This episode, featuring the founders of Crooked Media, offers a unique look into building a media company with a mission beyond profit. It delves into their strategy for leveraging podcasting to engage a political audience and influence public discourse following a pivotal election. For ecommerce operators, this episode provides insights into brand building with a strong narrative, audience engagement through content, and operating a business with a clear vision and impact-driven goals.
Key takeaways
Understand the power of narrative: Crooked Media's success hinges on a clear, compelling story that resonates with their audience, demonstrating the importance of brand storytelling beyond product features.
Focus on impact over pure income: While not directly applicable to all ecommerce, the Crooked Media model highlights how a strong mission can drive engagement and loyalty, which indirectly contributes to long-term profitability.
Leverage content for community building: Podcasting, in this case, serves as a central hub for a community rallied around shared beliefs. Ecommerce brands can apply this by using content (blogs, videos, podcasts) to foster communities around their products and values.
Analyze market gaps: The founders identified a void in political commentary and built a successful media brand to fill it. Ecommerce businesses should constantly seek out underserved customer needs or content niches.
Consider audience engagement beyond traditional metrics: Crooked Media prioritizes activating their audience for political action. Ecommerce can adapt this by defining engagement metrics beyond sales, such as user-generated content, social sharing, and community participation.
Crooked Media Founders Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor and Jon Lovett talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their hit podcast, "Pod Save America," in a live interview at South by Southwest 2017. Having previously worked as speechwriters and spokespersons for the Obama administration, the trio discusses what Democrats missed during the 2016 election and how the new "opposition party" to Donald Trump can best focus its resistance. They explain how they run their "progressive media company," which cares more about impact than income, and why they're not excited by the prospect of a presidential run from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
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Understand the power of narrative: Crooked Media's success hinges on a clear, compelling story that resonates with their audience, demonstrating the importance of brand storytelling beyond product features.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Focus on impact over pure income: While not directly applicable to all ecommerce, the Crooked Media model highlights how a strong mission can drive engagement and loyalty, which indirectly contributes to long-term profitability.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Leverage content for community building: Podcasting, in this case, serves as a central hub for a community rallied around shared beliefs. Ecommerce brands can apply this by using content (blogs, videos, podcasts) to foster communities around their products and values.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Analyze market gaps: The founders identified a void in political commentary and built a successful media brand to fill it. Ecommerce businesses should constantly seek out underserved customer needs or content niches.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Consider audience engagement beyond traditional metrics: Crooked Media prioritizes activating their audience for political action. Ecommerce can adapt this by defining engagement metrics beyond sales, such as user-generated content, social sharing, and community participation.
