White Media is a dual-purpose audio advertising agency founded in July, connecting independent podcasters with advertisers while offering audio planning services for brands across Australia. Operating from the Gold Coast, the company serves two distinct audiences: independent podcast creators seeking monetization and advertisers looking to understand Australia’s audio market.

Founder and Director Frankie White established the company after identifying that “campaigns were traditionally doing solely audio buys, whereas now we’re not just looking at solely audio. We need to add on to campaigns, social media posts, branded episodes, and collaborative content. We are no longer looking at solely traditional audio buys.”

With a roster of six podcasts already under representation, including the number-two National Rugby League podcast in Australia, the agency aims to elevate podcast advertising in the creator economy.

With 12 years of experience across Southern Cross Austereo, BBC Radio 1, News Corp, and Australian Radio Network, Frankie developed a thorough understanding of audio production, sales, and strategy. This expertise informs her agency’s distinctive value proposition: combining podcast representation with strategic audio planning to create campaigns that resonate rather than interrupt. 

“Audio advertising is no longer just about being heard, it’s about being remembered,” Frankie says.

Reimagining Podcast Advertising

According to Frankie, the Australian podcast industry is saturated. “There’s a lot of podcasters doing very similar things,” she notes. The industry veteran believes that traditional podcast advertising – pre-recorded spots inserted between content segments – often fails to capture listener attention. 

“People skip through those ads,” Frankie observes about generic pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll spots. Meanwhile, advertisers find it difficult to measure campaign effectiveness: “Podcasting is quite hard to track a return on investment. The systems are still sort of being built out at the moment to be able to monitor that.”

To avoid these pitfalls, White Media creates integrated campaigns that feel like natural extensions of the content rather than interruptions. The agency combines host-read endorsements, branded content series, social media extensions, and live events to create multidimensional experiences for listeners.

Frankie notes this integrated strategy delivers value to both sides of White Media’s business model. For independent podcasters, it creates monetization opportunities that preserve their authentic voice. For advertisers, it provides a more engaging way to reach highly committed audiences. 

Leveraging Connections

Central to White Media’s approach is the relationship between podcast hosts and their listeners, a connection that creates unique advertising opportunities when handled correctly.

“Host-read ads are so important just because listeners who are fans of the podcast know the voices of the hosts,” Frankie says. “Listeners really build emotional attachments to the hosts, especially if they’re huge fans of the podcast. Pretty much anything they say they’ll do.”

Frankie has experienced this influence firsthand: “I’m guilty of that, too. With podcasts I’ve listened to, I’ve gone and purchased beauty products, for example, that they’ve promoted just because it was on the podcast.”

Working with independent podcasters requires a delicate balance between monetization and genuine connection with audiences. Frankie guides creators on maintaining their voice while becoming commercially viable: “If they do want to have investments coming through the podcast, they need to be careful. They can still talk about quite rogue and wild things, but you still just need to be a little bit careful with what you’re saying.”

This guidance extends beyond advertising strategy to core podcast development. “Because I’ve got experience as well in the production side of things, I do give them ideas and tips on strategy,” Frankie says. “It is nice to see them taking my feedback on board, and it is very exciting to see their podcasts grow and scale.” 

The Independent Advantage

Frankie highlights White Media’s independence from larger media conglomerates as a key advantage in executing its vision. “The beauty of being independent is that there’s no internal politics, it’s not a huge media publisher, so you can get away with doing a little bit more,” Frankie explains.

This agility enables Frankie to create personalized campaigns that larger networks often struggle to deliver. “When you’re doing big podcast campaigns with some of the big publishers, it is quite hard to track, and you are just sort of another number in the business. No one is giving them that boutique agency touch,” Frankie says. 

Frankie’s industry connections, built over her years in radio and podcasting, provide a competitive edge in this personalized approach. “For me, that’s probably one of my biggest strengths through my career so far; being able to really build amazing connections and relationships within the industry,” she says.

This network allows Frankie to match advertisers with appropriate podcasts while helping both sides create effective campaigns. Her audio background also enables her to advise clients on allocating their budget across radio, digital audio, and podcasting. “A lot of the big agencies that I’ve noticed have audio offerings – have never actually worked in audio,” Frankie points out.

Building for the Future

In just two months since its launch, White Media has already secured a roster of six podcasts and begun developing creative campaigns for its clients. The company is growing, with Matilda McKinnon, Head of Sales, joining the team to help expand its operations.

Frankie’s vision for the future goes beyond the current business model to establish White Media as a prominent audio resource in Australia. “I really want to be known as the hub for audio in Australia,” she explains. “I want to be known as the trusted partner for effective audio advertising solutions.”

This vision includes expanding the agency’s client list, particularly in growing sectors like health and wellness. “There’s a huge rise at the moment in longevity and taking care of your health,” Frankie says. “There are all sorts of new products and businesses that are popping up all the time.”

Frankie is now also offering consulting services to independent podcasters who prefer to handle sales themselves, “helping them with their media kits and schedules. Many of these podcasters don’t even know anything about media kits, schedules, and how to commercialise the podcast,” she explains.

Looking further ahead, Frankie anticipates notable technological changes in podcast advertising. “I think there’s going to be a lot of AI in five years.” 

Despite these technological advancements, Frankie believes the human element will remain essential. “There is power for agencies – because there’s no personalized touch there,” she notes about fully automated systems.

Although the startup phase has brought its demands and challenges, Frankie’s passion for audio and belief in her business model drive her forward despite these difficulties. “Our expertise as an agency drives impactful campaigns that are tailored to elevate the brand’s reach and engagement in a competitive market,” she concludes. 

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