Strong content making the difference in complex markets

This article was originally published on Adformatie.nl

'Video and podcasts... No, I can't see the point.' I can still hear myself saying it, about four years ago. But now I am constantly bombarded with them. Maybe it’s because I’m in my forties, but I don't understand this process yet. The podcast exploded as a passive listening experience, or so I thought, but today's youth are growing up with the idea that you can watch anything. Wherever and whenever you want. From short videos to longform videos of people talking.

Spotify vs. Spotify YouTube

Spotify made it clear in their new annual survey, video podcasts are performing better than audio-only. Recent announcements also show that the streaming service has plans to compete even more fiercely with YouTube. Spotify added video to their platform for their Premium subscribers.

Talk podcast vs. narrative podcast

Talk shows – simple but effective. Which celebrity or influencer doesn't have a podcast now? – will continue to grow. Ad revenues, performance revenues, low production costs, and with AI, editing is much easier. A simple production, churning out opinions, anecdotes and status projects. And it provides you with fun shareable content for every social channel.

"You HAVE to stand out."

Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely a fan of this kind of podcasts. And for many of my clients, there is real added value in continuously entering the conversation with their target group. A bank talking about investing, a pension fund talking about pensions, a platform like kanker.nl or thuisarts.nl talking about the difference between facts and fiction. Regularly leading the conversation has serious added value for brands.

But there are many podcasts. And I expect there will only ever be more of them. And a lot of them will be more of the same. You HAVE to stand out.

No room for storytelling?

What does this trend mean for the narrative podcast? Because a storytelling podcast and video are not a match, are they? The Missing SS Officer with video would be more of a Past Times special. And isn't it just a 'video documentary'? To give the revolving door a firm push: as a creator and as an advisor to clients, I am a huge fan of the storytelling genre for podcasts. And I'm not the only one, if you take a look at the Apple and Spotify most downloaded charts.

But does this genre still have a future?

I am concerned about this. It appears – especially with the above developments – as if the narrative podcast could become a relic, something we later look back at with a lot of nostalgia and regret. Do you remember? Fire in the Manor, Bob, El Tarangu, The Man with the Rattles, The New Money, The Missing SS Officer. Those were the days.

The narrative podcast is much more labour-intensive to make. When I look at it from my (very modest) freelance role, I see fellow podcast makers struggling to sell their stories. 'We' have to invest enormously before 'we' can and may implement our wonderful ideas. Project costs are substantial, while budgets are increasingly scarce within the media. Of course, you can hunt subsidies, but funds are looking more critically at submitted plans. Rightly so, perhaps, but for me as a producer, this is a problem.

Maybe I'm too sceptical.

NPO continues to invest in this podcast genre, and I understand that they have a library of stories waiting to be told, and enough content for at least the next year. But here in the Netherlands, NPO is the only player with a serious budget for this genre. And because they are the only ones, it is a challenge for makers to get noticed.

Thankfully, there are also some other players in the market that are embracing storytelling.

At iO, we still see the added value of narrative podcasts. Competitors such as Airborne and Microphone Media have been doing nothing else for years, and New Tree Media is also fully committed to well-researched stories.

Perhaps I’m missing how contemporary media forms are increasingly intertwined. According to esteemed podcast maker Reinjan Prakke, it's only a matter of time before we start 'watching' narrative podcasts on platforms like Netflix. He previously wrote a wonderful newsletter about his musings on the narrative podcast. I share his optimism.

Unique position in a crowded playing field

Well, we've got the traditional Dutch grumbles out of the way and now it’s time for the fun part of this piece.

Because that is exactly why I adore this genre so much. Producing beautiful stories is very difficult and this means that there are big advantages for you, dear (content) marketers, communication strategists and brand owners.

"Narrative podcasts offer huge opportunities for brands"

And now I'm putting my podcast creative at iO hat on. What can narrative podcasts do for brands? A lot! There is a huge opportunity here for brands. It is my firm belief that brands have a much better chance in the crowded podcast marketplace with a well-developed story, built on a well-structured narrative with a beginning and an end. Did you know that it would take 9.3 years if you wanted to listen to all the Dutch-language podcasts that were released in 2023? Standing out among them is a challenge.

It is especially difficult for brands to make their mark with podcasts. That is why I advise my clients to start by investigating the narrative form. The UMC hospital in Utrecht asked us to make a podcast about the shortage of assistants in Operating Theatres, because it is one of the reasons that operations are cancelled. The initial idea: to have surgeons talk about how important the assistants are. My suggestion: find a stronger storyline, such as a groundbreaking investigation, in which the theatre assistant plays a key role. The result: Operation successful?

Long-term commitment

Narrative podcasts offer depth, authenticity, and long-term engagement. Take The Missing SS Officer as an example. This podcast, that brought the hidden history of an SS Officer to life, was listened to more than 1.4 million* times (*mid-November '24) and increased the number of visitors to National Monument Camp Amersfoort by 30 percent.

A successful narrative podcast doesn’t just attract listeners, it’s a sustainable product. Listeners are still downloading The Missing SS Officer and War Wound, visitor numbers to the museum at National Monument Camp Amersfoort continue to rise.

Summary

Again, a conversational podcast can be a lot of fun and can also work well for brands. But it’s best to approach it as a marathon, not a sprint. Both formats are fine. But the question is, can you ever hope to achieve one and a half million downloads with the latter approach? That seems like a utopian fantasy to me.