

This Journal initiative recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, and it has proven its value both on the editorial and commercial fronts. Running across Spotify playlists helped gain followers and increase daily habit, which led to growth in overall Spotify “followers” for the show. Partnering with the Spotify curation team, we tested placements through Spotify playlists, like “Your Daily Drive” and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, within the “Stay in the Know” playlist. We also launched a multi-tier awareness campaign spanning across social, display, and out-of-home. Internally we worked to integrate podcasts within WSJ products, building in-article players, creating an in-line app player, and integrating audio placements within newsletters and on the homepage. Throughout the first year of our partnership, the immediate initiative was audience development. The show’s editorial pedigree was super-charged by Spotify’s acquisition of Gimlet, and very quickly The Journal benefited from Spotify’s technological prowess and scale. It is an evolving example of how we continue to expand our audio offerings and bring our members top-tier products across all multi-media platforms. The daily show focused on the themes of money, business, and power. In return, Gimlet gained access to the Journal’s insightful reporting, deep analysis, and exclusive coverage.Īfter months of producing pilots and defining work flows, The Journal launched in the summer of 2019. The partnership allowed WSJ to tap into the audio storytelling capabilities and advertising salesforce of Gimlet. In mid-2018, the WSJ newsroom teamed up with Gimlet Media (pre-Spotify acquisition) to co-produce the marquee show. A partnership between The Wall Street Journal and Spotify has added value for both companies. As the format evolved and popularity of podcasts began to surge, we began to brainstorm a marquee podcast that would present the very best of the coverage that The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has to offer its listeners. In 2015, Dow Jones entered into the podcast market, providing listeners an updated audio outlet to experience its exceptional coverage of the top news stories. The Wall Street Journal Radio Network was the leading provider of business-news programming for radio stations in the United States for more than 35 years until it’s closure in December of 2014. Audio is not a new proposition at Dow Jones.
