Second Act Stories

Written By Sarah Lawrence
 

CASE STUDY

 

Situation:

Second Act Stories is an independent podcast that profiles people who have made significant career shifts to pursue more rewarding lives.

In April 2024, Second Act Stories earned a nomination for a Webby Award, the most prestigious award in podcasting. Other nominees in the “Advice and How-to” category included podcasts from Michelle Obama, Sarah Silverman, TED Audio and Slate Media.

Each Webbys category features two awards: a juried award, and a People’s Voice award, where the public casts online votes during a two-week window. The hosts engaged Strategic Global Media to raise awareness of its underdog run and drive public votes in an unlikely competition with the former First Lady.

Approach:

The agency identified the most media-friendly angles:

  • Everyone loves to support an underdog

  • An independent, bootstrapped podcast is competing with the former First Lady for a prestigious award

The voting window was open from April 2 to April 18, so time was of the essence. Podcast host Scott Merritt is based in Atlanta, so the agency activated an in-market media relations campaign to rally community support.

  • Built a targeted list of Atlanta media that could act quickly and publish immediately.

  • Developed media pitches that stated the situation and offered Merritt as a spokesperson.

  • Secured an easy-to-remember and share URL that pointed to the voting page.

  • Immediately began pitching to secure opportunities.

Results:

Three of the four TV network affiliates produced stories, including WSB-TV Atlanta News First, and FOX 5 Atlanta’s Good Day Atlanta. The story was covered by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Forsyth County News.

While the nomination was what opened the door, stories delved more deeply into the podcast and its notable guests, including Michael Strahan, Brian “Q” Quinn, Adam Carolla and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter.

In the span of two weeks, Second Act Stories earned coverage in top Atlanta news outlets, reaching an audience of more than 12.6 million.

The campaign helped the podcast move up from last place and earn a third-place finish in the People’s Voice competition.

Sarah Lawrence
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