Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust has launched season two of its branded business podcast series Invest in Progress, according to a new announcement from the global investment giant, bringing listeners inside the halls of the innovative companies that the trust backs.
The podcast, created in partnership with production company Listen, first launched in January this year as a way to offer listeners behind-the-scenes insight into some of the cutting-edge businesses who are driving the economy forward, hosted by Scottish Mortgage managers Tom Slater and Lawrence Burns.
“We think we have a portfolio of the most exciting growth companies in the world. Behind these companies is a creative founder who has a desire to solve a problem and the vision and drive to establish a business that does something meaningful,” said Scottish Mortgage investment specialist Claire Shaw.
“This podcast gives listeners access to conversations that usually take place behind closed doors, between our managers and the leaders of these exceptional growth companies. They are truly fascinating discussions and we think they represent what our style of investing is all about.”
In season two of the podcast, Slater and Burns speak to range of new guests from companies both big and small, including Chris Urmson, founder and CEO of self-driving truck company Aurora, HelloFresh founder and CEO Dominik Richter, Joby Aviation executive chairman Paul Sciarra, and Moderna managing director Stephane Bancel.
Episode one launched on Tuesday this week and is available across all major podcast platforms. New episodes will be published every three weeks, running until 13 February next year.
Listen produces branded podcasts for a range of companies including Cinema Dates for Sky Cinema, The Risk Opportunity for Zurich, Play Next for BMW, and many more. In 2021, Listen managing director Josh Adley wrote about what the future holds for branded podcasts and three key changes which he expects to see in the next few years, including brands committing to at least one year of podcast content, the rise of multiformat podcasts, and brands acting as podcast publishers by putting them at the forefront of their content.
“When thinking about every aspect of your podcast, think about it within the context of your podcast brand, not (just) your own brand,” said Adley. “That applies to tone of voice, talent, ambition within the format, mix of media to promote, PR partner to launch with, network you join, other podcasts you cross promote with, social assets you produce, the backdrop or set if you’re filming. And so on.”
“This isn’t about ripping up brand guidelines or forgetting your values, it’s about using a podcast as a premium form of content that lasts longer than most and demands far greater attention from your audience.”
