an AdsWizz partner and want to learn more about Custom Audiences, check our knowledge bases for either of these products:

• AudioMatic DSP
• AudioServe Campaign Manager

If you are not an AdsWizz partner and would like to get in touch with us, please visit the Contact Us page.

by Catalin Georgescu, Senior Product Marketing Manager

The post Unlock the Full Potential of Multi-Touch Campaigns with Custom Audiences appeared first on AdsWizz.

Programmatic Guaranteed offers more impactful tools tailored for optimal performance than other types of programmatic deals that involve varying levels of uncertainty, such as OpenRTB auctions with numerous bidders or preferred deals with non-guaranteed volumes. With fixed pricing and guaranteed volumes, this type of auction provides advertisers and publishers with a level of certainty and control not found in other programmatic transactions.

A One-Stop Shop for Digital Audio Advertising

AdsWizz facilitates the buying and selling of reserved inventory globally by offering products like AudioMax SSP, AudioServe Campaign Manager, and audio-centric AudioMatic DSP, along with off-the-shelf integrations with some of the most reputable DSP platforms.

This ecosystem automates offerings and approvals and ensures transparent inventory and streamlined negotiations, reducing setup times and errors. Through AudioMatic DSP, buyers submit offers processed and negotiated by AudioMax for availability before approval, automatically creating Programmatic Guarantee deals.

Understanding Programmatic Guaranteed Campaigns

AdsWizz makes it easy for publishers and advertisers to establish and grow relationships. We support all major transactions of digital audio inventory – Direct Sales, Programmatic Guaranteed or Preferred Deals, and real-time bidding with a Private Marketplace or open auctions.

Although both Preferred Deals and Programmatic Guaranteed represent direct transactions between buyers and publishers, the latter ensures that a guaranteed number of impressions are sold at a fixed price.

NEW! Programmatic Guaranteed Enhancements

AdsWizz continues to push the boundaries of digital advertising technology, and we’re excited to unveil new Programmatic Guaranteed features! These capabilities boost efficiency, reduce manual errors, and provide a seamless Programmatic Guaranteed campaign management experience. 

Streamline Programmatic Guaranteed Management

Effortlessly customize campaigns on a single platform in AudioMax SSP and enjoy seamless synchronization with AudioServe Campaign Manager. This minimizes manual efforts and enhances overall campaign management efficiency and ease of use. 

Control Campaign Performance

Leverage the flexible customization capabilities of the AudioMax-centric integration to streamline operations, reduce manual errors, and maximize campaign effectiveness. Define multiple campaigns under the same order and prioritize them according to publisher needs.

Easily Adapt to Change

Be nimble and adapt swiftly to changing requirements without pausing delivery. Updates to live AudioServe Programmatic Guaranteed campaigns are automatically synchronized with AudioMax Deal’s settings and vice versa, ensuring real-time consistency between the two platforms. 

Optimize Advertising Strategies

By harnessing advanced reporting capabilities in AudioMax, publishers can optimize their strategies and maximize revenues through a comprehensive understanding of their programmatic business on a single platform. Detailed breakdowns of Programmatic Guaranteed transactions, including granular insights per DSP, Sales Channel, Buyer, Advertiser, and Deal Type, ensure seamless performance management and enhanced visibility into guaranteed versus non-guaranteed deals and associated campaign delivery.

Looking Ahead

AdsWizz’s progress in Programmatic Guaranteed Campaigns represents an essential milestone in digital audio advertising. AdsWizz offers a powerful platform for advertisers and publishers to meet their advertising objectives by leveraging automation, scalability, and better visibility. With the digital environment constantly changing, AdsWizz stays ahead by driving advertising innovation to enhance efficiency, performance, and success.

• If you are an AdsWizz publisher partner using AudioMax SSP and want to learn more about Programmatic Guaranteed Enhancements, please click here.
• If you are not an AdsWizz partner and would like to get in touch with us, please visit the Contact Us page.

by Catalin Georgescu, Senior Product Marketing Manager

The post Unleashing the Power of Programmatic Guaranteed in Audio Advertising appeared first on AdsWizz.

What is Episode Scheduling and Targeting?

Episode Scheduling and Targeting revolutionizes advertising by enabling pre-scheduling ads in podcast episodes before they’re published. It streamlines workflows across different platforms and merges cutting-edge automatic episode generation with high-level forecasting and targeting abilities. 

The bottom line: Episode Scheduling and Targeting allows publishers to plan, forecast, target, and sell ads efficiently in future episodes, which creates new revenue streams and boosts each episode’s effectiveness and value.

How Episode Scheduling and Targeting Simplifies Inventory Management

This new feature dramatically simplifies inventory management by leveraging historical data for precise forecasts, ensuring campaigns can be booked without the risk of overselling or under-delivering. Once an episode is scheduled, it’s immediately available for ad campaigns across AdsWizz’s platforms. The feature uses unique episode IDs for targeting, ensuring ads are delivered to the correct episode, even if its release date changes.

Episode Scheduling and Targeting in Action

Imagine a weekly podcast series focused on sustainable living. The publishers of this series decided to leverage the Episode Scheduling and Targeting feature to use in a client’s advertising campaign for an upcoming series of episodes about urban gardening.

Scheduling Episodes and Attracting Advertisers

The team schedules the episodes two months before the series launch, documenting the topics and expected release dates. These future episodes are immediately shared with AdsWizz’s platforms, where potential advertisers can view if the planned content offers enough inventory to reach their advertising objectives.

Targeted Ad Booking

Seeing the alignment with its target market, a gardening tools company decides to book ad slots for the entire series. Utilizing the detailed forecasts provided by the system, they confidently book their campaign, knowing the ads will reach an engaged and relevant audience.

Flexible Ad Scheduling Ensures Uninterrupted Revenue

As the release dates approach, one episode must be delayed by 4 days due to unforeseen circumstances. However, the scheduled ads automatically adjust to the new release date thanks to the Episode Scheduling and Targeting system. The gardening tools company’s ads still hit their mark, appearing in the designated episode upon its release, ensuring the podcast’s revenue stream is unaffected by the schedule change.

Just as careful scheduling ensures smooth delivery for advertisers, having the right storage keeps a garden running seamlessly. From lawnmowers and wheelbarrows to fertilizers and seasonal gear, organization makes the work lighter and the results more rewarding. A 10×8 shed provides the perfect balance of space and practicality, giving gardeners a dedicated place for everything they need. With the essentials neatly stored away, the garden feels more open, inviting, and ready for enjoyment in every season.

Unlock New Revenue Opportunities

Episode Scheduling and Targeting is a significant advancement in podcast advertising, opening new revenue opportunities for publishers and podcasters. By automating and refining the ad delivery process, this feature improves monetization efficiency and contributes to a more predictable and financially stable ecosystem.

Want to learn more about Scheduling and Targeting?

• If you are an existing AdsWizz customer, check out our knowledge base for more information.
• Visit the Contact Us page if you are not an AdsWizz partner and want to get in touch with us.

by Nicoleta Vieru, Senior Product Marketing Manager at AdsWizz

The post Revolutionizing Podcast Monetization with Advanced Scheduling and Targeting appeared first on AdsWizz.