13 chapters across the catalog
A new awards program titled the No Agenda Podcast Awards, or the GOATS, is introduced. Unlike traditional ceremonies, these awards will feature categories specific to the medium such as "Best Vocal Fry," "Most Use of the Word Right," and "Best Transition to an Ad Read." Producers who have donated to the show are invited to submit clips for nomination, with the hosts maintaining final control over the winners.
Pharmaceutical Marketing for Menopause and Perimenopause
The hosts critique a news segment featuring Dr. Alicia Robbins, who suggests that women in their 40s should use weight loss drugs to manage perimenopause symptoms. They characterize this as "ghoulish" marketing intended to expand the consumer base for GLP-1 drugs to younger, healthy populations.
Doctors at Health Partners in the Twin Cities are testing an intranasal insulin spray for Alzheimer's patients, which reportedly improves memory within 15 minutes. The hosts noted the segment's title "Hope for Joe" and suggested the news report eventually devolved into a "native ad" for the spraying device.
A humorous "socializing tip" suggests using a spray bottle with blue dye to mock the excessive cleaning procedures seen in public spaces. This leads into a discussion of "native ads" on local news stations, where Amazon purchased segments that appeared to be independent news stories about their COVID-19 safety measures. A supercut shows eleven different stations using the exact same script to praise Amazon's operations.
The early viral videos of the Wuhan outbreak, showing people collapsing in streets, originated on the Chinese-owned platform TikTok. The hosts point to a February 6th segment on NBC's Today Show featuring TikTok star Brent Rivera as a "native ad" for the platform. They suggest the platform was used to seed panic globally while the Chinese government simultaneously pressured Western media to avoid "racist" terminology.
The hosts analyze the "Secret Santa" phenomenon as a potential form of native advertising for Walmart. They note that while other stores like Burlington Coat Factory and TJ Maxx offer layaway, the media stories almost exclusively feature Walmart. The discussion suggests these "feel-good" stories serve as high-value PR for the retail giant during the Christmas season.
A viral video featuring an Army Major in Kuwait communicating with his children via a Ring doorbell is identified as a likely native advertisement. The story, which received national coverage, portrays the device as a tool for military families to stay connected. The hosts suggest the timing of the "hero dad" story is intended to bolster Ring's brand image.
Luis Elizondo, To The Stars Academy, Men In Black
Former military intelligence officer Luis Elizondo appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight to claim the U.S. government possesses UFO debris. However, Elizondo is the director of To The Stars Academy, a company that blends aerospace science with cinematic entertainment. The sudden surge in UFO news is identified as a "native ad" or promotional tie-in for the movie Men In Black: International, starring Liam Neeson.
Gimlet Media, once hailed as a revolutionary podcast network, is criticized for shifting its business model toward producing branded content for companies like Ford, Tinder, and eBay. The hosts argue this confirms their prediction that traditional podcast networks cannot be monetized through ads alone and must eventually become ad agencies. They reflect on their own history with "Podshow" in 2005 and the lessons learned about the industry.
The resignation of Howard Schultz as CEO of Starbucks is discussed. The hosts question why this is treated as major national news, suggesting it is either a result of effective PR or a native advertisement intended to "stroke" corporate partners.
The rise of native advertising—ads designed to look like editorial content—is discussed as a threat to traditional journalism. Politico recently hired a "native officer" to lead its branded content department, following the lead of The Washington Post and The Atlantic. The hosts argue that outlets like Vice are essentially advertising agencies disguised as news organizations, where high production budgets are used to obfuscate the promotional nature of the content.
The release of iOS 9 introduced mobile ad-blocking capabilities, which significantly improve page load speeds and reduce data costs for users. Industry executives, including John Steinberg of the Daily Mail, suggest that publishers will pivot toward "native advertising" and "hard-coded" ads to bypass these blockers.
NPR Velveeta Shortage Story and Native Advertising Critique
An NPR story regarding a "Cheesepocalypse" or Velveeta shortage is deconstructed as a blatant example of native advertising. The hosts point out that the source of the story was Kraft's own Tumblr page, launched during "Advertiser Week." They estimate the value of such a four-minute "earned media" segment on national public radio to be between $50,000 and $150,000.
