Improving Thought Leadership Through Genuine In-Person Conversation

If you want to stand out in your industry, you should step out of it. 

That’s exactly what Dr. Kutsch, CEO of Oral Biotech and creator of CariFree, proved with the podcast Contrary to Ordinary.

CariFree is an Oral Biotech product line created by Dr. Kim Kutsch, that caters both direct to consumers, and to dental businesses. Their mission: approach and treat decay in a whole new way.

This podcast allowed the CariFree line to expand its audience awareness while leaving the confines of dentistry.

Contrary to Ordinary interviews professionals across all niches. It shares their stories of going against the grain and succeeding in extraordinary ways. At the same time, it conveys Oral Biotech’s mission of going above and beyond. It wasn’t only who they interviewed that made their show stand out, but how they approached the interview podcast. Oral Biotech opted for in-person interviews to share another level of genuine human connection in their show.

Dr. Kutsch had long had podcasting on his mind. The Oral Biotech team was ready to get behind him. But to launch, they needed a little help to produce the quality show they had in mind.

This case study shows how Lower Street helped Dr. Kutsch and Oral Biotech successfully put together an in-person interview podcast that shared stories of impressive individuals in a captivating way. Plus, how Contrary to Ordinary raised the CariFree line’s brand awareness, and thought leadership.

Key Highlights

• Dr. Kutsch and Oral Biotech wanted to launch a podcast that would raise brand awareness, and stand out. But they needed outside help.

• Lower Street worked with them to launch Contrary to Ordinary. The podcast leaped out of the industry to raise brand awareness both within and outside dentistry.

• Contrary to Ordinary used in-person interviews to create engaging content that made it stand out. A branded segment also allowed them to convey their mission.

• Targeted promotions helped Contrary to Ordinary reach over 10,000 new subscribers and new audiences previously out of their scope.

• The show topped Apple Podcast Charts in US  and UK Business and Entrepreneurship

• Besides raising awareness, thought leadership, and web traffic, the podcast opened new opportunities to the Oral Biotech team. Including: being featured in the American Dental Association annual convention.
  

The Problem

Dr. Kutsch and Oral Biotech were looking to launch a podcast to enhance brand visibility for the CariFree line amid a competitive landscape. They needed a creative way to convey their mission and podcasting had potential.

Yet, they were looking to go beyond an ordinary dental podcast. 

“We're a B2B and B2C company. With this podcast we wanted both ends to be able to appreciate and understand it. We didn't want this to be just another dental podcast that focuses on the business or technicality of dentistry. We wanted to share stories relatable to both our audiences.” 

-Jenny Wolfenbarger, VP Business Development Oral Biotech

Bringing a human voice to dentistry was the goal of Dr. Kutsch. While brainstorming ways to share Dr. Kutsch’s expertise and the mission of CariFree, he dreamed of taking the conversation beyond the dental industry. An expert in the field, he was ready to share his expertise with the world. But what's more, he wanted to showcase leaders in all fields who push the boundaries of what's possible.

“This is a dream of Dr. Kutsch. He really wanted to capture the stories of those who have left a mark in dentistry and beyond dentistry. He wants to share with others the stories of those people that are contrary to ordinary.”

Dr. Kutsch had long had the idea of a podcast, but it would be more than a passion project. The team wanted a podcast that would raise CariFree awareness both among direct consumers and decision-makers in the dental industry.

"The show would bring brand awareness and support as well as more content. We thought this would be a great opportunity to bring in another level of content for us."

When they set out to start the podcast, the team realized the quality they were looking for would be tough to create themselves. At the time, they didn’t feel they had the bandwidth, and it would be something new to them. They needed some outside help. 

“When we do things, we want to do them right.”

They searched for someone who could help their team deliver a professional-level podcast. One that would captivate listeners and distinguish them from the other dental podcasts.

“We really liked Lower Street, they knew what it was going to take to create a podcast that would be impactful and that would be quality.”

Right away, Lower Street got to work on bringing this creative boundary-pushing podcast to life.

The Solution

Dr. Kutsch and Oral Biotech teamed up with Lower Street producers to bring their podcast vision to listeners.

To share the stories of guests and industry leaders, we looked to recreate the style of the popular Joe Rogan Experience. 

An interview-style podcast, yes. But more than scheduling video calls, Contrary to Ordinary would focus on in-person interviews. While it may seem minor, in-person interviews enhance authenticity and connection with the audience.  

Recording these episodes, however, can look a little different. To get great sound quality with in-person interviews, the location and equipment really change how your final episode will sound. The Lower Street team helped optimize the recording location and advised Dr. Kutsch on the best equipment for him and his guests.

We were able to coach the Oral Biotech team on how to best capture high-quality recordings that would shine through to the end result.

Having in-person interviews is a real benefit. It gives the guest a chance to meet the host in person and get actually to get to know them. These interviews allow a more natural conversation between host and guest. The style creates a welcoming environment that can coax more genuine discussion.  In turn, this makes the podcast content much more engaging.

“Definitely doing in-person interviews is the best way to achieve a more authentic experience for your listeners. We find that our guests are more relaxed, they're comfortable, they're able to really share their story. It allows for the conversations to be more organic and less formal.”

