In early 2017, the Pacific Content team decided it was time for “branded podcasts” to die.

So we did something kind of crazy. We decided to change the name of the only product we make. That decision has had a huge impact on our business, our clients, and our shows.

Here’s why…

In the spring of 2015, we launched our first podcast series with a brand, Slack Variety Pack. When we first pitched the idea to Slack, we called it a “branded podcast.” When the podcast debuted, there was a fair bit of press because it was unique — a brand making a podcast that was fun, entertaining, and not at all about their product. In the articles, we called the show a “branded podcast.” And of course, the homepage of our website blared the message, “We make branded podcasts.” We’re not sure, but there’s a decent chance we might have invented the term and, as the first and only company to focus exclusively on creating branded podcasts, we certainly helped popularize them.

Since then, the term “branded podcasts” has become commonplace in the industry, and companies like Gimlet Creative, Panoply, Pineapple Street, and Midroll all produce “branded podcasts” as part of their larger podcasting businesses.

This makes it all the weirder that we decided not to use the term “branded podcasts” anymore and to call all our shows something different.

We realized that there are long-term problems with the term “branded podcasts”:

1. The term likely deters a good number of potential audience members from even trying the show. Anything with the word “branded” in it makes the show sound like a thinly-veiled advertisement, and that’s not the type of show we produce.
2. The term suggests the content is second-tier and not as good as an “original” show from a podcast network. However, we help companies make audience-first shows that are every bit as good as the best podcasts out there.
3. It gives the impression to clients that their podcast is closer to a piece of marketing than a true audience-focused show. That’s not the bold vision we are striving to communicate.

Our goal as a podcasting company has always been to help brands think and act more like media companies. The only way to build a relationship with audiences today is to make AMAZING shows that listeners genuinely love and value. “Branded podcasts” made it sound like we were producing shows that were more about promoting our clients instead of our clients creating shows to make their current and potential customers really, really happy.

We thought long and hard about what our product really stands for. We thought about how we want audiences, clients, and our producers to think about our shows. And we thought about what sort of language already exists to describe the types of shows we strive to produce.

And then we found it.

“Original podcasts with brands.”

The famous marketing campaign for HBO was “Original Programming.”

Netflix produces “Netflix Originals”.

And for the last year, Pacific Content has produced “Original Podcasts with Brands.”

The change has been remarkable.

For our clients, there is a stronger understanding that their podcast has to be so good that it becomes one of the favorite shows of their target audience. They understand that having anything but a light brand presence undermines their goals of raising brand awareness and growing a passionate and loyal audience.

(It’s worth noting the importance of the word “with” in “original podcasts with brands.” We could have used “original podcast for brands” and we very deliberately did not. We collaborate deeply with all of our clients — it’s a key part of being able to make a great show. When our shows are at their best, our team and our clients’ teams work together a single team. Not everyone else works that way. So for us, “with” matters a lot.)

For our production teams, “original podcasts with brands” means they instantly have permission to create bolder show and story ideas. We’ve also seen more internal bravery to champion the audience if an episode slides into “branded content” territory.

And perhaps most importantly, the name change has impacted podcast audiences. We now see our shows treated as they should be — like an original show that audiences truly love listening to. The ratings and reviews for the shows have become raves, the audience numbers have skyrocketed and hit all-time highs, and the appreciation for the brands producing the shows has been exceptionally positive.

Overall, changing the name of our product to “Original podcasts with brands” has set the bar higher for everyone involved.

Killing “branded podcasts,” the name of the product we helped popularize, has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

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