The podcast industry is embracing AI and programmatic buying for enhanced engagement – all the while striving to maintain the authenticity of host-listener relationships. For The Drum’s Deep Dive into The Media Convergence, IAB UK turn to their members to ask about the influence of technology in the podcasting landscape.
As the podcast market continues to grow – with spend up 32% in 2022 – how is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and uptake of programmatic buying changing what’s possible for audio advertisers? Members of IAB UK’s Audio Group look at the benefits of evolving technology, as well as acknowledging the balance needed to maintain the authenticity and high-quality environment podcasting offers.
Richard Williams, (commercial director, AMA): “AI is undoubtedly a powerful tool that can help advertisers, but it often requires additional technology to realise the true benefit. For example, AI is already being used in content recognition, such as keyword targeting that identifies topics within a podcast episode. Advertisers should combine this insight with tech that allows them to serve bespoke messages based on that same data. Similarly, whilst synthetic voice AI lets brands create thousands of unique audio ads in seconds, advertisers should consider how those different versions can be deployed at scale across multiple podcast networks.”
