When we break “audience first” down to its tenets this means first and foremost viewing the audience as people. People with values and interests that inform their decisions...
The changing landscape of branded content
Globally branded content has taken many forms since CNN’s first branded content studio was set up 16 years ago. Back in 2007, branded content was undefined, and most publisher and brand-co-created content drifted from traditionally produced advertorials to something akin to traditional advertising. This was in part influenced by the platforms, as many campaigns in the TV space were made for a linear channel and the style inevitably felt more like something an ad agency would make than a publisher. The other influencing factor, or lack thereof, was measurement. Across many media – particularly pan-regional TV – there were limited ways of measuring audience engagement so creative decision-making was based on intuition and general knowledge of what was performing well in sectors and markets.
That has all changed dramatically. The explosion of platforms and the resulting evolution of audience measurement has provided creators with tools that we use to connect with people and tell stories that they can relate to. Ultimately this has allowed studios to tailor the branded content offering to be inspiring, informative, and most importantly make a lasting connection with audiences. Consequently, a modern brand studio must devise campaigns that are fully multi-platform, spanning the publisher’s own properties as well as client-owned platforms and both client and our own social handles.
Growing audience demand and content slate for audio
Podcasts have been around for two decades, but their appeal has grown exponentially in recent years. Some of this is driven due to changing consumer behaviour during the pandemic. Since 2020 podcasts have become a daily source of inspiration and information that many people consume while working, exercising or just in their personal time.
I’m no different – I now spend around an hour a day listening to audio content, from Kerning Cultures to Prof G, with a bit of music and a lot of Zoom calls in between. While I cannot say I am representative of a global population, the global market data around audio, and specifically podcasts, paint a rosy picture of engagement. The data suggests I’m not alone, according to Ipsos Global Business Influencers survey in 2022, nearly 8 in 10 business influencers in India have listened to podcasts in the past 12 months, and 6 in 10 listened to podcasts at least a few times a week.
The GWI Q3 2022 India study also found that – audiences in the country spend significant time on podcasts and they are 15% more likely than the general population to spend at least 30 mins per day on that. The same study found that CNN audience in India on average spent 1 hour and 19 minutes per day on podcasts in Q3 2022, which is a 36% increase compared to last year. That is a considerable percentage when people have almost unlimited choices in a crowded media space.
Consequently, many publishers – including CNN – have identified audio as a growth area. In fact, the Reuters Institute report ‘Journalism, media and technology trends and predictions 2023’ found that 72% of publishers are putting more resources into podcasts and other digital audio this year.
News publishers are catering for the audience demand by producing bespoke audio content and podcasts. The key focus for any news publisher in this space is to create listening experiences that are relevant, informative, and relatable. This allows the audience to dig deeper into topical news and original enterprise storytelling.
Branded opportunities in audio
Media companies that embrace an audience-first strategy to reach consumers should also be looking to play in this space with their branded content offerings as well. When we break “audience first” down to its tenets this means first and foremost viewing the audience as people. People with values and interests that inform their decisions. Audience first also means bringing brands and people together through shared values. Branded content has evolved to take into account not only people’s interests, but the way people consume content and even what time of day. Audio offers a new opportunity for brands to reach people when and where they are not consuming visual content.
Consequently, there is the opportunity to do some very exciting things with brands and audio. For example, we recently produced ‘Forward, Better’, an audio-led campaign for Fujitsu Uvance, the brand’s initiative connecting thought leaders, tech and brands to address global challenges. This series saw host Dr. Hannah Fry paired with thought and business leaders in different sectors to address some of the most pressing and relevant sustainability challenges and offer real achievable solutions.
Other brands are doing great stuff in the audio space – in the non-factual space GE is telling thrilling sci-fi stories with The message, and Basecamp is telling the secrets of longevity in Business with “The Distance” – both examples of brands embracing the format and proof positive that audiences are engaging with well-told stories in the audio space.
Audio is only part of the answer
Should brand studios be pivoting away from written and moving-image-led content? Not so fast. However, the combination of the audience demand, the scale of distribution and the commercial interest make audio key for 2023, but as part of a wider strategy and media mix with TV, digital and social.
In my role as a storyteller and someone connecting brands with audiences, I expect audio to be a core part of the branded content product offering for the foreseeable future, offering brands a way to connect with audiences when they want, in a meaningful and memorable way.
Authored by:
John Malone, Chief Creative Officer, CNN International Commercial
