How to Make Your Brand More Human with a Podcast: What We Learned (and Tested) with Our Own Show

Recently, I came across an Instagram post that mentioned a concept that really caught my attention: we may have entered the era of the “Authenticity Recession.” The observation is clear: in a time of generative AI, where content is produced at scale faster than ever, consumers are struggling to find truth and are finding it increasingly difficult to place their trust.

Of course, the crisis of trust toward brands didn’t start yesterday; it largely predates the rise of ChatGPT. However, artificial intelligence has acted as an accelerator. Today, for a brand, speaking about itself authentically, with well-crafted content and real expertise, is a major source of differentiation 🪐

As I reflected on that post, one thing became obvious: podcasting is probably the ideal medium to tackle this challenge. Whether you’re still hesitating to launch your brand’s podcast, or you already have one that needs a second wind of authenticity, the question is the same: how can you use this format to go beyond simple brand messaging and build a real relationship of trust with your listeners?

Why Launching a Branded Podcast Is a Winning Strategy (The Datas Speak for Themselves)

For a long time, corporate podcasts were seen as a “vanity project”: a small indulgence from the marketing department. But in the face of this Authenticity Recession and the saturation of AI-generated content, the game has completely changed.

Today, launching your own podcast (or reinventing the one you already have) means responding to a real audience expectation. Consumers no longer want to be “sold” something in 15 seconds; they want you to take the time to tell them a story and show them who you really are 🐾

And the numbers prove it. If we look at the recent ACPM and CSA study (November 2024), the appetite for branded content is very real 😎

The audience is interested: 58% of listeners say they’re interested in a brand offering its own podcast. That number even rises to 75% among 18–34 year-olds.
It’s a trust accelerator: 76% of listeners believe podcasts are a good communication channel for companies. Even better, a brand offering podcasts is perceived as more innovative (69%), closer to its consumers (69%), and above all… more transparent (63%). It’s exactly the antidote we need to fight the trust crisis.
The business impact is tangible: Beyond brand image, it drives conversion. 54% of listeners say a branded podcast has helped them discover or better understand a brand. Even more powerful: 45% say it has already made them want to purchase one of its products or services.

But beware, there’s a trap. Capturing attention isn’t enough; you still need to know what to do with it. The study reveals a crucial insight in our search for authenticity: 57% of listeners believe that when a brand speaks, it should address topics it stands for, rather than talk only about itself (43%) ✊

In short: the ground is ready, the audience is there, but they will not tolerate a press release disguised as an audio format.

So the real question is no longer “Should we do it?” but rather: how do we use it to create authentic connection? Here are our concrete actions to turn your podcast into a real relationship builder ⬇️

The Importance of the Host and Personal Branding

Many brands are afraid of putting a face to their content. They think: “Our topic is very serious, technical, or complex. If we highlight the personality of a host, we’ll dilute our expertise or lose professionalism.” It’s actually the opposite. Disembodied expertise feels cold. It’s Wikipedia. And in the age of AI, anyone can generate an ultra-technical expert script in seconds. What makes your expertise powerful, credible, and memorable today is the human being behind it.

Putting a human face to your podcast doesn’t weaken the message, it humanizes it. The famous “parasocial relationship” kicks in: the listener no longer feels like they’re being subjected to corporate messaging; they’re listening to a peer, a mentor, a highly skilled professional. And guess what? We trust a real expert far more easily than an abstract entity 🤩

Proof by Example

We experienced this firsthand at Ausha with our own podcast, Tips. Today, if you ask our listeners, many won’t say they listen to “Ausha’s podcast.” They’ll say they listen to Emma. The show works because of her energy, her expertise, her voice. She creates the trust. The Ausha brand obviously benefits in the background, but it’s the human being who acts as the bridge.

The importance of featuring the host on the cover when you have a branded podcast

You might say, “Laura, that’s great, but concretely, how do you embody your content without losing credibility?” Here are three simple actions to put a face to your expertise:

Put the host on the cover: Instead of a minimalist podcast cover with only your company logo, why not test featuring the expert who hosts the show? The idea isn’t to create a personality cult, but to send an immediate message when someone sees your podcast: “This content is 100% human.”
Make the host the show’s first ambassador (Employee Advocacy): We know algorithms aren’t always kind to company pages. That’s where the host’s personal LinkedIn profile comes in. By sharing episodes in their own words, with a strong expert opinion or a behind-the-scenes anecdote, they bring a much more authentic dimension to your communication.
Use a call-to-action that sparks conversation: The classic “Follow Company X on social media” tends to fall flat. Instead, try a direct invitation from the host: “Come tell me what you thought of this episode on LinkedIn, the link is in the description.” You move from a cold marketing directive to a real professional exchange.

