How I Work With Brands: Pantsuit Politics
Hosts Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers hail authenticity as the secret behind successful sponsorship
“How I Work With Brands” is Acast’s series featuring conversations with podcasters from our network about how they collaborate with advertisers to craft creative, compelling campaigns that listeners love — and get the results advertisers want.
Today we’re chatting with Sarah Stewart and Beth Silvers, host of Pantsuit Politics—a political podcast that takes a real-life conversational approach to the news.
Nine years and fast approaching 1000 episodes in, Pantsuit Politics twice-weekly show takes a fresh approach to the news; giving listeners the low-down on what’s happening on the political stage, without the anxiety.
A spectrum of brands have sponsored the podcast, including household names Glossier, Headspace and CNN. Over the years Sarah and Beth have nailed the art of delivering an effective sponsorship read that keeps clients happy, and listeners engaged.
Let’s pull back the curtain on how Pantsuit Politics work with brands.
Who listens to Pantsuit Politics?
Team Acast: Pantsuit Politics has grown a dedicated audience since launching in 2015. Who’s the typical listener of the pod, and why are they an important audience for advertisers to reach?
Pantsuit Politics: Our typical listener is a woman between 20-60. She is active in her community and may have changed her political position in the past decade. She’s an influencer - not necessarily online, but in her social circles and family. She has the trust of her people, and that trust extends to products. When she finds something she loves, she buys multiples and talks her friends into doing the same. Win her over and you’ve got a good chance of reaching more customers who might otherwise never hear about your product.
A: Walk us through how you approach partnerships with advertisers. Once Acast comes to you with the brief from the brand, what’s your creative process like for host-read sponsorships?
Pantsuit Politics Approach to Working with Brands
PP: We do our best to be faithful to the talking points provided while adding in our signature conversational style and personal touch. We look for connection points between the brand and our latest episodes. It’s important to us to have real experience with the products we advertise because our audience trusts us to help them find the best. When we enjoy a product, it’s easy to speak about it with natural enthusiasm.
A: Acast has brought you many sponsors over the years, can you tell us about one of your favorite brand partnerships on your podcast? What made it enjoyable?
PP: There is nothing more fun than getting a notification that we’re going to start a campaign with a brand we already love. We were so lucky this year to start a partnership with Wild Grain bread, which delivers bread, pasta and pastries to your door. Both Sarah and Beth were devoted customers and having a space to share that with our listeners has been such a delight.
We also loved working with Bombas. Again, both Sarah and Beth love the product. They’re also involved with outreaches in their community that get the Bombas socks for people in shelters and seeing that good work in action is really meaningful for us.
We’ve also loved a partnership we’ve developed with a listener business. Fearless Finance takes a unique approach to financial planning service that is so aligned with our mission as a podcast (having hard conversations, taking a different approach, really digging into the details, no questions are dumb questions) and feeling like we are small businesses supporting each other and getting to know this listener and her company better has been a great experience.
A: What makes podcast advertising so influential and impactful for advertisers?
PP: Podcasting is unique among media because of the intimacy it can foster between hosts and listeners. We show up in their ears multiple times a week and continue the conversation with them online. Podcasting can be deeply trust-building, which makes it a uniquely effective space to advertise. When listeners come to a show like ours, they are coming for expertise and a trusted friend to help them understand the world. That expectation of expertise and good advice carries over to what they hear in our advertising.
Why Brands Should Sponsor Pantsuit Politics
A: Why do you think brands keep coming back to Pantsuit Politics for podcast advertising?
PP: We have built a strong community of followers who trust us with the hardest topics in their lives and communities. That trust extends to the products we endorse. We know that some brands worry about working with political brands, but we feel that talking politics is an asset. We’re not a polarizing show; our entire mission is about building strong relationships. Because we talk openly and honestly about very hard topics, listeners know that we vet brands carefully and speak about them honestly.
A: What kind of impact has your show had for brands that have sponsored you? Are there any results you can share from campaigns you’ve done?
PP: We regularly hear from our listeners about their love for products they found through our show. At our live shows, we often have community members comically sharing and observing all the advertised products being worn throughout the audience.
Real feedback from Pantsuit Politics listeners:
- Erin: “Forget ‘TikTok made me buy it” there needs to be a “Pantsuit Politics friends made me buy it””
- Ben: “My mother’s Storyworth subscription just ended and we got her Collection of Life Stories! It turned out really well—the paper is good quality, the images were well reproduced, and I knew already (because I edited the stories) that it was well- and thoughtfully written. My wife (who is slightly emotional these days with our 4-month old in the house) started crying when she realized the opportunity to get to know her mother-in-law better and share these stories with our kid. It’s a great gift idea as we approach the holidays, and it’s our plan for my in-laws this Christmas.”
