As marketers begin to expand their definition of influencers to those beyond Instagrammers and TikTokers – the time is ripe to explore the similarities that podcasters have with social influencers and how to leverage them as an integral part of an influencer strategy.
Podcast Transcript
(2s):
Hey everybody. Thanks for joining us today. I'm Steve Shenk CRO and partner at Ad Results Media and I am very privileged today to have to announce our guest Bert Kreischer, podcaster TV, host, star actor, comedian, producer, and lead athlete lead that lead athletes. Sorry, I forgot that one to lead an athlete. One of one bear. I have two bears. One cave. Yes. One Bear. The burden of Bill Bert. Keep going. Huh? I, I don't know. I don't know how you get day to day. I go day to day with this many things in your life. Oh, I literally let me tell you something. And it has gotten so busy when you're younger as a comic.
(43s):
You want to be busy. I think that's what got us all into Podcasting is we were, this was before social media was what it is today. It was just taking off. We were all sitting around doing nothing all day long and or, and then we had the opportunity to go to Joe's and do a podcast. And Joe told us all, you got to do a podcast and then all of a sudden you start to Podcast and then they start getting successful. And next thing you know, you're doing two podcasts in a day, three Podcast, four podcasts a day. I'm sitting outside the shower waiting to get in the shower with my wife, going through my schedule. And I mean like literally I've got someone on the phone going, okay, you're Thursday. I see a hole at 1130 to 1145.
(1m 24s):
Is there any way you could hop on? And you're like, are you serious? And what's crazy is when I started I'm, by the way, you're going to not talk at all. I'll be like, I'll be all over that. That's fine. When I started, when I first started doing, you know, Podcast and, and doing the road, anyone that had a Podcast, I would do the podcast I'd cram in time. Cause I knew how important it was for me to have someone do my podcast. And I'm still doing that. So I'm doing a wine Podcast later today, or I'm drinking five bottles of wine. I don't know if I'm happy that we got you before that or that I should of done a better scheduling job and got you right afterwards. But that, ah, that sounds amazing. So now, now why like, so you kind of answered some of this, but like, why do you think so many comedians are doing Podcast today?
(2m 9s):
I think it was an extension of social media. I think for some people it lends itself better for a guy like me or a guy. Like Sigaro a guy like Joey Diaz or a guy like Joe or a guy like, like Chris Hardwick, a guy, like, I mean just throw the rock and you'll find them to communicate with our fans in a long form, as opposed to in one tweet, I think who was succeeding in the one tweet, the one video, the one post format wasn't us. And so you get us there with, with maybe a drink cocktail or something else. And, and all of a sudden we're telling stories and we're laughing with each other. And I didn't say that it was, I remember discovering podcasts as a comedian, as a fan.
(2m 53s):
And just the feeling when you listen to a story and you'd be like, God, and by the way, not even just comics, I'm like, like I remember hearing one on radio lab, one time about this astronaut getting stuck inside his chamber. And as he's about to die and his mask is fogging up and all he's got is a picture of his daughter inside his mask. And he's looking at it going, come on, man, just to get me through, I'm sitting on a treadmill going this, the most engaging entertainment I've ever had in my entire life. Yeah. That's and, and as I look at the Podcast charts and what Podcast are successful, its I have, majority of them are comedians that have taken an extended into podcasts. And my hypothesis is An, has always been in to your point.
(3m 37s):
You get to engage with them long form, but comedians who are so authentic and let you into their lives in such a deep manner, like that's as about as authentic, as organic as possible, which is what Podcast are about all about it. And I really feel like that helps you guys connect with that audience. And let me know if you think that that's no, I mean, I think, I think, I think, yes, I think that's part of it. I think first of all, comedians are super open books. Like when we're at our best, we tell you everything about our lives. And if, and if that is not where we're at our best, say like someone like Rogan who is keeps very private Rogan, puts an insane amount of thoughts. He puts an insane amount of time into his thoughts.
