🔍 Project Background
Produced for 'Balance' (Aviva’s gender equality steering group), this initiative aimed to foster psychological safety and open dialogue on critical DEI topics.
Recognising that modern learners are 'always on', I pivoted from traditional text-based comms to an audio-first strategy. This allowed employees to consume content in the flow of work, mirroring the consumer habits of podcast listeners to drive deeper engagement.
💡 Production & Strategy
Acting as Lead Producer and Audio Engineer, I applied principles of sonic storytelling to transform over 90 minutes of unstructured discussion into a compelling, high-fidelity 15-minute narrative.
With limited kit, you'll note that I even dabbled in recording the introduction!
Key Techniques:
Narrative Design: I restructured the questions and answers to create a logical flow, rather than a
Narrative Architecture: I restructured the dialogue to create a logical, emotive flow rather than a linear recording, ensuring the content resonated with diverse identities.
Sonic Identity: Using Adobe Audition, I designed a high-energy soundscape and opening montage to hook listeners immediately, utilising noise reduction and mastering to ensure broadcast-quality clarity.
Curiosity Campaign: The podcast was released as part of a teaser campaign designed to elicit curiosity, treating the learning content like a product launch rather than a standard corporate update.
⛳️🔥🏆 The Result
The podcast was distributed via Microsoft Viva Engage, leveraging social features to democratise the conversation. The reception demonstrated the power of audio to scale culture:
Viral Adoption: The episode received over 2,300 listens and 54 shares within the first 24 hours of release.
Community Activation: The comment threads generated significant public discussion, allowing employees to share their own views and experiences, effectively extending the lifespan of the learning content.
🛠️ Tools Used:
Adobe Audition: Multi-track editing, mixing, and mastering.
Microsoft Viva Engage (Yammer): Distribution and community management.