A podcast is content.

You listen to it on headphones, probably while doing something else. We can’t serve you click-throughs, so how can B2C brands tell whether a podcast has persuaded you to do something or buy something?

There are two answers to this, both of which are equally viable:

A) Don’t try. Podcasting is a brand awareness medium. It’s a brilliant perception shifter. It’s about creating super useful / entertaining / engaging / niche content that will bring credit back to the brand. It’ll further cement your position as a thought leader or take you into conversations that might surprise and enlighten your listener about your brand.

B) Let’s see what we can do.

Tomorrow we’re launching our latest, and for my money, very best ‘Answer B’ to this question, with ‘What Were you Thinking’, presented by Henry Holland and sponsored by Vestiaire Collective. The product and sales integration is like nothing we’ve ever tried before.

Vestiaire Collective are all about high-end circular fashion. You want that outrageously expensive Gucci bag? Happy to have it ‘pre-loved’? This is the place for you. It’s environmentally friendly, it’s ridiulously cool, and it saves you money.

‘What Were you Thinking’ works like this:

Henry Holland interviews famous friends about their fashion history, This isn’t about fails, it’s about what made them and the role that fashion played in their rise to stardom. Guests so far include Alexa Chung, Beth Ditto and Eve. Great names with lots to say.

In each episode, the guest donates an item of clothing to Vestiaire Collective, to be sold for charity of their choice. So not only can you hear about their iconic fashion item, you can buy it!

For each guest, Henry creates an edit page on the Vestiaire Collective site. He chooses clothes available on Vestiaire that match the style of the guest. So you can buy clothes in the style of your favourite interviewee, as chosen by one of the hottest British designers of the last 20 years.

On top of this:

• Henry is voicing a 30 second message (audio ad) for Vestiaire Collective halfway through each episode, including a promo code for discounts on the site.
• The Vestiaire logo is integrated into the show artwork.
• The outfits we discuss will be posted on the ‘What Were you Thinking’ Instagram account
• Henry will do a whole host of social posting, crediting VC, across all ten episodes of the series, and all guests will be provided with assets and links to post for their episode.
• Vestiaire Collective are hosting the podcasts on their own site with links to Youtube, Apple and Spotify

So this is a podcast where:

• The subject matter and the brand are perfectly aligned.
• The brand get endorsement from both our very cool host and very cool guests
• The product is seamlessly woven into the episode as the guests talk about the items they’re donating, only available to buy on Vestiaire Collective.
• The promo code makes the resulting purchases trackable.

And even after all that, all that most people will care about is that each episode is a funny, fascinating, very enjoyable listen with cool people talking about fashion.

The value for the brand is extraordinary, and the ROI will be clearer than anything else we’ve ever produced.

So how do you sell product on a podcast, wand still make it a great listen?

I think we may have cracked it.

Right. Off to buy a Louis Vitton shellsuit.