What advice would you give brands looking to jump into podcasting?

• It is important for brands to follow good content creation practices and work with pros on all aspects of content, design and production.

• A podcast isn't a concept — it is a format, so the concept is the backbone. As a brand, you don't have to limit yourself to a monologue-style podcast delivered by an expert. On the contrary, you want to align with the listeners' real consumption habits and come up with a concept based on what they already listen to (interviews, documentaries, investigative reporting, etc.).

• Create content with legs that is able to stand the test of time even if the podcast is part of a sporadic campaign. You should see it as a long-term investment.

• To boost performance, it's really important for the podcast to be associated with a 360 campaign.

• Why produce a podcast? Because it's a different way to connect with people, leverage a new format and improve brand favourability.

• You want to put on a show, so that means relying on the expertise of show business professionals.

As Odile Archambault sums it up: “When you work with Radio-Canada, you're getting their expertise, their credibility and the reach that comes with being hosted on Radio-Canada. It's a well-oiled team that delivers turnkey, technically flawless productions.”

What are the key trends to watch out for?

The proliferation of screens in connected vehicles:

• Control of media content is now accessible to all passengers. This creates business opportunities for advertisers.

• Cars are a gold mine of information on the behaviours and lifestyles of their owners. Advertisers can serve targeted ads based on a range of criteria (length of itinerary, location, real-time offers, etc.).

• As revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), roadside billboards equipped with recognition technology will be able to deliver complementary information to screens inside cars.

Connected TV (CTV):

• CTV is another platform that provides a gateway to access digital content.

• CTV presents an opportunity to reach a wider audience with audio content, particularly video podcasts.

• It can also serve as a discoverability platform for audio content.

• We expect to see a shift toward a service aggregator model (music, podcasts, online purchases, games, social media). It will spark a real battle for consumer attention.

What trends are we likely to see in podcast consumption?

• The video format continues to grow in popularity and engagement.

• Data will allow us to segment and contextualize ads to reach even more granular audiences.

• Podcasting will become increasingly integrated with other emerging technologies (AI, virtual reality, metaverse, web 3.0, connected cars, connected TVs, etc.).

• New, more innovative ad formats are likely to appear, such as in VR environments.

How can AI help with podcast design and production?

• Script generation.

• Automated summaries.

• Sentiment analysis.

• Topic identification.

• Automated publication.

What are the limitations of AI?

• Limited creative ability / only as good as the data fed into it.

• Limited ability to understand the context.

• It can still make mistakes.

Should we be afraid of it?

• AI cannot replace humans, given what we know about it today.

• It should be seen as a tool, an additional resource or an opportunity to improve know-how.