Our Account Executive Lucia Maclachlan reports back on key findings from The Engineer’s Collective, a podcast hosted by New Civil Engineer
In episode 1, we learn about the disconnect between design and operations teams, and what role digital immersion has on this – in either a harnessing or a facilitating role. Learning from this podcast and similar content helps to inform how we will communicate between design and operations teams in the future.
As communications specialists for complex infrastructure developments, one of our main priorities is translating industry jargon and making it accessible for the public.
Often consultations for infrastructure projects are accompanied by a vast number of large documents, containing complicated but necessary information. What if podcasting this information could bring the story to life, and be used to engage with a larger demographic?
Around 30% of the population are auditory learners – and are likely to remember 75% of what it is they hear. Now, this may not seem like an astonishing number, but pair this with the 65% that are visual learners – through combining these different means of communication, we can reach all auditory and visual learners through traditional documents and podcasts.
For a form of media that has been around for at least 15 years, why the sudden podcast popularity growth?
Could it be because we are providing information in a way that is easily digestible for all? After all, 34% of podcasts are listened to when people are on the move.
In a world of instant gratification and ever-growing impatience, podcasts offer quick access and ease of listening to the everyday professional, commuter, parent and student. Furthermore, with annual commuting time lasting up to 18 hours compared to a decade ago, we have an average of 58.4 minutes a day to fill.
The number of podcast listeners in the UK has almost doubled in 5 years, with nearly 6 million adults now listening to a podcast each week. In 2018 alone, 575 new podcasts were started every day, which equates to one about every three minutes.
Could podcasts become a platform for engaging otherwise disengaged audiences? Through using podcasts to maximise the potential reach of consultation information, we can unlock a greater level of community engagement in the long term.
