In summary
- A branded podcast is original audio content created and funded by a company to engage a target audience in a way that aligns with the brand’s values, distinct from a corporate podcast aimed primarily at an internal audience.
- In Italy, there were 15.2 million podcast listeners in 2024, up 2% compared with 2023, and 63% had listened to at least one branded podcast (Ipsos, Digital Audio Survey 2024).
- A branded podcast primarily drives engagement and message retention rather than immediate financial returns: it creates a long-term effect that strengthens audience loyalty.
- 53% of listeners influenced by a branded podcast look for more information about the brand, 26% talk about it with friends and acquaintances, and 16% purchase the brand’s product (Ipsos, 2024).
- The level of brand presence within the format (associated, integrated, sponsor-produced) should be chosen based on the communication objective, not on industry convention.
A company looking to strengthen brand awareness, build audience loyalty or position itself as a reference point in its industry can use a branded podcast as a tool that works over a longer time horizon than an advertising campaign, with a higher level of audience engagement than the average for other digital formats.
What is a branded podcast
A branded podcast is original audio content created and sponsored by a brand, designed to engage a target audience in a way that aligns with the brand’s values and objectives. It differs from a corporate podcast, which is primarily intended for internal company communication with employees or collaborators, typically for training and information purposes. Many companies also combine the two approaches, adapting the format to the specific needs of the project.
Why it matters for marketing and corporate communications
For those managing a company’s marketing, a branded podcast offers an editorial channel that does not depend on social media algorithms and makes it possible to build a direct, ongoing relationship with listeners. For a B2C company, the format expands the brand’s strategic presence on a channel with relatively low advertising saturation. For a B2B company, the same format becomes a tool for training and informing clients, partners or the sales network.
Market context: the role of branded podcasts in Italy today
According to the Ipsos Digital Audio Survey 2024 report, “Unlocking the potential of podcasts: from passion to strategy”, Italy had 15.2 million podcast listeners in 2024, up 2% from 2023, and 63% of them had listened to at least one branded podcast, also up 2% from 2023. The branded podcast audience consists of 39% under-35s, 29% university graduates, 11% students and 13% professionals in senior roles.
Within this audience, Ipsos identifies a segment of more frequent listeners, known as Hunters: around 6 million people who listen to podcasts every day or 2–3 times a week. 61% of Hunters recommend podcasts to others and 63% receive recommendations themselves, creating a word-of-mouth effect that extends the content’s organic reach beyond the audience reached directly by the brand.
These figures describe the Italian podcast market as a whole, combining general and branded listening, and are updated to 2024: they indicate a growth trend, but do not guarantee the same results for every project, which depend on content quality, publishing consistency and alignment with the target audience.
How it creates value for the brand
The first effect of a branded podcast concerns awareness and reputation: an analysis by BBC StoryWorks for BBC Global News, titled “Audio:Activated”, attributes to branded podcasts an 89% increase in brand awareness and a 57% improvement in brand reputation, as well as a stronger brand identity and positioning the company as an opinion leader in its industry.
The second effect concerns engagement and message retention: according to the same source, 55% of listeners say they are engaged by branded podcasts, while 58% remember the content they listened to over time. The financial return is not immediate: it builds gradually, with a progressive increase in conversions from listeners to customers, a phenomenon often described in the industry as a long-term loyalty effect.
The third effect concerns word of mouth and trust. According to Ipsos (2024), almost 4 in 10 Italian listeners discovered a brand they did not previously know through a podcast, a figure that rises further among Hunters. More than half of listeners also say they appreciate brands that produce audio content.
After listening to a branded podcast, users typically take one of the following actions (Ipsos, 2024):
- looks for more information about the brand (32% of activated listeners)
- talks about it with friends and acquaintances (26%)
- purchases the brand’s product (16%)
The three types of brand integration
The level of brand presence within the format varies depending on the communication objective and can be divided into three models, reflected in three successful branded podcasts published in recent years.
