M&S launches behind-the-scenes podcast, series one to look at sustainability

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jul 20, 2018

Marks and Spencer is planning to give customers access to behind-the-scenes content with an online podcast in an effort to engage shoppers’ attention about its sustainability initiatives and history.

The British retailer has launched a free podcast presented by former broadcast journalist Rachel Silver, who previously worked at LBC, ITN and BBC.

Available on the company’s corporate website, the programme will interview M&S colleagues and guests from the world of business, government and campaign groups, to talk about some of the big issues facing business and the history of the high street.

Three series are planned for the podcast, each featuring six episodes. Series one will take a look at sustainable business and M&S’s Plan A programme, with the first episode dedicated to its ‘The Cotton Challenge’. The first episode, available to download and stream from Friday, includes interviews with Mike Barry, director of Plan A, and Lena Staafgard, COO at the Better Cotton Initiative. The second episode will look back at 2013’s horsemeat scandal and the impact it has had on M&S’s meat sourcing practices.

A second series will launch later in the year with an exclusive look into the history of the British high street. The third series is still in development, M&S said.

“This is an exciting new step for M&S. We are inundated with requests for behind-the-scenes access and more information on the issues and campaigns we work on. The M&S Podcast is a great way to give a deeper insight to customers, shareholders, colleagues and journalists,” said journalist Rachel Silver.

“For a communications professional, it is fascinating to see how the way we tell our stories is changing, from experts writing on our business blog, via our social channels or on Style and Living on M&S.com. The M&S Podcast adds another dimension to this and enables us to hear from people on what they do and their opinions on the issues at the heart of the business.”

The podcasts are produced by specialist Podraffi.