Podcasts and the voice revolution
Serena Maggioni from H-FARM Consultancy
Branded entertainment at the service of content marketing
It’s more and more difficult for brands to capture the attention of consumers through traditional advertising campaigns, especially when it comes to Millennials and Generation Z.
The development of brand content has grown steadily in recent years. According to what emerged at the last OBE Summit (that took place on May 14, 2019 in Milan), the branded content & entertainment sector is worth €506 million and has grown by 14% compared to 2018.
Whether they are for TV or web productions, videos are crucial for branded entertainment strategies. However, creating effective and high-quality videos is time-consuming and requires great investments that not necessarily pay off, especially with view rates constantly decreasing.
In this context, the most resilient means of communication of the last century (audio) fit into the recent tech revolution made of smartphones, headphones, smart speakers and connected devices: the voice revolution.
Podcast, a new frontier for brands
Audio can be ON when screens are OFF, so it can be enjoyed anytime without interrupting our daily activities. Music, stories, interviews, in-depth content can entertain consumers in a new way and bring them closer to companies.
Podcasting is already a strong phenomenon overseas – where 1 American out of 4 listens to monthly podcasts and other original productions such as General Electric’s The Message or Serial that have become as successful as TV series–.
What about Italy?
Here, the market is emerging now. Even if there are just a few original productions, according to Nielsen over 30% of Italians listen to podcasts. The growing interest of big players like Google, Apple, and Spotify in creating new listening and acquisition platforms suggests that there’s a great opportunity for brands to develop branded podcasts.
The first Italian branded podcast
In H-FARM we have developed for Verti Assicurazioni the first Italian branded podcast, together with MyVoxes: “Sbaglio strada e cambio vita”.
A 6-episode on-the-road comedy about the adventures of three strangers united by a common destiny told through the voices of Amalgama, four comedians from the Italian comic show Zelig.
The promotion takes place on different platforms and in different ways: Spotify, social media channels, influencer marketing, and green graffiti in Milan that allow for direct listening by framing them with a smartphone. A true omnichannel experience.
It’s time for your brand, too, to take part in the voice revolution!
If you are interested, write to Serena Maggioni: serena.maggioni@h-farm.com
Read the original article in Italian here.
