Jelli, known primarily for its audio advertising buying and selling programmatic platform, has expanded its partnership with one of the top media buying shops in the U.S. in a move that makes it the first agency to power all of its automated radio ad buying operations through Jelli’s SpotPlan demand-side platform.
The widened pact with Horizon Media is a boost for several of its brand clients, as Horizon previously worked with Jelli as an early access partner on several product enhancements to move the audio industry forward, including the agency’s historic pilot test of the first-ever live programmatic transaction for spot radio on September 17, 2015.
“We continue to see significant value in SpotPlan’s planning and buying capabilities coupled with the opportunity to align our clients with relevant audience segments through iHeart’s Smart Audio marketplace,” said Horizon SVP/Managing Director Audio Investments and Promotions Lauren Russo. “The platform continues to evolve to include features that are essential in evaluating and optimizing media schedules. We are impressed with the company’s growing focus on supporting new channels of distribution in the audio space, which is critical as we migrate further into streaming, podcasting and voice.”
Horizon Media, an early Jelli adopter and pioneer in programmatic buying, has been using SpotPlan to manage its national and local radio ad buying. Via SpotPlan, buyers have access to iHeartMedia and Katz Expressway marketplaces, representing 2,300 radio stations across the U.S.
“With $2+ billion of ad inventory available, SpotPlan is the only platform that delivers the ability to buy radio programmatically at scale,” Jelli says.
“Our work with Horizon underscores the major shift to programmatic happening in radio,” said company Chief Revenue Officer Rich Knopke. “And this is just the beginning with streaming and voice advertising on the rise. We’re excited to be working with a world-class agency like Horizon to bring programmatic radio ad buying to brands nationwide.”
