The podcast as a sound experimentation tool for brands: The immersive narrative in Endesa's Sonidos que nos transforman

Abstract

The podcast has become an emerging audio format for advertising usage through the branded content technique, which uses content to transmit brand values ​​without intrusive messages. The technique applied to the sound medium represents added value for brands because of the sound’s sensory power. In this unisensory context, sound immersion narratives can further enhance the listening experience by making the listener an integral part of the storytelling. Through the study of Sonidos que nos transforman (Sounds that transform us), the first and only immersive branded podcast produced in Spain to date by Endesa, we will analyse how the brand integrates into the narrative. We will also study to what extent the podcast is configured as an appropriate format to transmit the brand message through sound immersion. The methodology is completed with exploratory interviews with those responsible for the project. The results confirm that immersive sound techniques are not mere technical-sound ornaments applied without casuistry, and that they contribute to increase engagement with the brand due to the intensity with which the listener lives the experience. In addition, the podcast highlights the existence of its own narrative, which finds its methodology and production sources in the radio, the sound medium par excellence, but opening up possibilities thanks to the absence of space-time limits and to its recorded nature.