Is a Lack of Nuance in Brand Suitability Tools Demonetizing News Podcasts?
Podcasts encourage candid, in-depth conversations on topics that span society, culture, politics, news, and more. Because of their informal nature, conversations can take unexpected turns that may raise brand safety concerns for advertisers who place their ads within these episodes.
To avoid reputational risks, brands have come to rely on brand safety tools to evaluate content and discover brand-safe shows, often following the safety framework set by the Global Alliance of Responsible Media (GARM). But could a lack of nuance in today’s brand safety measures be leading to the demonetization of news podcasts?
In this article, we explore the potential negative impact of keyword-based brand suitability measures on the news industry. We’ve highlighted top news podcasts that could be falsely flagged as advertising risks despite their intention to inform, not influence.
How current brand safety measures miss the true spirit of the conversation
Current brand safety protocols focus on keywords—they weren’t designed for the nuance of the spoken word—which means they miss the true context and spirit of podcast conversations.
For instance, when words like “gun” or “murder” are detected in podcasts, they can trigger brand safety flags that turn advertisers away regardless of their usage in civil discussions on gun control or in True Crime podcasts. This lack of nuance can unfairly penalize quality podcasts, cutting them off from the monetization streams their shows depend on.
Evaluating content in context with the Seekr Civility Score™
Seekr’s patented Civility Score, available through SeekrAlign, solves the problems with other brand safety tools by understanding the context in which potentially sensitive topics are discussed.
Built for the spoken word, the Civility Score detects personal attacks and measures their severity by looking at context over keywords. A High Civility Score indicates that either no or low amounts of personal attacks were found per hour, whereas a Low Civility Score indicates a high amount of extreme, disrespectful, offensive, or discriminatory language.
This contextual analysis allows for a more accurate assessment of what constitutes harmful speech versus a meaningful discussion on contentious issues. Leveraging proprietary AI, the Civility Score aims to foster more civil discourse on the web and ensure that monetization is tied to the context and civility of spoken conversations.
News has become a leading podcast genre—so much of how we learn and experience what happens on a daily basis comes from this medium. But, according to some organizations, many of the most popular shows have been classified as unsafe and have seen their monetization decrease as a result. Are these shows actually harmful to brands, and most importantly, listeners?
What podcasts might be affected?
Today, Seekr and leading independent audio agency Oxford Road share the results of an analysis that reviewed Chartable’s Top 200 Global News podcasts by reach and compared the programs’ Civility Score with GARM content classification risk categories.
This snapshot of news podcasts, published first on Podnews, has a massive audience base. Despite earning high Seekr Civility Scores, each of these shows receives more than one medium, high, or floor GARM keyword-based risk flag.
This comparison highlights that when advertisers look at valuable news inventory focusing solely on GARM standards, they could be leaving brand-suitable inventory on the table.
- Data analysis as of June 24th, 2024
Setting a new standard for brand safety and suitability
Free speech and expression are critical to the future of civil public discourse. Without the necessary tools to evaluate the true context of podcast conversations, we will continue to restrict the reach and revenue of advertisers and demonetize the long tail of quality and diverse perspectives that make podcasts so critical to society—news included.
Seekr and Oxford Road are setting a new standard for podcast monetization and brand safety. By prioritizing context and civility, we will protect brands and preserve the integrity and financial viability of podcast content creators. As this initiative gains momentum, it promises to transform the landscape of online media and advertising.
The Civility Score and other pressing industry topics like this will be on full view today at Oxford Road’s annual CAO Summit, the industry’s only peer-to-peer learning symposium. The event brings podcast marketers, or “Chief Audio Officers”, together to connect with brand-side colleagues and learn about the latest industry trends.
Get in touch with our team to learn how SeekrAlign can help you grow advertising reach responsibly.
The above list of podcasts is available as an OPML file for your podcast player
Companies mentioned above:
Oxford Road
Seekr
| Pat LaCroix is EVP, Strategic Partnerships at Seekr Technologies. He has been recognized as one of the "Forty under 40" by Sports Business Journal, and a "Certified Brand Strategist" by Prof G. He lives in Boston MA, USA. |
