Showmakers

Designing a Resonate Show: The Blueprint for Show Design SuccessIn this episode, Ed Barker, founder of Studio 1878, explains why designing a show is crucial for creating a successful podcast. He differentiates between a podcast and a show and discusses the importance of having a clear, repeatable idea that builds audience trust and loyalty. Ed compares two companies' podcast strategies to illustrate the difference in outcomes when a show is well-designed versus simply producing content. He emphasizes the risks of replicating other successful formats without understanding their core value and guides marketing teams on how to strategically plan their podcasts from the ground up.00:00 The Power of Podcasts for Brands00:39 Starting with the Right Question01:21 Podcast vs Show: Understanding the Difference02:16 Example: Two Companies, Different Outcomes03:24 Why Interviews Alone Aren't Enough04:50 The Importance of a Central Idea05:53 The Risk of Copying Successful Shows06:49 Three Strategic Questions to Ask08:22 Designing for the Return08:50 Reducing Risk Through Upfront Design09:51 Closing and Next StepsAbout Your HostEd Barker has been producing and recording podcasts since 2009. After a long career as a corporate marketing and strategy executive - and then a VC - Ed launched Studio 1878 in early 2025 with the goal of making brand and business podcasting much better. Ed is a Brit, working out of Seattle, and podcasting worldwide. 🌎Studio 1878A podcast development studio for the modern brand. We believe everyone has a story worth telling. Specializing in business and brand podcasts, we’ll help build your story from ideation to distribution, transforming concepts to real connection with your audiences. We produce our own shows but our core proposition is in helping businesses and creators produce something truly compelling and authentic. We’d love to help you tell your story.ContactWeb: www.1878.studioEmail: hello@1878.studioMobile: 425-520-3483

Future Podcast MeasurementIn the final episode of the Showmakers analytics series, Ed Barker from Studio 1878 explores the future of podcast measurement. He discusses the limitations of current metrics and predicts significant advancements in attribution, brand lift studies, and sentiment analysis using AI. Ed emphasizes the shift from mere data collection to actionable insights that enhance both internal and external brand storytelling. By focusing on audience emotion, brand trust, and improved integration with overall marketing strategies, this episode presents a vision where podcasts become a crucial part of a brand's intelligence system.00:00 Introduction00:22 The Current State of Podcast Measurement01:17 The Future of Attribution02:50 Smarter Brand Lift and Sentiment Analysis03:59 Measurement as Brand Health Indicator05:04 AI and Automation in Podcast Analytics06:38 Internal Measurement and Employee Engagement07:01 From Proving Value to Using Insights08:45 The Next Five Years of Podcast Measurement09:53 Closing ThoughtsAbout Your HostEd Barker has been producing and recording podcasts since 2009. After a long career as a corporate marketing and strategy executive - and then a VC - Ed launched Studio 1878 in early 2025 with the goal of making brand and business podcasting much better. Ed is a Brit, working out of Seattle, and podcasting worldwide. 🌎Studio 1878A podcast development studio for the modern brand. We believe everyone has a story worth telling. Specializing in business and brand podcasts, we’ll help build your story from ideation to distribution, transforming concepts to real connection with your audiences. We produce our own shows but our core proposition is in helping businesses and creators produce something truly compelling and authentic. We’d love to help you tell your story.ContactWeb: www.1878.studioEmail: hello@1878.studioMobile: 425-520-3483

