A short review of podcasts worth listening to

Podcasts have never been a primary way for me to learn or keep up on the latest trends in marketing – not because the content in many isn’t good, but really, who has the time? So many are 30-60 minutes or more, and I’m just not one who can write and work on the one hand, and pay meaningful attention to a panel debate podcast on the other.

Well, a sudden need to spend 3 hours every day commuting* has made podcasts one hell of a lot more appealing. So much so that I’m actually burning through every interesting one I can find by the drive home on Tuesday, and spend the rest of the week hunting for more, with many not lasting more than an episode on my iPhone.

Here are a few of the better marketing-related podcasts I’ve been listening to, that have earned a “coveted” permanent spot in my roation – with a couple bonus ones at the end.

If you happen to know of a great one I’m missing, by all means leave a comment:

Marketing Over Coffee – A long time podcast by John Wall and Christopher Penn, recorded as a lightly structured 20-30 minute conversation at the local Dunkin Donuts (with a recent, unhappy try at a Starbucks). John and Christopher cover the big news items for the week in a very friendly, knowledgeable, and conversational tone that make it a worthwhile listen and one of the first on my “dial.”

The Beancast – Bob Knorpp has one of those voices that sounds hand-crafted for radio, or podcasting as it turns out. It’s so calming that if it weren’t for his well structured moderation of panels loaded with top marketing and advertising influencers each week (90 episodes and counting), I’d be worried his voice would put me right to sleep. Not a good thing doing 70 MPH in the dark at 6:30am, my usual listening time. The topics are timely, the panelists well chosen, and the flow rarely slows down. Plus, Bob’s a local to my new neighborhood, which adds a fun extra twist for me.

Six Pixels of Separation - Mitch Joel from Twist Image, a self-described “digital marketing and communications agency,” is up to episode 189 of his weekly 45 min – 1 hour+ podcast (and yes, that is a LOT of talking over the years). So clearly this one isn’t a flash in the podcasting pan. Mitch brings in a nice mix of 1:1 interviews – such as a recent one with Google’s analytics guru Avinash Kaushik – and panel-style conversations to keep the flow going and the variety level up.

An observation: The podcasts above all feature 2+ people (hosts, panels, or host+guest) and have been at it a very long time, so the kinks have long since been ironed out. In contrast, many of the solo podcasts tend to get old fast, and I find myself turning them off within minutes.

Bonus: History and other subjects:

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History – I just discovered this one last week. If you love history, and have an hour to kill, give Dan a try. From what I’ve heard so far the topics are not for the squeamish, but the research is excellent, the commentary insightful, and the delivery lively. And yeah, Dan does sound a bit like William Shatner.

Freakonomics Radio – Apparently a new addition to the podcasting world, from the guys behind Freakonomics and Superfreakonmics. This one is professionally produced, with cut away interviews and the like. However the first episode I felt wandered a bit from the original promise. That said, it’s from the Freakonmics guys, so I’ll be eagerly awaiting the second installment just to see what other random myths they explode using economics.

Stuff You Missed in History Class – This is the undergrad survey course you always wish you had. Hosts Sarah and Katie jump wildly across thousands of years to cover everything from obscure pirates to famous battle horses to obscure Canadian history. They also have very sweet almost giggly voices that make it easy to listen all the way through. The subject matter is generally fairly PG, in stark contrast to Hardcore History, which makes for a quick, fun way to load up on obscure historical trivia to bust out and wow (or bore) your friends with later on.

*it’s a temporary thing, mid house move