Goals and objectives
The primary objective of rebooting School’s In was to raise awareness of Stanford’s cutting-edge education research.
Previously produced in partnership with SiriusXM, the podcast had been inactive for nearly two years, resulting in a significant decline in listenership.
The earlier version of the show was highly technical and geared toward educators. For the relaunch, the focus shifted to parents—a broader, highly engaged audience with influence in the education ecosystem.
The new season aimed to rebuild the audience to its previous peak while attracting a new segment of listeners. A secondary goal was to position the Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) as a national leader in education, while elevating the visibility of its faculty both within Stanford and across the broader academic and media landscape. Indicators of success included coverage in Stanford’s daily newsletter, increased cross-departmental collaboration within the university, and more media requests for GSE faculty and podcast hosts.
Surprising Insights
One unexpected insight was the extent to which the audience valued relatability and personality in academic content. The inclusion of lighter moments and host interactions proved to be just as important as the educational material itself, helping to humanize the content and broaden its appeal.