NPR Flexes Its Podcast Muscle as Brands Ramp Up Spending

quotIt is the smart indepth and sometimes humorous reporting that NPR journalists and hosts do that make NPR what it isquot Gina Garrubbo President and CEO of National Public Media NPR39s sponsorship arm said at the organization39s 2022 IAB Podcast UpfrontquotWhen you layer in excellent reporting from NPR member stations you get an international national and local programming powerhouse like no other which is why NPR is able to produce a steady stream of hit podcastsquot she addedAccording to Podtrac39s latest rankings NPR is the No 2 podcast publisher with 49 active shows NPR offers the most daily podcasts including Ambie Awardwinning morning news podcast Up First and daily science show Shortwave and its roster of weekly shows is steadily growingThe timing couldn39t be better Podcast ad spending is redhot it is expected to exceed 2 billion in 2022 and surpass 4 billion by 2024 according to the IAB39s latest estimatesWorking with NPR brands can choose from a wide menu of sponsorships including hostread spots and bespoke integrations with custom audio called Brand Soundscapes as well as sponsored episodesquotNPR has endless opportunities to align with trustworthy highquality journalism and storytellingquot noted Senior Vice President of NPR Corporate Sponsorship Scott DavisIn one recent example Campari39s Russell39s Reserve bourbon sponsored a live taping of the Code Switch podcast which tackles race culture and diversity issues The virtual event featured Code Switch contributors and guests discussing race politics and art as well as a guided whiskey tasting with Wild Turkey Brand Ambassador JoAnn StreetNPR and Code Switch were a good match because they align with the liquor brand39s values said Sean Yelle Director of Whiskey and Rums for Campari GroupquotNPR is wellknown for having truthful honest conversations about topics that can quite often be swept under the rug in today39s societyquot Yelle said quotThe ability to have a partner that has credibility and authenticity was really important for us We need to make sure we39re having those honest conversations as wellquotAs it looks to grow NPR is adding fresh shows to the mix particularly podcasts aimed at young and multicultural listeners One such podcast is Everyone ampamp Their Mom which launched in February A spinoff of the radio and podcast hit quiz show Wait Wait Don39t Tell Me Everyone ampamp Their Mom is hosted by former Wait Wait intern Emma Choi who records from her dorm room To help Everyone and Their Mom attract an audience new episodes drop weekly in the Wait Wait Don39t Tell Me feedOn the podcast Choi said she talks about quotsilly things with cool peoplequot and some of her favorite episodes have included dishing with Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle hosting upandcoming comics tastetesting hard Mountain Dew with a wine expert and even her momquotThe show is for me for people like me and the youth of America and other countriesquot Choi explained quotIt39s for people who might have listened to Wait Wait and NPR in their cars with their parents growing up and now can make their own decisions about what they want to listen toquotAnother new addition is The Limits hosted by former NBA star Jay Williams Each week Williams hosts intimate conversations with leaders in entertainment sports pop culture and business Williams hopes multicultural listeners will sample his show quotIf you are a young person of color please come with me and take this ridequot he saysThese new entrants join a roster of existing hits NPR39s news politics and business podcasts are heavy hitters regularly featuring seasoned journalists from legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg to national and international correspondents stationed in NPR39s 35 news bureaus These voices bring gravitas and rich original stories Totenberg for instance told listeners about a conversation with former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg where the justice admitted she fell asleep at the 2015 State of the Union address because she39d had a little too much to drink Ginsburg said fellow Justice Anthony Kennedy brought quotvery fine California winequot to a dinner party beforehandamp160For fans seeking storytelling and culture NPR39s menu of comedy science culture and entertainment includes hits like NPR Book Club Tiny Desk Concerts and Planet Money Recently Life Kit won an Ambie Award for Best Personal Growth and Spirituality podcast while history podcast Throughline was nominated for a Peabody Award for a series on AfghanistanThanks to these podcasts and the organization39s team quotNPR is set apart as one of the most listened to audio entities on the planetquot Garrubbo concludedClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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NPR Flexes Its Podcast Muscle as Brands Ramp Up Spending

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