- Amy: Y'all will be so proud of me, I just canceled/turned off auto-renew four subscriptions that were costing me about $600 per year. I'm using RocketMoney to find things that need to be canceled. Good sponsor!
A: At their best, advertising partnerships can help foster meaningful connections with podcast listeners. Can you share any feedback from your listeners on partnerships they loved or that resonated with them?
PP: We’ve heard from listeners who saw Bombas socks in their homeless shelter, loved their Third Love bras, found a perfect gift for a family member around the holidays. We also love these products enough to gift them ourselves. We gave an OSEA gift basket to a frequent guest contributor and an Aura frame to a financial supporter of the show who had gone through a loss. Our listeners ask all the time about the CBD gummies. We could probably have a second Instagram account devoted to Beth’s love of Prose hair products. We love seeing listeners show off their Olive and June manis and seeing the colors they choose and knowing that we are bringing them extra value not just with our content but with recommendations and products that make their lives better.
A: Are there any brands you’d be excited to partner with?
PP: Sarah and Beth really love to travel, so we’d love to work with an airline, hotel, or travel brand because anytime we have a chance to talk about that on the show, it resonates with our audience. We think that one of the ways we build connections and relationships across differences is going to different places and being a citizen of this country and the world.
I cannot tell you how much we would love to work with Peloton. Our host Sarah loves her bike, loves the app, and loves doing rides with our listeners. Anytime we get to talk about products and services that we love is always fun.
A few of our other dream brands: Invisilign. GoodR. Hatch. Summersalt. Mill.
For us an ideal brand is something that we know our listeners will love if they tried it because it will solve a problem they have, make a great gift, or bring some loveliness into their lives.
A: What’s the one thing that you’d love advertisers to know about your show?
PP: Don’t be scared off by the political nature of our show, particularly in an election year. Our audience will only be more tuned in as we get closer to November.
AA: What’s one piece of advice you have for brands who are looking to succeed with podcast advertising?
PP: There’s value in building long lasting relationships with specific shows and, in turn, their audiences. Occasionally refreshing your offer to reward long time listeners/customers keeps people engaged with your brand and builds loyalty.
A: What’s your elevator pitch for your show in 10 words or fewer?
PP: A different approach to the news; stay informed without the stress
–
If you’re interested in exploring sponsorship opportunities with Pantsuit Politics, you can book campaigns using our self-serve advertising platform.
Hosts Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers hail authenticity as the secret behind successful sponsorship
“How I Work With Brands” is Acast’s series featuring conversations with podcasters from our network about how they collaborate with advertisers to craft creative, compelling campaigns that listeners love — and get the results advertisers want.
Today we’re chatting with Sarah Stewart and Beth Silvers, host of Pantsuit Politics—a political podcast that takes a real-life conversational approach to the news.
Nine years and fast approaching 1000 episodes in, Pantsuit Politics twice-weekly show takes a fresh approach to the news; giving listeners the low-down on what’s happening on the political stage, without the anxiety.
A spectrum of brands have sponsored the podcast, including household names Glossier, Headspace and CNN. Over the years Sarah and Beth have nailed the art of delivering an effective sponsorship read that keeps clients happy, and listeners engaged.
Let’s pull back the curtain on how Pantsuit Politics work with brands.
Who listens to Pantsuit Politics?
Team Acast: Pantsuit Politics has grown a dedicated audience since launching in 2015. Who’s the typical listener of the pod, and why are they an important audience for advertisers to reach?
Pantsuit Politics: Our typical listener is a woman between 20-60. She is active in her community and may have changed her political position in the past decade. She’s an influencer - not necessarily online, but in her social circles and family. She has the trust of her people, and that trust extends to products. When she finds something she loves, she buys multiples and talks her friends into doing the same. Win her over and you’ve got a good chance of reaching more customers who might otherwise never hear about your product.
A: Walk us through how you approach partnerships with advertisers. Once Acast comes to you with the brief from the brand, what’s your creative process like for host-read sponsorships?
Pantsuit Politics Approach to Working with Brands
PP: We do our best to be faithful to the talking points provided while adding in our signature conversational style and personal touch. We look for connection points between the brand and our latest episodes. It’s important to us to have real experience with the products we advertise because our audience trusts us to help them find the best. When we enjoy a product, it’s easy to speak about it with natural enthusiasm.
A: Acast has brought you many sponsors over the years, can you tell us about one of your favorite brand partnerships on your podcast? What made it enjoyable?
PP: There is nothing more fun than getting a notification that we’re going to start a campaign with a brand we already love. We were so lucky this year to start a partnership with Wild Grain bread, which delivers bread, pasta and pastries to your door. Both Sarah and Beth were devoted customers and having a space to share that with our listeners has been such a delight.
