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Best Non-Email Opt-in Messaging:
Gold B-to-B
On the Record Online - Podcast
Brand/Client Side Team:
iPressroom, Chris Bechtel; Schwartzman & Associates, Eric Schwartzman
MarketingSherpa Summary - Why They Won:
Open admission -- we've actually downloaded and listened to this compelling podcast
ourselves in the past. So, we were delighted to learn we are not alone. Turns out tens of
thousands of execs listen to it. Our favorite part of this entry -- the marketers'
promotional tactics include search engine optimization of typed transcripts on podcast
episode description pages.
From Their Nomination Form:
In April 2005, Schwartzman & Associates launched a podcast for iPressroom, a privately
held company in which the agency retains an equity stake. The firm's managing director,
Eric Schwartzman, is also the founder of iPressroom, a provider of online public relations
tools and services. On the RecordOnline features seminar-quality discussions with
journalists from the mainstream media, bloggers, podcasters and newsmakers about how
new media technology is changing -- and threatening to disrupt -- the media business and
the practice of public relations. During the podcast listeners learn about how to best pitch
story ideas to well known journalists and are simultaneously introduced to iPressroom. To
give the podcast a professional, credible identity, the agency retained the same voice-
over talent used by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in numerous interstitial
programs. Professionally produced, contemporary production music was licensed to
underscore the main title.
Since the Internet remains a text-based medium, the agency created show notes for each
episode and keyword optimized those notes against popular terms and phrases used to make
it easy for the programs to be found through Google, Yahoo!, iTunes, Podcast Alley and
other popular search engines and podcast aggregators. Show notes are listed by time
code to allow listeners to easily fast-forward or rewind to particular program
highlights. At the same time, the agency made sure the show notes did not reveal
the guest's opinions so listeners would be encouraged to download the program.
On the Record Online has emerged as iPressroom's single-most effective marketing
communications tactic. As of May 2, 2006, all 45 episodes of On the Record Online have
been downloaded just over 100,000 times, with per month downloads growing from
1,224 episodes in the first month to as many as 16,339 downloads in the top month to
date. Also, 47% of the shows regular subscriber base has completed an online form on
iPressroom's Web site requesting more information on iPressroom's podcasting services.
The podcast averages 551 downloads per day.
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