Up In Smoke

Podcast Discovery was engaged by Penny4, a digital media company, to establish their first ever podcast as a successful audio drama.

Up In Smoke was a unique challenge as a brilliant project with great names attached, but without the backing of a large media organisation, and with those names having no social media presence.

Being an audio drama, the piece did not lend itself to visualisation. We decided to approach the launch utilising three main tools: a press and platform blitz, cross-promotion, and a launch event.

Earning front-page features on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Castbox, Up In Smoke found great success on these platforms. We also achieved unique platform features such as promotion on the Amazon.co.uk e-commerce webfront via Amazon Music and a Spotify feature for the podcast sent specifically to Adam Buxton listeners.

We reached millions of podcast listeners’ eyes through press success including features in the Guardian, Observer, Sunday Times and the Radio Times to name but a few. Cross-promotional deals were struck with the biggest podcasts and networks operating in this genre. When combined with our owned media including the Great British Podcasts newsletter, podcast listeners could not miss Up In Smoke in the run up to Halloween.

This culminated in enormous success for the show. Topping the Apple Podcasts Fiction charts for six straight weeks, the show peaked at #2 on the overall UK chart.