Branded Podcast Classification Proposal Based on Brand Presence in the Narrative: From Brand-Free to Persuasive

The creation of branded content through the podcast is gaining weight in brand communication strategies. With branded content, brands reach new consumers with contents imbued with their values and personality and no persuasive intrusions. However, there are branded podcasts with a marked brand presence aimed at the selling or contracting of the products or services the brand represents. The main aim of this study is to propose a classification of branded podcasts based on the presence of the brand in the audio narrative and to analyse whether a high degree of branding in the branded podcast undermines the unintrusive nature of branded content and whether this converts the format into one of conventional advertising. To this end, we developed a proprietary qualitative-quantitative deductive method adapted to the research subject with which we examined 10 branded podcasts. Among the main conclusions, we highlight that the presence of a high degree of branding in the content undermines the brand-free nature of the branded content technique. When the brand's presence is high and its persuasive intention is perceived, the branded podcast acquires the intrinsic character of conventional advertising.