Why is the branded podcast the key to your brand content strategy?

+52% / year! That's the annual increase in the number of people listening to native* podcasts and/or audio replay in France.(See the Harris Media study "Les chiffres du podcast")As you can see... At a time when attention spans are plummeting for all media.... Podcasting, on the other hand, is racking up hours of listening time(now I know I've got your attention!).9% of French people (around 5.8 million listeners) are listening to original podcasts, story podcasts, expert interview podcasts... So much so, in fact, that native podcasts are now on the verge of dethroning traditional radio(seriously? That's it!) This media UFO, now known as "audio on demand (AOD)", "program on demand" or even "program on demand"(to please the the Commission d'enrichissement de la langue françaisePodcasting has moved beyond the buzz stage to establish itself as a media in its own right. But as we all know, new marketing channels or mediums are always scary at first(Calliopé is no stranger to new clients...).

Is audio viable for my brand? Is the investment in a podcast strategy worth it? Will the relationship with my customers be strengthened?

ContentsThe right solution for every challenge!

1. Capitalize on available listening time
2. Create a direct link between the brand and its end consumer
3. Content strategy for differentiation
4. Podcast: the B2B and B2C frontier is blurring
5. Audio offers powerful creative freedom

Let's discover the powerful benefits of audio or podcasting for your external brand communication.

Capitalize on available listening time

As Michel Polnareff said, we'll all go to heaven... Yes, but before that, we have to live! And in this life, we have to take public transport to get to work, spend time doing housework, or run to get ready for one last crack at the Paris marathon(we believe in you!) Unlike other media, podcasts have the particularity of being able to position themselves on these "available listening times" that were still untapped or unthinkable just a few years ago! That's right, this marketing channel This means you can reach your target audience wherever they may be. For example:

• Screenless": during Sunday jogging or evening washing-up
• On-demand: where I want, when I want (#generationNetflix)
• Off-line": for foolproof consumption (in the Paris metro where 4G is not available, on a plane...).
• "Mobile first": content consumption via France's favourite device

The challenge for your brands is to capitalize on this available listening time, which is more numerous than it seems! (Especially for sports enthusiasts, consultants used to air travel, or those accustomed to the subway - work - sleep!)

Create a direct link between the brand and its end consumer

Whether it's Nike's politicized content (see Nike's partnership with Colin Kaepernick), orDove's"Real Beauty" campaigns, all brands are looking for one thing... Create a bond!

This link between the brand and its end consumer is so often broken by :
• Reduced attention span,
• Increased competition,
• Skepticism about ecology and environmental impacts,
• Commercial intermediaries: distributors, wholesalers, platforms...

Here again, with no intermediary in the audio relationship, branded podcasts demonstrate their power to create or (re)create a direct link, as demonstrated by the fact that more than 8 out of 10 downloaded podcasts are listened to in their entirety in France every month by an increasingly demanding audience (see the Harris Media study "Les chiffres du podcast").

/ An example?

Brief: Bouygues Bâtiment wanted to reach out to the general public.Problem: The general public is not familiar with the company's achievements, even though it often rubs shoulders with them!Solution: Creation of an audio program that plunges us into the heart of the manufacturer's magnificent achievements: luxury hotels, corporate offices, the Olympic swimming pool, etc. Objective: to reveal what goes on behind the scenes through the words of the experts who took part in the projects.Results: a program that enables the brand to create a new and unprecedented link between itself and its end users.

Podcasts offer a sense of closeness and intimacy

Among the 5 senses, voice has the advantage of creating a sense of proximity, intimacy and immersion. When you consider the amount of content consumed without sound on social networks... it's an extremely powerful quality! Customers are looking for this type of experience, which creates a feeling of trust that can't be found in almost any other medium, allowing them to shut themselves away for a few moments in their own bubble and give free rein to their imagination(which can only do good things every day!).

