Roganomics
What brands and business can learn from Joe Rogan
When Spotify signed Joe Rogan to a $100m contract a few years ago for his daily podcast, it seemed like one of the weirdest deals ever. Three hours of seemingly stoner talk with a wide range of guests, many of whom were either MMA fighters or semi-obscure comedians, didn’t seem like the winning formula of the future.
Yet, defying any logic, the format is magical, and the list of guests diverse, thought-provoking and occasionally controversial. From Elon Musk to Mike Tyson, from Snoop Dog to Jordan Peterson, RFK to Gabor Mate and Alex Jones, Rogan promises a judgement-free environment and a free flow of ideas, opinions and stimulating dialogue.
Some love him and listen religiously, a few don’t, but almost everyone I know has listened to at least an episode or two at one point or other.
But regardless of what you think, his influence is undeniable.
What’s the source of his strength, or rather what is it about podcasts in general that seemingly defies the notion that people no longer have patience to read and listen? That everything is a soundbite or a reel?
First and foremost, podcasts in general, and Rogan specifically, place a large mirror in front of traditional media.
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In his simple, straight-forward approach to open dialogue, he provides a stark contrast to legacy media that is binary; either in pitbull mode to anyone they dislike or busy lobbing softballs to those in favour.
The 3-hour format plays in his favour as well, because it forces his guests to be themselves, something that is sorely missing in legacy media where public figures, especially politicians, tech leaders and policy makers, can hide behind scripts prepared by spin doctors and shoot off talking points for 4–5 minutes while still looking ‘decent’.
Rogan’s podcast, along with other leading shows that follow this approach, have become a potent antidote to this BS. The audience is afforded the luxury of being a fly on the wall, closely observing how legit and authentic the guests are, and having the rare luxury to actually form their own opinion instead of being forced into group think.
For the guests, the cost of failing this test can be irreversible, so only those with nothing to hide and actually something to say will dare make an appearance. For them, the Rogan platform is often a powerful launchpad, or in the case of Mark Zuckerberg, a place to reinvent himself.
For his listeners, this provides a sense of priceless belonging and exclusivity; a sense that they are awake vs those who are asleep.
This touches upon something much deeper in today’s society, a hunger for authenticity. Anything that is over-produced, over-polished is seen as non-credible.
For brands and business, this provides an invaluable insight.
Not only does your audience have a refined radar for BS, but also when it comes to business leaders, do you have what it takes to sit for 3 hours (heck, even 30 minutes) in a natural, unfiltered environment and just shoot the shit; have a normal conversation and share your dreams, fears, concerns just like a normal person? Or will you revert to saying what your PR team thinks your audience wants to hear?
This is a time of great opportunity for brands that understand this societal shift, but also one that can prove to be a slippery slope for those that don’t.
