Google gets their B2B podcast heard by tuned-in business listeners

Brief:

Google aimed to promote their new B2B show, the Think with Google Podcast, to an engaged audience of business-focused listeners.

Solution:

Inspired by the storytelling power of audio, and aware that business listeners enjoy the conversational podcast format, the Think with Google team launched a podcast in 2020. Working with Gimlet (a Spotify Studio), they produced a five-episode limited series diving deeper into their biggest stories on marketing industry trends. And to promote the show, they turned to Spotify — knowing that their engaged audience would be all ears.

After all, Spotify listeners get down to business: 27% of our total US audience is made up of business decision-makers across industries.*

The Google team took advantage of Spotify’s Audio and Display ads to introduce the new show and drive listeners to stream it. They also used pre-roll and mid-roll podcast ads that appeared within Business podcasts like The Pitch, ReplyAll, and Startup. By contextually reaching listeners as they tuned into relevant podcasts, Google was able to connect with a deeply engaged audience that was in the mood to hear Business-centric content. And by using the show’s host to narrate the ad, the audio spot introduced listeners to the tone of the show, welcoming them to start listening.

The campaign also met listeners in other distinct moments, too — by reaching listeners who recently streamed within the Business podcast category and serving them custom Audio and Display ads to introduce the Think with Google Podcast. This varied approach helped the campaign reach listeners across different moments — sometimes while they were already listening to their favorite Business podcast, other times offering an alternative in between music breaks.

With the campaign’s success, it’s clear that an audience of engaged business decision-makers — across various industries — are turning to Spotify for insights and inspiration.

Impact:

• By sharing their podcast with relevant Business-minded listeners, Google drove a 17 percentage point lift in awareness for the Think with Google Podcast.
• With a quick, simple introduction of the show from the podcast’s host, the ad boosted recall by 16 percentage points.
• By explaining the show’s intent, the campaign drove a 5 percentage point increase in association of Think with Google with "useful insights on consumer behaviors and trends."