Verborgen Verhalen

Reason.

ANWB has existed for over 135 years and is deeply anchored in Dutch society, with 4.5 million members. To stay in touch with its (potential) members, the organization has an extensive media mix. Podcasts were not yet part of this, while this medium has shown structural growth in recent years and is increasingly part of daily media consumption in the Netherlands. ANWB, therefore, wanted to become active in this domain as well.

At a cross-brand level, ANWB has the ambition to profile itself as a versatile brand that offers more than just practical support. Most Dutch people know the organization mainly from road assistance and signposting, while ANWB is an innovative, inspiring, and adventurous brand. For example, ANWB is the guide to the Netherlands and knows better than anyone what the best places to visit are.

Big idea.

Airborne developed a format that makes smart use of the podcast laws and in which a mystery is unraveled in every episode. These mysteries are associated with specific places in the Netherlands: stories that, in some cases, have been word-of-mouth for centuries. From hidden treasures in the North Sea to a giant deer in the forests of the province of Drenthe.

In this way, the ANWB proves to be an expert on the Netherlands. Not by giving tourist tips, as it already does through other channels, but by telling inspiring stories. It also encourages listeners to go on an adventure. After you've listened to Verborgen Verhalen, it's only more fun to discover that one place.

The stories are made for the whole family and therefore suitable for listening in the car; a moment of use where the ANWB is very relevant.

Verborgen Verhalen is a storytelling podcast, where various interviews are gathered and put together into an entertaining storyline. With a tailor-made soundtrack and sound design, the listening experience is extra enriched.

Outcome.

Verborgen Verhalen is the best-listened podcast in the Netherlands ever, presented by a brand. The ANWB managed to attract tens of thousands of listeners and reached a top position in the Dutch podcast charts for months.

Qualitative research on the brand effects, conducted by MediaTest, shows that the objectives have been achieved. Respondents rate Verborgen Verhalen with a 7.5 (on a scale of 10). Listeners praise the podcast for its inspiring stories told from multiple perspectives. 80% indicate that the podcast surprises with new stories.

After listening to this narrative podcast, ANWB is seen significantly more as a helpful (+16%) and adventurous (+25%) party that has great knowledge of nature (+25%) and of walking routes (+22%). More than 80% of the respondents are positive about ANWB and react with enthusiasm to this series. The consumption ratio is therefore unprecedentedly high at 89%.

Among the voluntary listeners, 20% say they will make more use of the services of ANWB. The goal of positioning ANWB as the guide to the Netherlands, which knows better than anyone else the best places for outdoor activities, has been amply achieved with the above results.

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In collaboration with: Big Orange - The Audio Agency (audio production S01 & music), Pascal van Hulst (host, interviews)