With 90% of brands satisfied with the performance of their podcasts and 64% sustaining or increasing their podcast investment this year, it’s safe to say that branded podcasts have become a powerful tool for organizations looking to connect with their audience on a deeper level. 

By sharing compelling stories, expert insights, and industry knowledge, brands can foster stronger relationships and build trust with listeners. The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) is one brand that has tapped into the potential of podcasting to demystify nuclear energy and engage with new audiences through their award-winning show, Fissionary.

In this edition of Brand Stories, we’re sitting down with Mary Love, the Senior Director of External Comms at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) to explore:

• Their podcast, Fissionary
• Their motivations for launching the show
• The impact the series has had on their brand
• The lessons they’ve learned during the production process

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Introducing Fissionary 

The MarCom award-winning podcast, Fissionary, explores the transformative potential of nuclear energy and offers valuable insights into how nuclear power can pave the way for a more sustainable future.

Mary explains that the podcast “features guests from a variety of industries and backgrounds who share their stories of how nuclear is part of their world. From medicine to space, they are helping demystify nuclear energy and debunk myths.” 

Through these conversations, the show aims to highlight the real-world impact of nuclear energy and its critical role in shaping a cleaner, more resilient world. 

What listeners can expect

By tuning in, listeners should expect to be confronted with some of the stereotypes and preconceived notions they may have had about nuclear energy. The podcast aims to share their passion and curiosity about nuclear energy with audiences – scientific background or not –  so they can see “how nuclear is a part of their lives too.” 

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Why NEI turned to branded podcasts 

NEI was looking for innovative ways to “reach new audiences in an impactful way.” After following the success of other corporate podcasts as a medium to share stories and information in a way that’s both engaging and relatable, the NEI team felt that “a podcast was a natural next step to take in our story and content development.”

By creating a podcast, NEI saw an opportunity to humanize its message and connect with listeners on a more personal level. The medium allows them to explore complex topics in depth while fostering genuine conversations that resonate with their audience.

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Lessons learned over the podcast process 

We always say (and we’ll say it again): podcasting is a marathon - not a sprint. Compared to creating a blog post, drafting a newsletter, or writing a press release, creating a podcast is a long-term strategy that is far more involved. 

Mary echos this sentiment: “Seeing the full scope of what it takes to get just one 30-minute episode aired has given me a new appreciation for the podcasting world. From ideation to guest pitching and marketing, it really takes a lot of time and attention to detail.”

Additionally, since being involved in audio, she’s learned “just how much this space is changing and evolving. When we first started the podcast, we were only doing audio, but now we are finding ways to incorporate video because we know it’s a tool that can help grow our listeners.” 

In this vein, podcasts no longer just live on one medium. They’re expanding to video, audiograms are playing a key role in social media and newsletters, and fans are looking for blog posts and additional resources after listening. Embracing these changes and evolving alongside the industry is crucial for sustaining growth and audience engagement in the long run.

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The impact of Fissionary on NEI 

Now let’s dive into how Fissionary has helped improve NEI’s brand awareness and reach as well as differentiate their brand in the nuclear industry. 

“Our podcast has given us an opportunity to connect with non-nuclear audiences and has been instrumental in our work to shape a brand and identity around the industry. “

– Mary Love, the Senior Director of External Comms at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 

Increased brand awareness and reach 

NEI’s “brand and communications goals are to reach new audiences – and Fissionary has allowed us to do that in a variety of ways.”

Beyond the airwaves, the content they’ve created through the podcast “has been used as part of larger campaigns – most recently to reach and influence Climate Week attendees.” The podcast has also made its mark in education, with “a teacher at Suffolk University who told their students to listen to a Fissionary episode for extra credit – that’s huge in helping overcome some common misconceptions around nuclear.”

In addition to reaching new audiences, Mary speaks to Fissionary’s ability to boost brand awareness and affinity by “helping us create a more relatable brand and identity for the industry through our branding and our co-hosts.” 

Brand differentiation 

Fissionary has given the NEI team a wonderful opportunity to further differentiate their company and stand out amongst the competition through their content, branding, guests, and even the people behind the scenes. 

When creating new episodes, the team always asks themselves: “What can we do to make this not solely focused on nuclear?” In this way, they’re able to relate to a range of people from “grandparents to a group of college students” by “taking complex issues and making them easy to understand.”

Additionally, Mary is very proud of the “team of all women producing this podcast.” On the outside, nuclear is seen as being a male-dominant industry, but through the podcast, their branding, and the content they’re creating she hopes that “we dissolve some stigmas around the industry.” 

“There’s a lot of great podcasts out there focused on energy and even nuclear. But what makes Fissionary so unique is the branding and our approach to storytelling. I mean how many nuclear podcasts have hot pink branding – none to my knowledge.”

 – Mary Love, the Senior Director of External Comms at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 

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Guests to remember

Beyond their team, content strategy, and branding, the NEI team has been able to stand out in the nuclear space through their podcast guest selection. 

By featuring guests ranging from scientists and CEOs to a pageant queen and a cartoon chicken, the podcast integrates nuclear energy into a broader cultural and societal context – namely in TV and movies like Godzilla, Spider-Man, and The Simpsons. 

For instance, episode 1 brings on Grace Stanke, Miss America 2023 and a nuclear engineer, to discuss how to become a nuclear advocate. Episode 4 features Zion Lights, the founder of a climate activism group, to examine the impact of pop culture—specifically "The Simpsons"—on public perception of nuclear energy. 

But for Mary, the most memorable podcast memory has to be “watching Mary and Jordan talk to a chicken.” For some context, Mary explains: “One of our guests for season 2 is anonymous and so naturally they showed up as their online persona  – a cartoon chicken. We end each episode with a fun question and this episode was what is your favorite restaurant? And the response from them was a chicken place.”

While the core theme remains clean energy, Fissionary skillfully navigates topics of communication, media influence, and historical context – all with a bit of humor. This approach resonates with a wider audience, as regardless of their familiarity with nuclear, they’re included in the conversation through familiar cultural touchstones.

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Are you ready to level up your marketing strategy with branded podcasts?

Fissionary has not only provided NEI with a platform to educate and engage diverse audiences, but it has also allowed them to redefine how nuclear energy is perceived. By humanizing the conversation around nuclear power, NEI has successfully boosted its brand awareness, established authority within the space, and built stronger connections. 

Learn more about NEI on their website and don’t forget to tune into Fissionary wherever you get your podcasts. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Quill and the branded podcast services we offer, get in touch with our team of audio experts.