Building a Lasting Podcast Measurement SystemIn the final episode of Showmakers’ analytics series, Ed Barker of Studio 1878 discusses how to create a measurement system that endures leadership changes and budget reviews. He emphasizes the importance of turning data into a rhythm that the business understands and ensuring measurement becomes part of the working culture. Barker outlines the creation of a measurement stack, setting up a cadence, assigning ownership, and designing dashboards tailored for different audiences. He stresses the significance of incorporating feedback and institutionalizing the measurement system to future-proof it. Finally, Barker highlights the need for measurement to be a cultural pillar, driving better decisions and long-term success for brand podcasts.Chapters00:00 Introduction 00:19 The Importance of a Lasting Measurement System01:40 Building Your Measurement Stack02:51 Setting Up Cadence and Ownership03:47 Creating Effective Dashboards05:02 Feedback Loops and Continuous Improvement05:56 Institutionalizing Your Measurement System06:49 Leadership and Long-Term Value07:46 Measurement as a Cultural Practice08:27 Conclusion and Next StepsAbout Your HostEd Barker has been producing and recording podcasts since 2009. After a long career as a corporate marketing and strategy executive - and then a VC - Ed launched Studio 1878 in early 2025 with the goal of making brand and business podcasting much better. Ed is a Brit, working out of Seattle, and podcasting worldwide. 🌎Studio 1878A podcast development studio for the modern brand. We believe everyone has a story worth telling. Specializing in business and brand podcasts, we’ll help build your story from ideation to distribution, transforming concepts to real connection with your audiences. We produce our own shows but our core proposition is in helping businesses and creators produce something truly compelling and authentic. We’d love to help you tell your story.ContactWeb: www.1878.studioEmail: hello@1878.studioMobile: 425-520-3483

Balancing ROI and Creativity in Brand PodcastsIn this episode of Showmakers, Ed Barker from Studio 1878 discusses the tension between proving ROI and maintaining creativity in branded podcasts. Ed explains why ROI should not dominate the planning phase and how focusing too much on it can stifle creativity. He introduces the concept of ROI through financial, behavioral, and reputational lenses, emphasizing that true podcast success builds trust and familiarity over time. He advocates for thinking of a podcast as an ecosystem with inputs, outputs, and outcomes, and provides practical advice for presenting ROI to budget owners without sacrificing creative freedom. Ed concludes by affirming that a successful podcast is one that feels human and not just like another sales tool.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Showmakers00:53 The ROI Dilemma in Branded Podcasts02:10 Understanding Different Types of ROI03:28 The Challenge of Attribution in Podcasts04:23 Connecting Creativity to Commercial Outcomes05:27 The Compounding ROI of Podcasts06:20 Protecting Creativity in Podcasting07:28 Reporting ROI Effectively09:20 Key Conversations with Budget Owners10:55 Conclusion and Next StepsAbout Your HostEd Barker has been producing and recording podcasts since 2009. After a long career as a corporate marketing and strategy executive - and then a VC - Ed launched Studio 1878 in early 2025 with the goal of making brand and business podcasting much better. Ed is a Brit, working out of Seattle, and podcasting worldwide. 🌎Studio 1878A podcast development studio for the modern brand. We believe everyone has a story worth telling. Specializing in business and brand podcasts, we’ll help build your story from ideation to distribution, transforming concepts to real connection with your audiences. We produce our own shows but our core proposition is in helping businesses and creators produce something truly compelling and authentic. We’d love to help you tell your story.ContactWeb: www.1878.studioEmail: hello@1878.studioMobile: 425-520-3483

Beyond the Numbers: Turning Podcast Analytics into Actionable InsightsIn this episode of Show Makers, Ed Barker, founder of Studio 1878, discusses the critical step of interpreting podcast analytics to drive creative and marketing decisions. He emphasizes moving beyond mere data collection to derive meaningful insights in three key areas: content, audience, and impact. Ed highlights the importance of understanding the narrative behind the numbers and offers practical tips on identifying patterns, assessing audience demographics, and measuring the real impact of your podcast. By connecting data to business activities and treating each episode as a test bed, you can turn analytics into actionable strategies that enhance your podcast's value and effectiveness. Ed also shares advice on presenting data to leadership in a compelling way and previews upcoming topics in the series on analytics and ROI.Chapters00:00 Introduction00:45 Data Isn't the Story01:27 Three Layers of Insight03:06 Understanding Retention04:16 Turning Insights Into Action04:59 From Reporting to Learning06:18 How to Report to Leadership07:04 Closing ThoughtsAbout Your HostEd Barker has been producing and recording podcasts since 2009. After a long career as a corporate marketing and strategy executive - and then a VC - Ed launched Studio 1878 in early 2025 with the goal of making brand and business podcasting much better. Ed is a Brit, working out of Seattle, and podcasting worldwide. 🌎Studio 1878A podcast development studio for the modern brand. We believe everyone has a story worth telling. Specializing in business and brand podcasts, we’ll help build your story from ideation to distribution, transforming concepts to real connection with your audiences. We produce our own shows but our core proposition is in helping businesses and creators produce something truly compelling and authentic. We’d love to help you tell your story.ContactWeb: www.1878.studioEmail: hello@1878.studioMobile: 425-520-3483

