The Power of the Middle

The Power of the Middle

From Podcast Advertising Playbook by Heather Osgood

March 4, 2026 · 31 min · Episode 216

About this episode

Heather Osgood interviews Brian Conlan about the impact of programmatic buying on podcast advertising and the potential of mid-tier and long-tail podcasts.

In this episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook , host Heather Osgood sits down with Brian Conlan, President of DAX US, to explore how programmatic buying is reshaping the podcast advertising landscape and why mid-tier and long-tail podcasts may represent one of the most overlooked opportunities in the medium. Brian shares how he entered the podcast space and offers insight into the role DAX US plays in helping advertisers access podcast inventory at scale. Together, he and Heather unpack the assumptions that often drive media planning decisions, why advertisers tend to focus on top-ranked shows, and what brands may be missing when they overlook mid-tier creators and niche audiences. In this episode, we discuss: • Why mid-tier and long-tail podcasts are often undervalued in media plans despite strong audience alignment • How programmatic buying is making it easier for advertisers to scale across a broader range of podcasts • Whether the concept of “mid-tier” podcasts will evolve as buying and execution become more automated If you are looking for smarter ways to scale podcast campaigns while maintaining strong audience alignment, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how…

People in this episode

Host: Heather Osgood

Guest: Brian Conlan

Topics covered

  • podcast advertising
  • programmatic buying
  • mid-tier podcasts
  • long-tail podcasts
  • media planning

Keywords

  • advertising landscape
  • audience alignment
  • niche audiences

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Podcast Advertising Playbook

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