Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain our own.
Large brands are quickly discovering the importance of podcasting for growth.
Branded Podcasts
Saks has a new beauty floor that has everything you would expect–a foundation bar, a facial workout gym, and a podcast.
Jodi Katz recently recorded an episode of “Where Brains Meet Beauty” — an interview with guru Taryn Toomey — from a small stage at the center of one of the stores. This particular show ranks 18th in Apple Podcast's rankings for beauty podcasts.
Saks is one of many fashion and beauty companies looking to get into podcasting in a big way. Podcasting allows companies to speak directly to their loyal fans. They give brands the opportunity to show what they are really like behind the scenes. People love this type of thing.
“This format allows us to reach a much broader audience, both in-store and on a national level,” said Kate Oldham, the senior vice president and general manager of beauty, jewelry and home at Saks. “Podcasts tell a longer and more intimate story and Jodi has the ability to connect with her guests on a very personal level.”
Barneys New York debuted its own podcast as well. It is a series of conversations between top employees, including Barneys CEO, Daniella Vitale.
Sephora released a comedy podcast at stores in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco.
It is such a great move that luxury brands are podcasting as well. They are usually not trailblazers in the digital world.
Even Chanel has a podcast called 3.55. Their show included interviews and discussions with friends of the company. They even cycled through themes.
Other major brands that have gotten into podcasting include Gucci and Maison Marigela,
“No one is willing to tell in-depth brand stories anymore, so podcasts give brands a platform on which to do that,” said Dana Schwartz, the founder of PR firm The Hours Agency. “To not only control but really expand on the brand narrative.”
Podcasting is a relatively cheap investment. Luxury brands have the cash to do it and are seeing a nice ROI.
While podcast listeners tend to skew male, female listeners are driving much of the industry’s growth — their total monthly listenership jumped 14 percent in 2018. Just under one-quarter of American women now listen to podcasts each month, compared to 27 percent of American men. Taken together, Americans are now listening to an average of 7 different podcasts per week and the medium is most popular with people aged 24–54.
The demographics make sense for fashion and beauty brands.
While none of these aforementioned podcasts are in Apple Podcasts' Top 200 rankings, they have helped each brand get more recognition with consumers.
Although audiences may be small, they could be a great way to find and engage with major fans of each brand.
It’s certainly more lucrative than advertising on another brand’s podcast, a system for which metrics and analytics “are really flawed,” he said, noting that they’re notoriously hard to parse and quantify.
It seems that to get the most out of this medium, live podcasting is the way to go. The costs may be slightly higher, but the engagement is as well. These factors lead to a longer lifespan for the podcasts themselves.