Per the WSJ, we’re living in a post-print world which is why fashion brands (which relied so heavily on print advertising) are exploring podcasting as a means of connecting with their customers.

• Gucci has been cautiously dipping their toes into the podcast waters since May. Their July interview with Dapper Dan from Harlem with Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, the Editor-in-Chief of Vestoj, is worth a listen. (Link, here.)
• Gucci’s plan is to feature people who are currently collaborating with their creative director Alessandro Michele.
• Each podcast will provide insights into the narrative, inspiration and vision of the Gucci Fashion House (very much as their new artist-driven billboards do).
• Print, I agree is dead, but Gucci’s power lies in its visual storytelling and while the podcasts are good, they’re not a great replacement for the visual medium.

 

See below for more on brands getting into podcasting.

 

I’ve listened to dozens of branded podcasts and can’t say I love any of them but some of the most popular ones are:

•  Slack Variety Pack (by Slack): considered among the gold standards in branded podcasts because of how well they understand their audience.
• The Message (by GE): millions of downloads; it even reached number one on the iTunes podcast charts.
• #Lipstories (by Sephora): real “stories from everyday lives” of “influential female founders, creators and thought leaders.” #LIPSTORIES has a 5-star rating on iTunes. Note: #Lipstories makes me cringe (but hey, I’m not the audience for it).

Podcast advertising, btw, hit $240 million in 2017, up 85% from 2016.

• Apple Podcasts are also now delivering analytics on listeners.
• NPR found that 75% of listeners took action on a sponsored message. (Source: Fast Company)

 

Bottom Line:

Everyone is exploring podcasting but I don’t think it’s the holy grail that advertisers and the media are hoping it will be.

I listen to one a day – generally at the gym – but there’s so much coming at me, it’s hard to pick one and get through it.

The figures for the number of people who listen to the whole podcast are currently very high but I anticipate they will be dropping. I listen to a complete podcast about half the time (generally because they take longer than I have time to listen).