The brands that invest in genuine audience research will be the ones that thrive. The content landscape is only getting more crowded, and audience attention is harder than ever to earn. The shows and campaigns that cut through will be the ones that are built around a real, clearly defined audience need, not just a brand's desire to have a podcast.
That means doing the work upfront. Who are you making this for? What are they already listening to? What gap can you genuinely fill in their lives? Test your concepts, formats and pilots with your target audience. It's a necessary investment that will allow you to launch in a much stronger position and keep podcasting.
Key Insights
Branded podcasting is in a super exciting place right now, especially in the UK. Beyond shows created by brands, we're increasingly seeing creative partnerships between brands and podcasts, and some of them are genuinely rewriting the rulebook. Some brands have become synonymous with shows and vice versa, like Fuse Energy and Rest is Politics through long term partnerships. And other brands are approaching partnerships in ways that extend far beyond the standard ad formats such as For The Love Of Rugby renaming their recording space to ‘The Tesco Whoosh Studio’.
Video is accelerating this as shows invest in their visual identity across platforms, brands now have the opportunity to show up not just as a sponsor read, but as a permanent fixture of the show itself. At Podcast Discovery we're already seeing this play out through our Virtual Studio service, where brand presence is built into the visual fabric of every episode and every social clip.
Signature Work Achievements
I started my career at Blue Goose, where I got to work with some incredibly talented people on communications campaigns for global brands like McDonald's (shout out to the Client Director Milly James who massively supported my development) . It was a brilliant grounding in how brands think about connecting with their audiences, and in 2020 our work was recognised with two ICE Awards, winning Gold for Best Use of Content and Silver for Best Internal Communications During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
At Message Heard I was part of a small but ambitious sales team, working with prospects to shape podcast formats around their business needs, bringing in clients including AWS, Howdens and Brooks Macdonald Investment Bank.
From there I moved to Lower Street, leading their Audience Development department - building out growth packages, PR and outreach services, and working with clients like Boston Consulting Group, Stanford University and Fidelity.
I'm now Commercial Lead at Podcast Discovery, the UK's leading podcast marketing agency where I get to work closely with brands, publishers and networks on the strategic growth of their podcasts.
Along the way I've also loved being part of the wider industry conversation, speaking at events like the Podcast Publisher Awards, The Radio Academy Festival and the Native Advertising Summit.
Career Lessons
It might feel like a cliché, but don't underestimate the power of networking.
Go to industry events in your local area, connect with people online and be an active member of your community and niche.
The podcast industry in particular is a very friendly and collaborative place.
My other advice is to forge your own path if you're struggling to find a way in. Watching people like Arielle Nissenblatt build a career through her Earbuds Podcast Collective genuinely inspired me - so before I joined the podcasting industry I started my own podcast recommendations newsletter alongside my day job. It gave me hands-on experience and a trusted network before I'd even made the transition, and that foundation gave me the confidence to finally make the leap.
