Podcasting stands out in its continued reliance on ad creative that is made by the podcast hosts themselves, rather than by a creative agency or studio. Though announcer-read and pre-produced creatives have made in-roads – especially for run-of-network, contextually-targeted and programmatic buys – host-read ads continue to be foundational for many campaigns.

The prevailing logic is that a host is an influencer, leveraging their intimate relationship with the audience for the benefit of the advertiser. Having measured the impact and ROI of podcast ads for more than a decade, I can testify that the best host-read ads usually outperform other types of podcast ad creatives.

But not always.

Often, when buyers and advertisers see that a host’s ads didn’t work – usually looking at attribution metrics – they conclude that the show, host or audience aren’t a good fit and move on. This is understandable, especially if you have dozens of shows in a plan – there often isn’t time to dig deeper.

However, I’ve seen an array of reasons why a host-read ad doesn’t meet performance expectations, and some of the most important ones have to do with the creative strategy or the creative itself – not the host, show or audience. 

The following are three of the most common problems we’ve encountered. Unlike some lists you might find in a Google search, these are not just informed opinions. Every single problem has been identified over and over through brand lift measurement and analysis.

Host-Read Problem #1: The Host Doesn’t Have Enough Creative Input

Much of the embedded value of a host-read ad comes down to their influence on the creative itself. But, sometimes, advertisers tie hosts’ hands too tightly, overly limiting their influence on the final product. At times a little constraint is necessary for legal or contractual reasons – but it can be overdone. Other times there’s creative overreach. Regardless of the reason, it’s self-defeating. 

Here’s an example. The Signal Hill Insights team measured a campaign across a dozen podcasts, each with a host-read ad, where the overall results didn’t generate significant brand lifts. When we examined the creatives, it was clear that most hosts were sticking very closely – too closely – to the provided copy. 

For compliance reasons, it was important for certain points to be absolutely precise. While by and large these hosts were smooth and got things right, there was no personality – you might say no influencer presence – in the ads. They weren’t bad, just too conservative, and forgettable.  

However, we did see some lifts with a handful of shows. These hosts added a little more personality to their reads, like a short personal anecdote or quick joke. Otherwise they hit all the necessary points right on the head. 

It was clear that the little extra made a big difference on performance, standing out from the pack.

Host-Read Problem #2: You’re Asking the Host to Read Verbatim

It’s ironic that this sort of ad creative has come to be known as “host-read,” when the best examples aren’t strictly read. Instead, the ad copy points serve as a guide and a map for the podcast host to adapt and make their own. 

So, I cringe when I hear a poor podcast host trying to make their way through a script they obviously didn’t write, and isn’t a good match for their style. Very simply, the skills that make for a great podcast host aren’t the same as those of a top-notch voiceover talent. 

I remember a campaign that included a host-read from a wildly popular, chart-topping host, alongside an announcer read. When the results came back the agency and brand were puzzled as to why the announcer ad outperformed the host’s ad in key metrics. 

When I listened to the creatives the answer was obvious. Both ads had nearly identical copy. The voiceover talent sounded lively, engaging and appropriate — it was clear they could make the Code of Federal Regulations sound amazing. 

On the other hand, the host didn’t stumble, but sounded dry and flat. They just weren’t great at reading verbatim, and listeners could feel the difference.  The difference became crystal clear when we measured that response.

Host-Read Problem #3: The Ad Isn’t a Good Fit for Podcasts

There is one important and striking difference between podcast ads and those in broadcast and streaming. The job of a radio or music streaming ad is to grab the attention of the listener, by interrupting programming with something dissimilar. 

Podcasting is a different, more intimate, medium. A podcast ad’s job is to keep the listener’s attention. The best ones typically hold their audience’s attention by being similar to the content, not surprising them by being different. This applies to all types of podcast ads, including announcer-read and pre-produced ads. 

One of our studies measured a campaign across streaming and podcasts, featuring arty creatives – pre-produced, announcer-read and host-read scripts – designed to stand out. 

In the first quarter results, we saw this unique approach pay off on streaming platforms, generating some strong brand lift. Podcasting was another story – no lift. In fact, we were surprised to see them actually drive an increase in negative brand response. It was clear: podcast listeners didn’t like the ads.

We recommended shifting the approach to something that was a better fit with the tone of the podcasts in the campaign. Everything changed in the next quarter. Refreshed host-read ads came out tops across the board.

Brand Lift Uniquely Uncovers Creative Problems and Solutions

These analyses wouldn’t necessarily be clear with a creative test on its own. That’s because creative tests don’t measure ads in context – listeners are exposed to a bare minimum of podcast or streaming content – if any – which means there’s not much level-setting of audience expectation. They’re well suited to refine messaging, but not a substitute for brand lift. 

And brand lift can be done at scale.  The studies I mentioned earlier measured hundreds of millions of ad impressions. We start by looking at listeners’ response to the brand and campaign, then look to the creative to fill in the story.

I think I’ve heard nearly every objection to focusing on creative in a brand lift study: “brand lift always shows good results”, “the hosts are wholly responsible for the creative”, or “we only care about sales conversions”. The examples I shared with you show that not every study delivers stellar results. No matter your KPIs, the creative is where the rubber meets the road, and hosts aren’t psychics who can intuit the exact features and benefits that will resonate with everyone in their audience. 

Leaving creative and brand lift out of your measurement plans is leaving impact, conversions and money on the table. Drop us a line to learn how a brand lift study will help you maximize the value of the impressions and reach you’re already buying.