(4m 19s):
So Joe's brain never sits idle. So if he he's got the same as me is the same as Joey, Sam is the same as any Podcast or any comic Podcast out there. We think a lot, cause we're trying to drive comments, we're trying to drive bits for our standup. And sometimes this is the best like launching pad for us is, you know, cat calling. Well, I spent the day today thinking about cat calling the day. Now there's a few ideas that we'll go into a bit, but there's like 10 ideas that also go great on a podcast where you can then workshop it with your fellow comedians. And, and, and, and I think that's one of the reasons, you know, notoriously.
(4m 59s):
I think the reason I don't mean to say like actors have an accelerated Podcasting, they totally have some of them really have, but usually it's the thoughtful actors, the actors who maybe have written scripts and written their own projects and produce their own projects as opposed to just the plant in place, say the line actor and it's, and it has to do with, you know, really honestly, with having your own thoughts and thinking your own words and that's up comedy. I mean, that's what, that's what we do. Yeah, no. And I've seen all the Netflix specials, so I know all that and you know, listen to it. I'm a fan of the podcast. So I listen and see everything. Now it doesn't seem like you take that much material from the Podcast and bring it over to the actual statement.
(5m 42s):
That's the part that sucks. That's the part that sucks is that like, like I had this great joke that I told them to Podcast and it just, and I told her on stage, I told them on the podcast, told them on stage. And if you hadn't heard it, it was a great joke. But you heard the Podcast. You're like, I heard that on the podcast in a weird way. I took it. What was the, what was the joke? I took that shit and age. I took that shit in Japan once that was so bad. The guy in that stall next to me threw up, I told that to Tom and Tom was like dying, laughing. And I was like, no, it was the true story. It was the true story. And then I tried it on stage. I wanted to open my special with it and it just was not the right way to open a special because they had heard it on the Podcast and I was bummed.
(6m 29s):
So I changed it to, I just had to rework it was opened my special with it. I took that shit and a gender neutral bathroom that was so bad. The woman in the stall next to you and the question of politics, I like that one better and better by the way. They're both true. They're both true. I take some aggressive shit sometimes. Yeah. So I mean, got it. And that is hard for me and I, I have not had a professional question, asker, a journalist. So I'm trying to enjoy the content to make sure I'm staying on point, but yeah, I'd be, and I it's, it's funny cause I, I never hear you take one, you know, very rarely hear you take one side to another and, but it's, it's got to be fun and also challenging that you have to come up with all of this new content and great content Today, today I was talking to bill Burr On bill Bert and I said to him something to the effect of, Oh, I was talking about cat calling.
(7m 22s):
And I figured out that the joke in the middle of telling him the premise of what I was working on About, I figured out the joke and I bit my tongue, I, you know, hard. It is for a comic to bite your tongue and knocked over the punchline just to let it sit there and then pray to God. He doesn't guess it in front of you because you want it. You want it for your special. And do you now, do you ever forget them? Do you have to write them down and Media That immediately I have actually said, stop, stop, stop. And I wrote it down. Yeah. I, but it was a funny in the early days, you'd tell a story and people would be like, man, you got to tell that on the stage, like the machine story, what I'm famous for happened on my podcast. I was on Joe's Podcast.
(8m 3s):
I ended up going on his first Podcast, going Podcast once telling a few stories. He thought they were Larry <inaudible> and then I was like, Oh, remind me to tell you all the time I got involved with the Russian mafia and Rob the train. And he was like, wait, what? And then I come back, I tell the story. And his Podcast is like, you got to tell it on stage. And it was a good Podcast story, but it, when I worked it on stage, it just got better and better and better. And then the fans showed up and their like watching them grow and all of a sudden it's like, it's like a community raised as a child. They say, well, in the Podcast community, we can raise an act. So, Yeah. And actually, so part of that, like, so when I hear the machine, I absolutely dying. So I've, I've been to a few of your shows and I will, what's interesting is it's almost like you add new details sometimes.
