PodMov Daily: Thursday, February 20

Episode 146: Your Thursday Podthoughts

Aliens Like Us: New Zealander Rhys Darby’s Paranormal Podcasts

On the upcoming podcast Aliens Like Us, New Zealander actor and comedian Rhys Darby gets serious about UFOs. His previous podcast, The Cryptid Factor, is dedicated to Cryptozoology (“the study of animals yet to be proven by science,” like the Chupacabra).

“The lighthearted approach of Aliens Like Us aims to keep the subject matter accessible, even to die-hard skeptics,” writes Jen Glennon of Inverse. Glennon spoke to Darby about the paranormal pull behind his podcasts. In May, Darby plans to perform Aliens live at Contact in the Desert, which he describes as “probably the biggest UFO conference in the world.”

“I just got more obsessed with the idea that there were creatures out there that we hadn’t discovered yet,” Darby said. “The more I dove into it, the more I enjoyed the stories that used to freak me out. I never lost my interest in that, and never will.”

Gettin’ Air: New Data on the Increasing Lift of Podcast Ads

A recent study from Claritas and Market Enginuity suggests that podcast advertising campaigns may result in 10 times the lift of print, digital, and TV campaigns. (‘Lift’ represents a sales increase as a result of ad exposure.)

This report on “changes and trends for advertisers” is the second in a series of whitepapers. The first detailed “differences in behaviors and attributes” of listener groups based on content source. The two explore “the difficulty of accurately measuring its effectiveness in influencing consumer behavior.”

Claritas collected data from “industries such as consumer packaged goods, automotive, direct brands, finance and insurance” going back to late 2018. Their analysis: “While non-podcast channels historically result in a 2.6% lift in conversions […] podcast channels are driving 34% lift on average.”

True Crime Obsessed: The First Live Podcast on Broadway

Playbill’s Ruthie Fierberg has the story on Broadway’s first live podcast. True Crime Obsessed, a theatrical, humorous take on the genre, is hosted by Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle. Fierberg spoke to the creators about the show’s transformation and this summer’s Broadway debut.

“The live recording on Broadway will recap “Frank Serpico,” a 2017 doc about NYPD officer Serpico and his one-man crusade for police reform in the 1970s —as told in his own words,” Fierberg writes.

When asked about touring, Hinds commented, “We’ve found that there’s just something about doing our show in front of a live audience that really brings it to life […] Our show can be very over the top, a little campy, and, believe it or not, very musical theatre.”

Pensaville is a native New Yorker with a lifelong Broadway dream and wise words: “Now that we get to do this podcast that we love doing so much, on an actual Broadway stage […] there are just no words to describe it. I’ll end on this: make the thing. You never know where it’ll take you.”

Beyond the Microphone: Podcast Magazine Has Arrived

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Here’s what else is going on:

• Going steady: Tom Merritt has hosted the Daily Tech News Show since 2014 and has podcasted daily since 2005. Peter Wells of The Brisbane Times spoke to Merritt about the early days of Patreon and the show’s diversified strategy.

• Market share: The Canadian startup publication BetaKit describes the elements of successful branded podcasts. Launching on the right foot involves the use of diverse platforms, marketing, analytics, cover art, and unusual guests.

• Five stars: Podnews announces the launch of The Nobody Zone, a 6-part true crime podcast for Ireland’s RTÉ. The series on serial killer Kieran Patrick Kelly will be available in English, Danish, Spanish, German and the Irish language.

• Asking price: In The Motley Fool, Evan Niu breaks down the rapid growth of smart speakers. Approaching a worldwide unit volume of 150 million, “the market has soared more than four and a half times over in the course of two years.”