“How to Become the Center of Influence Through Brand-Building Podcasting” with Rupert Runewitsch of the Our/Los Angeles Podcast
As part of my series of interviews about “How to Become the Center of Influence Through Podcasting”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rupert Runewitsch. After being in ‘adland’ for 15 years and working in some of the best creative shops and consultancies (glue, Leo Burnett, VaynerMedia, MediaLink) Rupert recently turned all his focus to his entrepreneurial efforts, with his venture Vista being back by his previous employer, Gary Vaynerchuk and Our/Los Angeles backed by Pernod Ricard. Rupert’s expertise in brand building and innovation means that although the two companies seem very different, their potential to disrupt and change their relative industries gives them a standout out appeal akin to Rupert’s approach to marketing.
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Can you tell us what brought you to launch the podcast?
There are 3 BIG reasons that we chose to develop the Our/Los Angeles Podcast and invest in it as a platform.
1 – In many ways, Los Angeles is unique in the types of media platforms that work. Outdoor and Radio including Podcasts are hugely impactful. This is due to the lack of public transport and the number of people who use their cars to get from point A to point B. We wanted to reach people in their cars with content that added value. It made Our/Los Angeles a reference point for LA insights.
2 – Getting a spirit brand into Platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Spotify, iTunes is not one that feels immediately obvious. If you can create good content that has value, then you can put your brand in a platform that has huge value for free. Voice is becoming increasingly powerful and hotels that are embracing Alexa and others are a big opportunity for us.
3 – Thus far, we have been lucky enough to get some fantastic guests on the podcast. They have grown our community considerably on the back of their involvement.
Can you share the most interesting story that has happened since you started the podcast?
We recorded the first season of our Podcast, actually in our distillery, where we soundproofed our backroom and created a proper little studio. We recorded the whole season across 3 days with about 4 recordings per day. As a start-up, we are always looking for ways to do things differently and more efficiently. This would be a great example of that.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting and what you learned from that?
For Season 2, I actually stood in to host some of the episodes which, trust me, is not my forte. Recording fluid, articulate audio is not easy. On several occasions I found myself doing this pretty nasally snorting laugh, which does not translate well on recordings. It was a retake every time, which you can imagine is not ideal when you are having a “conversation”.
What do you think makes your podcast stand out?
We try and unearth Angelenos from all walks of life, ones that you would have heard of and plenty that you wouldn’t. The unsung heroes of the city. You really get to hear about the hidden gems of this great place.
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about Rupert Runewitsch!
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Podcaster Influencer, Rupert Runewitsch of the Our/Los Angeles Podcast shares the best ways to:
1) Book Great Guests. Advertise your podcast — through the guests
2) Increase Listeners. Increase downloads — host across multiple platforms
3) Encourage Engagement. Book great guests — create an exciting platform that people want to be part of.
4) Produce in a Professional Way. Good planning and strong guests. Luckily audio equipment is relatively low cost. You can create professional content as long as you have done the rest.
5) Monetize. Sponsorship with from a non-competitor
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues thinking about starting a podcast for how not to get overwhelmed by launching it or burn out in the process of booking episodes?
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about Rupert Runewitsch!
