A Note from National Public Media and NPR: With audio content now just a tap or breath away, it should be no surprise that listening is up across radio, streaming, audiobooks and especially podcasting -- at the center of this audio renaissance, reaching 67 million monthly listeners across the U.S. Brands are taking note. In the last year, 76% of NPR sponsors turned to podcasts as part of their cross-platform campaigns, a double-digit increase over the previous year. As this medium continues to expand, many brands are exploring custom formats for leveraging podcasts and audio, including developing original short-form audio creative and, in some cases, developing entire original podcasts. Dell, a longtime NPR sponsor, has long leveraged traditional audio marketing to reach business leaders across platforms. Recently, the company expanded its success with their audio initiatives with the launch of an original podcast, Trailblazers with Walter Isaacson. As part of their promotional strategy,Dell launched a cross-platform sponsorship campaign to introduce the NPR podcast audience -- the largest in the industry -- to the program. Developing an original podcast is a big investment and building an audience is just one part of the strategy. Dell Technologies’ J.C. Gama, Global Brand Director, Dell Inc., and content producer, Steve Pratt, Co-founder, Pacific Content, agreed to share their experience creating Trailblazers and working with NPR and other partners to make it successful.
Blazing New Brand Trails: Dell’s Path to Podcasting
