A Manchester social media video production agency is launching a podcasting arm as the number of people listening to weekly podcasts has almost doubled in recent years.
Fraggell Productions has developed its new division to create original, branded podcasts for its clients, alongside strategic plans to grow the business and reach turnover of £1m in the next five years.
This comes in the wake of broadcasting watchdog Ofcom’s announcement that the number of weekly podcast listeners has almost doubled to nearly six million over the past five years.
This was from 3.2 million in 2013 to 5.9 million in 2018.
The increase runs across all age groups, but the steepest growth is among young adults (aged 15 to 24) with around one in five (18.7 per cent) listening to podcasts every week.
Twenty-four-year-old Fraser Cottrell, creative director for Fraggell Productions, says: “We simply couldn’t afford to ignore these statistics, which prove that podcasts are soaring in popularity.
"As a young and vibrant social media video agency, we didn’t want to miss out on putting our creative spin on such an evidently progressive entertainment medium.
“We feel that although a lot of people are creating podcasts, not that many are doing it well. We also believe that the podcasting industry needs something new and we want to help our clients make better original content for their customers.
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“That’s why we’re putting video the forefront of all of our clients podcast endeavours. We will introduce podcasts which are broadcasted live with crossover on social, as well as each podcast having its own YouTube channel to gain more organic viewership.
“This is because we recognise that the ways in which people digest and respond to information are constantly evolving.
“Well-crafted podcasts which contain valuable, audience-targeted content are essential for tapping into a new way of conveying information and core brand messages.
"We’re confident that the new arm of our business will go above and beyond to achieve this, as well as supporting our overarching expansion strategy.”
Fraggell Productions was founded by Fraser and technical director Nicholas Beddows, 24, when the pair finished Ashton Sixth Form College aged 18.
The company counts PrettyLittleThing, BoohooMan, Lavish Alice, LADBible and Papa Johns among its roster of clients.
Generating a turnover of £100,000 in 2018, alongside a £30,000 pre-tax profit and growing to three full-time employees, Fraggell Productions aims to turnover £1m in the next five years, while adding 30 staff members.
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The company was one if the first to create interactive GIFs specifically for Instagram Stories, which attracted 35 million views globally for several Greater Manchester and 海角视频 businesses.
Fraser adds: “We’re delighted to be able to carve a niche in the industry in this way, all while supporting and raising the profile of brands across Greater Manchester, the 海角视频 and globally.”