SAP is a global company that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. When SAP wanted to engage a broader audience about its cutting-edge SAP Leonardo technologies—spanning machine learning, big data, blockchain tech, and others—they were looking for a different way to bring awareness to the platform through fresh, creative storytelling. Knowing we had to look outside the typical B2B content for the answer, we decided to try something different: a science-fiction podcast.
SAP
Producing an Award-Winning Podcast for SAP
A sci-fi podcast was the thrill ride that B2B tech never knew it needed.
The series received high honors, including the CMI Awards for Podcast of the Year and Project of the Year.
To reframe the cultural narrative around new technologies (especially the perception that they lead to a dystopian future) and address how technology like SAP Leonardo can benefit our lives, we created Searching for Salai, a fictional 9-part series that combined time travel, history, and mystery into one compelling narrative. (It was the blockchain time travel for us.) From scripting to voice acting, scoring to designing promotional assets, the process allowed us to flex our creative skills, collaborate with an incredible community of talent (especially our 12-person cast), and engage SAP’s audience in a new and exciting way.
It was a bold experiment that paid off—big time.
Although a fictional podcast isn’t usually the go-to format for a B2B tech campaign, Searching for Salai proved that big risks can get big rewards. We’re proud to say Searching for Salai was awarded both “Best Podcast/Audio Series” and “Content Marketing Project of the Year” for the Content Marketing Institute’s 2019 Content Marketing Awards.
“We had tremendous success, [gaining the attention of] a business audience who perhaps hadn’t really paid attention to SAP previously.”
Ginger Shimp
SAP Senior Marketing Director