Pod2Mobile debuts advertising platform for wireless podcasting

Pod2Mobile today announced a platform for including advertising in podcasts and other audio programs for cellular phones.  The platform “offers a matrix of statistical data to the advertiser about where their ads were heard and by how many people, among other information,” the company's press release says.

Here’s what Pod2Mob’s advertising software/service offers:

“*  Audio ads (up to 20 seconds) at the beginning of each podcast

“*  Podcast and Category targeting for audio ads

“*  Advertiser control panel for easy campaign creation and content upload

“*  Stat tracking (demographical and time-based) for graphical ad click-through ratios

“*  Stat tracking (demographical and time-based) for audio ad delivery

“*  Easy and cost-effective means to launch advertising campaign

“*  Ads can be submitted and broadcast in 24 hours or less using the automated insertion functionality

“*  Podcast specific graphical ads

“*  Demographic (age & gender) based graphical ads

“*  Category-based graphical ads”

Advertising makes sense

I believe advertising on podcasts via cellular phones makes sense.  This assume, however, that the advertising is geared to the length of the podcast.

If you’re listening to a five minute podcast, you don’t want to hear a two minute commercial.  Perhaps consumers are willing to listen to a 15 second commercial before the podcast and perhaps another 15 second commercial in the middle or end.

I suspect the optimum length for podcasts on cellular phones is three to 15 minutes.  For a longer podcast, there could be a few more commercials.

Advertising versus subscription fees

Today, cellular operators generally don’t offer podcasts or offer only a limited number.  Sprint offers a few podcasts through audio subscriptions to MSpot and Rhapsody Radio, as I’ve previously written.

The MSpot and Rhapsody subscriptions include a variety of programs, of which only one channel includes podcasts — and the selection and timeliness of those podcasts leave much to be desired.

I continue to believe podcasts have a future for the cellular industry, although there hasn’t been a lot of activity, as a blog posting from Melodeo’s “Mobile Podcasting” weblog recently noted. 

Cellular operators or not

I’m very glad to see more activity in the wireless podcast environment.  Cellular operators aren’t going to be interested in podcasting unless they believe there’s enough money in the offering.

Of course, wireless podcasting doesn’t require the intervention of operators.  Pod2Mob and Mobilcast offer a directory of podcasts and ways to stream or download them.

And, because podcasts are typically simple .mp3 files, any cellular phone with a music player that can receive external files (via a cable, Bluetooth, memory card) can play a podcast without over-the-air downloads.

Perhaps one or more of the major content providers will get excited about wireless podcasting and launch a marketing effort, with or without their own commercials.

Pod2Mob’s rates

Courtesy of a comment today by Eriks (thank you), I see Pod2Mob’s advertising rates for podcasting.

Comments

[ELS]

http://www.pod2mob.com/main/advertise

It appears that their minimum CPM for untargeted advertising is $100. This isn't a realistic number.

[Alan Reiter]

Thanks for the info. Is there additional information on the Web about this?

[ELS]

http://www.pod2mob.com/main/advertise

[Alan Reiter]

Thanks!

[Eric 2]

I see 3,000 plays for $300.00. Is that right? seems too low to me. This lookss like 10 cents per play. How do you figure 100.00?

[Erik]

3000 plays for $300 is 1000 plays for $100.

CPM is cost per 1000 exposures.

They'd be lucky to get $10 CPM on run of network untargeted advertising.