Brands' Podcasts Dissected— Blue Apron: Why We Eat What We Eat
Though the podcast is no longer active, its impact on Blue Apron's brand strategy & the broader landscape of branded podcasts is worth analysing.
Content marketing is still king, so brands continually seek innovative ways to engage with their audience and attract a new one. Blue Apron, the meal kit delivery service, embraced this trend with their podcast "Why We Eat What We Eat," produced in partnership with Gimlet Creative. Though the podcast is no longer active, its impact on Blue Apron's brand strategy and the bigger picture of branded podcasts is worth analysing—this is why we've chosen the show for our feature #BrandsPodcastsDissected where we talk about companies' podcasts, how they're made, distributed, and promoted.
A strategic extension of the brand
"Why We Eat What We Eat," hosted by food writer and cookbook author Cathy Erway, dug into the unseen forces shaping eating habits and food decisions, which was a natural extension of Blue Apron's broader storytelling efforts—blog posts, videos, and special features in their meal kits. By exploring food trends, cultural food practices, and personal eating habits, the podcast wanted to enhance the overall cooking experience for Blue Apron customers.
Season one, which was basically the only season of the podcast, investigates various topics related to food, food trends (like the rise of kale), picky eaters, and the history and culture of potlucks. Each episode features interviews with experts, authors, and people with unique perspectives on the subject matter.
Enhancing brand awareness & engagement
One of the key objectives of the podcast was to enhance brand awareness through immersive content. By featuring host-read ads that blended seamlessly with the podcast episodes, Blue Apron managed to promote their service authentically. This method increased brand awareness and built a deeper connection with listeners, thereby enhancing customer engagement and loyalty.
The podcast provided Blue Apron with a unique platform to connect with their audience and offered listeners valuable insights into the complex world of food. This, in turn, made Blue Apron more than just a meal kit service—it became a source of food-related knowledge and inspiration.
How did they know that, though? Blue Apron’s approach to evaluating the performance of "Why We Eat What We Eat" was data-driven. The company used analytics to assess the podcast's effectiveness as a marketing channel, ensuring that it contributed positively to customer acquisition and return on investment.
Educational purposes are also a thing the show addressed. Blue Apron gave listeners deeper insights into food trends and cultural practices, so it helped prospective customers understand the value of meal kits. This educational aspect built trust and credibility, positioning Blue Apron as an authority in the meal kit industry.
Competitive advantage & influencer marketing
In a crowded market, differentiation is crucial. Blue Apron, when they launched the show back in 2017, set itself apart from competitors who primarily focused on traditional marketing channels and positioned the company as an innovative leader in the meal kit industry, attracting a loyal customer base.
The podcast was also a part of Blue Apron's influencer marketing strategy. Collaborations with popular YouTubers to showcase their recipes complemented the podcast’s efforts, leveraging the trust and credibility these influencers had built with their audiences.
Cost-effective & widely distributed
Podcast advertising is cost-effective since it's offering high response rates at relatively low costs. This made it an attractive option for Blue Apron to expand its marketing efforts and maximise brand exposure. The show was distributed through various platforms, including Listen Notes, Gimlet Media, Blue Apron's official website, and major podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. This wide distribution ensured that the podcast reached a broad and diverse audience.
Pre-roll ads played at the beginning of the podcast episode, typically 15-30 seconds long, and are a good option for advertisers who want to reach the entire audience.
Mid-roll ads played in the middle of the podcast episode, typically after around 20-30 minutes of content, and can be longer, around 60 seconds, to engage listeners who are already invested in the content.
Post-roll ads played at the end of the podcast episode, after the content has finished, and are typically shorter, around 15-30 seconds, to reach listeners who have already listened to the entire episode.
Some of the ad examples used in Blue Apron's podcast
- Casper: Casper's ads are conversational and feature the host talking about their own experience with the mattress. They offer a discount code to encourage listeners to make a purchase.
- Blue Apron: Blue Apron's ads typically focus on the convenience and affordability of their meal kit delivery service, often offering a discount code for listeners to try it out.
- ZipRecruiter: ZipRecruiter's ads focus on the ease of using their platform to find a job or hire the right candidate
The listener
The listeners of Blue Apron's podcast, "Why We Eat What We Eat," are primarily "young urbanites" interested in food trends and cultural aspects of eating. As Blue Apron put it, the podcast aims to resonate with both professional food bloggers and individuals who have never turned on their ovens before, differentiating itself from other food podcasts that focus on cooking.
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- Log in or sign up to Waveroom.
- Create a recording room by pressing +.
- Select your microphone, camera, and headphones in the Devices tab under the video preview.
4. In the AI tab, toggle on Remove Noise and Transcribe Speech. The transcription feature doesn't work unless noise removal is applied. If you want to summarise your call, also select Create Summary.
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11. Now open the file in any text editor of your choice.
💡The .srt file is opened in a player by default, which is no use to you. To see the transcribed recording, open the file in any text editor of your choice.