How Brands Actually Spend in Podcasting with Courtney O’Connor

What actually makes a podcast worth buying for advertisers?

In this episode, Courtney O'Connor, Director of Podcast Media at Oxford Road, breaks down how brands actually evaluate, buy, and scale podcast campaigns. From her early start at Veritone One to now leading podcast strategy at one of the most established agencies in the space, Courtney has operated inside the shift from indie creator reads to performance-driven media buying at scale.

Courtney brings a media buyer’s perspective from inside one of the most established agencies in the space, where performance, not just reach, determines how dollars are spent and shares the case that alignment between brand, host, and audience is what actually drives results. The conversation also explores how host-read advertising continues to anchor the ecosystem, even as video, attribution, and platform fragmentation reshape how campaigns are executed and measured.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why host-read ads remain the entry point for many brands
• How media buyers actually evaluate podcasts beyond downloads
• Why audience fit matters more than scale in campaign performance
• How small, niche shows can still drive meaningful results
• What brand safety looks like in practice across advertisers
• Why podcast advertising is fundamentally a trust-based ecosystem
• How fragmented data and attribution impact buying decisions
• The shift toward video and multi-platform consumption
• Why “test, learn, scale” is the operating model for campaigns

Episode Chapters

(00:31) Where the money is in podcasting: host-read media

(01:40) Courtney’s path into podcast advertising

(05:21) Evolution of brand and creator relationships

(06:01) Why downloads aren’t a deal breaker

(07:28) Indie creators vs celebrity talent

(10:14) Trust and performance in podcast advertising

(12:15) Metrics, attribution, and data challenges

(16:24) Fragmentation across platforms

(18:08) Brand safety and campaign fit

(20:52) Matching brands with creators

(23:51) Trends in podcast media buying

(25:17) Video and changing consumption

(26:07) Test-and-learn mindset

(27:13) What goes into campaign execution

(28:07) What’s next for podcasting

About the Guest

Courtney O'Connor is Director of Podcast Media at Oxford Road, where she leads host-read podcast advertising strategy for brands investing in the medium. She began her career at Veritone One and has grown alongside the podcast industry as it evolved into a performance-driven channel, working across creator partnerships, attribution, and campaign strategy.

Connect with Courtney

Connect with Courtney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coconnortcu/

Some Additional PodBiz Buzz

“I’m going to say the money is in endorsed host-run media. I love that is what the industry was built on… connecting brands with creators that have this unbreakable trust with their audience.”

“I personally have bought podcasts with 65 downloads… there is a time and a place for it and if it’s the right fit, we’re going to buy it.”

“We are working in a trust based ecosystem… our brands are trusting us to make the right decision with their dollars and spend it wisely.”

“That is exactly what it is… matchmaking in connecting those brands and creators that make sense.”

“We have to be the best stewards of our clients’ money… if it doesn’t work, that campaign is going to stop and the client’s not going to come back.”

PodBiz is the podcast about the business of podcasting. Hosted by industry veterans Norma Jean Belenky and John Kiernan, the show features conversations with creators, executives, and platform leaders to answer one question: Where’s the money in podcasting?

Each episode dives into monetization strategy, adtech, branded content, IP development, and audience growth. Guests include leaders from Acast, Captivate, Crooked Media, Buzzsprout, True Native Media, Podfest, and more.

Learn more: njbmedia.co | thepodhouseproductions.com

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