Listen Up CMOs; iHeart And Spotify Launch Podcasts To Help Sell Audio To Marketers.

Marketers have a new way to discover the power of podcasts in a pair of new shows geared right for them from iHeartMedia and Spotify. Not only will the two new podcasts cover topics of interest to CMOs, but the series will also put a twist on the usual formats of marketing-focused shows.

This week, iHeartMedia and Brand New Labs debuted a new biweekly, 10-episode podcast called Brand New on iHeart's B2B Podcast Network. Brand New shifts from the interview format of most business, marketing and media podcasts and instead invites listeners in on a lively conversation between two of the marketing industry’s most dynamic and well-connected leaders: Marisa Thalberg and Steven Wolfe Pereira. The c-suite co-hosts, who are also close friends, will tackle trending topics in the world of technology, entertainment, advertising, media and marketing, particularly through the lens of brands and the people powering them. They will draw on their work at both start-ups and Fortune 50 companies.

“Podcasts are becoming the go to platform for marketers who want to stay current,” said Gayle Troberman, Chief Marketing Officer for iHeartMedia. “As the No. 1 podcast network, iHeart is excited to have Marisa and Steven join our growing suite of must-listen business podcasts,” she said in a statement.

Geared for industry insiders Thalberg and Wolfe Pereira will talk about a combination of “ripped from the headlines” issues combined with topics of ongoing interest from why “brand” shouldn’t be a dirty word.

“We are not doing this to promote an agency or sell a product,” Wolfe Pereira said. “Rather, we are driven to decode what’s happening in the world of brands, debunk some of the biggest misunderstandings about this industry, and hopefully inspire a next generation of marketers in this ever-changing world.”

Thalberg and Wolfe Pereira will serve as creators and executive producers for the podcast. David Thalberg, Nuria Santamaria Wolfe and Joseph Salvia will also serve as executive producers for Brand New Labs.

Separately, Spotify this month launched a new competition podcast featuring brand CMOs. Called The Perfect Pitch, the series follows creative as they craft responses to creative briefs from high-profile marketing and advertising executives. Guests on the show include the CMOs from companies including Indeed, Athletic Greens, and Frito-Lay.

Listeners will hear as two teams of audio producers take on unique challenges. The briefs will put audio creatives to the test with challenges including creating a 30-second audio spot that encapsulates the feelings someone might get when they hear the words “you’re hired,” or design and produce a mnemonic device that evokes the sound of the iconic Doritos triangle. Along the way, Spotify says listeners will learn interesting information about the techniques they’re employing, the craft of audio production and more. At the end of each episode, the marketer will select a winner.

“Advertisers are continuing to create unique digital audio experiences on Spotify, and we wanted to shine a brighter light on the process and the audio creatives behind the scenes,” said Grace Kao, Spotify’s Head of Ads Business Marketing. “The Perfect Pitch brings people under the hood, taking listeners on a journey to understand the craft of audio production – and we thought, ‘what better way to put those skills to the test than with creative briefs from brand leaders themselves’?”

The Perfect Pitch is hosted by Hunter March, a television host, actor, producer, and comedian best known for his work as the host of “Sugar Rush”on Netflix, “Nightly Pop” on E!, and “Emogenius” on Game Show Network.

Spotify says the podcast series is part of its effort to “pay homage” to CMOs. Earlier, its “A Song for Every CMO” campaign was awarded the first-ever Gold Creative B2B Lion in 2022.