(8m 49s):
And I, so I feel like I, I know the core basis of the show, but I hear like a unique detail and I'm like, Oh, I never caught that. And like, it's just, I don't know if you're doing that on purpose or if that's just part of like, but it's, it's amazing every time I hear it. And I enjoyed every time I hear it because I feel like I learned a little bit more. Oh, thanks. I, I do it out of boredom is, is all either write a joke inside of it in that night or I'll, or sometimes I like to go off on tangents about small details. I remember. And, and, and yeah. And I, I, I, it makes it interesting for me. Yeah. That makes it more well, I'll also go back to forgetting, like, so I was at the last one I was at, you were at San Marcos giving the drive and the drive-thru and you were in the end.
(9m 31s):
It was the day that you, I will never forget it because I know that Bert Kreischer finds things. Oh, shit. That was so great. Wasn't it? That was amazing. Yeah. I didn't see that one coming here, like, yeah. And then I, of course we didn't see, I wasn't able to see it until you posted it on social media. Have you actually returning the ring from SeaWorld, but that was, and that was just unbelievable. And that fits naturally into some of the other content as well. But during, during that set, you were probably about five minutes through a joke and all of a sudden a car alarm goes off and it's to teenagers and you set some of, you know, you throw some jokes in and then, and then you bring it back.
(10m 12s):
And I was, all of my buddies were extremely impressed that you could be that deep into a joke, go down a completely different line of thought, tell like, you know, play off of the moment and then immediately go right back to the joke right. Where you left off and complete it. So I say that that's hard. Well, sometimes I don't. Okay. Sometimes I go off on a tangent and everyone goes, We're having to think of whatever happened to that child. All right. So I guess, I guess we got you at a good point, but to bring, bring us back now too, to some of the advertisers and Podcast in general. So like Are from, you know, We, you know, a big thing, why advertisers come to us and we get clients is because we're trying to bring the value of Podcast, sponsorships and integrations in with the podcast host and find that, that magic overall, so that it's successful truly successful relationship for, for everyone involved.
(11m 5s):
So I think some just wanted to know like how, how you like to partner with brands and, you know, w what's really like the w w what, how do, how does it come across the most natural, the most, you know, additive for everything and, and really pull it all together. I, I love anything in studio. Any of the integrations we bring in studio is, is, are really fantastic. Also anything that's immersive in my life. I can, I can name so many brands that I, you know, there's a Podcast sponsor. We haven't had in a long time called Corcal. They make a wine glasses.
(11m 45s):
That's always going to be in my life. Cause I'm always going to keep drinking wine. And it's just sitting there in the other day. I threw it in my Instagram story and I was like, Oh yeah, they were a great sponsor. I wonder whatever happened to them, you know, as soon as it can fit into my life, it was more Mashable with my life. Then all of a sudden it's ingrained. I mean, I'm bare bottoms is sponsor that we have over at two there's, one cave I put on there, jogger pants and of the day. And I love them. And all of a sudden, now that's in there with VR, with all these, these clothing sponsors jump into your life and all of a sudden, that's your close and you're wearing them all day and win. And I think then it makes it easier for us to speak to the brand when we're selling it to our fans. I, I have so many that I, I mean, my dad is taking these collagen drink, Mic, these collagen peptide pills that we've been taking the time that we're a sponsor.
(12m 35s):
And he found them in my house, my dad's on my mom, my, my wife's dad steals our CBD MD. I mean, like so many of these brands become an integrated in grain with their life. And, and I think sometimes I always want the brands to know this is like, I want you in my studio and I want you in my life. I want to do more with you. I really honestly feel like the brands that are Podcast sponsor on Podcast are the four thinking brands out there. They're the ones doing things better, faster, quicker, and smarter. I remember watching as an ad sales rep from travel channel that I worked with travel channel, I would listen to companies.
