It’s strange to think marketers once lived in a world where B2B marketing was restricted to boring whitepapers, stale webinars, and bland case studies.  

In recent years, B2B marketers have taken a page from the B2C marketing playbook. B2B brands now infuse their marketing strategies with creativity and are no longer scared of stepping outside of the box. 

And one of these creativity-infused mediums is none other than branded podcasts.

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The power of B2B podcasts for brands 

As industries become more saturated and customers are presented with more options than ever, it’s on the brand to know how to stand out. 

This quote from the President and CEO of Heineken USA, Dolf van den Brink sums it up well: “You are competing with every piece of content ever made for every person’s attention. You need to be entertaining. Don’t outsmart. Out entertain.” 

And with B2B branded podcasts, you can do just that. 

Podcasts give brands the power to:

• Humanize the brand
• Mold positive brand positioning 
• Build thought leadership and credibility 
• Hold attention spans for extended periods
• Give audiences valuable content with no ask in return (the age of zero-click content)

Quill Tip: Explore how six global brands used podcasts to generate a positive impact for their brand. 

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Tips to create a successful B2B branded podcast 

Understand who your audience is 

First things first, you need to know who you're creating the podcast for. For some companies, their podcast targets the brand’s target demographic as a whole. 

For example, let’s say you’re a MarTech SaaS product and a SparkNotes version of your target market is Product Marketers in decision-making roles at companies with 500 or fewer employees. You might create a podcast to target the same audience. 

On the other hand, you might create a podcast that only targets a subset of your audience. For example, the podcast targets female Product Marketers based in North America. 

You need to know who you’re building the podcast for, their interests, needs, and current challenges before you can start anything else for your podcast. 

Identify the goals that make sense

There are countless podcast goals… but not all are relevant to your B2B podcast. 

Time and time again I’ve seen B2B brands overwhelm themselves by setting too many goals for the podcast, making the direction and purpose of the show unclear and unorganized. 

I suggest selecting one primary goal for the show and then a secondary and tertiary goal if needed. This will help align you, your podcast agency, and your team on what we’re all working towards. It’ll also influence things like:

• CTAs
• Guests 
• Content 
• Show format
• Podcast marketing strategies 

Examples of common B2B podcast goals include:

• Lead Generation 
• Thought Leadership 
• Partnership Building
• Customer Conversions    
• Employee Engagement
• Brand Positioning Benefits 
• Brand Awareness and Reach

One degree of brand separation 

We’ll never stop shouting this from the rooftops: your podcast should not be an extended infomercial for your brand. No one wants to listen to that and we can promise you that it’ll do more harm than good. 

At Quill Podcast Agency, we like to tell our clients to have one degree of separation between the podcast and your brand. You want them to align with one another and have overlapping personalities, values, and motivations. But at the end of the day, you’re building the podcast as a free value offering to audiences, make sure it’s something they want to listen to rather than a sales ad. 

Would you listen to your podcast? 

Following the idea above, we often ask ourselves and our clients – would you (I) listen to the podcast? If the answer is no, you have some work to do. 

We find that sometimes, B2B brands still get pulled into the more dull, traditional form of B2B marketing. Branded podcasts offer a medium to stand out, be creative, and invest in brand storytelling. If you can’t even convince yourself to listen to your podcast then you can’t expect anyone else to. 

Hire a B2B podcast agency 

And finally, hire a B2B podcast agency or at least one that has a clear track record of working with B2B companies. This is an investment in your own team, saving time and resources, as well as in the quality of your branded podcast. 

Most podcast production companies offer one, if not all of the following services:

• Strategy & ideation
• Guest sourcing & preparation
• Scripting & interview writing 
• Recording & editing 
• Distribution & management 
• Marketing & measurement 

When selecting an agency that’s right for your B2B podcast, look at past clients, services offered, creative ethos, and of course, budgets. 

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The ultimate list of B2B podcasts 

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1. Everyday Trust by Interac 

Everyday Trust by Interac is a B2B podcast exploring the role of trust in a rapidly changing tech landscape. The Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer at Interac, Debbie Gamble, discusses the importance of trust in each episode with an expert guest to discover how trusted and secure solutions can help fuel prosperity in Canada. 

