Decoding brand podcasts in the luxury sector

The big houses invest in branded podcasts

Definition of a branded podcast

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The brand podcast is the creation of a native podcast, or in other words, your own podcast. This approach has already been adopted by many luxury brands, including Dior, Gucci, Chanel, Cartier, and more recently Balmain... 

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The luxury podcast to reach your target audience

Today, the average age of podcast listeners is under 35.

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A very interesting statistic for luxury brands, since 41% of these listeners - who still represent 58% of French podcast listeners - are CSP+, in other words... Their core target.

Luxury podcasts for new uses

The luxury podcast to meet "mobile first" demand

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As the above statistic shows, the use of cell phones as a priority has exploded in recent years.

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So it's only natural that podcasts should become a natural communication tool to be integrated into the luxury brand experience. 

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Simply because it's easy to : 

• Download,
• Listen to "on the go
• Share 

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https://improvepodcast.com/podcasting-statistics-listeners/ 

The luxury podcast to meet podcast demand since the health crisis

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As a result of the health crisis, luxury brands that have already launched their digital activities have stepped up their online and social networking presence. 

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Podcasts offer yet another innovative, consumer-friendly communication tool for staying in touch with your audience.

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In France in particular, 13% of weekly listeners started listening to podcasts during the lockdown (Source Havas Paris). 

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No wonder Dior, one of the world's Top 5 luxury brands, launched "Dior Talks" (via your favorite podcast agency) just before the first containment in March 2020. 

The luxury podcast to tell your story in a unique way 

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The average time per week spent listening to podcasts is 8 hours...

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This medium offers luxury brands the opportunity to unfold their storytelling. 

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Take the time to evoke their unique history, some of which dates back centuries, without the constraints of TikTok or Instagram.

The luxury podcast for taking part in discussions on social issues

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Chanel is one of the pioneers in this field, having launched the "3.55 or Canel Connects" podcast in 2018, in which it gives stars such as Pharrell Williams, Keira Knightley and Tilda Swinton the opportunity to debate various current topics such as: 

• Talent diversity 
• The importance of representation in cinema.

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For its part, Gucci is offering 28 episodes of podcasts with high-profile guests discussing social issues.  

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Last but not least, Dior's "Dior Talks" podcast gives Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri the opportunity to speak out on social issues that are dear to the brand's values, such as feminism.

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Accompanied by contributors such as photographers who collaborate with the company, or the artistic director of Haute Joaillerie, Victoire de Castellane, the designer uses the podcast to open a dialogue on issues such as feminism, by giving the floor to historians and philosophers.

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The voice for a new, intimate relationship

The podcast is very emotional, thanks to the voice and the imagination.

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There's no doubt about it... 

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An Instagram story lasting just a few seconds can't generate as much emotion as a 60-minute podcast.

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"I wanted to discuss these intimate issues and explain my creative process.", 

Mathilde Laurent - Maison Cartier

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Indeed, when you're immersed only by voice, thanks to the power of the words and intonations used, the listener is carried away into his or her imagination. This unique, different and innovative experience appeals to luxury brands that speak to the intimate! 

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Establish a new relationship with luxury customers and new, younger targets

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With digital, pandemic and new consumer trends, customer relations, even in the luxury sector, have evolved. 

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Today's consumers, especially the younger generation, are keen to discover what goes on behind the scenes of the creations they love. 

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This is exactly where luxury brands are positioning themselves with the luxury brand podcast.

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Chanel's "Channel Métier Class" podcast, for example, gives consumers a behind-the-scenes look at the luxury house's creations, via conversations with Karl Lagerfeld. 

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Gucci has taken the same approach with its "Gucci Podcast", which retraces the secrets of its creations through interviews with the House's designers and museums.

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Last but not least, Hermès, the luxury goods brand, is focusing on immersion, with its "Faubourg des rêves" audio podcast featuring emblematic figures from its Paris headquarters: 

• Saleswomen, 
• Art director, 
• Window designer, 
• Master gardener... 

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The audio format is committed, allowing you to communicate your commitments

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Each brand that launches a podcast has its own objectives. 

For luxury brands, the objective is often to "nurture the values" of a luxury house. 

For Lancôme, for example, one of our core values is beauty. 

And it's through a partnership with Madame de Figaro's "Happiness Therapy" podcast series, and an advert about happiness placed at the start of each episode, that it intends to achieve this. 

Luxury brand Guerlain, meanwhile, has joined forces with podcast program "La Poudre"-which hosts inspiring women for open conversation-by creating a pre-roll ad, too, to position itself on the theme of feminism.

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Podcasts in the luxury sector: creativity and freedom

The great freedom and creativity of the audio format

Considerable time freedom

With podcasts, all formats are possible. 

A long format of up to 3 hours to tell the story of a luxury brand in depth.

Or a short format of 5 to 20 minutes to offer an overview of : 

• Secrets, 
• Backstage,
• Collaborators.

And it's exactly this relationship with time that facilitates the creation of the podcast.