Podcasting is not just for your favourite true crime mysteries or wacky conspiracy theories anymore. Nope, its a powerful business growth tool! Branded podcasts are like the secret weapon of savvy businesses. They combine entertainment, education, and a dash of shameless self-promotion into one delightful audio experience.
Why branded podcasts should matter to you!
There is perhaps no better example of a successful branded podcast than ‘Dish’. Dish is a Waitrose & Partners branded podcast with the ambition to get a new, younger audience talking about their food. And boy have they done that! The show is now entering season 3, has a listener rating of 4.9/5, named as one of the best shows of 2022 by Apple, and averages 200k+ listeners per month.
How did they do it? A combination of the right hosts, seamless product integration and a show that focuses on entertainment!
But Waitrose is by no means an exception. In a report commissioned by the BBC, organisations with branded podcasts saw:
- 89% higher awareness
- 57% higher brand consideration
- 24% higher brand favourability
To summarise, a branded podcast is a marketing endeavor which prioritises storytelling and engaging content over mere product or service promotion. Like Waitrose, a well-executed branded podcast effectively communicates brand messaging and overall values, while simultaneously delivering value to the audience through entertaining, educational, or informative content.
Can Branded Podcasts work for Your Industry?
There are businesses within all industries utilising branded podcasts. For example Luxury brands Channel and Dior. Within B2B HubSpot, ZipRecruiter and Wix are just 3 example among hundreds. Travel is a massive industry for branded podcasts, with many destinations, tourist boards, and attractions hosting their own shows. Within retail there are many examples, Sephora being one particularly popular show. And even companies you might not think as “entertaining/interesting companies” have great podcasts, one example being General Electric’s sci-fi shows The Message and Life After.
Why do all these companies host branded podcasts? Because it works! And it can work for any industry.
Business Strategies Branded Podcasts Support
Here are several specific ways you or your clients business can effectively use branded podcasts in their marketing strategy:
- Brand storytelling: Branded podcasts provide an opportunity to tell compelling stories that align with the brand’s values, mission, and target audience. By creating engaging narratives, businesses can captivate listeners and create a stronger connection with their brand.
- Thought leadership: Businesses can position themselves as industry experts by producing podcasts that share valuable insights, industry trends, and expert interviews. This helps build credibility and trust among the target audience, positioning the brand as a go-to resource for relevant information.
- Product or service promotion: Branded podcasts can subtly promote a company’s products or services by integrating them into the content. This can be done through product reviews, case studies, or stories that demonstrate how the brand’s offerings have positively impacted customers’ lives.
- Partnerships and collaborations: Collaborating with industry influencers, experts, or complementary brands will expand the reach and credibility of the content. Partnerships will also allow for cross-promotion and access to new audiences.
- Cross promotion and repurposing content: Branded podcasts can be repurposed into other forms of content. This will maximize reach and impact. Try transcribing episodes into blog posts, creating social media snippets, or converting interviews into video content. You can then distribute it across multiple channels.
- Brand awareness and loyalty: Consistently delivering high-quality, valuable episodes will increase brand awareness and foster customer loyalty. Also by being consistent with a regular upload schedule you’re reinforcing brand identity and build long-term relationships.
A successful branded podcast must maintain authenticity, provide value to listeners, and focus on creating engaging and informative content. It also needs to align with both your customers and your brand’s overall marketing strategy.
If you’re interesting in launching a branded podcast, Next Broadcast Media can help. We can support you all the way from idea to launch. Book a meeting with us!
