The primary goal of The Unshakeables was to help differentiate Chase for Business within their category and position the brand as more human and relatable:
Our objective was to create a content series that small business owners genuinely wanted to listen to and follow, thus building an affinity with the Chase for Business brand.
Success would be measured by reach/downloads and content engagement metrics quantified in research.
Small businesses are the engine room of the U.S. economy and the heart and soul of our communities, but actually running a small business is no mean feat. “Expect the unexpected” are words to live by, and staying on top of it all requires remarkable levels of determination, optimism and resilience.
As the small business arm of the country’s largest bank, Chase for Business needed to reach their audience in a way that was authentic to the small business owner's experience, positioning Chase for Business as true partners offering expertise and support.
And so, The Unshakeables podcast was born.
Leaning into the real and often raw moments of small business ownership, we created a highly-engaging, narrative-led 8-episode, bi-weekly podcast series that gave small business owners the opportunity to share their stories, hosted by Chase for Business CEO, Ben Walter -- a passionate advocate for small business.
The result was a creatively innovative and genre-breaking show that went well beyond traditional advertising (in fact there was no mention of Chase for Business products or services at all) to connect with our audience in an unexpected way and positively impact their perception of the Chase for Business brand
In terms of challenges below are two that come to mind
1. Overcoming Category Noise
Before going into creative development, we conducted a comprehensive category audit to understand our white space -- there was a lot going on! We took prevailing trends and flipped them on their head to offer listeners something fresh and unexpected:
2. Building Credibility in a New Environment
As Chase for Business’ first foray in this environment, we leveraged the iHeart ecosystem to maximize The Unshakeables’ reach and appeal amongst our audience:
From the first episode drop, the results have spoken for themselves:
Reach/Downloads
Chase for Business were so impressed by the performance, they greenlit two special episodes that aired in June 2024. As of December 2024, total downloads stood at:
Content Engagement
Not only did The Unshakeables achieve over 2x the listener retention rates of other iHeartMedia custom podcasts and a 5-star review average on Apple and Spotify, a subsequent Nielsen study shows an extremely positive impact on the relatability and role of the brand amongst small business owners:
