兔子先生

Challenge

2020 was a turning point for brands and agencies. A convergence of health and social crises forced brands to reevaluate their position on how to respond to issues and use their influence for good. We set out to create a unique custom program to reach and engage Black audiences. 

Solution 

More Than That with Gia Peppers is an award-winning radio show and podcast. Hosted by Gia Peppers, a leading journalist and on-air talent, and featuring guests who connect to each episode’s theme, we discuss everything from entertainment, finances, wellness, family, health and more.  

With the support of brands including General Motors, Procter & Gamble, Kroger and Mastercard, we’ve launched 4 seasons to date with a total of 38 episodes, and a limited TV series that aired in 2023.   

The shared values of our sponsors, specifically around culture and community building became the catalysts for positive change that we mirrored in the writing and composition of the content. Each episode is structured with a custom intro, interstitial, and outro that we co-write with our sponsors to align with their shared values and the values of the Black community.   

From a production standpoint, this initiative encapsulated a new model for inspiring and authentic storytelling. We worked with culturally-relevant production companies, such as OneX and Willie B Studios, who have deep experience creating content for Black audiences. Specifically, we collaborated with Showrunners, Writers, Guests and Producers who were experts in the themes important to this audience.  

Regarding our media distribution, all content ran across  platforms  that were able to reach these audiences in a meaningful way such as Radio One, AURN, Spotset and Café Mocha Radio. The show was simulcast across all streaming and podcast platforms.   

To further our engagement with the More Than That audience, we launched social platforms in 2022. Across Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, we were able to further engage with our audience, drive listenership, provide behind-the-scenes content, and help each viewer learn something new.   

Planning further into 2025, we are excited to launch Season 5 of More Than That as a video podcast and are developing a new video podcast for Hispanic and Latino American audiences! 

Results 

The show has been a resounding success and has set a new industry standard. Sponsorship messages have (:30s) performed above radio industry norms, outperforming 95% of radio ads (:30s-:60s),. The sponsorship messages saw +33 points in consideration and +18 points in differentiation pre versus post. This exceeded all expectations, particularly given that we were pioneering new ground.   

• Over 1 Billion impressions delivered across all seasons 
• Reaches 1 in 3 Black American radio listeners 
• Respects my community & culture, +46 (up 9 pts from Season 1)  

Additional metrics:  

• 64% of the audience was motivated to get involved with social causes  
• 68% of Black audiences felt the content was extremely/very important to them  

The increases in attitudinal metrics were statistically significant and confirmed that a non-traditional approach could achieve similar, if not better, results than a traditional ad approach.