In recent months, we’ve become active fans of podcasting, mindful that Americans download over 100,000,000 podcasts every month.

So, beyond recommending and placing podcast media buys on behalf of our clients, we took the plunge ourselves and sponsored a three-week run of comedian/talk show host Dennis Miller’s podcast, “Miller Time.”

The “Miller Time” audience numbers (roughly 12,000 daily downloads) dwarf in size next to, say, Adam Carolla’s top-rated podcast with 40 times the followers.  But that also makes “Miller Time” more affordable and better targeted to reach well-educated fans of Miller; an assumption based on Miller’s limber linguistics and programming content.

By extension, we hoped Miller’s podcast would reach an audience that indexed above the general population for professionals likely to make a buying decision on the selection of an advertising agency.

I’ll also confess it was seductive to imagine the sound of Dennis Miller’s voice and quick-burst cadence sharing words of praise for The Radio Agency.  We wrote two scripts that were submitted for Miller’s review and approval, aware of the fine line between deftly-worded suggestion and personal endorsement.

To our satisfaction, Miller approved both radio scripts and voiced recorded versions for our review.  We were most pleased with the outcome.  Give a listen to one of the late February podcasts:

Dennis Miller Podcasts 

Perhaps the most remarkable part of this experience was the sticker shock over the cost of having Miller voice two commercials for The Radio Agency and then sponsoring his podcast for three weeks.  And by sticker shock, I mean, “Holy Cow is this ever affordable!” sticker shock.  Sure, the media is priced to fairly reflect the number of advertising impressions being made on Miller’s admittedly finite following.  But the panache of affiliating our brands and the instant morale boost to our staff was well worth the investment.

Hopefully, Miller’s loyal listeners will hear those ads and call us to learn more about The Radio Agency’s singular focus on all forms of Sound Advertising.  But, at minimum, now YOU know that this viable form of persuasive advertising is within your reach and within your budget.  Call me at 800-969-AMFM for the rest of the story.

Mark Lipsky is the President and CEO of The Radio Agency. Please follow The Radio Agency’s Blog “Sounding Board” by subscribing to the email or RSS links above.Visit our website TheRadioAgency.com