#Playlist
What Does a Branded Podcast Sound Like?
Six of our favourite episodes made in the last year
When done right, a brand can harness the power of audio to win over an audience. Specifically, the audience they designed the podcast for.
So, what does a branded podcast sound like, anyway?
Pacific Content has been making podcasts with brands since 2015. The very first was the Slack Variety Pack, which Fast Company described as “‘This American Life’ Meets ‘Office Space’ Meets ‘Monty Python.’”
What a great headline! Though the best way to understand the sound is to listen. Here’s a hint: the best podcasts by brands are not commercials. They are engaging and immersive audio experiences that audiences choose to listen to.
To give you a sense of what’s possible for brands, I put together a Pacific Content playlist made up of recommendations from some of my teammates. Each episode was produced in the last year. And, as a bonus, I’ve also included a show from their personal playlist and the show they listen to every week. (This way, you can get an idea of their good taste and style 😉 )
In no particular order, here are six of our favourite episodes from the last year that we made with our brand partners.
1
(Recommended twice!)
Episode: “The Dream of Supersonic Flight”
Podcast: Teamistry
Host: Nastaran Tavakoli-Far
Brand: Atlassian
Recommended by Pedro Mendes, Showrunner
“Yes it’s rather immodest of me to suggest something I worked on, but this series is easily the thing I’m most proud of in my career in audio storytelling.”
On Pedro’s personal playlist: Crypto Island. “Not only does this series use sound and location recordings so well, but it also taught me so much about the world of crypto that honestly blew my mind.”
And the podcast he listens to every week: Football Cliches!
Also recommended by Marshall Whitsed, Producer
“This season tells the gripping story of the race to build Concorde — with creative sound design and gripping first-hand accounts from the folks that built it. Episode one is a great insight into what’s to come.”
On Marshall’s personal playlist: Stuff The British Stole
And the podcast he listens to every week: Planet Money
2
Episode: “How You Spend It: With Guests Joshua Fields Millburn & Cassie” Mogilner Holmes
Podcast: Choiceology with Katy Milkman
Host: Katy Milkman
Brand: Charles Schwab
Recommended by Jennifer Leask, Audience Development Specialist
“This episode made me examine what I value when it comes to spending my time, and I found myself saying yes more to things that are important in my life.”
On Jennifer’s personal playlist: Parkdale Haunt. A colleague told me about it and when I started listening I was so impressed by the sound design and story- it was a departure from my taste, but I love it!
And the podcast she listens to every week: Hidden Brain — I love thinking about why our brains work the way they do
3
Episode: “Mattie and the Motorcycle”
Podcast: Home.Made.
Host: Stephanie Foo
Brand: Rocket Mortgage
Recommended by Dominic Girard, Executive Producer
“As a motorcyclist, I’ve been trying to find and help tell a good story about motorcycles that appeals to non-riders. This is one of those stories.”
On Dom’s personal playlist: Chameleon: Wild Boys from Campside Media figured out how to explore a small-town mystery and somehow make it funny without disrespecting the seriousness of the tale. Sound rich, self-aware, and an absolutely fascinating narrative.
And, the podcast he listens to every week: I got sucked into Smartless. It’s a love-hate relationship. Mostly love.
4
Episode: “Rez Ball”
Podcast: Home.Made.
Host: Stephanie Foo
Brand: Rocket Mortgage
Recommended by Robyn Edgar, Sound Designer
“I love this show, but especially loved this story because it is both rich with sound and full of heart. It’s a very impactful story that makes you think deeply about the meaning of home.”
On Robyn’s personal playlist: The Loudest Girl in the World from Pushkin Industries. This podcast made an impact on me. It’s a raw, vulnerable, first-hand story about getting unexpected, but life-altering diagnosis. It resonated strongly for me because I think it was a crucial reminder that everyone has something they’re dealing with that they may not be as “loud” about as Lauren was, so maybe give people a little grace and accept them as they are. Plus, Lauren is a great storyteller and she told her own story beautifully.
And what she listens to every week: Believe it or not, after listening to and mixing podcasts all day, I kind of want a change of pace. So my daily go-to after work is a good audiobook. I’ve recently been pretty obsessed with Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn novels as audiobooks; they’re even fully sound designed! It’s a great way to unwind.
5
Episode: “Facial Recognition: How a forgotten AI pioneer, the CIA, and Google Glass are Helping the Visually Impaired”
Podcast: Ahead Of Its Time
Host: Julia Furlan
Brand: SetApp
Recommended by David Swanson, Showrunner
“This is my favourite episode because it explores the fascinating, secret origins of facial recognition and explains how this often contentious tech can still be used for something undeniably good like helping the visually impaired live a more socially connected and independent life.”
On David’s personal playlist: Season two of Tell Me What Happened (as expected) was chalked full of heroic and transformational human stories. Every episode was dramatic, immersive, and had me saying (out loud!) “Oh my God!” or “Unbelievable”… a true sign of a gripping show!
And the podcast he listens to every week: Criminal
6
Episode: “Human Trafficking Survivor Gets New Life and Thrives”
Podcast: Tell Me What Happened
Host: Torah Kachur
Brand: OnStar
Recommended by me (Marina Hanna, Editor of the Pacific Content Blog and Marketing Lead)
Tell Me What Happened tells true stories about real people stepping up for each other at the most pivotal moment in their life. In this episode, On Star did something unusual for a brand by exploring a disturbing subject: human trafficking. The story told in this episode is difficult to hear; it is so alarming. Though, it does meet the promise of the show. And it reflects On Star’s mission of helping people in times of crisis. You can read all about how this episode came to be, here.
On my personal playlist: Death of An Artist
And the podcasts I listen to every week: Pivot, Keep It, The Europeans, How Long Gone (and so many more, including a handful of comedy podcasts… let me know in the comments if you want to see the full and ever-growing list.)
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