The last few weeks have shown that podcast hosts are clearly having a moment. Prominent podcast hosts such as Alex Cooper (host of Call Her Daddy), comedian/actor Andrew Schulz (host of Flagrant), comedian Theo Von and MIT computer scientist Lex Fridman, have been thrust into the limelight because of their recent high-profile conversations with the two presidential candidates vying for the top job in the upcoming US general election – to the point where the candidates’ podcast appearances are making news, rather than just the content of what is being discussed. Love it or hate it, podcasts are here to stay, and are clearly being heavily factored into the media outreach strategy of politicians and business leaders alike.
And it’s easy to see why they have such immense appeal. Podcasts allow both hosts and their guests to ‘chop it up’. The format allows them to be raw, unvarnished and unapologetic in their delivery, rather than be constrained to concise, scripted, buttoned-up sound bites that would be more characteristic of broadcast television or radio. It imparts a greater sense of agency to the participants involved and allows them to speak more openly to their audience – a winning point at a time when people crave complete authenticity and openness. You have to admit that an hour-long (or hours-long, in some instances) conversation reveals more than a ten-minute panel or a sitdown interview on a network news channel ever could. As platforms go, podcasts circumvent the traditional, legacy media ecosystem and act as a powerful force multiplier by enabling access to untapped audiences. The modern media relations outreach strategy will, inevitably, factor in the likes of The Globe And Mail, The New York Times, Bloomberg and CBC Radio. That goes without saying. But that outreach will have to expand now to encompass the most popular podcasts, substacks and Twitch streams of the day. A truly integrated marketing and communications campaign specialist needs to think outside the editorial desk and news studio, as it were. The fact is that the traditional family living room has now been effectively supplanted. The viewer/listener/consumer journey has undergone a sea change and an effective media strategy is one where you meet your audience exactly where they are. What better way to do so than when your viewers are in the middle of cooking their favourite recipe, working out in their backyard, catching up with their favourite book, or driving over to a friend’s housewarming?
It is evident that podcasting has come of age and is now mainstream, signalling a fundamental shift in the media landscape and what audiences today crave. 2008 gave us the Facebook Election. Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the Podcast Election – from the comfort of your bicycle or car.
by Adnan Bashir, Chair, Communications, CPRS Toronto