How Jessica Jerrick helped iHeartMedia bring its ad partners to the metaverse

When iHeartMedia started thinking about getting into the Web3 space, it knew it wanted to bring in its ad partners. And when Fortnite and Roblox said that their players wanted to see more music events, iHeartMedia jumped in. “We did early research on listeners who were spending time in those gaming spaces,” said Jessica Jerrick, who has helped lead iHeartMedia’s Web3 efforts as VP of digital distribution and platform partnerships. “The platforms also told us that music events landed well with audiences and they wanted a more regular cadence of concerts.” See all of Ad Age's Web3 Trailblazers here Since setting up in Fortnite in August 2022 and Roblox a month later, iHeartLand has hosted a total of 20 different podcast and concert events. Jerrick said the brand also wanted to make the worlds fun, even without an event. iHeartLand in Fortnite features escape rooms and racing games, while the Roblox version focuses on a younger audience with a tycoon-style game about building a music and radio empire. Meanwhile, iHeartMedia was hearing from marketers that wanted to be part of the Web3 space but weren’t sure how to show up authentically. Brands including Intel and NYX Professional Makeup now have outposts in iHeartLand, and State Farm bought the naming rights to the worlds’ virtual venues. “We wanted advertising partners to draft off of the fandom we had built,” Jerrick said. “But we also wanted their presence to level up the experience, so we were very intentional with that outreach. It’s not a turnstile of brands.” What advice would you give to teens about using social media today? As a parent to four Gen Z kids raised in the era of smartphones and social media, I know firsthand how hard self-regulation can be. Therefore, I’m a huge advocate for setting boundaries and limits on time spent on social. If you find you are spending more hours endlessly scrolling than you are in real life with friends and family, it’s time to step away for a little digital detox. I think it’s also important not to compare yourself to others on social and remember that the majority of posts are only showing the very best aspects of someone’s life. But my go-to advice is: Be kind, treat others with respect and don’t post anything on social that you wouldn’t want your grandmother, principal or your future self to see. How is new technology changing the way you work? Technology has given us near-limitless access to all the world’s knowledge and one another. Never has there been more opportunity for connection and collaboration across teams, companies, countries, organizations and people. While the pandemic certainly accelerated adoption of certain tech like video-conferencing, remote collaboration tools, VR, Web3 and streaming, I think it’s the recent meteoric rise of AI that will significantly transform and reshape the way we work, promising exponential leaps in efficiency, productivity, complex problem-solving, creativity and collaboration. What’s your favorite blog, TikTok account, podcast or any must-follows in your media diet? As the largest global podcast publisher on the planet, it’s a spoilage of riches when it comes to podcasts here at iHeartMedia. We recently launched a mental health podcast slate and partnered with Jay Shetty to bring his popular podcast “On Purpose” to our iHeartPodcast Network, which I’ve been binge-listening to ever since. Some favorite follows on Instagram are: @theholdernessfamily, @corporatenatalie and @AustinNasso for some humor, and @ucanoutdoors for a daily piece of inspiration. What is the biggest technical leap you’ve had to adjust to in your career and how did you do it? The digital transformation that resulted from the proliferation of smartphones and social media was definitely the biggest technical leap I’ve had to adjust to in my career. This technical leap also gave me the biggest opportunity of my career to help traditional media companies transform their businesses through innovation, ensuring their ability to meet consumers and customers in the new places they were spending time and in the ways they’d expect. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here

How Jessica Jerrick helped iHeartMedia bring its ad partners to the metaverse

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