David Ogilvy Would Have Loved Company Recap Podcasts

Famously, in Confessions of an Advertising Man, David Ogilvy wrote,

“[...] I have developed techniques for keeping open the telephone line to my unconscious, in case that disorderly repository has anything to tell me. I hear a great deal of music. I take long hot baths. I garden. I go into retreat among the Amish. I watch birds. I go for long walks in the country. And I take frequent vacations, so that brain can lie fallow – no golf, no cocktail parties, no tennis, no bridge, no concentration; only a bicycle. While thus employed in doing nothing, I receive a constant stream of telegrams from my unconscious.”

Listening to podcasts while I cycle energetically through the dunes outside of Amsterdam, I feel much the same way. Hearing literal voices in my head from entrepreneurs, authors, artists– allows me to internalize myriad ideas about topics that naturally interest me. The stories that they tell float around me and provide a constant stream of inspiration.

Worldwide Podcast Growth

It’s no mystery that podcasting has exploded in recent years. One reason for the increasing popularity is the personal connection that listeners forge with the podcast hosts. After years of listening to Guy Raz talk to founders, David Senra tell stories from biographies, Scott and Kara banter about business and politics, or Shaan and Sam dissect a multi-million dollar business– I feel like I know these people– their perspectives on the world, nuances about how they think, even their sense of humor. There’s also something to be said about the way this content can be delivered anywhere, anytime. Being able to listen while driving, putting away the dishes, or most commonly for me, biking in nature, allows information to enter my brain “quietly”, just as Ogilvy described.

So now, let’s move to the idea of a company podcast. Organizations of course have multiple ways of relaying information to their employees, almost too many. However, in a post-COVID world with many people still working from home several days a week, building community and company culture is more challenging than ever.

Employee Engagement is Low EXCEPT at “Best-Practice Organizations”

By every measure, people are far less engaged than ever in the workplace. According to Gallup studies, less than half of U.S. employees know what’s expected of them at work and only 30% even understand the company’s mission and the purpose of their job.

Although most of the data about employee engagement is bleak, what’s interesting is how “best-practice organizations” have double or triple the engagement levels.

So, what exactly are these best practices? Turns out there are several things an organization can do to increase employee engagement, many of them documented.

Here’s a simple one: have your team leaders regularly tell employees what’s going on. Hearing the voices of company leadership talking every week about what their teams are doing, challenges they’re facing, wins they’ve had– all of this delivered in a short podcast format that can be listened to anywhere, anytime is a highly effective way to keep teams engaged and informed.

Had the technology allowed, I’m quite certain David Ogilivy would have listened religiously to Ogilvy & Mather Business Insight Recap podcasts while quietly gardening or cycling through the countryside.

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