Dior, Chanel, Hublot… luxury houses that have not launched a branded podcast are rare.
Either for internal or external communication, the branded podcast seems to be an efficient media for growth.
Confinement? Screen fatigue? Just a trend? Why did the luxury industry delve into the branded podcast?
Maybe for the love of talking into a microphone, or maybe there is something valuable about audio content that you do not know yet.
Let us break down this phenomenon!
In fact, the question should be: which luxury brands have not launched a podcast?
There was a time where a very few brands tried this media:
Today, the large majority of the biggest luxury houses have created a podcast:
The worldwide boom of podcasting impacted France in a major way: there has been a 48% increase in listeners. This figure did not pass the eye of luxury brands unnoticed; they have capitalized on the branded podcast (source: Harris’ study).
Quite strange, isn’t it?
Luxury brands like Balenciaga, Louboutin, Chanel, or Thierry Mugler had nevertheless invested in:
I know some readers are thinking right now: ” Well, the health crisis played the main role when it comes to the podcast’s growth.”
And you would be “partially” right, because the lack of physical events played a role in the increase of branded podcasts’ audience and performance.
But the use of this unique, contemporary, and innovative communication tool by luxury brands has a deeper explanation…
One of the most important goals of the luxury industry is to reach younger generations.
However, it is difficult to capture and retain the attention of these generations, for the most under 25-year-olds. They are used to:
Podcasts are appreciated by people ranging from age 18-25. And also young people part of high socio-professional categories. This latter is a group of 3.4 million podcast users in France (Source: Havas agency and CSA institute).
Therefore, podcasting provides brands the opportunity to whisper in the ears of generations Y and Z… for tens of minutes.
Yes, I wrote “tens of minutes”. Unlike stories, posts, and articles, podcasts are listened to for an average of 30 minutes.
Luxury houses of all sorts have exceptional longevity.
They all have a story to tell.
These stories are part of the common heritage. They are the kind of stories that make you spend hours watching a documentary full of incredible archives.
It is what modern consumers are expecting. Indeed, they no longer wish to “just” buy a luxury product. They want to:
And this is why the podcast stands out…
This audio media provides the opportunity to tell the full story of a brand over a long period.
It also suits the needs of luxury brands because:
Maybe you are wondering:
“If podcasts were so great, all luxury brands would have shifted to audio content by now!”
And you would be right…
But here is the thing: some luxury brands still think that people need to SEE their products.
And although no member of the Calliopé agency is against this idea – including me – we believe that there are several ways to arouse the customer’s desire.
The days when the branded podcast could be considered counterintuitive are long gone.
Audio content brings the audience closer to the brand, creates emotions… while visuals are quickly absorbed and forgotten.
The branded podcast is also relevant because it can exist on its own.
A luxury brand, therefore, does not need to attach this content to a product launch.
Luxury brands can use the podcast to humanize their brand.
For example, one of Dior’s podcasts entitled “Dior Talks” highlighted artists, mainly women, with whom the house has collaborated.
Above all, podcasts give a completely safe and free space to speak with:
Audio content makes it possible to reveal the beliefs, values, and vision of a luxury brand, through the prism of its actions. And by actions, I mean collaborations and completed projects.
And you, from which luxury brand would like a podcast?