tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post6182306273375631377..comments2024-02-13T10:20:04.888+00:00Comments on David Hepworth's blog: Podcasts are like lifeDavid Hepworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973053694541321308noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-58715698614945247992008-09-02T14:55:00.000+01:002008-09-02T14:55:00.000+01:00One question. Where did Alison Rudd go?One question. Where did Alison Rudd go?David Hepworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03541581777824775884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-70627370573017333182008-09-01T17:56:00.000+01:002008-09-01T17:56:00.000+01:00The Game's a great podcast - although I must decla...The Game's a great podcast - although I must declare an interest, I was the exec producer of it during season 1 and 2.<BR/><BR/>I think there's some truth in the idea that advertisers don't really understand podcasts - but remember The Game has been sponsored before. It's not just a money pit - there's money to be made from these shows. It just takes a brave agency to commit cash to something like this. And I think, at the moment, the fashion is for online video rather than podcasts. But perhaps agencies will consider a more mixed media approach to campaigns in the future. <BR/> <BR/>As for Phill - I think he's great. My guess is that, come Christmas, the team will have bedded in and will be firing on all cylinders. <BR/><BR/>Although I would say that, wouldn't I.....Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12910445845452309507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-33530257342699689672008-08-28T20:25:00.000+01:002008-08-28T20:25:00.000+01:00The very small number of ads in this area tend to ...The very small number of ads in this area tend to be for web-based products like audiobooks. Makes sense in a way but it's very restricting.<BR/><BR/>I don't know accurately how many people download the Word podcast. I suspect that if you could get numbers they would be a bit like telling people how much you earn - half of them would think it was too much, the other half would think it wasn't enough. I do suspect one thing: that a huge proportion of them listen to all of each podcast very closely, which is not something that applies to most "media products". <BR/><BR/>I bet that Russell Brand's podcasts are downloaded a lot more than yours, Andrew, (thanks to the massive promotional muscle of the BBC) but I wouldn't mind betting yours are listened to more closely.<BR/><BR/>Everybody in advertising knows that communication depends less on reach than it does on *engagement* but in practice they can make more money and impress more clients by doing things the same old way. I think podcasts offer more engagement than anything else in the media landscape. They turn chore time - jogging, commuting, walking the dog - into time people look forward to. It's staggering to me that advertisers have't gathered that yet.David Hepworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03541581777824775884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-34617683336719142822008-08-28T19:55:00.000+01:002008-08-28T19:55:00.000+01:00I listened to a couple of Virgin Radio podcasts an...I listened to a couple of Virgin Radio podcasts and they all have an ad at the beginning, or an advertorial involving an audiobook company anyway. I suppose that's being creative. It doesn't stop people downloading the podcasts - in the reception area of the station they run stats and it said that Iain Lee's podcast was getting 21,000 downloads. With an ad for audibooks built in.<BR/><BR/>I like the fact that advertisers don't understand podcasts yet. Richard Herring and I have real trouble getting accurate figures for downloads anyway, so even if we did want to sell "space", which we don't, it's hard to put it into numbers, and advertisers like numbers. (Do you have any idea how many people download the Word podcast?)Andrew Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16968231919253150433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-65094699013269503022008-08-28T13:10:00.000+01:002008-08-28T13:10:00.000+01:00Okay. I'll suggest it. But I can't make any promis...Okay. I'll suggest it. But I can't make any promises. I'm only a junior minister.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-87529061415501829992008-08-28T12:54:00.000+01:002008-08-28T12:54:00.000+01:00That's what we need. A podcast tax!That's what we need. A podcast tax!David Hepworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03541581777824775884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-82871991745929073412008-08-28T12:14:00.000+01:002008-08-28T12:14:00.000+01:00the treasury. feel free.the treasury. feel free.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-13163123526923245882008-08-28T11:58:00.000+01:002008-08-28T11:58:00.000+01:00Where do you work?I'll pop round and help myself.Where do you work?<BR/>I'll pop round and help myself.David Hepworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03541581777824775884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-45294520526504316012008-08-28T11:40:00.000+01:002008-08-28T11:40:00.000+01:00I think the big appeal of podcasts is that they ar...I think the big appeal of podcasts is that they are one of the very few things these days that dont contain ads. If you can keep doing them like The Word's and Andrew Collins' - low-tec, spontaneous and virtually at no cost, and still make them highly entertaining then that's how it should be in my view. As soon as you start bringing in adverts, you'll potentially lose quite a few core listeners. You're not that skint are you, Dave? You shouldn't think of them as free. But more as a bonus track for loyal Word readers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-52571725645263408832008-08-28T11:16:00.000+01:002008-08-28T11:16:00.000+01:00I would imagine that Times Newspapers are in the s...I would imagine that Times Newspapers are in the same position that everyone is with regard to podcasts: some of their staff enjoy doing them, many of their readers (or visitors) enjoy listening to them but nobody can work out how to make any money out of them.<BR/><BR/>This is because advertisers as a breed don't understand them, partly because they can't work out a way to measure their effectiveness, partly because the sums of money involved are too small to deliver worthwhile margins and partly because their ignorance of them is nothing compared to the clients'.<BR/><BR/>The most interesting piece of advice I was given by a guy from a digital ad agency was to make the Word one a video podcast as soon as possible because that way it could feature an advertiser's logo. It's very frustrating because I genuinely think the sponsor of a popular podcast gets huge "halo value" from its association.David Hepworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03541581777824775884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-42297086429168436522008-08-28T09:02:00.000+01:002008-08-28T09:02:00.000+01:00Agree that The Game isn't really working at the mo...Agree that The Game isn't really working at the moment. Jupitus hasn't formed a rapport with any of the others and he just doesn't seem to fit yet. <BR/><BR/>In terms of money, they do seem very keen to push people onto their website with endless references to the site and the fantasy football, which is a bit tiresome. But surely the kind of people that listen to the podcast are already users of the site? <BR/><BR/>I have wondered why podcasts don't contain ads where the little indents are ("Word, A Magazine, A Podcast, etc...") By the time you know they are on, you're not going to fast forward your ipod.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01405736492067258364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-72295418074081816442008-08-28T06:11:00.000+01:002008-08-28T06:11:00.000+01:00What with them having a new Media regime which inv...What with them having a new Media regime which involved them getting rid of the regular columns and me getting very irate about their asking for something and then not running it, I appear to have taken my bat home. Yes, here it. "Slazenger Elite Pro." Needs oiling.David Hepworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03541581777824775884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-67998324338303803722008-08-27T23:33:00.000+01:002008-08-27T23:33:00.000+01:00And the moment anybody works out how to make money...And the moment anybody works out how to make money from podcasts, let me know. (It'll probably spell the end for us all.)<BR/><BR/>By the way, have you been edged out of the Media Guardian, Dave, or have I just missed your last column? I too resent personnel being moved around without being consulted!Andrew Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16968231919253150433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38548109.post-5848591200114048162008-08-27T19:16:00.000+01:002008-08-27T19:16:00.000+01:00Speaking of which, can you give us an ETA on the n...Speaking of which, can you give us an ETA on the next Word podcast?<BR/><BR/>I'm on the methadone over here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com