How 5 podcast advertisers are crafting messages around coronavirus
In our ongoing series of articles, we are taking a look at how coronavirus is impacting podcast advertising. If you haven’t already, take a look at our first article in the series, where we go into depth about which industries coronavirus has affected most in the podcast advertising space.
Top 5 advertisers whose ads are talking about coronavirus
In the month of March, we picked up over 250 ads that mention coronavirus. We took a look at 5 of these advertisers to hear how they crafted their messages and try to understand if there are any insights we could learn from them.
1. Noom
Noom is a tech company that provides personalized nutrition and exercise coaching. Magellan first detected ads for Noom on podcasts in November 2018.
Here are the stats:
# of ads detected in March: 23
# of shows we detected ads on: 22
% of ads that mention COVID: 17%
Have a listen to this ad on Call Her Daddy from 03/18. In the ad, the hosts discuss how many people are stuck at home right now, which to them means it’s the perfect opportunity to pick up new healthy habits and that Noom can help with that. This is a great example of an ad that suggests a dramatic change to our routine can create an opportunity to better ourselves.
2. Cash App
Cash App is a mobile payment service that allows users to transfer money to one another using a mobile phone. Magellan first detected ads for the Cash App on podcasts in September 2017.
Here are the stats:
# of ads in detected in March: 50
# of shows we detected ads on: 9
% of ads that mention COVID: 10%
Have a listen to this ad on Pardon My Take from 03/18. In the ad, the hosts discuss how paper money is can dirty and could help spread the COVID-19 virus. They suggest using the Cash App as an alternative to physical money since it allows you to send payments through your phone. In this example, the host is tapping into the heightened awareness about hygiene and the transmission of coronavirus.
3. Stamps.com
Stamps.com is an online mailing and shipping company. Magellan first detected ads for Stamps.com on podcasts in September 2017.
Here are the stats:
# of ads in detected in March: 71
# of shows we detected ads on: 37
% of ads that mention COVID: 6%
Have a listen to this ad on The Kevin Sheehan Show from 03/11. In the ad, the hosts point out that Stamps.com cuts out the need to leave your home and go to the post office, which is useful in the current climate of social distancing. In this example, the hosts are pointing out that the service promotes social distancing which is recommended, or even required, in many parts of the country right now.
4. Helix Sleep
Helix Sleep is a direct-to-consumer, e-commerce company that sells custom-made mattresses. Magellan first detected ads for Helix Sleep on podcasts in September 2017.
Here are the stats:
# of ads in detected in March: 57
# of shows we detected ads on: 20
% of ads that mention COVID: 5%
Have a listen to this ad on The Daily Popcast with Lance Bass from 03/17. In the ad, the hosts talk about how doctors recommend sleep as a way of boosting your immune system to protect from the coronavirus. They contend that Helix Sleep can offer a great nights sleep that supports healthy living. This is a great example of an host talking about the importance of staying healthy and how the advertiser’s product can help.
5. BetterHelp
BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to online counseling and therapy services. Magellan first detected ads for BetterHelp on podcasts in January 2018.
Here are the stats:
# of ads in detected in March: 345
# of shows we detected ads on: 140
% of ads that mention COVID: 3%
Have a listen to this ad on Today, Explained from 03/18. In the ad, the host discusses how people might be feeling anxiety, stress or depression due to the coronavirus. They recommend BetterHelp as a solution to fighting those feelings since it allows you to get mental health treatment in the comfort of your own home.
Methodology
To identify the advertisers in this list and calculate the stats, we looked at all ads in Magellan’s system that appeared on the top 3,000 podcasts in the first 3 weeks of March. To identify ads that are talking about coronavirus, we searched for a number of keywords that refer to the coronavirus, social distancing and the pandemic. For this analysis, we excluded ads detected on back catalog episodes of popular podcasts.
What’s next?
We are continuing to closely monitor changes in podcast advertising activity over the next few weeks and share updates on observations and trends here. If you and your business would benefit from a more granular look at advertising in the podcast space drop us a line at partnerships@magellan.ai.
Magellan AI creates tools that help marketers at brands like SimpliSafe and ThredUP spend intelligently on podcast advertising. Podcast publishers like WNYC and Audioboom use Magellan to track advertisers spending money in the podcast space.
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