From an advertiser's perspective, podcasts are a confusing field. At the same time, many podcasters struggle to earn money. Julep wants to change that and connects podcasters with advertisers. Steffen Hopf, Managing Director of Julep Media, explains what else his company offers.
Munich Startup: Who are you and what do you do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Steffen HopfJulep is a marketplace that brings podcasters and advertisers together. What's special about it is that, in addition to monetization, we also offer podcasters production and hosting—all from a single source. Advertisers also benefit: They have the opportunity to book their messages in podcasts easily, digitally, and transparently.
Julep is backed by an experienced founding team that has successfully built several companies. Many know each other from previous collaborations, for example at ProSiebensat.1. To name all the founders here would probably go beyond the scope of this article.
To name at least two: Marcus Englert (54), former Digital Director of ProSiebenSat.1, now active as an investor, serial entrepreneur, and honorary professor at Macromedia University. And Sebastian Weil (41), also an investor and serial entrepreneur, who previously founded Studio71, the TV group's multichannel network. If you're interested in the complete team, check out www.julep.de pure.
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Steffen Hopf: There are a multitude of podcasts, and new ones are being added every day. But many podcasters are unable to adequately capitalize on their work. Our goal is to democratize the podcast market. We want to give every podcaster the opportunity to monetize their content.
At the same time, we are also solving a problem for advertising companies, as they have not had the opportunity to book advertising across multiple podcasts in a scalable and simple way.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Steffen Hopf: Yes, in the US and UK, but not yet in this form in German-speaking countries. Our USP is that we are the only marketplace in Germany with access to both the local advertising market and local podcasters, while also having local market knowledge.
Not to mention: We also operate our own studio and support podcasters with all aspects of service: from production and technology to distribution and increasing reach. All in all, this is unique in this country.
Julep: “People are listening to more podcasts than ever before”
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Steffen Hopf: The programming and development of the platform took place at record speed—we're talking just a few months from the idea to the launch. This wouldn't have worked if most of us hadn't known each other for so long. We're a well-coordinated team.
And the second challenge—not surprisingly—is, of course, the coronavirus. We, too, are seeing the impact on the advertising industry. We are supporting our customers during this difficult time with targeted offers, for example, for e-commerce or home entertainment.
Munich Startup: How are things going?
Steffen Hopf: For the services just mentioned, for example, advertising in podcasts is a prime fit. People are listening to more podcasts than ever before. Smartphones are within easy reach, and mobile stores are often just a button press away. You just have to approach it creatively.
In the three months since our launch, we have already attracted 95 podcasters and more than 20 advertisers, such as Deezer and Sonos, to our offering.
Munich Startup: How do you rate Munich as a startup location?
Steffen Hopf: Munich is an ideal location for startups. The scene is very active. There are also large media companies, all of which are potential partners for us. We have already signed a marketing partnership with Sport1. More will follow.
Munich Startup: In what situations do you prefer to listen to podcasts?
Steffen Hopf: We love podcasts because you can listen to them anywhere: while doing housework, on the way to the office, while jogging, or in the evening on the couch. And we listen to them in all of these situations.