We also loved working with Bombas. Again, both Sarah and Beth love the product. They’re also involved with outreaches in their community that get the Bombas socks for people in shelters and seeing that good work in action is really meaningful for us.
We’ve also loved a partnership we’ve developed with a listener business. Fearless Finance takes a unique approach to financial planning service that is so aligned with our mission as a podcast (having hard conversations, taking a different approach, really digging into the details, no questions are dumb questions) and feeling like we are small businesses supporting each other and getting to know this listener and her company better has been a great experience.
A: What makes podcast advertising so influential and impactful for advertisers?
PP: Podcasting is unique among media because of the intimacy it can foster between hosts and listeners. We show up in their ears multiple times a week and continue the conversation with them online. Podcasting can be deeply trust-building, which makes it a uniquely effective space to advertise. When listeners come to a show like ours, they are coming for expertise and a trusted friend to help them understand the world. That expectation of expertise and good advice carries over to what they hear in our advertising.
Why Brands Should Sponsor Pantsuit Politics
A: Why do you think brands keep coming back to Pantsuit Politics for podcast advertising?
PP: We have built a strong community of followers who trust us with the hardest topics in their lives and communities. That trust extends to the products we endorse. We know that some brands worry about working with political brands, but we feel that talking politics is an asset. We’re not a polarizing show; our entire mission is about building strong relationships. Because we talk openly and honestly about very hard topics, listeners know that we vet brands carefully and speak about them honestly.
A: What kind of impact has your show had for brands that have sponsored you? Are there any results you can share from campaigns you’ve done?
PP: We regularly hear from our listeners about their love for products they found through our show. At our live shows, we often have community members comically sharing and observing all the advertised products being worn throughout the audience.
Real feedback from Pantsuit Politics listeners:
- Erin: “Forget ‘TikTok made me buy it” there needs to be a “Pantsuit Politics friends made me buy it””
- Ben: “My mother’s Storyworth subscription just ended and we got her Collection of Life Stories! It turned out really well—the paper is good quality, the images were well reproduced, and I knew already (because I edited the stories) that it was well- and thoughtfully written. My wife (who is slightly emotional these days with our 4-month old in the house) started crying when she realized the opportunity to get to know her mother-in-law better and share these stories with our kid. It’s a great gift idea as we approach the holidays, and it’s our plan for my in-laws this Christmas.”
- Amy: Y'all will be so proud of me, I just canceled/turned off auto-renew four subscriptions that were costing me about $600 per year. I'm using RocketMoney to find things that need to be canceled. Good sponsor!
A: At their best, advertising partnerships can help foster meaningful connections with podcast listeners. Can you share any feedback from your listeners on partnerships they loved or that resonated with them?
PP: We’ve heard from listeners who saw Bombas socks in their homeless shelter, loved their Third Love bras, found a perfect gift for a family member around the holidays. We also love these products enough to gift them ourselves. We gave an OSEA gift basket to a frequent guest contributor and an Aura frame to a financial supporter of the show who had gone through a loss. Our listeners ask all the time about the CBD gummies. We could probably have a second Instagram account devoted to Beth’s love of Prose hair products. We love seeing listeners show off their Olive and June manis and seeing the colors they choose and knowing that we are bringing them extra value not just with our content but with recommendations and products that make their lives better.
A: Are there any brands you’d be excited to partner with?
PP: Sarah and Beth really love to travel, so we’d love to work with an airline, hotel, or travel brand because anytime we have a chance to talk about that on the show, it resonates with our audience. We think that one of the ways we build connections and relationships across differences is going to different places and being a citizen of this country and the world.
I cannot tell you how much we would love to work with Peloton. Our host Sarah loves her bike, loves the app, and loves doing rides with our listeners. Anytime we get to talk about products and services that we love is always fun.
A few of our other dream brands: Invisilign. GoodR. Hatch. Summersalt. Mill.
For us an ideal brand is something that we know our listeners will love if they tried it because it will solve a problem they have, make a great gift, or bring some loveliness into their lives.
A: What’s the one thing that you’d love advertisers to know about your show?
PP: Don’t be scared off by the political nature of our show, particularly in an election year. Our audience will only be more tuned in as we get closer to November.
AA: What’s one piece of advice you have for brands who are looking to succeed with podcast advertising?
PP: There’s value in building long lasting relationships with specific shows and, in turn, their audiences. Occasionally refreshing your offer to reward long time listeners/customers keeps people engaged with your brand and builds loyalty.
A: What’s your elevator pitch for your show in 10 words or fewer?
PP: A different approach to the news; stay informed without the stress
–
If you’re interested in exploring sponsorship opportunities with Pantsuit Politics, you can book campaigns using our self-serve advertising platform.
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