Aligning Podcast Goals with Business StrategyIn this episode of Show Makers, Ed Barker from Studio 1878 discusses the importance of setting clear business-focused goals for branded podcasts. He explains common mistakes like chasing the wrong metrics and emphasizes designing podcast formats that align with specific business objectives, such as awareness, authority, engagement, and advocacy. Ed introduces a framework for measuring success across different horizons, ensuring that podcast efforts are tied to real business outcomes such as reputation, revenue enablement, and retention. He also shares insights on communicating podcast value to leadership and building a strategy that integrates seamlessly into the business growth model.Chapters00:00 Introduction00:25 Launching Without Clear Goals01:05 Chasing the Wrong Numbers01:50 Start with the Business, Not the Show02:31 Connecting Goals to Show Design04:25 Intent-Metric-Message Framework05:33 Three Horizons of Measurement06:48 Aligning Strategy with Leadership07:53 Setting Realistic Targets08:40 The Pyramid of Purpose09:19 Building Goals into Your Workflow10:10 Wrap-Up and Next StepsAbout Your HostEd Barker has been producing and recording podcasts since 2009. After a long career as a corporate marketing and strategy executive - and then a VC - Ed launched Studio 1878 in early 2025 with the goal of making brand and business podcasting much better. Ed is a Brit, working out of Seattle, and podcasting worldwide. 🌎Studio 1878A podcast development studio for the modern brand. We believe everyone has a story worth telling. Specializing in business and brand podcasts, we’ll help build your story from ideation to distribution, transforming concepts to real connection with your audiences. We produce our own shows but our core proposition is in helping businesses and creators produce something truly compelling and authentic. We’d love to help you tell your story.ContactWeb: www.1878.studioEmail: hello@1878.studioMobile: 425-520-3483

Measuring Podcast Success: Metrics That Truly MatterIn this episode of Showmakers, Ed Barker - founder of Studio 1878 - breaks down how to measure podcast success in ways that actually matter. Too often, brands treat podcast analytics like ad campaign data, chasing downloads and impressions that don’t reflect real impact. Ed explains why defining your why comes before defining your KPIs - and how to use metrics that align with your show’s purpose. You’ll learn which core health metrics to track (like completion rate, retention, and returning listeners), when to introduce advanced measures (like purchase attribution and brand lift), and how to tell a clear story with your data when reporting results to leadership. Ed also shares how often you should review metrics, why quarterly reviews reveal more meaningful trends, and how a data-driven narrative can help secure long-term buy-in for your podcast.Next episode: How to Turn Your Podcast Into a Content Engine - extending your show’s reach without losing story integrity.Chapters00:00 - Introduction: Measuring Podcast Success00:46 -The Problem with Traditional Podcast Metrics01:42 - Define Your Why Before Your KPIs02:25 - Core Health Metrics That Matter03:52 - Advanced Metrics for Mature Shows06:06 - Turning Data Into a Story07:13 - Measurement Cadence07:47 - Wrap-Up & Next Episode PreviewAbout Your HostEd Barker has been producing and recording podcasts since 2009. After a long career as a corporate marketing and strategy executive - and then a VC - Ed launched Studio 1878 in early 2025 with the goal of making brand and business podcasting much better. Ed is a Brit, working out of Seattle, and podcasting worldwide. 🌎Studio 1878A podcast development studio for the modern brand. We believe everyone has a story worth telling. Specializing in business and brand podcasts, we’ll help build your story from ideation to distribution, transforming concepts to real connection with your audiences. We produce our own shows but our core proposition is in helping businesses and creators produce something truly compelling and authentic. We’d love to help you tell your story.ContactWeb: www.1878.studioEmail: hello@1878.studioMobile: 425-520-3483

