Branded Podcast: What ROI can we expect in the short term?

For 1 euro invested, how much am I going to earn? Could you show me that the podcast generates more ROI than other media? How can I prove to my boss that launching a podcast is a good idea?

While talking to prospects and clients in the initial stage, these questions often are asked. Also, in any social setting, they tend to pop up just after the question: “what do you do for a living?”.

We thought long and hard about the return on investment of branded podcasts. Now comes the time to put an end to the confusion around this topic.

If you are a brand looking to:

• Diversify your media presence,
• Make better use of your marketing budget,
• Launch a podcast soon…

Read on because we’re going to try to answer this million-dollar question: “How do I measure the success of my branded podcast in the short term?”

1/ How to measure the short-term return on investment of your podcast?

We will answer in a word… Ready?

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Answer: it depends on your goals!

At the risk of disappointing you … Measuring the performance of a podcast is different from measuring a kilo of tomatoes (sounds silly but it had to be said… no disrespect to tomatoes).

Measuring the performance of your podcast starts with having a clear idea of your brand’s objectives :
And these goals are related to your brand, industry, and current priorities!

An established luxury brand such as Dior will not have the same goals as a newly created one even though they are part of the same sector.

First, ask yourself if your should educate your audience about:

• your brand?
• your products?
• your services?

Every brand chooses to create a podcast for different reasons (I am sure you are not thinking about it “because everyone else is doing it!”… our readers are brighter than that!).

These reasons inherently affect which KPIs you are going to select and how they measure success.
And now you are going to say: “Yes, but how can I identify the KPIs for my branded podcast”?
And I will reply: “Without further ado, let’s get into the details of the KPIs that can help you assess the ROI of your branded podcast!”

2/ Star by defining your goals

Just like a delicious lasagna, the goals you can aim for with your branded podcasts have multiple layers. Let’s dissect them.

Here are a few examples (starters) to open your appetite before the main meal.

Position	Short term issues
Marketing director or CMO	Increase revenue.
Brand manager	Increase awareness.
Account manager in an agency	With the help of your team, sell a disruptive idea to your client.
CEO of a non-profit organisation	Changing the public’s perception of the cause you are defending.

 

Do you hold one of these positions? Do you bear one of these responsibilities?

 If so, read on! We will help you make a strategic decision for your branded podcast (free of charge!)

 

1) Generate attention

The goal here would be to use your branded podcast as leverage to:

• Capture the attention of your audience
  Ex: delivering an entertaining podcast allows your audience to smile and relax after a long day of work or during difficult times (i.e. the Covid pandemic).

• Promote your brand values
  Ex: create an audio documentary on a topic at the heart of the brand’s values.

• Strengthen the brand’s recognized expertise
  Ex: create a series of interviews with unique guests and experts on a specific topic.

2) Engagement

As a result of lockdown, remote work, and travel restrictions, consumer attention increased in 2020. The podcast, an emerging media, was able to get a large part of this attention (we have covered this phenomenon in an article entitled “The podcast in France”).

This observation is supported by a recent study from the BBC. It shows that thanks to the greater commitment levels of a branded podcast, brands experienced a 16% increase in engagement.

Podcasts provide the highest levels of engagement of any marketing medium, across all marketing channels.

So, as competition intensifies in this medium, the engagement goal helps track whether or not your branded podcast stands out.

How to determine the engagement of your audience? Assume that a listener who comments, subscribes to your program, and shares it to his network is a convinced listener. This commitment deserves to be looked closely.
Pay close attention to the evolution of this engagement: over a given period, do you generate more shares of the podcast? Is the number of comments increasing?

To take it even further … You can measure what we like to call “the level of deep engagement”. This type of engagement will tell you more about the success of your podcast. To do this, we leave you with a few KPIs to “take away” (yes, this is another foodie reference).

3) Generate brand awareness

+ 89%!

It is the increased rate in brand awareness of organizations that have launched branded podcasts.

(Source BBC Audio: Activated)

Are you surprised by this figure? We are far from the first podcasts that started in some garage!

Therefore if your branded podcast provides the audience with:

• rich and compelling content regularly,
• and the opportunity to connect and interact with your brand (and its missions, values, culture, etc)

…you should be on the right path to increase your brand awareness.

4) Be seen as an authority figure

Be seen as an authority figure and a reference by the audience generates confidence and trust in your brand. That could result in revenue.

However, it is not easy for a brand to be seen as an authority in its field… the podcast can help you do so.

It has the unique ability to :

• capture the attention of listeners for a significant amount of time (some episodes last up to 2 hours).
• limit external distractions (listen to them while jogging, washing dishes, or when traveling).
• be listened to in an intimate setting (usually alone with headphones on).
• speak directly to the listener (a host can address the listener and create a feeling of familiarity).

… Shall we continue?

Audio content creates an authentic connection between listeners (potential prospects) and the podcast host (a brand ambassador).
Listeners end up identifying the podcast’s host and the guests as true experts on the topic they are interested in.

Hermès can attest to that. The brand’s podcast named “Le Faubourg des Rêves”.takes us behind the scenes of the historic Faubourg Saint-Honoré store in Paris.

In 9 episodes, Hermès gives the floor to:

• Its craftsmen,
• Its stylists,
• Its sales assistants

Through unheard stories and staff anecdotes, this podcast contributes to the humanization of the brand and, reinforces the position of Hermes as a fashion expert.

Before choosing this route, ask yourself this question:

Do I want my brand to become an authority figure? What expertise would I like to highlight?

A common one:

• DIY?
• Travel?
• Fitness?

More of a niche theme with less competition:

• DIY projects in tech?
• Luxury travel?
• Post-pregnancy fitness?

If you are pursuing this goal, keep in mind that your podcast should be used as:

• A key resource capable of answering questions on a topic.
• An educational tool (when they want to delve deeper into a subject)
• A strategic tool that answers the “frequently asked questions” of a topic (take the opportunity to explore the subjects in depth)

Are you convinced that the podcast can bring you a lot in the short-term? Still hesitating? Don’t you worry, a podcast can also generate long-term results. Check out our dedicated article: What ROI to expect in the long term?