PodPod

Adland prides itself on its creativity and storytelling, but although podcasting is the medium of choice for many storytellers, advertisers often seem to take a less creative and daring approach to their audio ad copy and campaigns than in other formats. In this week’s episode, Adam Shepherd and Rhianna Dhillon sat down with Charles Parkinson and Ashley Samuels-McKenzie, cofounders of content strategy and production firm Unity and Motion and hosts of the hit marketing podcast How I Became to talk about how advertisers can bring more creativity to their audio ad campaigns, how podcasting can give greater insights into unseen areas of business, and the importance of authenticity in podcast advertising.Hosted by Adam Shepherd and produced by Ollie Peart for Haymarket Business Media.

Ireland is a culture of storytellers, and that’s more than evident in its thriving podcast scene. Irish podcasters have found fame across the world, with millions of listeners tuning in on a weekly basis - but what is it that makes Irish podcasting so special? This week, we’re bringing you a special edition of PodPod, recorded onsite by Tinpot Productions at last week’s Irish Podcast Awards in Dublin, including interviews with winners, judges and attendees, giving their insights into the creativity and passion powering Ireland’s podcast scene.

Compared to established channels like TV and radio, podcasting is a relatively young medium, and advertisers are still figuring out how best to engage with it. Brand safety and suitability are particularly important concerns - ensuring that a company’s adverts aren’t appearing next to content that doesn’t align with their values or target audience. A number of tools have sprung up to address this challenge, many using AI analysis and contextual targeting to give brands and agencies more insight into the placement of their creative. Barometer is one of the fastest-growing companies in this space, having signed a number of partnerships with major networks and platforms in the past year. This week, PodPod spoke to Barometer CEO Tamara Zubatiy about the company’s approach to brand safety, why metrics are more important than ever, and how brand marketing may be set to overtake performance marketing in podcasting.Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon and produced by Ollie Peart for Haymarket Business Media.

The podcast landscape seems to be increasingly dominated by news and current affairs podcasts, with shows like The News Agents, The Daily and Today In Focus becoming a regular staple of their audience’s routines. But what's behind this rise, how are podcasts changing the media landscape, and how are they affecting truth, impartiality and nuance in our news diet?This week, PodPod’s Rhianna Dhillon and Reem Makari speak to Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, about the trends he's observed in the audience for news podcasts, how brands and networks are reacting to the shifts, and why there's still significant room for growth, as well as how it may evolve in the future. Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon and produced by Ollie Peart for Haymarket Business Media.

Podcasting is picking up more traction as a medium for brands looking to reach highly-engaged audiences, but for most advertisers, it’s going to form one arm of a wider multi-channel campaign, rather than running in isolation. However, while this is an effective strategy, it can be difficult to know where to start.This week, Adam Shepherd and Rhianna Dhillon sit down with Vicky Handley, brand communications lead for Lloyds Bank, and Spotify’s head of sales for UK and Northern Europe Ed Couchman, to talk about how advertisers and media owners can collaborate on effective campaigns, why podcasts are perfect for brand-building, and how to meaningfully tie podcast campaigns into a wider media plan.Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon and produced by Ollie Peart for Haymarket Business Media.

The list of top BBC names who have left the broadcaster to pursue a career in podcasting seems to be growing longer every year, but Shaun Keaveny - a BBC radio grandee who hosted 6 Music's popular breakfast show for almost a decade and a half - is somewhat different. While he's been exploring podcasts for the last few years, via shows like Your Place Or Mine, The Line Up and Show and Tell, his new podcast with Global, Shaun Keaveny's Daily Grind takes a different approach, mimicking the format and cadence of a classic drive time radio show - just without the live broadcast.But what is about this format that carries such enduring appeal, and how can podcasters translate some of these elements to a non-live format? PodPod host Rhianna Dhillon and editor Adam Shepherd sat down with Keaveny to discuss how his radio background has influenced the new show, the joys of the mundane, and why Terry Wogan would have made an excellent podcaster.Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, and produced by Ollie Peart for ReThink Audio.

One of the beautiful things about podcasting is that absolutely anyone can start a podcast with minimal outlay, and this has led to a thriving independent podcast scene. This also applies to hosting platforms, and while a couple of big names can often dominate the conversation, there is a rich market of providers catering to different use cases. Mark Steadman is the founder of two of these platforms: Podiant, which was acquired by Castos in 2021, and Bramble, which was recently launched in beta. Rhianna Dhillon and Adam Shepherd spoke to Steadman about his relaxed approach to user growth, why he’s so focused on supporting independent podcasts, and his long-term plans for Bramble.Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, and produced by Ollie Peart for Haymarket Business Media.

In 2019, Tash Walker and Adam Zmith launched the award-winning history podcast The Log Books, looking at the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Britain based on archived entries from volunteers at this country’s second-oldest LGBTQ+ helpline Switchboard. Since then, the hosts and co-creators of the podcast used their learning and experience to launch their own independent production company Aunt Nell alongside the podcast’s producer and radio presenter Shivani Dave. On this week’s episode, Walker and Zmith spoke to PodPod’s Rhianna Dhillon and Reem Makari about how they use their production company to amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ creators, the different ways they get their funding, working with partners like the National Archive on other podcasts, and the next phase of The Log Books after it wrapped in 2022 - adapting it into a book. Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, and produced by Emma Corsham for Haymarket Business Media.

When 66% of consumers say they prefer podcasts to TV, and 76% say they’ve taken action after listening to a podcast ad, investment into the podcast space can look like a no-brainer for brands in 2023. Podcasting is a new medium, however, and incorporating it into your media mix – whether that’s launching your own branded podcast or advertising your brand on someone else’s – can be a daunting task. This episode of Sounding Board, hosted by PodPod editor Adam Shepherd, explores how brands and agencies can make audio an avenue for revenue, from what podcast advertising can look like (and the benefits of each type), to the potential gains and current challenges of branded podcasting.Featuring:Adam Shepherd, Editor, PodPodVictoria Handley, Lloyds Bank Brand Communications Lead, Lloyds Bank Shaaf Tauqeer, Audience and Martech Manager, EasyjetSimon White, Marketing Media Manager - Enterprise, BTAnna Berry, Managing Director, EssenceMediacomXEd Couchman, Head of Sales, UK & Northern Europe, SpotifyGareth Evans, Founder, 18Sixty