Building Listener Loyalty in Brand PodcastsIn this episode of Showmakers, Ed Barker from Studio 1878 discusses the importance of building deep engagement and loyalty in branded podcasts rather than just chasing reach or vanity metrics like downloads and followers. Ed explains how loyalty, consistency, and respecting your audience's time are key to creating a podcast that listeners return to regularly. He emphasizes the value of designing episodes to reward listeners, involving internal audiences, creating habits, encouraging participation, and leveraging other marketing channels for a two-way dialogue. Finally, he highlights the importance of focusing on listener loyalty to naturally drive growth and build meaningful connections.00:00 Introduction 00:33 Building Listener Loyalty02:05 Designing Valuable Episodes02:53 Nurturing Internal Audiences03:29 Creating Habit-Forming Shows04:10 Encouraging Audience Participation04:37 Utilizing Signature Segments05:31 Integrating with Other Marketing Channels06:16 Common Mistakes in Podcast Growth06:52 Final Thoughts on Loyalty07:20 Preview of Next EpisodeAbout Your HostEd Barker has been producing and recording podcasts since 2009. After a long career as a corporate marketing and strategy executive - and then a VC - Ed launched Studio 1878 in early 2025 with the goal of making brand and business podcasting much better. Ed is a Brit, working out of Seattle, and podcasting worldwide. 🌎Studio 1878A podcast development studio for the modern brand. We believe everyone has a story worth telling. Specializing in business and brand podcasts, we’ll help build your story from ideation to distribution, transforming concepts to real connection with your audiences. We produce our own shows but our core proposition is in helping businesses and creators produce something truly compelling and authentic. We’d love to help you tell your story.ContactWeb: www.1878.studioEmail: hello@1878.studioMobile: 425-520-3483

Redefining Podcast Distribution: Building Reach and ReputationIn this episode of Showmakers, Ed Barker from Studio 1878 emphasizes the importance of effective podcast distribution. He explains that distribution goes beyond simply uploading to platforms like Spotify and highlights the concept of 'audience design' which involves targeting where listeners already spend their attention. Ed also discusses the multi-layered approach to distribution, integrating podcasts into overall brand campaigns, leveraging guests and team members as micro distribution channels, and measuring the real influence of a podcast. He concludes by underscoring the importance of reactivating and resurfacing archived content to maintain relevant brand assets.00:00 Introduction to Podcast Distribution00:38 Understanding Distribution as Brand Architecture01:33 The Shift in Multi-Platform Discovery02:14 Integrating Distribution into Campaign Planning02:52 Leveraging People as Distribution Channels03:33 Measuring Podcast Influence Beyond Downloads04:16 Reactivating Your Podcast Archive04:53 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsAbout Your HostEd Barker has been producing and recording podcasts since 2009. After a long career as a corporate marketing and strategy executive (and then a VC), Ed launched Studio 1878 (www.1878.studio) in early 2025 with the goal of making brand and business podcasting much better. Ed is a Brit, working out of Seattle, and podcasting worldwide. 🌎Studio 1878A podcast development studio for the modern brand. We believe everyone has a story worth telling. Specializing in business and brand podcasts, we’ll help build your story from ideation to distribution, transforming concepts to real connection with your audiences. We produce our own shows but our core proposition is in helping businesses and creators produce something truly compelling and authentic. We’d love to help you tell your story. 😈