And if you’re afraid your brand will disappear by sending your audience to your host’s personal profile, don’t be. That’s exactly what full embodiment looks like. Your collaborator’s LinkedIn profile displays your company name clearly, it won’t go unnoticed. The brand isn’t erased; it’s proudly carried by the people who work there every day. I guarantee that this halo effect, this transfer of trust from the human to the company, is infinitely more powerful 🎯

Putting the Consumer at the Heart of Your Branded Podcast

For years, brands were used to “talking to” their audience from the top of a pedestal. Today, if we want to rebuild trust, we need to step down from that pedestal and “talk with” our audience.

For consumers to connect with your brand, they need to feel heard and valued. They are no longer just a “marketing target” being bombarded with messages, they must become a true part of your content 🙋‍♀️

A Concrete Example

I’ll continue using our podcast Tips at Ausha as an example, because it’s an excellent laboratory for this. Recently, to give our community even more of a voice, we developed a new format: “The Podcasters’ Mailbox.” The concept is simple but incredibly powerful: a listener leaves us a voice message with their challenge, and we turn it into a full episode to answer them 🚀

Why is this approach so powerful for a brand? First, because real-life problem-solving is incredibly compelling. Solving a real issue gives your expertise immediate depth and credibility. Second, because it values your listeners in a unique way. And finally, there’s a hidden bonus: it significantly reduces your content creation mental load, since episode topics come directly to you!

So what’s the concrete action? To be completely honest, there’s no magic formula. The way you integrate and highlight your audience depends deeply on your podcast’s DNA, your subject matter, and the type of listeners you have 🔍

I think the central idea here is that it’s first and foremost a shift in posture. It’s a compass you should always keep in mind when preparing your content: “How can I make room for my audience in this episode and show them they matter?”

Ausha already supports more than 20,000 podcasts; book a demo

Sharing the Behind-the-Scenes Without a Filter (Build in Public)

This is probably the most counterintuitive point for a brand, and yet it’s the most powerful. We’ve all been raised with the idea that corporate communication should be polished, perfect, and show only success. But today, that artificial perfection creates mistrust 🧐

I recently read a very interesting article about Google’s January 2026 SEO updates. The article used the example of the agency Blaaaz, which radically changed its editorial line. Instead of publishing yet another generic, saturated article like “10 Essential SEO Tools in 2026,” they published: “Why We Abandoned 7 Popular SEO Tools (and What We Use Instead).” The result? Organic traffic up 240% compared to their classic articles 📈

Why is this interesting? Because they dared to share authentic feedback, strong opinions, and admissions of past mistakes.

Build in Public Applied to Our Branded Podcast

Over the seasons, we’ve created episodes sharing what we would do again (or especially what we would absolutely not do!) if we had to relaunch a podcast from scratch today.

We’ve gone even further by sharing our own “breakdowns.” We’ve talked about our struggles, our dips in inspiration, or that terrible feeling of having exhausted our topic. But of course, we didn’t stop at acknowledging failure, we shared how we overcame those blocks and the lessons we learned.

Showing that your company also faces challenges, has doubts, but finds solutions does not destroy your expertise, it makes it real. Concretely, what can this look like for a branded podcast?

The end-of-episode ritual: In your conclusion, connect the day’s expert topic to the reality of your company.
The unfiltered “recap” episode: At the end of each quarter or year, break your format for an honest retrospective.

Don’t be afraid to bring your listeners into your strategic reflections, your doubts, or your hard-earned lessons. Consumers aren’t looking for invincible superheroes or perfect brands, they’re looking for resilient role models who inspire trust 👀

Conclusion

As we’ve seen throughout this article, to survive this so-called “Authenticity Recession,” the solution isn’t to produce more content at scale, it’s to produce content that feels more real. Podcasting is probably the best playground for talking about yourself differently and building trust with your consumers 💌

Now it’s your turn! Whether you want to launch your brand’s very first podcast or give new momentum to an existing show, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. At Ausha, we put our full expertise at the service of brands, supporting them from A to Z in their podcast projects, with offers designed specifically for professional needs. Ready to discuss your project? [Book a demo with our experts today.]