From production to impact:
Results of strategic brand podcasting
success
A National Women's Health Podcast That Became a Centerpiece of Advocacy Campaign Launch
The Fifth Wave (IWK Foundation)
Health Care and Advocacy
The IWK Foundation launched a research-driven women's health podcast with an award-winning journalist, achieving 70-82% completion rates and integrating it prominently into their national campaign launch eight months later.
IWK Foundation needed credible, accessible content to prepare the ground for a 2026 national advocacy campaign focused on women's health equity. This was their first major thought leadership initiative in this space. The goal was pre-launch awareness, stakeholder education, and partnership development—but without existing channels or audience baselines to build from.
- Research-led editorial process: Interviewed dozens of global experts, creating detailed briefs and backgrounders for each episode
- Journalistic credibility anchor: Partnered with Avis Favro, an award-winning and nationally recognized health journalist, as host
- Consistent publishing cadence: Delivered 9 episodes from May 2025 through January 2026 on time and on budget
- Strategic integration: Embedded the podcast into iwkfoundation.org as a core campaign asset, not a standalone side project
What we did
The Challenge
TLDR:
Results & Signals
- 70-82% average completion rates on core episodes—well above the 50-60% industry benchmark, indicating strong content relevance and quality
- 56% of listening occurred directly on iwkfoundation.org, suggesting active stakeholder engagement (donors, partners, advocates) rather than passive discovery
- 97% Canadian audience, aligning tightly with the foundation's domestic advocacy focus
- Season 2 commissioned before Season 1 concluded, reflecting internal confidence in the format and results
- Prominently featured in the February 2026 Women's Health Equity Now campaign launch, fulfilling the original pre-launch awareness objective
- Qualitative feedback described the show as "world-class," "outstanding," and "bingeable"
Industry Association Shifts Millennial Perceptions on Forestry Through 17,000-Download Campaign Series
Canadian Forestry Can Save the World (Forest Products Association of Canada)
advocacy and social impact
The Forest Products Association of Canada produced a two-season podcast reaching 17,000+ downloads with 67-103% completion rates, integrating narrative-driven forestry education into a national "Forestry for the Future" campaign.
The Forest Products Association of Canada needed to shift public perception of the forestry sector among millennial audiences—a demographic often skeptical of resource industries and hungry for climate solutions. The challenge wasn't just visibility; it was reframing Canadian forestry from an extractive legacy industry into an innovative, sustainable, and Indigenous-collaborative sector central to Canada's bioeconomy and climate future.
- Curiosity-driven narrative structure: Built episodes around questions rather than industry messaging (e.g., "The Forest Products You've Never Heard Of," "Wildfires & Fighting Fire with Fire")
- Global expert sourcing: Interviewed hundreds of Canadian and international experts to ground the show in credible, diverse perspectives
- Topical breadth: Covered everything from mass timber and bioplastics to reconciliation and social license—reaching multiple stakeholder groups within a coherent narrative
- Campaign integration: Embedded the podcast into FPAC's national "Forestry for the Future" campaign, amplifying reach and message consistency
- Planned two-season arc: Produced 27 episodes over 18 months as a finite campaign asset
What we did
The Challenge
TLDR:
Results & Signals
- 67-103% completion rates, with several episodes exceeding 90%—indicating content held attention and delivered on the curiosity promise
- 85% Canadian audience, aligning with the national awareness goal
- International reach in forestry regions: Iceland, France, Brazil, Colombia listeners suggest the show reached global forestry stakeholders beyond the domestic campaign
- Top episode: "The Forest Products You've Never Heard Of" (313 downloads, 67% completion), demonstrating audience appetite for innovation storytelling over industry defense
- Successful integration into "Forestry for the Future" campaign, providing a reusable educational asset for member companies and stakeholders
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Agnico Eagle's first podcast traveled to Canada's Far North to honor Inuit collaboration in mining, reaching 97% Canadian audiences with 70-90% completion rates, winning three platinum MarCom awards, and becoming a recurring reference point in the company's public addresses and editorial campaigns.