(13m 16s):
I don't mean to shoot myself in the foot in any other direction, but I would listen to companies brag about being in magazine or on radio. And I, I remember saying very candidly to an ad sales company due to, to add Ad salespeople or whatever that is people with brands. Why don't you get into Podcasting? And they were like, is that even a thing? And the fact that they would say that I go, you're not going to be there in 10 years. And then all of a sudden you'd find these people. Like, like, I, I think at the time, one of the big, big one was dollar shave club. Right. And then the sudden you see them go public in it and they blow up and you're like, Oh yeah. Cause they're talking to the people who are going to buy their thing. And I mean, it really, I feel like those brands, these brands that are buying an old Podcast, get it, they get, and you know, they understand that we feel blessed to have them as sponsors.
(14m 6s):
So when we get them, we want to put them into our lives, whether it's a knife or, you know, like I, if I'm going to use one of my knives, the what's the, what's the, my Asian knife. I love that. I cut sushi with, well, what is it coming Kodo. If I use to listen to my podcast, my, if I'm going to use my Cami cutter knife, I'm throwing her on my Instagram too, because I love that knife. Like it, it becomes an actual extension of who I am and it's on all my social media posts. And I think that's when it works the best. Yeah, no, I couldn't agree more with everything you just said. And We we've been coining that term within our agency and telling her, you know, the advertiser's, that is a three 60 integration.
(14m 47s):
So It's actually 16, by the way, I'm, I'm ready for the next level. That's what I'm ready for these sponsors to understand that you're talking, not just to some kid in his mom's basement, making a TV show, I'm Bert Kreischer. I have been on travel channel for nine years. I have been on television for over 22 years. I make movies and I also have a podcast. The podcast is the thing I'm most passionate about, you know, next to my standup and my specials that I put on Netflix. But I also, I want to take it to the next level. So when the Podcast, when, when our sponsors want to go to the next level and want to cut out the middleman totally. And let's make a TV show with just us.
(15m 29s):
That's what I'm like, dude, Hey, you guys thinking out of the box, I'm thinking of the box. Let's think out of the box together. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think to your also earlier point, like so many of these advertisers that are in Podcast right now are thinking out of the box and are the ones that are willing to think creatively and kind of pushing those boundaries. So I, I, I, yeah. And I'm, Oh, that lived by everything. I have my liquid, I have it right here. I'm wearing me Liquid. I V I dude, I had bird dog hit me up and they're like, Hey man, you have to try to think of something up with us. And I was like, that's how we do it. Yes I do. Yes, I do his summer's coming up, throw me some bird, dog pants, let's get some videos shot.
(16m 10s):
Let's get. And I, because part of me also is like the pail for my fans, if its funny and good and, and awesome, my fans are going to respond. So It goes back to what we started this conversation. Like if it's authentic, organic, natural is something you'll actually use and like something you want to use than the fans and the listeners we'll hear that experience that and wanting to purchase and therefore able to build the firm. What people have to remember is that the first Podcast sponsor, if you ask any of us LA comics, the first real Podcast sponsor ever, ever, ever in our books was Fleshlight. Okay. That was the first Podcast sponsor.
(16m 50s):
Now listen, let me tell you something. Okay. Fleshlight delivered on the promises that they offered. They delivered now. That is where all of our brains started. So we believe anything is going to be just as good as that flashlight. Aye, aye. Complete. So I not to get back to my history, but I started way back on the client side where we were selling pro flowers and Sherry's berries and we were right right there with them and yeah. We're like, what do we want our ads running right next to that are like, no, but it's, it's it's all right. But yeah, but Hey, it's a its part of Podcasting history and it is, it is build it from there.
(17m 32s):
So as you, you know, one thing like as you're taking on new projects and all that, like how do you have, how do you even have time for the Podcast? Like you can go to like two bears, one cave you're you were recording so many other skits outside of it and building up content to that, that Podcast, YouTube, like everything. Like how do you have, how do you make time for all of these different things? Well, number one, it's not work for me. Like I don't consider a work. So that's like, it's just like stand up. I don't really consider standup work. You know? So other things Are work in this business that you will get jobs and that is considered a job, especially when it's fun. Like, like stand up Podcasting is fun.