In the associated model, the brand remains in the background and limits itself to the role of project promoter, mentioned at the end of the episode. This is the case with “The Message”, an eight-episode fiction series produced in 2015 by General Electric with the agencies BBDO New York and Giant Spoon, together with Slate’s Panoply network: a story of espionage and the decoding of a 70-year-old radio signal, built using the narrative techniques of auteur radio from the 1940s and 1950s. The podcast surpassed 4.5 million downloads and reached number one in the iTunes podcast charts, remaining recognizable as standalone entertainment rather than as advertising content.
In the integrated model, the brand is present within the narrative and becomes the starting point for telling stories, as in “Accelera, storie di successo di imprese italiane”: four episodes produced by One Podcast (Gedi Group) linked to the free “Accelera con Amazon” programme, in which journalist Mary Cacciola interviews entrepreneurs who explain how they grew their e-commerce businesses. Amazon provides the context and funds the project, but the entrepreneurs remain the protagonists.
In the sponsor-produced model, the brand is the direct protagonist of the podcast, which tells its story or provides B2B content to its audience. “The McKinsey Podcast” features analysis and interviews on strategy and economics led by McKinsey & Company consultants, aimed at an audience of managers and professionals. “Una Storia Dolcissima”, the first podcast by Novi (Grande Cioccolato Italiano), written by Eugenio Signorini and produced by Piano P, tells the story of chocolate across six episodes, from the Maya and Aztec civilizations to modern industrial production, intertwining it with the brand’s identity.
Operational implications: what you need to launch a branded podcast
Before launching a branded podcast project, it is advisable to define several key elements: an understanding of the brand, an analysis of the target audience and the editorial concept; an editorial plan that establishes the most effective narrative for the chosen audience; scriptwriting and, where useful, transcription to improve accessibility and reach; a measurement plan based on KPIs and listening metrics; and a multichannel promotion and distribution plan, to achieve a broader return than publishing on audio platforms alone.
Producing a branded podcast in Stella33’s podcast room
Stella33’s podcast room at Stella Santa Giulia (Milan) operates as a fully fledged branded podcast studio: alongside recording, it offers an editorial consultancy service covering brand and target audience analysis, concept and format definition, scriptwriting, production and post-production, through to a multichannel promotion plan. The four available packages, from Basic to Luxury, make it possible to tailor the project according to how much of the process needs to be entrusted to the external team and how much is managed internally by the company.
For more details on technical equipment, in-room technical support and the difference compared with a DIY recording setup, see Why choose a professional podcast room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a branded podcast?
It is original audio content created and sponsored by a company to engage a target audience in a way that aligns with the brand’s values and objectives.
What is the difference between a branded podcast and a corporate podcast?
A branded podcast is aimed at an external audience for marketing and entertainment purposes. A corporate podcast is primarily aimed at internal staff, for training and information purposes.
What is a corporate podcast?
Corporate podcast is the generic term used in Italy for a podcast produced by a company, regardless of the audience it targets. In practice, it corresponds to a branded podcast when the audience is external (customers, prospects, the market) and to a corporate podcast when the audience is internal (employees, collaborators, sales network).
How can I create an effective branded podcast for my company?
An effective branded podcast starts with a clearly defined target audience and a concept aligned with the brand’s values, followed by an editorial plan that establishes the most suitable narrative for the chosen audience. It relies on professional production to ensure consistent quality from episode to episode and is supported by a measurement plan (listening KPIs) and a multichannel promotion strategy. These steps are described in detail in the “Operational implications” section of this article.
How long does it take to see results from a branded podcast?
The return is not immediate: it builds over time through a gradual increase in engagement, message retention and conversions from listeners to customers, an effect described in the industry as a long-term loyalty effect.
What level of brand presence should you choose for the format?
It depends on the communication objective: the associated model is suitable for brands that want to remain in the background, the integrated model for those that want to use stories to convey their values, and the sponsor-produced model for those that want to talk directly about the brand or provide B2B content.
Would you like to explore a branded podcast project for your company? Contact us for editorial consultancy and a personalized quote.