The Democracy Group
Creative Strategy | Content Management | Business Development | Project Management | Digital Marketing
Project Overview
Company Context
The Democracy Group is a network of podcasts and organizations that create educational content about democracy, civic engagement, and civil discourse. They aim to provide informative, educational content that can increase curiosity and empathy among their listeners and use their platform to share the good work of organizations that are taking action to strengthen democracy.
The Democracy Group is organized and funded by The McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State, which produces the Democracy Works podcast in partnership with WPSU, central Pennsylvania’s NPR station.
At the time I joined, The Democracy Group was less than a year old, with minimal brand awareness, 10 shows in the network, and only focused on limited internal cross promotion among its shows.
Role + Responsibilities
I serve as the Network Manger for The Democracy Group, responsible for content strategy, brand and marketing strategy, project management, and business development.
I led the strategy and redesign of The Democracy Group brand, expanding it’s brand image, catalog of shows, content offerings and educational resources.
During my time with The Democracy Group, I managed collaboration between 20 cross-functional podcast teams, external partnerships with businesses and non-profits, ensuring alignment with the overall content and marketing strategy.
Working on a small internal team, I also worked cross-functionally with our network's founder, social media and marketing interns, and stakeholders of The McCourtney Institute for Democracy on larger marketing initiatives and campaign strategies.
Content Strategy
Goal
The podcast network acts as a public service dedicated to creating a more informed, civically engaged electorate. As such, the goal was to increase the brand’s exposure and reach while increasing the audience size of the network’s shows.
The strategy for The Democracy Group was to redesign the network’s brand image for marketing, then developing key assets that could funnel new audiences through The Democracy Group brand to be redistributed to the shows inside the network.
Brand Redesign
To better understand The Democracy Group brand and needs, I conducted surveys and interviews with both existing podcast hosts in the network and listeners of the network’s shows. Based on opportunities uncovered, I redesigned all creative content including the website, newsletter, and media kit. I also designed graphics for all brand assets used in marketing, events, and partnerships.
Crafting overall brand image and strategy
Web design, graphic design, and written copy for all assets
User interviews with audience members and hosts
Develop Key Assets
To improve the funneling of audience members through The Democracy Group brand to subscribe to the network’s shows, I focused on developing two key assets: a network playlist and network newsletter.
The network playlist is a podcast that features episodes from across the network each week so listeners can get a taste of the shows and subscribe to their favorites. The newsletter features special interviews and content from partner organizations and episodes relating to current events, special guests, or best episodes from the network.
Maintaining content and publishing calendar
Managing and coordinating teams to develop content for key assets
Improve Marketing Channels
With the brand and funnels set in place, I focused on filling the top of the funnel by improving existing marketing channels and developing new ones. This included building new partnerships, improving internal collaboration among shows, launching new shows and event series, creating new educational content and resources, repurposing newsletter content for a blog on the website, and hiring social media interns to grow our social media presence.
Crafting overall marketing strategy
Developed and optimized project management systems in Airtable.
Improving internal cross promotion between podcast teams.
Onboarding new shows to the network
Created, coordinated, and facilitated virtual events about various topics in democracy
Developing and executing partnership strategy
Hired, trained, managed, and guided 3 new team members to hold them accountable for project outcomes
Measure and analyzed project performance and planned ahead for future problems or risks
Results
Drove website traffic from under 1,000 to 93,000 visitors per month.
Increased newsletter subscribers by 50%.
Onboarded 13 new podcasts to the network, streamlining integration and ensuring a smooth launch process.
Identified over 200 strategic partners and secured 50 collaborative partnerships, driving increased subscribers, social media growth, and podcast downloads.
