M&G launches podcast with Tony Lankester

Says Lankester, "We're treating the production of this podcast as we would a high-quality radio programme -- we want it to be a riveting, informative listen for anyone who has an interest in the 'story behind the story'.

Under the skin

"Each week we aim to get under the skin of the Mail & Guardian, to find out what the big stories are and how they are panning out. We'll hear from those who write, edit and comment on the news - the people with their fingers on the pulse of what's happening in every sphere of South African life."

Podcasting is turning the way people interact with the media on its head, Lankester says.

"Globally, podcasts attract phenomenally high audiences if they're good. If the quality of a podcast is great, then it can rapidly build up a large following. What this means for us is that we have the potential to reach a global audience to tell the South African story through the eyes of the Mail & Guardian."

Scott Gray, interactive marketing manager for BMW, which is the launch sponsor of the podcast, says this is the first time that BMW in South Africa has been involved in such a sponsorship.

Array of channels

"With such an array of media channels out there, BMW is continually looking to cut through the clutter and reach the market in innovative ways. Our partnership with the Mail & Guardian is one such example.

"Because of its convenience and targeted content, I expect podcasting to be a channel considered in the marketing mix by those organisations looking to maximise their involvement in niche areas, and at a far lower cost than more traditional formats such as radio. The long tail theory of marketing is upon us!"

The Mail & Guardian Online is, according to audited statistics by Nielsen//Netratings and the Online Publishers Association (OPA), one of South Africa's five biggest websites attracting more than 500 000 readers and three million page impressions per month. It is probably the country's biggest individual, standalone online newspaper brand.

A podcast is simply an audio file distributed over the Internet. It can be played back easily on PCs, Macs or downloaded to other devices such as iPods and mp3 players. Readers can listen to the first broadcast of the show, sponsored by BMW, by going to www.mg.co.za/podcast [note: the mp3 is roughly a 20-minute long 9.1MB file]. The official podcast blog is found at http://mgpodcast.blogspot.com.