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2. Shift by PwC 

Produced by the professional services enterprise, PwC, Shift explores what it means and takes to transform a business. In each episode, listeners will learn from the unique perspectives of guests on how they approach and execute their own transformation journeys. 

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3. Shopify Masters by Shopify 

Shopify Masters by, of course, Shopify, covers the ins and outs of how to start your own business. Hearing from e-comm experts and entrepreneurs, listeners will gain an understanding of the experiences behind running successful online stores. 

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4. Slack Variety Pack by Slack

Slack Variety Pack is a B2B podcast about work and the people and teams who do great work together. Brought to you by the popular work organizational and communications tool, Slack, every episode explores stories on work, office culture, teamwork, innovation, and the workplace in modern society. 

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5. The Great Indoors by Amdocs

Hosted by Matt Roberts, Head of Customer Marketing, Americas, The Great Indoors discusses how human technological adoption habits are evolving or have evolved as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The podcast is by Amdocs, a leading telecommunications company. 

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6. Hackable by McAfee 

Winner of Best Branded Podcast at the Shorty Awards, Hackable? tackles topics like malicious cat photos, sketchy Wi-Fi networks, rogue rentals, and all-knowing webcams. The security software, McAfee brought in real hackers to understand just how they do it and how to keep yourself safe. 

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7. Metrics & Chill by Databox

By the B2B SaaS platform, Databox, Metrics & Chill covers how to use the large amounts of marketing, sales, and revenue data that you’re collecting. Each episode chats with successful business leaders to learn one practical way they’re leveraging data to enhance the company’s performance. 

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8. Disputed by Norton Rose Fulbright 

Disputed, by Norton Rose Fulbright, a global law firm, unpacks the findings from the firm's 2024 Annual Litigation Trends Survey. Hosts Ted Brook, Partner, and Erin Brown, Senior Associate at Norton Rose Fulbright are joined by industry leaders to get an inside look at the latest trends in litigation. 

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9. Now What? by Wix

Now What? is by the website builder, Wix. The branded podcast learns lessons directly from leaders who are reshaping business today. Each episode is a short but powerful conversation to help you and your teams prepare for the ever-changing world. 

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10. Finance in 15 by PwC 

Made to educate senior finance leaders about transforming their finance functions, Finance in 15 discusses the importance of transformation within your organization. Hosted by Adam Boutros, PwC Canada’s future of finance leader, the podcast will teach you how to get started with financial transformation and the best ways to see long-term and lasting results. 

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11. The Content Cocktail Hour by The Juice

Hosted by Jonathan Gandolf and Clayton Stubbs of content platform, The Juice, The Content Cocktail Hour is squeezing out the deepest secrets from modern B2B marketing professionals. The goal is to equip you with the knowledge to push your brand to the forefront of the industry. 

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12. From Dollar One by Interac

Another podcast by Interac, From Dollar One is helping you figure out how to start and grow your small business even when it feels like a whole other job in itself. From revenue to balance and beating burnout, this B2B podcast is giving you actionable advice to start or grow your business.

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13. a16z by Andreessen Horowitz 

There’s no denying that technology is changing the way we all work, live, eat, learn, and play. a16z by Andreessen Horowitz is helping you to make sense of it all. Actually, Andreessen Horowitz has an entire network of B2B podcasts to support educating listeners in the changing technological landscape. 

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14. ETFs in Context by BlackRock and RBC

Done in partnership between BlackRock and RBC, ETFs in Context explores the ever-evolving financial landscape with actionable ETF ideas to help you build and manage client investment profiles. Hosted by Helen Hayes, Head of iShares Canada at BlackRock sits down with investment thought leaders to have conversations to provide advisors with valuable investment insights and strategies. 

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15. Fixed That for You by Segment 

For any problem solvers out there, Fixed That For You is a B2B podcast teaching listeners how to fix problems through the power of data and algorithms. 

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16. CIBC Innovation Banking by CIBC

Hear from leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and venture capitalists in the CIBC Innovation Banking podcast. The podcast covers the changing dynamics of the North American innovation economy and how your business can adapt to these changes.  

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17. if/else by CTO.ai 

By CTO.ai, if/else is a podcast here to help you make smart decisions. Each episode meets a software developer who needs to make an if-else choice. From important technical decisions to sticky career challenges, the podcast covers the hard and soft skills you need to have a rewarding tech career, no matter the stage you’re currently in. 

