Podcast Advertising Playbook with Heather Osgood – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather Osgood sits down with the team at Magellan AI to unpack the insights behind Beyond the Buy: Smarter Podcast Advertising for 2026, a new guide exploring how data, attribution, and market intelligence are reshaping the future of podcast advertising.

Together, they dive into why podcast audiences and streaming audiences behave differently, what incremental reach really means within audio, and why podcasting continues to command consumer attention despite remaining dramatically underfunded in media budgets.

The conversation also explores the limitations of legacy planning approaches, including genre-based buying and overreliance on promo codes, while examining how signal-informed planning is helping advertisers make smarter, more strategic decisions.

Heather and the Magellan team discuss:

• Why podcasting delivers unique reach even within audio campaigns

• What advertisers miss when they rely solely on genre targeting

• How market intelligence can uncover hidden revenue and reactivation opportunities

• The evolving role of pixel-based attribution in podcast measurement

• How advertisers are using competitive spend data to inform strategy

Whether you’re a brand, agency, publisher, or podcast creator, this episode offers a deeper look at the data shaping the next era of podcast advertising. If you're interested in exploring the guide, you can find it here: https://info.truenativemedia.com/guide-beyond-the-buy?hs_preview=xyvSwHAl-212093555242

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In this episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, host Heather Osgood sits down with Jed Baker, former CEO of Starglow Media and now Head of Audio at SuperAwesome.

Jed shares the story behind building Starglow into a leading kids and family podcast network, and what ultimately made its acquisition by SuperAwesome the right strategic move. The conversation dives into the unique challenges and opportunities of operating in a highly regulated category, and why the kids and family space may be one of the most overlooked opportunities in podcast advertising today.

• Why advertisers have historically shied away from kids and family podcasting
• The realities of building an ad-supported network in a regulated environment
• How to position podcast advertising to brands used to digital and social channels
• What performance metrics actually resonate in this category
• Where the biggest opportunities lie for podcast advertising in the next 3–5 years

If you’ve ever wondered how podcast advertising works in more complex categories or where untapped opportunity might exist, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what’s possible.

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In this episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, host Heather Osgood sits down with Sam Brake Guia, Co-Founder of Podwritten and host of Mics to Millions. Sam works at the center of podcast guesting, booking, and creator strategy, bringing a unique view into how brands and personalities can use interviews to increase visibility and connect with targeted audiences.

Together, Heather and Sam explore:

• Why certain industries, especially health and wellness, lean toward podcasts
• What makes for successful guest pitching, including timing and seasonality
• How brands can use guesting to build authority and increase brand awareness
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“Australians are used to hearing a US accent deliver a Blue Apron ad. And because of that, when Australians hear a US accent in an ad space on a podcast, they tend to now switch off because they know that product’s not for them.” 

We talk a lot about podcast advertising here on The Podcast Advertising Playbook, but we rarely talk about it on a global level. Corey Layton, Head of Digital Audio/iHeartPodcast Network Australia at ARN, is here to share his experience leading podcast advertising on the other side of the world. 

In today’s episode, Heather and Corey discuss: 

• How the rest of the world views programmatic and dynamically inserted ads. 
• Global prices for podcast ads.
• The shift from baked-in ads to DAI. 
• Why some advertisers are asking for full integration with podcasts. 
• Is video taking away from audio? 

Get in touch with Corey - coreylayton@arn.com.au

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More of a visual person? Watch this episode on YouTube. 

Ready to learn more? Check out our blog for more podcast advertising tips. 

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You can also follow us on social

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“I think we kind of owe it to ourselves as publishers to remember what made podcast ads so effective in the first place - they actually sounded authentic.”

NPR is one of America’s largest media companies - so they must be doing something right!

In today’s episode, Heather Osgood is joined by Brett Robinson, Senior Vice President of Ad Operations at NPR. During their conversation, they discuss: 

• Ways the podcast industry has changed over the years. 
• How ads are run at a non-profit. 
• The importance of building trust between a brand and listeners. 
• Why you might be missing out if you’re not using contextual targeting.
• Challenges facing programmatic ads. 
• What a lead ad is and why you should be running them. 

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More of a visual person? Watch this episode on YouTube. 

Ready to learn more? Check out our blog for more podcast advertising tips. 

If you get value from the content, please consider subscribing and leaving a review!

You can also follow us on social

Twitter - @truenativemedia

Instagram - @truenativemedia

LinkedIn - Heather Osgood | True Native Media | Podcast Advertising Playbook  

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It’s time for the IAB’s annual Podcast Advertisement Revenue Report! 

IAB stands for the Interactive Advertising Bureau, and each year they put together an event where advertisers and content creators alike come together and talk about opportunities within the podcast space - but we’re most excited for the revenue study. 

This revenue study gives us a great picture of where we’ve been and where we’re going when it comes to podcast advertising. 

In today’s episode, True Native Media CEO Heather Osgood is here to break down the revenue study and discuss what the future holds for podcast advertising. 

Read the full study here. 

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More of a visual person? Watch this episode on YouTube. 

