Turn on the podcast

Local brands are starting to engage with podcasting as the digital audio platform gains traction in SA. A podcast is a digital audio file available on the Internet for downloading, usually as a series or a new daily or weekly instalment. Ross Sergeant, head of strategy at podcast producer and distributor Iono.fm, says that as consumers’ media habits evolve, the media strategies brands use are following suit. According to Sergeant the podcast medium offers advertisers an opportunity to engage, with pin-point accuracy, consumers who have moved away either completely or in part from traditional radio and are listening to podcasts. The secret, he says, lies in costing and constructing an effective campaign. "Generic broadcast radio is sold by time slot, and the media planner must use historical sampling data to [judge] whether the audience will be listening during a particular time slot. But podcast advertising allows brands to choose their specific demographic and define a budget, and ...