Award-Winning Mining Podcast Reaches 35,000+ Canadians, Anchors Executive Communications
The Arctic Edge (Agnico Eagle)
Enterprise Level Brand storytelling
TLDR:
The Challenge:
Agnico Eagle came to SSN and our partner agency wanting to bring the realities of Canada's Far North to the broader Canadian public while honouring the history and collaboration of Inuit communities in the mining sector. The primary audiences for the show—the Canadian voting public, business community, and government stakeholders—rarely engage deeply with Arctic issues. The podcast was designed to be an invitation to shift that behaviour. This show was a prime example of our Newsroom OS approach to production operations at scale, as it required production in remote locations (Iqaluit), live and fast moving locations (PDAC) with credible journalistic execution.
What we did:
- On-location reporting: Traveled to Iqaluit and PDAC to produce 11 episodes grounded in place and community voices
- Journalistic anchor: Partnered with Hannah Thibedeau, former CBC anchor and current communications executive, to host
- Concurrent marketing integration: Coordinated with partner agency running LinkedIn awareness and podcast-specific ads as episodes launched
- Multi-platform content strategy: Podcast content adapted into national OpEds published in the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail
Results & Signals:
- 70-90% completion rates on most episodes, well above the 50-60% industry benchmark
- 97.6% Canadian audience, aligning precisely with the goal of reaching the Canadian voting public and business community
- 85% of listens driven through marketing channels (77% via campaign distribution link, 8% via thearcticedge.ca), indicating intentional audience-building rather than passive discovery
- International reach in key mining jurisdictions: Finland, Chile, Australia, Mexico listeners suggest industry peer attention
- 85% Apple follower growth over 8 months (171 to 316 followers)
- Three platinum MarCom awards, including Best Podcast Production
- Chair referenced the podcast in most, if not all, public addresses throughout 2025, signaling internal adoption as a strategic communications asset
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A co-created live event series connecting Indigenous businesses in high-tech sectors delivered four professionally produced panel discussions with strong audience commitment, multi-format distribution, and establishing a recognized platform for Indigenous business dialogue.
Building Indigenous Business Community, Connection and Conversation Through Multi-Format Live Events
Creating Space (Niipaawi Strategies)
Community & Member engagement
TLDR:
The Challenge:
Niipaawi Strategies wanted to create visibility and connection points for Indigenous-led businesses in high-tech sectors—a space where these businesses often lack representation. The challenge wasn't just hosting conversations; it was building a trusted community platform from scratch that could consistently draw Indigenous entrepreneurs and high-tech stakeholders to show up live, engage in real-time, and return for subsequent events.
What we did:
- Live event production at scale: Produced and streamed four panel roundtable discussions (March–May 2025) with real-time audience engagement and professional production quality
- Email-driven community activation: Built a committed subscriber base from zero through strategic email campaigns that consistently exceeded industry benchmarks for engagement
- Multi-channel distribution strategy: Simultaneously live-streamed events, archived recordings to YouTube, and converted content to podcast episodes for accessibility
- Co-creation partnership model: Combined Niipaawi Strategies' Indigenous business network with Story Studio Network's production expertise to ensure authenticity and quality
- Panel topics spanning high-tech sectors: Covered Indigenous innovation in tech, AI ethics, procurement, aviation/aerospace, and capacity building—addressing real business needs
Results & Signals:
- Sustained live engagement across four-month series: Delivered consistent live attendance at each monthly event, demonstrating ongoing community commitment rather than one-time interest
- Email campaign performance far exceeding benchmarks: Achieved open rates 35+ percentage points above the 40% "excellent" threshold and click-through rates 6-34 points above the 5% benchmark—indicating highly engaged, not passive, audience
- Multi-format content reach: Live events generated ongoing viewership through YouTube archives and podcast accessibility, extending value beyond the live moment
- Community built from zero: Grew a curated, engaged subscriber base in four months—prioritizing quality of engagement over volume
- Platform recognition established: "Significant response from attendees and panelists" positioned Creating Space as a recognized venue for Indigenous business dialogue in high-tech sectors
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A Research NGO Builds a 7-Season Library Connecting Veterans, Clinicians, and Researchers
The Most Painful Podcast (The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence)
advocacy and social impact
The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence launched a veteran-hosted podcast to bridge awareness gaps about chronic pain treatment, reaching 20,000+ listeners across 76 episodes with 70-97% completion rates on key content and bilingual production for Francophone audiences.
