We’re excited to welcome Rachael King, Co-Founder and CEO of Pod People, to the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). King has a 15-year background in helping brands refine their storytelling across platforms. She took her expertise in audio storytelling to launch Pod People, the first-of-its-kind studio producing unique audio content for companies worldwide. Her team is behind some of the best podcast work from leading brands like Vogue, Netflix, People Magazine, Discovery and Marvel. She also lends her skills to writing celebrated fiction podcasts like Showmance, Vote for Love and Honeymoon for One!
We spoke with King to find out what’s on her rubric for entrants in the 28th Annual Webby Awards. Learn about the expertise she’s bringing to the Academy and what she’s expecting to see this season.
For those who don’t know, tell us a little about your background.
I’m the CEO of Pod People, a content and marketing studio for award-winning podcasts and social creative working with clients like HBO, Netflix, EA, Marvel, SoFi, Lattice, Chief, People, Bon Appetit and more. We’ve been around since 2018, and I’ve spent almost two decades helping companies, from startups to Fortune 500s share their stories across every medium. In my free time, I also write chart-topping fiction podcasts like Bone Marry Bury, Showmance and Vote For Love.
What particular expertise are you bringing to the Academy?
My areas of expertise are in branded content, fiction podcasts, and creative social marketing.
What are you most looking forward to about the 28th Annual Webby Awards? What new or fresh ways are you excited to see entrants harness the Internet and technology?
I’m always most excited to hear the fiction entrants—but really anything with creative and rich sound design is sure to capture my interest!
What are some of the most important factors that define great digital work?
The questions I’d ask myself are: Does this have a super clear voice and POV? What are my listeners learning? What am I bringing to the conversation that’s new and valuable?
What’s on your rubric for this year’s competition? What are you looking for among entries?
I’ll be looking for stories we haven’t heard before from new types of voices, rich sound design, good pacing, top-notch talent/performances, and super strong story editing.
What creative work on the Internet has recently inspired you, and why?
Right now, I’m obsessed with The Blindboy Podcast out of Ireland! It’s so beautiful and every episode is such a windy journey (in a good way).
What emerging technology or trend do you think will have the greatest impact on the creative industry?
If anyone answers anything other than AI, they’re nuts. I’m really excited for the spoken language translations to get *just* a little bit better — imagine the accessibility that will create!!!
If you had one tip, or a piece of advice for this year’s entrants, what would it be?
Be proud of yourself no matter what happens! The fact that you *finished* and submitted a piece of work that’s worthy of an award is a huge accomplishment, most people don’t even get that far.
Enter to showcase your work to our Academy!
Want to gain exposure from the top digital experts in the industry? Enter the 28th Annual Webby Awards to highlight your work in front of leading professionals shaping innovation on the Internet—including Law Roach, Jaime Robinson, Shigetaka Kurita and more.
To take advantage of early pricing, submit your work before the Early Entry Deadline on Friday, October 27th!
