Podcast Proves Perfect Home for Advertiser Product

While the traditional mediums are still around and regularly considered by companies looking to get their message out, it’s 2020 and nowadays it’s a podcast that proves to be the perfect home for an advertiser product. One need look no further than the testimony to that in the story of Joseph Berto and his unique item and the audio home it has found.

Ten years ago, Berto invented an auto-sifting sand cleaning tool that was successfully used for separating the oil from beach sand. This tool helped pick up the oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig disaster, and was especially useful around sensitive areas, such as turtle nesting sites. After the spill cleanup was completed, Berto began to look at other markets for this innovative and patented product.

He soon realized it would be perfect for horse owners too.

The tried and true methods

To sell the product and gain exposure, for many years he traveled the country attending horse expositions and shows, standing in a booth pitching the product. However, as much as the horse people loved the product, direct sales like this was a time consuming and expensive way to market the Shake'n Fork. At one show he met an As-Seen-on-TV marketer, but although they loved the product and promised to make "Make (him) a millionaire," their reality didn't match their hype and the show was never aired.

Berto was contacted and interviewed by Tractor Supply Company in Nashville, Tennessee. They too loved the product, but felt the margins were a bit soft. They said that they would help him set up manufacturing in China that would bring the price point down significantly. In return they would receive all the additional profits, which would allow them to put it in their stores for national distribution. Berto was determined to keep the manufacturing in the USA, so he passed on that opportunity.

By now several years had passed, and except for an online webpage, he had pretty much given up on any national exposure. Then one day he was driving to work and on his new iPhone he happened to catch a podcast called “Horses in the Morning” on the Horse Radio Network. He was thoroughly entertained by the on-air antics of “Glenn the Geek" and his excitable sidekick Jamie Jennings. During Berto’s drives, he listened to dozens of previously aired shows as well as the daily editions and was impressed. He reached out to Glenn and asked if he had any ideas on how he might be able to increase his sales.

Podcast proves perfect home

Well, as it so happened, Glenn knew that 40% of his audience loves listening to his show when they are cleaning out their stalls and they could always use the help. So, Glenn made a deal with Berto and shortly after that, Glenn and Jamie started using the manure fork and, on “Horses in the Morning,” talked about this unique invention while the people were undergoing the pain of cleaning their stalls. It was the perfect placement of product and listener!

The audience was receptive and tried the Auto Sifting manure fork. Thanks to Glenn the Geek and the Horse Radio community, Berto tapped into an amazingly loyal and responsive market. This has led to a nearly ten-year advertising relationship with Horse Radio Network. Glenn also brought Berto on as a host once a month on “Horses in the Morning.”

Once a podcast is aired, it goes into an online medium that is always available, and the commercials of the day are included even in the older podcasts AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE! Having tried every sales medium, from Expos, to pitching to millionaires and huge corporations, Berto attests that there is no better value than the HITM podcast.

Influencers the world over are allowing products and services to find a home that traditional models have not allowed in the past. That is why hosting events like Podfest and Vidfest is crucial to the growth of this new economy.