Audio is the "content first" medium

In the beginning, God created content!(Okay, I'm exaggerating, but we're almost there!) Content is at the heart of creating an audio strategy for a brand. Whether it's exclusive content, content that shares a brand story, content that shares your values... Podcast content first builds enormous listener loyalty! Imagine if some of them spent more than 1 hour listening only to you! This "auditory attention"(yes, we create new marketing terms at Calliopé too!) reinforces trust in the brand. Why? Quite simply because the brand (FINALLY) has the time to adapt its content to the progress of its relationship with the customer: if it's looking to recruit new customers at launch, or build community loyalty, it can create one or more audio programs perfectly suited to its objectives.

ADVICE FROM THE CALLIOPECreate content that reflects your brand DNA.work on your editorial line upstream to generate brand loyalty, and don't hesitate to give the floor to outsiders to gain legitimacy. You'll see, listeners will find it easier to take action.

/ An example?

The House of Dior launches DIOR TALKS in the form of themed series, to tackle the subjects that make up its DNA: the 1st "Feminist Art" series gives a voice to female artists who have collaborated with the brand, sharing their careers, their struggles to make their mark in their field, or their fights on societal issues. An open forum offered to these brilliant and incredible women, whose voices too often remain on the margins.

Content strategy for differentiation

Let's face it... These days, the battle for attention is raging, and competition in content creation is intensifying. So, all the players are launching into :

• Vertical content creation (video, images, gifs),
• Setting up livestreams,
• The distribution of "snackable" content such as "Stories" on Facebook, Instagram or even Linkedin.

Podcasts naturally stand out from the crowd!As an innovative marketing channel, branded podcasts are spontaneously associated with original content, enabling :

• Differentiate your approach,
• To mark its positioning.

Add to that the fact that there are fewer players, and you have less competition!

REMINDER FROM THE CALLIOPE TEAMKeep in mind that all your competitors are probably not yet positioned, so competition for branded content is even weaker on the podcast.Who has the opportunity to establish themselves more quickly in their sector? Your brand! (to be read while pinching someone's cheek!).

Podcast: the B2B and B2C frontier is blurring

In podcasts, unlike other channels such as Linkedin or trade shows, the boundary between B2B and B2C is breaking down... The sales manager and the intern are both likely to be listening to the same business podcast! The distinction between a professional listener "in a suit" and a "civilian in a sneaker" is becoming blurred.Based on this fact, the branded podcast therefore enables "audience planning". In a nutshell:

• Focus on the individuals in your target group
• Capture them at every moment of their day (whether professional or personal).

Objective: to reach the target individual and share these moments with them.

ADVICE FROM THE CALLIOP teamTargeting your audience and adapting your content to their expectations, desires and objectives is crucial to the success of a branded podcast marketing campaign.

Audio offers powerful creative freedom

At the heart of your brand's raison d'être, audio has the particularity of offering immense creative freedom (to make Youtubers jealous... Sorry Mister V!) Think of the sound in the ghost train of your childhood, the sound of the lightsaber going off in Star Wars or the power of a Quincy Jones beat over Michael Jackson's voice... Oh the chills!!! (Indispensable for differentiation, brands that use audio can take advantage of the fact that :

• That there's no set, fixed or agreed duration. As long as there's relevant content, it runs! (unlike a video on social networks).
• That many formats are suitable for brands: interviews, round-table discussions, fiction, reportage, etc.
• An embarrassment of riches: voices, speakers...
• Immersive ambiences (yes, that's the magic word!) and customized sound design.

TIP FROM THE CALLIOPÉ TEAMGood to know: 83% of branded episodes last between 5 and 30 minutes, and 41% between 10 and 30 minutes, according to M6's Observatoire des Marques.

Podcasting is unlimited

Once produced, your branded podcast needs to be listened to(do you have any more platitudes like that?) And here, once again, the podcast has the advantage of being cross-channel(we discuss this in detail in our article "broadcasting your podcast to reach your audience"). Your distribution strategy can be established via :

• Relaying excerpts on social networks (images or video), such as Iron boxer Mike Tyson (below)

• Audio player integration on websites, blogs,...

• Promotion by e-newsletters such as Social Media Marketer

TIP FROM THE CALLIOPÉ TEAMAt the end of each podcast, encourage your listeners to tell others about it, as podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in France, and word-of-mouth is largely responsible for their success! Organic audience (increase in listeners without media purchase) is the best!

Avner UZAN