A Kiwi news podcast aimed at the news avoidant has won Best New Audio Product/Feature at the International News Media Association (INMA) awards in London.
Launched just over a year ago, Newsable delivers 20 minutes of relevant news content every morning, with vertical video, digital articles and breaking news ‘fast-casts’ rounding out its podcast brand.
Aimed at 25-40 year olds, the show drops at 6am each weekday, delivering a mix of hard news, human interest, pop culture and exclusive interviews.
Developed by Stuff Group and hosted by journalist Imogen Wells, the podcast and its accompanying products were awarded the INMA audio prize over The Economist’s highly acclaimed podcast subscription service; the Irish Independent’s Indo Daily podcast and a Swiss media tool which was developed to ensure equal representation between genders in video audio content.
“Newsable was something entirely new for New Zealand – now it’s also creating waves internationally,” says Stuff Digital Managing Director Nadia Tolich of the daily show which has grown a remarkably youthful audience – 66% of listeners are aged 18 – 44.
“We set out to deliver important and relevant news but in a podcast format that younger, often news-avoidant audiences would love. They did, and so did the international judges.”
The podcast clocked more than a million downloads in its first year and was ranked in the top two of Apple’s daily news chart, just behind the New York Times.
Stuff Brand Connections Managing Director Matt Headland says Newsable’s connection with a hard-to-reach younger audience offers excellent integration opportunities for brands.
“Because Stuff has the largest digital news platform in New Zealand and our audience reflects the New Zealand demographic, we understand their changing needs better. Newsable is a great example of fresh and unique content which is the perfect vehicle for brands looking to connect in a more engaging way.”
Stuff Group’s Harakeke integration team also received an honourable mention in the Most Creative Use of Advertising Formats global category for a Triton Hearing campaign that included audio quizzes, creative content and vertical video.
“Harakeke has journalists in the team who deliver some of our most engaging content on stuff.co.nz and across our masthead and magazine products. This means we offer our commercial partners really innovative creative solutions which work for Kiwi audiences at scale.’’ In the coming months, Newsable will broadcast from the Paris Olympics and coverage will include other major events such as the US and UK Elections and the America’s Cup.
