Radio is intimate, mobile, and interactive. So are podcasts. You can travel on a train. Ride on a bus. Even glide down the road on your skateboard. It is there with you. Sharing insights, entertaining you while the world glides by.
What is a branded podcast?
It’s simply a podcast created by a business or a brand. It could be a startup, small or medium-sized business, large corporation or even a non-profit organisation. These companies use podcasts because they tremendously impact listeners at a relatively low cost.
Let’s look at the creative ways various brands have used podcasts. Hopefully, you’ll find an example you can use in your business.
Expand your reach
If you want to grow your business, it stands to reason that you have to expand your reach. Companies use PPC (pay per click) campaigns, social media and various traditional marketing campaigns and advertisements. Podcasts are a relatively cheap alternative to growing your audience organically. Spotify did exactly that. When they entered the podcast arena in 2019 with ‘For the Record’, Apple was the main kid on the block. Just three years later Spotify is giving Apple a run for their money with 32.5 million US listeners compared to Apple’s 28.5 million.
Slack is worth a mention. They invested their marketing dollars in podcast sponsorships to reach people working in teams. Their goal? They wanted to turn users into influencers. The show reached two million listeners with the first 15 episodes. You do the math.
Staying top of mind
Everyone brushes their teeth right? Well, we hope so. Why is that important? Other than hygiene, brands like Zendium care because they make toothpaste. Those two minutes you brush your teeth every morning turned into an opportunity for Zendium to not just be in their audience’s mouths. They published ‘Two minutes of Zen’, a podcast discussing everything that will keep your mouth, mind and body healthy. Talk about top of mind!
Deeper engagement
Podcasts do more than just pay lip service to two-way conversations. They engage listeners more than any other marketing tool. Reddit, the front page of the Internet, started ‘The endless thread’, a podcast digging into the endless communities on Reddit. 330 million users in over 140 thousand communities engage in some jaw-dropping conversations.
Earn trust
Trader Joe and American Food Store decided a series of podcasts (about five) would give customers some insight into the food they buy. ‘Inside Trader Joe’ spoke to their crew to find out what happens behind the scenes. Nobody knows a company better than its employees, right? Now broadcasting episode 50, Inside Trader Joe has built more than just trust by talking to its employees. It has built a large following of loyal customers who can’t wait for the next episode.
Turn the tide of bad PR
When your brand makes the front page for the wrong reasons, the only way to hush the negative voices is by shouting louder. Mcdonald’s did just that. When their special ‘limited batch’ of special Szechuan sauce ran out. They were overrun by bad publicity in an attempt to boost the main brand. ‘The Sauce’, a three-part podcast along the lines of ‘Serial’, investigated the stories behind the whole saga. Mcdonald’s succeeded in stemming the negative tide by creating a bigger wave. Listen and learn!
These are just a few examples of branded podcasts. A well-executed branded podcast that works is not just about the podcast itself, but about everything including the strategy, research, storytelling and distribution.
Truevo recently launched its branded podcast @TruevoTalks where we dive into everything payments, ecommerce and business. Follow our journey by subscribing to hear the latest episodes. And if you’re looking for a payments provider to boot, you know where to find us. Check out our popular article on How to start a podcast.