Ready to learn more? Check out our blog for more podcast advertising tips. 

If you get value from the content, please consider subscribing and leaving a review!

You can also follow us on social

Twitter - @truenativemedia

Instagram - @truenativemedia

LinkedIn - Heather Osgood | True Native Media | Podcast Advertising Playbook

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“I have certainly had conversations with some of the OGs in the podcast space that are like, ‘Hey, podcasts were created to be ad-free. We were trying to get away from this in terrestrial radio, and that’s why we started podcasting.’

I totally get that, but also, it feels like there are people you can reach on podcasts that you can’t reach with any other marketing messages.” 

Getting ads on your podcast is only half the battle. The real work comes when you create your ad and find a balance between the number of ads and the length of your show. Kimberly Alexandre of Branded Podcast Pros joins Heather Osgood to talk through everything you need to avoid advertiser fatigue. 

Heather and Alexandre discuss: 

• The benefits of a small, intimate podcast network. 
• The importance of multiple voices in one campaign. 
• Reasons you need to keep in contact with the brand during an ad campaign. 
• Direct Response vs. Brand Conversions.
• Challenges facing podcast discoverability. 

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Subscribe here so you never miss a new episode! 

________________________________________

More of a visual person? Watch this episode on YouTube. 

Ready to learn more? Check out our blog for more podcast advertising tips. 

If you get value from the content, please consider subscribing and leaving a review!

You can also follow us on social

Twitter - @truenativemedia

Instagram - @truenativemedia

YouTube - True Native Media

LinkedIn - Heather Osgood | True Native Media | Podcast Advertising Playbook

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“If you’ve never done podcast advertising before, when you run your first campaign, as much as I would love to say that it’s gonna knock it out of the park, it probably isn’t.” 

Your first ad campaign probably won’t be your best - but we all have to start somewhere, right? 

Sarah Marini, Senior Manager of Audio Partnerships at Athletic Greens, joins True Native Media founder Heather Osgood on today’s episode. Sarah shares her wealth of knowledge surrounding successful podcast ads, including why it’s okay if your first ad isn’t a home run. 

Tune in to learn:

• Why influencer marketing is podcast advertising. 
• How to leverage podcasts of all sizes. 
• A strong ad campaign takes time. 
• The importance of understanding your core audience. 
• How they track campaigns at Athletic Greens to determine if something isn’t working. 
• Challenges that the podcast industry is currently facing. 

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More of a visual person? Watch this episode on YouTube. 

Ready to learn more? Check out our blog for more podcast advertising tips. 

If you get value from the content, please consider subscribing and leaving a review!

You can also follow us on social

Twitter - @truenativemedia

Instagram - @truenativemedia

YouTube - True Native Media

LinkedIn - Heather Osgood | True Native Media | Podcast Advertising Playbook

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“It’s a privilege to get the attention of advertisers. Just as much as it's a privilege for advertisers to be able to work with certain publishers and podcast hosts.”

Podcast ads aren’t always easy to produce, and we can all tell when the host is phoning it in. This week’s guest is right; finding a show to advertise on and having ads on your show is a privilege - one that should be taken seriously by both parties. 

A.J. Feliciano, Head of The Roost Podcast Network, joins True Native Media CEO Heather Osgood on today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook. In this episode, they discuss: 

• The value of personal endorsements in host read ads. 
• Structured campaigns that are great for advertisers and the audience. 
• Why you need to trust the host to give a good ad read. 
• Are video podcasts actually podcasts? 
• Ways to utilize a multiplatform distribution strategy. 
• How YouTube will play a role in the future of podcasting. 

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More of a visual person? Watch this episode on YouTube. 

Ready to learn more? Check out our blog for more podcast advertising tips. 

If you get value from the content, please consider subscribing and leaving a review!

You can also follow us on social

Twitter - @truenativemedia

Instagram - @truenativemedia

YouTube - True Native Media

LinkedIn - Heather Osgood | True Native Media | Podcast Advertising Playbook

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“What makes podcast advertising unique is the ability to establish intimate relationships that are real, and, you know, aren’t digital.” 

We’ve all heard the joke - if you’re a podcast host, you get a mattress! And who knows more about mattress podcast ads than Ashleigh Colón, Offline Media Manager at Eight Sleep?

We think she’s the expert, which is why she’s joining Heather Osgood on today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook. While mattress ads are a category of their own, Ashleigh also offers her expertise on:

• How audience size plays a role in advertising. 
• The importance of testing different ad strategies. 
• Why you need to be giving your hosts talking points. 
• Understanding your advertising budget. 



Stay tuned to the end of the episode, where Ashleigh and Heather offer their advice for anything starting out in podcast advertising. 

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More of a visual person? Watch this episode on YouTube. 

Ready to learn more? Check out our blog for more podcast advertising tips. 

If you get value from the content, please consider subscribing and leaving a review!

You can also follow us on social

Twitter - @truenativemedia

Instagram - @truenativemedia

YouTube - True Native Media

LinkedIn - Heather Osgood | True Native Media | Podcast Advertising Playbook

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.