(And Why You Might Want One Too)
Why Audio is Becoming a Go-To Tool
Internal communications is evolving, and one of the most exciting innovations is… podcasts. That’s right, the same medium people tune into during commutes or while walking the dog is now being used inside organisations to connect employees, break down silos, and make messages stick.
But before you roll your eyes and think, “Great, another thing to manage,” hear us out.
Internal comms podcasts aren’t just a fancy new thing. They’re engaging, inclusive, and flexible ways to reach staff who might be overwhelmed by emails, Slack, or are simply not screen-dependent.
What Are Internal Comms Podcasts?
Simply put, these are audio shows created by companies for their staff. As a rule, they’re not about public brand-building (or internal comms as a topic). They might include updates from leadership, stories from across teams, training tips, or culture highlights.
And don’t think I can’t hear some of you thinking, “Are you crazy?? I’m not putting our internal company musings up for public consumption!” Worry not! There are two (with a cheeky third) ways you could go.
- Private podcasts. These are only accessible to employees. These offer confidentiality and allow frank discussions, strategy insights, and behind-the-scenes stories within the safety of your company ecosystem. These are by far the most popular type of internal comms podcasts.
- Public podcasts are the kind that we all recognise from our day-to-day podcast consumption. They’re available from all our favourite and familiar podcasting directories (think Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts), and anyone can listen. These are great for employer branding, attracting talent, or showcasing company culture externally, while still engaging staff.
A third option is to do a hybrid, providing a public version for brand visibility and a private version for internal detail, striking a smart balance.
Why Internal Podcasts Are Gaining Ground
Email Fatigue is Real: Office workers send and receive an average of 121 emails per day (Radicati Group), and internal comms emails often go unread. Podcasts genuinely cut through the noise because staff can listen anywhere and anytime that suits them, like during commutes, out on walks, or between tasks.
Accessibility & Neurodiversity: Audio content helps neurodiverse colleagues or those who process information better by listening rather than reading. It’s also ideal for shift workers or field staff who don’t sit at a desk all day. For example, back in 2020, Bengo Media made a series for Welsh Water, predominantly aimed at its out-and-about workforce.
Human Connection: Hearing the real voices of leaders, peers, and subject experts adds warmth, clarity, and authenticity that a written email rarely achieves. They can help inspire people to achieve more. And for those who aren’t in an office all day or are lone workers, they begin to really feel connected.
Companies Getting Their Internal Comms Podcasts Right
By their very nature, it can be hard to find internal comms podcasts to listen to because most of them aren’t made public. But here are some examples we’ve found of companies that have embraced podcasts as part of their internal comms mix. And more importantly, their reasoning for doing them, and what it means to their staff.
1. American Airlines – Tell Me Why (Public)
Running since 2018, American Airlines publish six podcasts a year where they talk through the decisions they make as a company. Presented by AA’s Chief Communications Officer, Ron DeFeo, it’s a podcast designed and pitched to the airline’s staff but which is published publicly on all podcast channels.
“Hosting Tell Me Why continues to be one of the most rewarding parts of my role at American Airlines.”, says DeFeo on LinkedIn. “We’re now in Season 8, and the conversations keep getting better and the guests more impressive.”. The latest episode is a sit down with the new US Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy.
2. Coca-Cola – The Coca-Cola Compassion Lab (Public)
This podcast shares leadership insights for the staff and general listeners alike. The Compassion Lab is a program inside Coca-Cola aimed at exploring ways to be “more emotionally agile, resilient, and adaptive” and features content speakers and interviewees at Coca Cola’s Leadership summits. The series is presented by Katherine Twells, who is a senior vice president of The Coca-Cola Company.
“Compassion is about seeking to understand and realise that in our connection we experience and feel many of the same things. We are more alike then different and in finding our common ground we can make greater progress”
3. ITV – Me, Myself and ITV (Public)
In 2024, Bengo Media worked with the ITV Internal Communications team to launch a podcast series all about the people who worked at the channel. In the six part series, ITV online journalist, Becky Lancashire spoke to ITV staff members about their career to date and also the TV that inspired them into the industry.
“We wanted to use Me, Myself and ITV as an engagement tool for current employees but also as a recruitment tool,”, says internal comms consultant, Sue Griffith, who led the launch of the podcast, “sharing the passion our people have for telly, talking about why they wanted to work at ITV and how they got into TV.
“I was so proud to deliver six episodes that were entertaining, funny, touching – and highlighted young people across the business who wanted to talk about how proud they were to work for ITV.”
4. NHS England – Workforce, Training and Education Podcast (Public)
NHS England’s podcast shares updates about training and workforce initiatives, and gives us insights from leaders and subject matter experts. It’s available publicly to support staff engagement and wider employer branding. What’s more, it’s honest conversations, presented by NHS staff for NHS staff.
Why These Podcasts Work
Across these examples, a few themes emerge:
- Storytelling beats bullet points – People remember real stories from colleagues, not lists of tasks.
- Flexibility – Audio is portable. Employees can listen whenever they have time, reducing email overload.
- Inclusivity – Audio helps shift workers, remote teams, and neurodiverse staff stay connected.
- Trust & connection – Hearing leaders speak in their own voice humanises the company.
So What Does This All Tell Us?
Internal comms podcasts aren’t a passing fad. They’re powerful tools for engagement, inclusivity, and connection. Whether private or public, they offer flexibility and human storytelling that emails and intranet posts often can’t match.
If you’re thinking about starting one (or revamping an existing one), we’ve got you covered. You can download our free “How to Start an Internal Comms Podcast Checklist” by signing up to our newsletter, or book a call with us to explore ideas, strategy, and production.
And we’ll leave you with this wonderful quote from Sue Griffith, an internal communications consultant who helped launch ITV’s internal comms podcast ‘Me, Myself & ITV’:
“Once we launched I think mainly people were surprised about how good it was – they often said it wasn’t what they expected, it certainly didn’t feel corporate. And it was funny – never underestimate the value of humour in internal comms. I suspect they were surprised we’d done such a professional job too, it was important for me to have something that didn’t feel amateur.”
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