Analyse von Corporate Podcasts in der österreichischen IT-Branche

Abstract

Advancing digitalisation has fundamentally changed marketing. Podcasts offer the opportunity to build lasting relationships with target groups and communicate expertise. Podcasts are digital audio formats that can be streamed or downloaded via the internet. A corporate podcast is a podcast produced by a company. Although podcasts are potentially attractive as 40% of Austrian podcast listeners are interested in science and technology topics, there is a lack of research on the extent to which and how IT companies in Austria use this medium. This thesis aims to close this research gap. The aim of the thesis is to analyse the distribution as well as the content-related and structural characteristics of corporate podcasts in the Austrian IT sector. A two-stage methodological approach was chosen to answer the main research question ‘How widespread is the use of corporate podcasts in the Austrian IT industry and what similarities and differences can be recognised in the implementation between companies?’. Firstly, a systematic literature analysis was carried out in order to create the theoretical basis for corporate podcasts. This was followed by an empirical content analysis of corporate podcasts in the Austrian IT sector. The list of the top 1000 IT companies in Austria in 2023 served as the basis, with only the 180 companies headquartered in Austria from the first top 300 representing the sample. The analysis included a survey of distribution, publication platforms, structural characteristics (start time, topicality, frequency, number of episodes, length) and content characteristics (thematic focus, formats, language style). Of the 180 companies headquartered in Austria, only 18 companies (10 %) have at least one corporate podcast. These 18 companies publish a total of 25 podcasts. Spotify is the most frequently used platform with 24 out of 25 podcasts, followed by Apple Podcasts (18). Many podcasts are published on several platforms at the same time. The analysis of the structural characteristics shows that most podcasts were launched in recent years, with a significant increase in 2021 (eleven new podcasts). For eight of the 25 podcasts, the last episode was published in 2023 or before, indicating inactivity. Monthly publication frequency is the most common (ten out of 25), but there are also many podcasts without a regular publication frequency. The number of episodes is between six and 20 for most podcasts (16 out of 25). The average episode length is between 20 and 40 minutes for 60% of the podcasts. In terms of content, the most common focus is on imparting specialist knowledge (12 out of 25 podcasts), followed by trends (six) and use cases or best practices (six). The interview format is the most common, accounting for over half of the podcasts. Most podcasts (16 out of 25) use an informal approach. To summarise, it can be said that corporate podcasts are not yet widespread in the Austrian IT sector. However, the companies that do use podcasts use them in a targeted manner, often on several platforms, with a focus on specialist knowledge, dialogue formats and informal language. However, there are also differences in the frequency and scope of publication.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Dietmar Nedbal (Supervisor)