Editorial comment
Earlier this year, in a comment for Hydrocarbon Engineering magazine, I wrote about the rise of podcasts, and the significant role that they played in shaping political discourse throughout 2024. Before Elon Musk and President Trumps’ very public feud – in which Musk has accused Trump of “ingratitude” and claimed that he wouldn’t have won the US election without his help – Musk had previously attributed the Republicans’ electoral triumph (at least in part) to the power of podcasts. He claimed that Trump’s willingness to undergo lengthy interviews with popular podcasters made a “big difference” during the campaign trail.
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Podcast interviews offer the opportunity for long-form, nuanced conversations that provide listeners with a better insight into the interviewees and their areas of expertise. At the same time, podcasts grant the interviewee direct access to diverse and often younger audiences – it is reported that the average age of a podcast listener is 34, which is younger than broadcast radio (47) and network television (57).1
Someone who is seemingly fully aware of the unique power of podcasts is the global superstar, Taylor Swift, who has been hitting the headlines after recently announcing her new album on the podcast of her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. While the news of the imminent album was greeted with excitement by her legions of fans worldwide, a number of Swifties – and leading marketers – have been equally intrigued by Swift’s decision to feature on the podcast. It seems to be a change in direction for the singer-songwriter, who is (apparently) famously reluctant to give interviews. In a detailed piece assessing what Swift’s podcast appearance means for fans and the music industry, Vinyl Me Please (VMP) notes that “Swift’s willingness to engage with fans through platforms beyond traditional album releases marks a noteworthy evolution in her artistic presentation. The podcast may serve multiple purposes: entertaining fans, strengthening personal connections, and strategically unveiling new material.”2 Swift’s move is a reminder of the unique ability of podcasts to create authenticity and lasting engagement – qualities that make them a powerful tool far beyond the entertainment industry.
We’ve been interviewing our very own superstars of the energy sector in recent months on the Hydrocarbon Engineering Podcast, and amongst our guests have been thought leaders in the storage sector. Leakhena Swett, President of the International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA), and her colleague Jay Cruz, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Communications, joined us to consider the key role that industry associations, like the ILTA, have to play in the sectors that they serve. We also discussed the importance of knowledge-sharing and industry collaborations, and how the ILTA can help to facilitate these partnerships in the liquid terminals sector.
We have also been joined by Peter Davidson, CEO of the Tank Storage Association (TSA), to consider the essential role that the tank storage sector has to play in ensuring supply security and resilience, as well as in facilitating the energy transition.
Other guests have included Wood Mackenzie, Rystad Energy, DNV, Johnson Matthey, AFPM, and Owens Corning (who feature on p. 23 of this issue with an article looking at key questions about tank insulation).
We’d invite you to listen to our back catalogue of podcast episodes by scanning the QR code, and please subscribe for free wherever you get your podcasts.
- Forbes: Podcasting Has Become a Big Business
- Vinyl Me Please: Taylor Swift’s Surprise Podcast Appearance
