Meet Micah, Gumball’s East Coast Sales Director

I had a chance to sit down with our East Coast Sales Director, Micah Hurwitz, for a quick Q&A.

Outside of figuring out his coffee order the next time we visit Devoción together, I asked a few industry-related questions I'm excited to share with you all. 

Let’s start with an easy question. What’s your role at Gumball? 

Micah Hurwitz: I'm the Sales Director on the East Coast. I help manage key accounts, and focus on bringing in new business.  

What's your go-to coffee order?

MH: Cold brew on the reg, but an iced cortado to be fancy.

What’s your favorite podcast? What makes it special and how loyal of a listener are you?

MH: The podcasts I listen to are mostly to stay on top of business news and current events—my favorite is Pivot. Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway are both role models of mine, and they are insightful, light-hearted, and have a great dynamic. 

What’s a podcast ad you heard or saw recently that blew you away? What about it made it stand out? 

MH: A recent Liquid Death spot on Stavvy’s World was great. It was engaging, genuinely funny, and he is clearly a fan of the product, which really came through in the read as he was drinking one on screen! An authentic endorsement always makes for an impactful experience.  

Are Embedded Ads and Integrated Ads the same thing?

MH: Embedded Ads are ads that dynamically target a single episode and get removed after they have been delivered in full within 30 days. Integrated Ads are baked into the episode file and remain in the content for a minimum of 12 months. See Gumball's glossary in the help center. 

What do advertisers care more about, brand awareness or campaign performance/sales?

MH: Driving action is always key for our partners, and is frequently the most important metric for measuring success. Podcast advertising can be seen as a full-funnel approach to marketing—it helps build awareness and brand favorability through a host’s personality, but also has the power to tap into their influence to drive specific brand actions (e.g., site visits, downloads, and purchases). Creators should always be mindful of how their ad execution can drive brand actions and performance.

Are Dynamic Ads more desirable than Embedded Ads?

MH: Embedded Ads are typically valued more highly than Dynamic Ads and as a result, they can command a higher CPM. The advertiser feedback we receive suggests that performance is strongest in an episodic format, which tends to have lower listener frequency and a longer tail for brand actions.

An assumption we see some creators make is the idea that "more ads in my podcast will make more revenue." What advice would you have for those creators?

MH: More ads might mean more money in the short term; however, if you just focus on landing as many brands as possible, you can lose sight of a genuine endorsement which could lead to long-term renewal campaigns. The best recipe for sustained advertising success is to focus on long-term partnerships with an authentic connection to the brand. That way the ads can evolve with you over time, and you can become a true spokesperson for the sponsor. In their recent Ad Nauseam report, Sounds Profitable found that the ideal numbers of ads in a podcast before you turn away listeners is 2-3 ads per episode.