Move beyond virtue signaling and into a purpose-driven podcast.
A well-built brand identity should send a crystal-clear message about your team’s mission, values, and purpose…
But exceptional branding isn’t just talk.
While it’s certainly crucial that you translate your ethos through the language that surrounds your brand, real game-changers take concrete action.
What does this look like? Well, that depends on your approach.
You might convey your values by…
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Creating a helpful resource
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Investing in what matters
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Building a social enterprise
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Fostering community around shared purpose
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Or offering free and valuable content
And perhaps you opt for all of the above — but at the end of the day, you simply have to give something back.
You can talk about your values until the cows come home, but as long as you’re a company driven solely by profit, talk is just talk.
The modern consumer can see right through that. We’re buying with our hearts these days, and a purpose-driven connection is what earns long-term loyalty and investment.
So, if you’re looking to put your money where your mouth is, make a meaningful contribution to society, and get straight to the hearts of your ideal audience…
It might be time for a branded podcast.
A strategic and professionally produced show will be a major investment but — in contrast to much of the branded content out there these days — it shouldn’t be fluff.
Below, we explore two branded shows produced by JAR, and how thoughtful, value-packed episodes give something not only to your audience, but society at large.
The Sound Bath by Lush Cosmetics
While this new release is only four episodes in to date, it’s already gone deep — into topics that really matter.
Our team, and the folks at Lush, made sure of that.
Here are some concepts we’ve explored to date…
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Why visibility matters
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Race and well being in the digital world
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And eco-feminism, intersectionality, and the climate crisis
We’ve also worked hard to secure the very best guests to compliment each episode — intent on bringing game-changing thought-leaders straight to the listeners’ devices.
To date, The Sound Bath has featured…
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Naomi Klein, journalist, filmmaker, activist, and author of several world-shaping books
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Dr Safia Noble, UCLA professor, civil rights advocate, and recipient of the MacArthur Foundation “Genius Award”
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And Hope Giselle, author, activist, DEI expert, and the first openly trans woman to graduate with an MFA from conversitive university Alabama State
Ultimately, every choice we’ve collectively made has been in the name of substantial, meaningful content that would add real value to listeners’ lives and inspire lasting change.
This is perhaps best exemplified through the series’ first episode, “This Changes Everything” with Naomi Klein.
It doesn’t just seek to inform its audience; it shares tangible strategies we can all use to “light ourselves up,” and make a meaningful impact on this big blue world.
Disruptors by RBC
Also taking a major focus on climate justice and the future of our planet is the eco-focused content we create with RBC as part of their hit show Disruptors.
Titled “The Climate Conversations,” this series delves into a number of topics critical to Canadians — and the entire world.
This year, RBC’s ecocentric special episodes explored…
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How BC’s cleantech movement is working to decarbonize the Canadian economy
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The GLOBE sustainable energy conference in Vancouver, and the key conversations that took place there
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And the integral role of Indigenous communities in clean energy movements and the health of our planet
But the meaningful contribution of Disruptors does not start or end with this series. In fact, the entire podcast is geared toward listener education and empowerment.
Here are some other crucial topics it touches along the way…
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The impact of inflation on the cost of food
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The push to include women in venture capital
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Mental health in the face of COVID
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And how Indigenous youth are poised to become the leaders of tomorrow
Ultimately, this is a podcast with an intersectional, ethical, and environmental mindset — despite the fact that the economy lies at its core.
It was designed to inspire, inform, and create real impact, well beyond the folks that listen to the show.
Defined by action
The bottom line here is that the overarching mission of your series, and the topics you choose for each episode really do matter.
RBC is a retail banking giant. Lush is a breakout leader in the cosmetics industry. Both of these brands, at the end of the day, chose to create shows about things that are much, much bigger.
From there, each episode has been crafted not only to reflect their mission, values, purpose, and overall theme…
But to empower its listeners to change their mindset, change their lives, and ultimately make some change — big or small — that ripples into their community, and the world.
It is with this kind of content that these brands have “put their money where their mouths are.”
Instead of telling their audience “who” they are, they’ve shown them — by creating audio content with real-world value, and asking absolutely nothing in return.