It wasn’t only how they would interview guests, but who they would interview that would make Contrary to Ordinary stand out. 

Oral Biotech sought out professionals who pushed boundaries and went “contrary to ordinary”. This included artists, veterinarians, professors, and many more. To them, it was important to share stories of those who had overcome adversity. They sought out stories that showed how important it was to keep learning, even if you fail, because through failure comes growth.  They looked to share a range of stories, rather than stick to one professional field.

This was quite an unusual approach, that can be tricky to pull off. But in the end, it was a great decision for Oral Biotech. It created engaging narratives that allowed listeners to get to know CariFree while connecting with its creator genuinely.

So how did Oral Biotech tie in their CariFree brand?

Oral Biotech added a personal touch by incorporating a question-and-answer segment to their podcast. Integrating customer feedback into the show creates an immersive experience for listeners. Not only are they tuning into key insights by extraordinary leaders, but they are also joining in the conversation.

“We incorporated what's called Questions with Dr. Kim. It’s a part of the show that we take a direct question, or we take common questions that we get from consumers and we incorporate our brand into the answer. "

With this engaging element, the podcast not only boosted listener engagement but also strengthened the brand-consumer relationship. It created a more dynamic and community-driven listening experience. 

Driving awareness to traffic to the CariFree site was a key aim of the podcast in Oral Biotech’s plan, and this branded segment helped them do just that. It shares the name, then piques listeners’ interest in the brand enough to seek them out a step further.

Another way that Oral Biotech used the podcast to drive traffic to CariFree was to repurpose episode content. Contrary to Ordinary provided Oral Biotech core content they could repurpose across channels when reaching out to customers. They used it as an opportunity to share something new to talk about. They include highlights from the episodes in the CariFreenewsletters, and it gives them ideas for the CariFree blog. At the same time, this content promotes the show on new channels and promotes CariFree through new talking points.

Reaching new audiences: How Lower Street and Oral Biotech amplified Contrary to Ordinary

With the launch of Contrary to Ordinary, Oral Biotech began placing it at the center of  CariFree’s marketing. They share episodes through e-blasts, their regular newsletter, and their blog. They even began including it in all the teams’ email signatures to highlight the show.

To get Contrary to Ordinary in front of new listeners, Lower Street launched two campaigns. An Apple Podcasts campaign successfully brought thousands of downloads and a +2,229% increase in followers. This boost led to chart-topping rankings in Business and Entrepreneurship.

Another audience growth campaign led to over 9000 new subscribers and 4500 new downloads.

These campaigns, together with positioning the podcast in the business category launched the show on a great note. We were able to reach whole new audiences that might have yet to be curious about a podcast in the dental industry.

Outcome

• High Apple Podcast Rankings: #1 "US: Entrepreneurship" and #3 "US: Business'',  #21 “All Podcasts” 

• #13 in UK Business, #3 in UK Entrepreneurship 

• Over 10,000 subscribers and 4,000 downloads in one week of promotion.

• 131,000 downloads with 26 episodes

• Invited to be one of 12 podcasters at the annual SmileCon of the American Dental Association.

• Featured on the DentWoo Top 25 Dental Podcasts

• Listenership, Rankings, and Website Traffic continue to rise. 

Contrary to Ordinary proved to be a leading podcast that crossed industry boundaries and earned a spot at the top of the charts. More than this, the show solidified Oral Biotech and Dr. Kutsch as true thought leaders in dentistry and way beyond.

"Ranking top not once but twice speaks volumes. It was mind-blowing for us, we hadn’t expected it at all and it’s opened doors for us that might otherwise not have been."

Those doors include the opportunity to be one of the 12 featured podcasters at the American Dental Association’s annual SmileCon.

Contrary to Ordinary has reached 131,000 downloads over 26 episodes. But they’ve no intention of slowing down. Listenership, brand awareness, and website traffic grow with every episode. You can expect even more memorable interviews with Dr. Kutsch.

Looking back at CariFree’s mission while listening to Contrary to Ordinary, it might not be the branded connection. But that’s exactly what makes it so successful.

Dr. Kutsch's goal with this podcast was to get people’s stories out there. This doesn't directly correlate with Oral Biotech or the role that CariFree plays in a dental practice.

Yet the interviews and guest discussions have allowed Dr. Kutsch to tell his own story on why and how he created CariFree. The additional benefit of in-person interviews, creating a much more natural discussion helped the podcast convey CariFree’s mission in a natural, human way, rather than a full-on advertisement.

Conclusion

Through Contrary to Ordinary, Oral Biotech was successfully able to connect with their target audience and new ones. The show not only spread CariFree’s mission but also stood out as a leading podcast in business. The in-person interviews and choice of guests allowed them to shine. 

"We feel that listeners really appreciate our angle and that this isn’t just another podcast focused on the business of dentistry."

Oral Biotech and Dr. Kutsch were able to create an engaging podcast that shared more than just dental expertise but shared the stories of extraordinary people across industries.

As they move into a new year of podcasting, Oral Biotech will look to expand their content into video podcasting. Dr. Kutsch also has it in mind to continue stepping out of the industry to stand out, looking to new sponsors outside of dentistry, and bringing in even more diverse audiences.