The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence, a research NGO, needed to connect three distinct audiences—military veterans living with chronic pain, the clinicians treating them, and researchers advancing the field—around a shared knowledge base. The organization had expertise and resources, but limited awareness among these stakeholders about available treatments, emerging research, and the Centre itself. They were starting from essentially no platform.
- Veteran-led authenticity: Partnered with Tom Hoppe, a veteran with lived chronic pain experience, as the in-house host to ground the show in credibility and relatability
- Coaching for consistency: Provided production support and coaching to allow Tom's authentic voice and perspective to shine through each episode
- Interview-driven format: this created an effective container for CPCoE to build relationships with medical experts, researchers, and veterans to not only explore partnership opportunities but broaden awareness about treatment options, emerging science, and lived experiences
- Bilingual reach: Produced a separate French-language stream to serve Francophone Canadian veteran communities
- Sustained publishing cadence: Delivered 85+ episodes from June 2022 through February 2026 with minimal format changes—consistency as the strategy
What we did
The Challenge
TLDR:
Results & Signals
- 70-97% completion rates on core episodes, indicating content resonated with both clinical and veteran audiences seeking in-depth information
- Long catalog tail: Older episodes continue attracting downloads monthly, suggesting the show functions as an evergreen resource library rather than just episodic content
- 75% Canadian audience, aligning with the Centre's focus on Canadian veteran care and research ecosystems
- International reach in veteran-dense regions: US (14%), UK (5%), Australia, New Zealand listeners suggest broader military community engagement
- Qualitative growth outcomes: Expanded access to new expert guests and increased discovery of CPCoE resources by audiences finding the podcast
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A solo naturopathic practitioner launched a podcast to grow her client base, reaching 20,800+ downloads with 72% listener retention and using the show to sell masterclasses and community resources.
Solo Naturopathic Doctor Builds 20,000+ Download Library and Active Community Through Relatable, No-Nonsense Health Content
The Fatigue Fixer (Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur)
thought leadership & Business Development
TLDR:
The Challenge:
Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur, a naturopathic doctor running a solo practice, needed to expand her client base beyond local reach and traditional referrals. The challenge wasn't just visibility—it was establishing credibility with women navigating perimenopause, fatigue, and burnout who are overwhelmed by clinical health information and looking for someone who speaks their language.
What we did:
- Voice-first positioning: Built the show around Sarah's direct, no-nonsense communication style—relatable without sacrificing clinical expertise
- Strategic episode naming: Used conversational "The One Where..." titles (e.g., "The One Where Your Pants Don't Fit," "The One Where You're A Raging Bitch") to signal accessibility and differentiate from typical health podcasts
- Guest curation: Connected Sarah with complementary experts to expand topical range while maintaining her voice as the anchor
- Audience development integration: Leveraged Instagram polls and Q&A to drive episode topics and listener engagement between releases
- Consistent publishing: Delivered 49 episodes from October 2023 through February 2026 with no format shifts—consistency as the foundation
Results & Signals:
- 20,861 total downloads across 49 episodes over 28 months (October 2023–February 2026)
- 72% listener retention rate on Spotify—meaning most listeners subscribe rather than casually discover, indicating loyal audience building
- 512 Apple followers with 1,400 unique listeners, suggesting strong conversion from casual listener to committed audience member
- 62% Canadian, 26% US audience, with additional reach across UK, Australia, and Germany—extending her practice's influence well beyond local geography
- Masterclass and community resource sales driven by podcast audience