(18m 14s):
So it probably, if I prioritize it and just enjoy it, I mean really honestly, if you're going to say to any comedy fan, how you're going to an hour to two hours every Wednesday to sit down with Tom sugiura and just see if you can find a way to giggle the hardest you've ever giggled in your entire life. Everyone in there I can name, I can name a million people that would say yes, I'll make time for that. Same with bill Bert. Same with today with Greg Fitzsimmons and Mike Gibbons coming over from Sunday, they do Sunday papers. Every Sunday. I have them coming over. I, I make time for it. I love it. I, I it's my favorite thing I do other than stand up is my favorite thing I do. So I just prioritize, prioritize it. I'm going into a Bumble to do a project starting April 6th.
(18m 57s):
And I just make sure my contract that I go, no, I got it. You're my priority while I'm here. But when I have free time, I got to do bill Bert. I got to do two bears. I got to do Bert guests. Yeah. That's I mean, if you make, if you cut the time and you make the time for it, it's going to happen. So that's good. He's an idiot. You know, that that statement in and of itself is the reason, the reason that Advertising on the podcast is, is such a wise move. In my opinion, passion begets passion. No one is doing a podcast that is an absolutely passionate about it. If you're passionate about something, you're going to give it 110% every time you do it, I don't ever half-ass a podcast ever, ever, ever.
(19m 42s):
And so I know my fans know that and they're showing up and you know, my face, I think my fans know the equation. They go, no, this is how they pay bills. I know. I appreciate it. When they are looking for a razor or Sherry's berries or a flashlight, you name it, they go, Oh, I'm going to use a promo code. Thompson cigars. Why not? Yeah, no, it's great. I mean, we, we see, cause you know, we, we get to work with the advertisers to see how many people are using the codes and all of that. And to your point, they really want to make sure. And like sometimes they'll send us emails to those individual clients and saying, I want to make sure, like Bert said that, you know, this is the must have like, please let Bert note that I, I got it. And you know, I'm so pumped to, to use it.
(20m 23s):
So like it's, it's interesting to see the fan connectivity and, and just how much that really draws them into it. But I agree with you. They D they absolutely get that the Podcast, or that speaks to it, like gets the credit for it. And they want to make sure that their, their, their giving that credit. So, Yeah, listen, I haven't had blue apron sponsor a Podcast in about a year, but I have two blue aprons a week. Okay. To this day That that's the source of, since blue apron was our client and they loved everything. And then to that last, your last spot was, Are last week with them as a client. So I, but real, but for real, but I, I still support like we were with them for a long time and I still support, but yeah, no, I, I, your blue apron spots and the story of, you know, bringing blue apron with your family was something that I actually used to show like how authenticity and how authentic messages come together, because you're story.
(21m 17s):
And then I want to share your story on here, if you don't want me to. But like, it was, Yeah. I mean, you, you said that that was, you know, I'll, I'll paraphrase it, but like, it was something that really brought your family to get to your family together. And like, you, you know, with everything that you're doing and, and all that time you were spending elsewhere, like it was one project and, you know, something, a fun activity that would bring the family together where you'd spend solid family time and create great, man, My daughters won't be whores because of blue apron. We're going to put that in the copy, but that would've been fantastic. So that would have a, you know, in my book that would of been something, but no, it was, you know, and I, and I personally get great satisfaction.
(22m 2s):
Like when I hear like, cause we, as an agency, we listened and we record every single, we have to grade every single spot. So like we hear every single thing that you're doing and spots like that, where you have that true, authentic connection where it's an indoor, like you can tell like, you know, using like An, it just, it, it pulls the magic together with Podcasting. And I actually really think there's no other medium, no other Media, whether it's T nothing that can pull that authenticity, like Podcast, as long as the form, You put it on my body. It never comes off. My whoop whoop. I live and die by my whoop. I checked my whoop every morning. And, and this is a Podcast ponsor is a podcast sponsor, by the way that Nathan Florence, a guy and just have on the podcast, he's got one because of it.
