Linköping University | Department of Management and Engineering Master Thesis in Business Administration, 30 credits | Civilekonomprogrammet Spring 2020 | LIU-IEI-FIL-A--20/03367--SE Podcasting as a Digital Content Marketing Tool within B2B A qualitative case study exploring why and how Swedish B2B companies use podcasts as a marketing tool Arvid Lögdberg Oscar Wahlqvist Supervisor: Jon Engström Linköping University SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden +46 13-28 10 00, www.liu.se Preface We would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank the many people that have made this thesis possible. First, we would like to thank our supervisor Jon Engström, who by providing valuable feedback and much inspiration has been fundamental for the progress and result of this thesis. Second, we would like to thank our fellow students in our supervision group and opponents who have read and given constructive criticism towards our thesis throughout the process. Third, we would like to thank all participants that have dedicated their time towards us, the interviews were not only crucial for the thesis but also a great learning experience and much joyful. We would also like to use this opportunity to recommend the episode Digital Content Marketing, B2B och podcast of Jonas Jaani’s personal podcast where you can listen to one of our interviews. Spotify Apple podcasts _________________________ _________________________ Arvid Lögdberg Oscar Wahlqvist Linköping, May 24th 2020 Linköping, May 24th 2020 Abstract Title Podcasting as a Digital Content Marketing Tool within B2B Authors Arvid Lögdberg & Oscar Wahlqvist Supervisor Jon Engström Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to explore why and how B2B- companies use podcasts as a marketing tool and evaluate how it can function together with other marketing strategies. Problematization Digital content marketing is an increasingly popular marketing strategy within B2B. There is however a large content saturation online, this puts pressure on organizations having to increase their marketing creativity and finding alternative means to stand out from the crowd while at the same time staying within their marketing budget. Podcast marketing is a form of content marketing being fairly untapped territory and with little research dedicated towards it, however being the fastest growing medium it is of high interest to better understand its marketing potential and how to utilize it. Methodology A qualitative case study with an iterative approach. The empirical findings derive from semi structured interviews with five selected case companies and a podcast producer. Conclusion Why B2B companies use podcasting as a marketing tool varies somewhat, the five main reasons identified are cost and time efficiency, active listening, building relationships, branding and employer branding. Some view podcasting in a strategic sense first, while others seem to use podcasting just as much for their own enjoyment as they do for strategic purposes. There are challenges in regard to measuring success. However, those challenges do not appear to be very problematic as costs are low. Reaching the right people is more important than reaching the masses. Contribution This study adds to existing research within the field of B2B content marketing by exploring podcasts as a marketing tool. Key words Podcast marketing, marketing communication, content marketing, business to business marketing Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Problematization .......................................................................................................... 4 1.3. Purpose ......................................................................................................................... 6 1.4. Research questions ....................................................................................................... 6 1.5. Research contribution .................................................................................................. 6 2. Theoretical framework ........................................................................................................ 7 2.1. Marketing communication ............................................................................................ 7 2.2 Branding ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.1 Employer branding ............................................................................................................. 13 2.3. Digital content marketing ........................................................................................... 13 3. Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 17 3.1. Method strategy and design ........................................................................................ 17 3.1.1. Scientific perspective ....................................................................................................... 17 3.1.2. Research design ................................................................................................................ 18 3.1.3. Research approach ........................................................................................................... 19 3.2. Data gathering ........................................................................................................... 20 3.2.1. Selection of sources .......................................................................................................... 20 3.2.2. Semi structured interviews ............................................................................................... 20 3.3. Selection ..................................................................................................................... 23 3.3.1 Case companies ................................................................................................................. 23 3.3.2 Respondents ...................................................................................................................... 24 3.4. Analytic methods ........................................................................................................ 25 3.5. Ethical considerations ................................................................................................ 26 3.6. Quality assurance ....................................................................................................... 28 3.6.1 Trustworthiness ................................................................................................................. 28 3.6.2 Authenticity........................................................................................................................ 29 4. Empirical findings ............................................................................................................ 30 4.1 Exsitec ......................................................................................................................... 30 4.1.1. Timeline ............................................................................................................................ 30 4.1.2. Perceived benefits ............................................................................................................ 31 4.1.3. Content and production .................................................................................................... 33 4.1.4. Strategy ............................................................................................................................. 34 4.2. Pulsen Omsorg ........................................................................................................... 36 4.2.1. Timeline ............................................................................................................................ 36 4.2.2. Perceived benefits ............................................................................................................ 37 4.2.3. Content and production .................................................................................................... 38 4.2.4. Strategy ............................................................................................................................. 40 4.3. Sogeti ......................................................................................................................... 42 4.3.1. Timeline ............................................................................................................................ 42 4.3.2. Content and production .................................................................................................... 43 4.3.3. Perceived benefits ............................................................................................................ 44 4.3.4 Strategy .............................................................................................................................. 45 4.4. Ericsson ..................................................................................................................... 46 4.4.1 Timeline ............................................................................................................................. 46 4.4.2. Perceived benefits ...........................................................................................................