Branded podcasts are the new branded blogs

In a bid to create cult-like followings around their brands, large corporations are launching their own audio shows. Case in point: Walmart has one.

Case in point: Walmart has one.

Branded podcasts are the new branded blogs

The podcast craze is showing no signs of slowing: this year, 112m Americans — and nearly half of those age 12 or older — will listen to one, and industry ad revenue is up 85%.

Now, in a bid to create cult-like followings around their brands, large corporations are launching their own audio shows.

Move over, T. Gross

Earlier this year, Walmart announced it would produce its own podcast, “Outside the Box,” focusing on “sustainability, American manufacturing, [and] the workforce of the future.” It was so popular, they’re now working on a second season.

This past summer, eBay’s “Open for Business” podcast, co-produced with Gimlet, took the #1 spot on iTunes’ business podcasts list, and GE’s sci-fi show, “The Message,” generated millions of downloads.

A golden opportunity

Many of these “branded” podcasts are far removed from the products or services these companies are actually selling. But we’re now in an age where the line between ads and media is rapidly blurring, so this kind of subliminal content is par for the course.

It’s also a smart move. Podcasts tend to reach a desirable demographic (young, upwardly-mobile professionals) at a particularly desirable time (their commutes). That means their average listener has money and attention to spend — the marketer’s holy grail.

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