What Happened
Coca-Cola is teaming up with iHeartMedia, parent company of popular internet radio network iHeartRadio, to target teens with a branded podcast. Named “iHeartRadio First Taste Fridays With Coca-Cola,” the podcast is billed as a source for “first tastes of the hottest new music and behind the scenes artist interviews.” This partnership marks iHeartMedia’s first foray into podcasting, a medium that has sparked renewed interest from marketers following the runaway success of Serial last year.
What Brands Need To Do
Podcasts provide a growing opportunity for brands to reach a targeted niche audience of specified interests with sponsorships and native ads. A recent study also found podcast listeners are usually active users of social media and are more likely to follow brands. This branded content deal cements podcasting’s place in mainstream media landscape as a burgeoning marketing channel, which brands of all types should heed to.
Source: AdAge