Audion’s Global CMO, Geoffrey Fossier tells PodcastingToday about the company’s strategic direction and its future growth.
The digital audio advertising specialist is accelerating its international expansion following a $15 million funding round, as the company looks to strengthen its presence in the United States and further develop its AI-powered advertising technology.
Speaking to PodcastingToday, Fossier outlined the company’s vision for the future of digital audio, arguing that podcasting, streaming audio and video are increasingly converging into a single content ecosystem.
Founded in France eight years ago, Audion has grown into a global advertising technology business focused on helping brands and agencies achieve better results from digital audio campaigns.
The company now operates across multiple international markets, with offices including Paris, New York, London, Milan, Brussels, Amsterdam and Hamburg.
Fossier described digital audio as one of the most fragmented media sectors, with listeners consuming content across a wide range of platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, YouTube and others.
“For brands and agencies, it can be extremely complicated to navigate,” he explained. “Our role is to act as a one-stop shop, giving advertisers access to audiences across all major streaming and podcast platforms.”
One of Audion’s key focuses is helping advertisers navigate what it sees as the growing overlap between audio and video content.
As more podcasts are produced with video versions and distributed across platforms such as YouTube, the distinction between audio and video advertising is becoming less clear.
Fossier believes this creates both opportunities and challenges for advertisers, many of whom still manage audio and video campaigns separately.
To address this, Audion launched Audion AI earlier this year, a platform designed to help brands identify the most suitable content environments for their advertising campaigns.
Rather than simply providing access to inventory, the technology analyses content across multiple platforms and recommends where advertisers are most likely to achieve their objectives.
Fossier gave the example of an automotive manufacturer launching a new vehicle. Depending on whether the goal is to build awareness or drive visits to dealerships, the AI platform may recommend entirely different content and audience environments across podcast, audio and video platforms.
“The challenge isn’t just finding content,” he said. “It’s identifying the right content for the right objective.”
The company’s broader aim is to position digital audio as a fully measurable advertising medium capable of delivering results throughout the marketing funnel.
That belief formed the basis of new research Audion commissioned with media effectiveness specialist Happydemics.
According to Fossier, many advertisers still view digital audio through the same lens as traditional radio, primarily as a channel for awareness and brand building.
However, Audion’s research argues that digital audio can influence every stage of the customer journey, from awareness and consideration through to website visits, store visits and conversions.
“The perception is often that audio is only a top-of-funnel medium,” he said. “What we’re trying to demonstrate is that digital audio combines the emotional power of voice with the measurement capabilities of digital media.”
The study also sought to compare digital audio’s effectiveness against other channels, including social media advertising, connected television and digital out-of-home advertising.
Fossier believes advertisers are entering what he describes as an “audio performance era”, where campaigns can be measured and optimised in real time against specific business objectives.
To support that ambition, Audion recently secured $15 million in new funding.
The investment will be used for two main purposes. The first is expanding into the United States, a market Audion believes remains underserved despite its size and maturity.
Fossier said early conversations with advertisers and partners in the US have produced encouraging feedback, particularly around the company’s technology and cross-platform approach.
The second priority is continued investment in Audion AI, which the company sees as the foundation of its future growth strategy.
Demonstrating its commitment to the US market, co-founder Arthur Larrey will relocate to New York later this year to oversee the launch of Audion’s American operation.
While fellow co-founder Kamel El Hadef remains in Paris to lead the company’s EMEA activities, Larrey will establish the New York office and recruit between eight and ten employees before the end of the year.
For Audion, the expansion represents the next stage of a business that believes digital audio has moved beyond its traditional role as a branding channel.
As podcasting, streaming audio and video continue to converge, the company is betting that advertisers will increasingly demand platforms capable of delivering measurable outcomes across all forms of digital media.
