In an era where understanding and inclusivity are more important than ever, internal podcasts can be a great way of sharing perspectives and fostering community. Studies, including one by Mindshare and Spotify, reveal that podcasts aren’t just entertainment; they’re avenues for learning and connecting with diverse viewpoints. Here are some facts:
- 68% of listeners tune in to gain different perspectives on topics,
- 74% of podcast listeners tune in to learn new things and,
- 61% believe podcasts deepen their understanding of various cultures.
- Over half of listeners say that podcasts reflect their own identities.
In short, podcasts bring communities together, but they also help people learn about, understand and connect with other viewpoints and communities.
It’s this idea that helped us shape a brand new internal podcast for KFC UKI called ‘United By The Bucket’
The Power of Internal Podcasts for Teams
Podcasts have evolved into more than just entertainment platforms. Organisations have clocked on to the fact that they’re great tools for internal communications, especially as it’s one that doesn’t need the audience to be sat in front of an intranet screen (for many businesses, their teams just don’t work like that).
For KFC, one of the world’s best-known brands with over 30,000 team members across the UK and Ireland, bringing together its different communities is not just a nice-to-have policy, it’s embedded in the culture of the businesses.
KFC’s RADIO: A Community of Belonging
KFC UKI is big on inclusiveness for its people. And the ‘RADIO’ team – standing for ‘Raising Awareness of Diversity, Inclusion and Origin’ – has recognized podcasts’ potential to celebrate that diversity and promote open dialogue. The ethos of RADIO, an inclusive community within KFC, is to embrace and highlight the brand’s diverse culture, by initiating conversations and encouraging the free exchange of opinions. So KFC and RADIO has decided to use podcasting not just as a tool for communication but as a platform for empowerment and education.
Inside KFC’s Internal Podcasting Journey
Clearly, the RADIO team understand the power of internal podcasts to provide a platform for genuine, open conversations that really resonate with people (A recent Acast study of US podcast listeners found that podcasting was the most trusted medium to communicate with).
United By The Bucket has been a great experience to raise awareness of diversity and inclusion of origin within the KFC UKI community
Jaime Arribas, KFC
The team though had another couple of trump cards up their sleeve that have helped their new adventure into podcasting. Firstly, an impressively well-soundproofed room at their headquarters, which was transformed into a podcast studio with our assistance at 18Sixty. And secondly, in one of the team members, Shaffra Gray-Read, an unbelievably great host!
To date we’ve recorded and produced three different episodes, all lively, accessible, and engaging conversation that helps to shine a light on other fellow affinity groups, such as Wolfpack, to inspire female leaders and KFPride, supporting and speaking out for our LGBTQIA+ communities. Jaime Arribas, Senior Marketing Technology Manager at KFC, who spearheaded the project said: “The United By The Bucket podcast has been a great experience to raise awareness of diversity and inclusion of origin within the KFC UKI community.”
The episodes shared exclusively on the company’s internal platform, offer every team member across the UK an intimate glimpse into the lived experiences of some of their colleagues. This decision to keep the podcast internal, supported by a private podcast feed using Transitor, ensures the content remains personal, accessible, and relevant to the KFC team. It’s a conscious choice to focus on the internal community rather than public exposure, aligning with the brand’s ethos of fostering internal bonds.
A People-Led Initiative
What’s great about KFC’s podcasting venture is its grassroots approach. Rather than being a top-down diversity and inclusion internal comms initiative, it’s a platform where real people from different backgrounds come together to share their stories and insights. This approach not only enriches the company culture but its communities coming together themselves, harnessing the power of podcasts, at a macro-scale.
If you want us to help you bring your internal teams closer together through podcast, drop us a line!