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18. New World of Work by Oyster 

New World of Work is a B2B podcast exploring the new frontier of the modern workforce. Each episode hears from some of the world’s best and brightest people and culture experts to talk about the cutting-edge topics HR professionals are most interested in today. Hosted by Rhys Black, Head of Workplace Design at Oyster, a global employment platform, is making it easier than ever to build a team on an international scale. 

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19. Infernal Communication by Staffbase 

Join scientists, authors, and experts to shed some fresh perspectives to soothe the burn of your latest communications snafu in Infernal Communications by Staffbase. The B2B podcast for internal communications experts aims to help you think differently about the way we communicate both professionally and personally. 

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20. At Scale by Morgan Stanley 

Hosted by Audrey Choi, Morgan Stanley’s Chief Sustainability Officer and CEO of the Institute for Sustainable Investing, At Scale takes a closer look at things that may seem ordinary on the surface but have a huge impact on the way we live. 

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21. Trailblazers by Dell Technologies 

A B2B podcast by Dell Technologies, an American tech conglomerate, Trailblazers explores digital disruption and innovators that are using tech to enable progress, at all different paces. The show is hosted by Walter Isaacson, former CNN CEO and chairman.  

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22. Overcoming Tech Debt by DXC Technologies 

Overcoming Tech Debt by DXC Technologies is about, well, overcoming tech debt. Recognizing that tech debt can hamper progress, impede growth, and stifle innovation, the branded podcast aims to support revenue leaders in how they can avoid these future hazards to keep the business moving forward. 

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23. Laser Focused by Velo3D 

Hosted by Renette Youssef, Velo3D’s CMO and brand disruptor, Laser Focused allows listeners to join them as they go on a journey to discover the leaders who are changing the world of design and revolutionizing how we think of innovation. Each episode features an in-depth conversation with industry professionals discussing their own innovations and how they make them possible. 

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24. Teamistry by Atlassian 

Following the name, Teamistry is all about teams working together, whether this is in the context of organizations, countries, or even species. By the global software company, Atlassian, the podcast explores what happens when teams come together, focused on combining their unique capabilities and experiences to tackle any challenge. 

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25. Changing Places by Avison Young 

Changing Places by Avision Young is all about how our relationship with the built environment is changing. Hosted by journalist Mariam Sobh, the podcast features weekly conversations with architecture, design, and real estate leaders. 

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26. The Partnership Economy by impact.com 

A B2B podcast by impact.com, the partnership automation platform, The Partnership Economy explores the power of partnerships through candid conversations and stories with industry leaders. Hosted by David A. Yovanno, CEO, and Todd Crawford, Co-founder, of impact.com, the two unpack the future of partnerships as a lever to put your customers first. 

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27. Choiceology by Charles Schwab 

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Any B2B brand wants to make smarter choices. In Choiceology by Charles Schwab, host and behavioral scientist, Katy Milkman shares stories involving high-stakes moments while exploring the latest research to help us make better judgments and avoid costly mistakes. 

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28. There’s a Better Way by Surescripts 

The American healthcare system is innovative but also has its shortfalls. There’s a Better Way by Surescripts explores the industry’s opportunities and challenges with some of the most inspiring healthcare leaders. Listeners within the healthcare industry will gain a new perspective on stubborn healthcare challenges, how technology can improve care, and what the future may hold. 

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29. Disruptors by RBC 

A B2B podcast by RBC, Disruptors is reimagining Canada’s economy in a time of unprecedented change. Hosted by RBC’s SVP, John Stackhouse, the show features thought-provoking conversations with Canadian business and innovation leaders about the new economy. 

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30. AWS Insiders by CloudFix 

And finally, AWS Insiders gives B2B listeners an insightful look behind the scenes of AWS and cloud computing. Hosted by Rahul Subramaniam and Hilary Doyle, the two dig into the current state and future of AWS, talking to people and companies that know it best. 

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Building a successful B2B podcasts

The above B2B podcasts weren’t a success overnight. As with any content marketing medium, it takes time, consistency, and a clear focus on why you’re creating the content and who you’re creating it for. 

Whether you already have a B2B branded podcast or you’re looking to start one, reach out to our team of audio experts to explore how you can make a greater impact through audio. Also, explore some of our client success stories to see how B2B brands have successfully integrated podcasts into their marketing strategies.