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The Debrief launches podcast series

Bauer Media’s platform for ABC1 20 something females, The Debrief, is extending into digital audio with a podcast series.

In partnership with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), the series will help promote awareness of the free protection FSCS provides consumers’ money in UK savings and current accounts.

The first episode will be available to download from Tuesday March 28 and will bring much needed life advice around the many and perennial problems the 20-something Debrief audience face, alongside a money saving guide segment supported by FSCS key messaging, says Bauer Media. From how to fix a broken heart and to how banish imposter syndrome for good, the podcast will mirror the brand in terms of tone and the breadth of content covered.

According to the publishers, this latest move by The Debrief builds on significant growth for the brand since launching in 2014, increasing audience traffic by 43% yoy and revenue by 48% yoy in 2016.

The launch responds to insight from The Debrief audience into podcast usage, frequency and attitude towards the medium. Results found that 44% of The Debrief visitors have listened to a podcast in the last six months and over a third of those are regular listeners (once a week or more frequently).

Lauren Holleyoake, Head of The Debrief, said: “We are incredibly proud of The Debrief and the huge growth and impact it has seen in its three-year life. This brand extension is a natural move, as we know that podcasts have a key place in our audience’s media habits. As a trusted brand, The Debrief continues to prove its cultural influence amongst millennial women and this extension is an effective and exciting way to build on that.”

The series comprises of eight 20-30 minute podcasts, accompanied by social amplification and display advertising across the site to drive awareness of the podcast and FSCS partnership.

As part of the campaign, The Debrief will be running a full marketing campaign across relevant Bauer Media properties such as Kiss, Heat, Grazia and BCN, to promote the FSCS’s latest campaign ‘Help Your Future Self’, which is helping people realise how much money they could save now, and for the future. This partnership will educate The Debrief audience via a new budgeting tool created by the FSCS to help them with their GAP year savings, get them on the property ladder with a deposit, think about pensions or just be better managing their money.

Nadia Holmes, Head of Digital Audio, Bauer Media, said: “As a leader in digital audio, we see podcasts as a real growth area and an opportunity for commercial partners to engage our influential audiences in a way that fits with their content and media consumer habits. For The Debrief, finance and savings content is a topic that already performs amazingly well amongst our audience, meaning the FSCS is a great partner to help educate our audience on budgeting and savings, bringing the subject to life is a way that is easily consumable.”

Mark Oakes, Head of Communications for Financial Services Compensation Scheme said: “We’re really excited to be partnering with The Debrief for their first series of podcasts. We know the brand is ahead of the curve when it comes to talking to 20-something year old females, with a breadth of content that’s relevant to their lives. This type of partnership helps us to raise awareness of FSCS with these women in a more meaningful and authentic way.”

Bauer Media says that its radio offering reaches 11.5m digital listeners per month. The Debrief podcasts are the latest addition to the Bauer Media podcast offering which includes brands such as Empire. This is the latest development from The Debrief, following on from the #makerentingfair and the current Mad About The Pill campaign as The Debrief continues to address the issues important to 20 something females today, say the publishers.

The partnership was brokered by Aegis Leeds.