The objective of the InsecuriTEA podcast was to build on the highly-engaged community of the Emmy-Award-winning comedic drama Insecure, keeping fans of the show engaged throughout the fifth and final season of the series. The goal of the podcast was to act as an omnipresent touchpoint for fans to stay connected in the world of Insecure, designed to take viewers through the latest episodes with a dynamic dissection, known as “Insecuritea.”
Keeping fans of the show engaged throughout the fifth and final season of the series in an over saturated market was a challenge. Understanding the target demographic and their affinity for consuming content demands not only a great show, but also a platform/community to facilitate conversation about that content. To meet the demands of fans and keep them engaged, HBO and its partners decided to create a podcast that would air weekly, to engage the show’s community to discuss central themes and topics of the series including dating, friendship, racial/social issues and all-around culture. The podcast allowed for the conversation regarding the show to continue on after the episode was over. The InsecuriTEA podcast episodes were released directly after each episode concluded, increasing availability via the HBO/HBO Max apps, in addition to regular amplification through distribution partner Loud Speakers Network and on social media. By tapping in directly with Insecure’s key audience across all podcast platforms, weekly on social, on HBO.com, and on HBO Max, the InsecuriTEA Podcast was able to grow tremendously in its fifth and final season, and remain a trending topic.
The InsecuriTEA Podcast was a key promotional vehicle in driving consumer conversation for each Insecure episode throughout the five seasons. Fan engagement increased throughout the fifth and final season as fans eagerly live-tweeted their final season predictions, commented with nostalgic moments, and discussed the impact of the series on the Black community with Crissle and Fran every Sunday. Weekly digital assets were created to promote the release of each podcast episode and recap on the official @insecureHBO and talent handles.
The InsecuriTEA podcast garnered over 6.4 million podcast listens from seasons 1-5, with a staggering 1 million listeners during Insecure’s fifth and final season! The podcast earned over 100 social posts resulting in 18 million social impressions and 258 thousand social engagements.
The final season of InsecuriTEA also featured a podcast record 103% audience consumption.
Beyond metrics, the podcast continued its success in bringing the Insecure community together to become the cultural epicenter for conversations surrounding the show. Week after week, InsecuriTEA hosts Crissle & Fran set Twitter ablaze by live-tweeting each episode, followed by an episode recap on HBO.com.
