Ben Shapiro and Jeremy Boreing have turned The Daily Wire into a digital media juggernaut, with a strong focus on podcasts. Shapiro believes for that growth to continue the company needs the support of advertisers from a wide variety of backgrounds.
While speaking at the IAB Podcast Upfront last week, Shapiro discussed the growth of podcast space, but also the lack of growth in the current event/political sphere.
He pushed ad buyers to not listen to pushback they might receive on social media for purchasing time on podcasts like The Ben Shapiro Show.
“I understand why companies, including our own, use a lot of these social media as feedback loops to test the temperature of an audience on what was going on. But it’s not real,” Shapiro said, according to Podcast News Daily. “Twitter is a place filled with bots and foolish people, and there is no reason why you should be led around by the nose. That’s not your audience, it actually is not.
“And that’s true in virtually all social media. Your audience are the people who are buying your product. If you see a decline in sales, that’s a reason to cut off advertising. Just because some schmuck calls your office three times from a phone number that you don’t recognize is probably not a great reason to start rethinking your entire advertising strategy.”
Ben Shapiro said that when he and Boreing launched the company in 2015, many advertisers were hesitant to partner with conservative content. And while some may still be weary of the partnership, he argued it is not only good for those companies, but it’s also good for the nation.
“As we navigate this election year, you might not always side with what I say or what The Daily Wire stands for. And that’s okay,” Shapiro said. “I remain bullish that the podcast industry will continue to be a platform for all viewpoints. In order for that to remain the case, I hope that you all consider sponsoring all the sides, not just the ones that you personally agree with. Because there are audiences all across the political spectrum. It’s good for your business, and it’s very good for the country.”
