Audio Podcasts, Making Them a Part of Your Brand

Did you know that it takes only 0.146 seconds for a human being to interpret a sound? Or that streaming audio has grown 64% since 2014? Or that there is at least one smart speaker in 41% of US households ?

Some of these facts may surprise you. With the rise of the technology boom, iPhones, AirPods, and tablets, many Americans have incorporated audio streaming into their daily lives. Whether it’s an audiobook, podcast, or music, Americans and people worldwide are “listening” everyday. Audio can move us, inspire us, inform, or just entertain. 

Some of my daily listening include podcasts about the outdoors, exploring, survival in the wilderness, biking, NPR Tiny Desk, and TED Talks. Whatever you like to listen to, remember that it isn’t a waste of time if you can learn and grow from it. 

But what does audio have to do with branding and marketing? First, let’s remind ourselves about what branding is. 

David Ogilvy, the “Father of Advertising,” said it is “ … the intangible sum of a product’s attributes: its name, packaging, and price, its history, its reputation, and the way it’s advertised.” 

A more up-to-date definition might be Seth Godin’s, “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stores and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

For the purpose-driven company, brand is defined around a core mission that transcends the service or product they provide. It’s when a brand exists for the sake of solving a problem or meeting a societal need. Everything the brand does should tie back to that purpose.

Any way you see it, a brand has to present and communicate to the public. We develop elaborate systems of messaging, visuals and channels to support this, each designed to elicit a reaction from our audience. These reactions can be emotional, intellectual or even physical in terms of a call-to-action.

So back to podcasts and how they support the brand. Audio is quite different than visuals. When we use audio to support the brand, we add a whole new dimension.

Some of my favorite memories growing up as a kid are from being on a basketball court. There were distinct sights, smells, and sounds and the feeling of belonging, energy, and hard work. Sounds of a ball bouncing, shoes squeaking, and a basketball hitting nothing but net still make me feel like I’m in the game. 

The same thing goes for audio branding of a company. A clean, compelling podcast voice, some nicely placed foley and a great music bed can take your listeners to places they’ll never go on visuals alone. Plus, a podcast can help set you up as a thought leader and give exposure to your clients if you have them as guests on your show.

So, consider giving your branding a real voice, one that can be heard, not simply read. There are plenty of professionals and remote recording options to get you started.