A Programmatic Option Arrives For iHeart

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NEW YORK — At a client-focused event Wednesday night (3/15) featuring an interview and performance with the pop act Halsey, iHeartMedia unveiled a new digital product that it says leverages its SoundPoint programmatic solution to help advertisers evaluate, plan and buy broadcast radio.


Dubbed “SmartAudio,” iHeart says the added feature of its programmatic solution enables marketers to build innovative campaigns that target key audience segments.

With SmartAudio, iHeartMedia says advertisers can now mine its digital data from more than 95 million registered iHeartRadio listeners, along with second and third-party digital data, consumer and behavioral resources and social networks, to create audience segment profiles of interest.

Advertisers will be able to utilize these enhanced profiles to select the best broadcasting schedules and methods to reach their targeted consumers, iHeart says.

“By utilizing the product’s capabilities, brands will receive the massive scale of broadcast radio and the targetability of digital,” the company notes.

 

“Broadcast radio has the unparalleled advantage of real-time connection with consumers, giving the ability for advertisers to reach enhanced audiences at scale, and even tailor their creative messages for real-time,” said Tim Castelli, President of National Sales, Marketing and Partnerships for iHeartMedia. “We’ve been testing SmartAudio with some of the top brands and we’re already seeing additional impact for those using it. They’re able to leverage the product’s flexibility to decide which specific ad to run based on something as simple as whether the local sports team won or lost last night’s game.”

Seth Goren, SVP/Media Strategy and Analytics at Discovery Communications, chimed in by saying, “SmartAudio allows us to easily sort through the millions of combinations of stations, shows, dayparts and markets, and hone in on the ones that best reach the audiences we care about. Combining the efficiency and scale of radio with data and advanced analytics of digital, moves iHeartMedia beyond the standard age and demo paradigm to create enhanced audience-based plans that drive real business outcomes for us.”

iHeartMedia in April 2015 launched its SoundPoint programmatic and automated ad buying solution for its broadcast radio stations, powered by cloud-based technology innovator Jelli.

“We launched our programmatic platform with the specific goal of bringing the best resources, unprecedented accountability and speed to our advertising partners,” said Castelli. “Industry response to our SoundPoint platform has been so well received that we’re now unveiling SmartAudio which allows audience segmenting and dynamic creative capabilities all in one planning and buying tool.”