Euphonia is an audio-first mobile product developed to distribute podcasts for Slate.com.

Inspired by this inquisitive spirit, I worked with Slate who partnered with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts to produce Stories of the InterContinental Life, a podcast driven by intimate and inspiring human interest stories gathered in international destinations.

Platform Goals
Podcasting has quickly become an oversaturated field. With new shows debuting practically every day, Slate needed a way to differentiate its content by not only producing quality shows for clients but also connecting them to Slate’s premium, podcast listening audience. The result was Euphonia: a proprietary ad product that hosts a compelling podcast clip selected to spark audience curiosity, drive engagement, and increase subscriptions. Developed using Slate’s audience engagement data and competitive analysis across the podcast market, the Euphonia is another example of me doing what I do best: experimenting with media to create interesting products.

Challenges
Beta testing with editorial content can only return limited results within a controlled environment. However, when working with an advertiser on a first-to-market ad product, there are a lot of ways things can go wrong. First, because Euphonia is mobile-only and audio-focused, the format required more explanation and client hand-holding than a typical high-impact ad unit; constant and clear communication was critical. What’s more, the team needed to test the unit in real-time with multiple design iterations, real-time optimizations and audio creative. Despite these challenges, however, I was able to build the unit quickly, gain the confidence of the client and eventually help promote InterContinental’s podcast to Slate.com’s entire mobile audience.

Results

• 35.75% Universal touch-rate
  • higher than their benchmark of 12%
• 25%+ Active dwell time
• 21secs Average time spent with the unit

Any other partner would have simply promoted Stories of the InterContinental Life with host reads and static banners, but the Euphonia provided an interactive experience that teased quality content and garnered significant engagement. And Slate’s audience noticed. According to MOAT, Euphonia’s performance for Stories of the InterContinental Life garnered a universal touch-rate of 32.75% higher than benchmark of 12%, active dwell time of that’ was over 25% higher than average with listeners spending an average time of 21 seconds with the Euphonia unit, proving that ears are perked and thumbs are tapping with interest for this new show.

Awards and Recognition

2018 Digital Publishing Awards Finalist for Best Custom Advertising