Whereas WMN’s comparatively small measurement makes it difficult to persuade advert salespeople to hitch it as an alternative of a bigger firm, its mission and success in wooing manufacturers like Microsoft have helped develop the ranks. Amid cultural shifts that included a pandemic, the homicide of George Floyd and the repeal of Roe v. Wade, WMN discovered listeners, hosts and sponsors extra than ever in its underrepresented voices.
“For many, particularly large company manufacturers, our mission is palatable,” Atkins stated. “It’s not too polarizing, per se, and I believe that’s additionally a profit on the subject of gross sales conversations and partnership conversations.”
Not everybody desires a bespoke advert, and attempting to promote one to the improper firm is “a complete uphill battle,” however Atkins continues to be working her well beyond the businesses that say no to the much less risk-averse decision-makers who see the worth of sure.” WMN stays a hungry startup in some ways, and Atkins stated she and Kaplan are nonetheless transferring ahead based mostly on relationships they constructed by going to conferences, sending chilly emails and getting pals to make cellphone calls.
“We’re nonetheless a small enterprise, so each new connection issues,” she stated. “We’re constructing a community, not solely of reveals, however of people that actually imagine—and it’s been tremendous rewarding.
This story is a part of the Audio Awards particular function.