(22m 48s):
I mean, like everyone's got one because they were like, Oh yeah, man, that is pretty legit. Like that, that tracks your sleep and your HRV. Are you serious? So yeah. No, it's, it's, it's amazing. Now my wife would kill me if I didn't ask, because one of her favorite comedies is been Wilder. So how, how do you feel about that movie in general? And I know there and just have never seen it. You've never seen it. Did I not hear that? Okay. I should have. I've never seen it. I've never seen it because I never, I have nothing to do with it. You know? Like, I mean, I think it's a fun, it's, it's really interesting folklore about my, my story or my, my, my journey is, you know, as written up in rolling stone magazine in 1997, they wrote a 600 page article about me called the number one party and one of the country Oliver's drone ops in the rights of my life.
(23m 38s):
And then once, you know, once that stuff starts, it's out of your control. I ended up signing the deal with will Smith and going and trying to my story over there to television at the same time, you know, people, I mean, I guess, and I, I have, like I said, I'm not accusing anyone of anything. I just is just, what's been told to me through the people that made the movie and at different parts of the vet told me that they just kinda move the, moves it over to change. My name changed some other people's names, kept some names, oddly enough. And, and it became the movie van Wilder, but I have no heart, no wheel wheel, no hard feelings. I got to know lawsuits come. And I just, I think it is a cool, I think it's a cool footnote.
(24m 19s):
And I said, I will watch it with Ryan Reynolds. I will watch it with Ryan Reynolds on the Bert cast, whenever he is willing, Let's make that happen and we'll get some Advertising come along. Okay. That's that would be a great watch party. And yeah. Then I, again with, let's see if we can make that happen. Be the other, another question I got from a, the Lords was will, will there be another dunk competition in 2021 with Tom? Are you going to let him keep the title of dunk champion? Just because I know they're listening and, and this is important. I had a very moving moment with my buddy, Tom Sigora in a medical transport.
(25m 0s):
He was in a wheelchair, no brace on his leg, broken arm, just wrapped in tape. I was, it was Mic heat of COVID, right? The heat of a hotspot we're driving all through from, from where Tom lives to the, to Cedar Sinai, to take him into the emergency room the day after the dunk. And he looked at me and the saddest fat guy eyes I've ever seen in my life. And he goes, I'm never going to play basketball again. I'm never going to jump. And then he looks to me as I'm never jumping again, I'm never jumping again. And he just sat there and I thought, I will never play basketball again, either after watching what the fuck happened to you. So I think he has the title.
(25m 41s):
Here's the dunk champ forever. He's got it, man. And God blessed him. I'm the run, your friend of the hospital, champ God, the, the, to bears one cave special is fantastic for anyone that has to have to go back to watch that. But It was Epic. It, The MEMS that came from that too, are pretty Epic as well. So I said, I said, I got in my car. I called my wife and I said, Oh my God, Tom, I think broke his leg and broke his arm. And she was like, what? And I said again, and she goes, Oh my God, what is going to happen? And I said, first off, we're going to make a ton of money. I know we're going to be swimming in cash.
(26m 21s):
Maybe now It was, it was great because it was painful to watch. And, but, you know, but it was, it, it was good to know that he's down on the path to recovery, which made it more enjoyable. He bounced back better than I thought he's down like 35 pounds. He is walking around fine. His hand is an operating perfectly yet, but he's lifting weights, doing great. I'm really proud of him. Awesome. Well, I think that that was everything we had. So I want to say thank you again, appreciate all your time. I know you're extremely busy for all the things that we talked about and still, you're still making time to, to come out and speak with just an amateur and a trying to get it out to some advertisers. So I appreciate it.
(27m 2s):
And I'm sure everyone who watches is full. I just wanted to buy news to, you know, I just want everyone to know we haven't slowed down just because of COVID. We are, we are ready for the doors to open up and go back to life. Podcasting. I cannot wait, Are we can't wait as well as a beautiful new studio. So again, thank you for your time. Really appreciate it. And yeah. Good luck with everything, Steven. Thank you so much, man. I appreciate it. Yep. Thanks for all right. I'll talk to you later.
