Audio marketing at Wise – a modest but mighty effort to cut through the noise

What does the audio team do, exactly? I’m glad you asked!

I’ll start with our main objective. Simply put, we aim to create informative and engaging podcast ads that connect with listeners who could benefit from using Wise to manage their money internationally. 

Imagine this: you’re listening to your favorite podcast and the show breaks to an ad. Right away, the ad says something that piques your interest. You notice the tone matches the vibe of the show; it’s as if the ad is supposed to be there, and not as if it’s interrupting. 

The ad is easy to comprehend, and it feels like a real human is telling you something important. In the 30 seconds it takes to listen, you learn something new and perhaps you even laugh a little. At the very least, this brief encounter ensures the advertiser’s name sticks in your memory, and the next time you need what they have to offer — you decide to look them up first. 

That’s what Wise hopes happens each time someone hears one of our podcast ads. Getting that formula right and identifying where to reach the right audiences is key to acquiring new customers and contributing to Wise’s growth. 

What’s a day-in-the-life of a media planner at Wise?

While our end goal seems straightforward enough, there are quite a few moving parts that need to be looked after in order to execute successfully on that vision. Much of my day-to-day involves focusing on some mix of the following . . . 

• Customer research & insights
• Strategy setting
• Podcast discovery
• Audience alignment
• Media planning
• Contract negotiation
• Creative development
• Ad trafficking
• Tracking and measurement 
• Campaign optimization
• Campaign analysis

Making sure all of these pieces fit neatly together to form a cohesive process requires close collaboration between the audio, product, copywriting, and data analyst teams at Wise. It also relies heavily on maintaining strong relationships with external podcast publishers, ad networks and ad tech partners. If I’ve learned one thing from my time spent working in this role, it’s that communication is king (or queen 👸)! The more clear, open and frequent, the better

What excites me most about my job?

Sustainably operating and growing a marketing channel requires plenty of industrious effort. However, I constantly find myself feeling energized by the amount of opportunity that exists when you work for a company that encourages its people to nurture new ideas and to take chances. 

I’m reminded of something my parents used to tell me. Whenever I approached them with a new idea, they would say, “prove to me that you have a plan.” No matter how outlandish my proposition, it would be considered so long as I could demonstrate I had sound reasoning for what I was suggesting. Not all of my endeavors ended successfully (like when I was 7 and forcefully argued that bringing a pet hamster into our home with 3 curious cats was a harmless opportunity to practice responsibility 😬RIP Hamlet) but nonetheless, I learned to temper my ambition with critical thinking. 

Case study

My experience at Wise has not been dissimilar. I’ll share an example. Not too long ago, I was chatting about podcasts over lunch with one of my colleagues on Wise’s design team. He excitedly told me that he had a few ideas about how Wise could start producing its own audio content to connect with customers. Within a matter of hours we had rearranged our schedules to allow for an animated brainstorm with a handful of other stakeholders, Wise’s Global Head of Marketing included. 

Less than a week later, we were given the chance to share our ideas with a wider group. We were challenged to present on how our project could ultimately help move Wise closer to achieving its mission; essentially we were told, “prove to me that you have a plan.” After laying out our roadmap, the very next question we were asked was “how can Wise help get this going and what other support will you need along the way?”. A big, bold green light. 

Fast forward to now, a few months later, and we’re well on our way to sharing our completed project with the rest of the Wise community. This is the nimbleness that can exist when a company is committed to eliminating red tape; to empowering its people to think creatively, trust their intuition and always aim high.

Did this spark your curiosity? We’re hiring!

At Wise we’re always looking for bright and passionate people to join our teams. It’s great when we’re able to bring on folks with role-specific experience and expertise, but more importantly, we’re looking to speak with people who approach their work with genuine curiosity and enthusiasm. 

At the end of the day, we’re all here to solve problems. Often, big and complex problems. We know that we can’t come up with innovative solutions if we don’t build a community that supports new ideas and diverse perspectives. 

If I could travel back in time and give myself one piece of advice when I was starting my career at Wise, I’d tell myself this – your role here is defined by your own ambitions. Not by job postings, descriptions or outlines. Those things are important, sure, but there is so much space left between the lines. And it’s completely up to you to figure out how to fill that space! Identify which parts of the work excite you the most, and lean in to letting your intuition and curiosities lead you from there. Ask lots of questions, seek out opportunities to challenge your assumptions and be thoughtful when building out big ideas. And then share them with anyone who will listen.