How I Created Bite-sized Berliners: Fresh Food for Thought in Under 10 Minutes
Client/Brand Name Berlin School of Creative Leadership
Objective: A new scalable podcast mini-series
My Role: Creative Strategist, Director and Project Manager
We lacked the resources to consistently produce long-form podcasts and, with the pandemic, had to pause our Executive MBA program. We needed a fresh, agile way to stay connected with our global community, spotlight their stories, and maintain brand visibility.
We needed a low-lift, high-impact way to keep our community engaged—without the heavy production demands of our long-form podcast. Enter the donut shop doors: Bite-sized Berliners, a fun, snappy spin-off I conceived and creatively directed.
The concept? Fresh, under-10-minute soundbites of insight, perfect for a coffee break. We invited students and alumni—our Berliners (yes, like the jelly donut!)—to share their juicy takes on creative leadership in a changing world. It was a win-win: they got a platform to showcase their ideas and initiatives, and we kept the Berlin School top-of-mind.
Beyond engagement, this was a stealthy marketing move. The Berlin School’s global community is stacked with industry powerhouses, and by spotlighting them, we organically attracted more creative leaders eager to join their ranks.
We called on our community to share their stories, and the response was immediate. Berliners eagerly stepped up, turning Bite-sized Berliners into a hub of insights. To keep things smooth and on-brand, I provided simple recording guidelines (pro tip: record under a duvet!). After each episode was recorded, we shared them across social channels and included the best in our bi-monthly newsletter, keeping engagement high and the conversation flowing.
Bite-sized Berliners delivered exactly what we wanted: increased engagement, more conversations, and boosted visibility for the Berlin School. Community interaction doubled as listeners shared fresh perspectives. The series kept the brand top-of-mind during a challenging time, nurturing leads and proving that connection and credibility can be as powerful as traditional marketing.
Bite-sized Berliners proved that less can be more. Simplifying production and letting our community share their voices made the series scalable and engaging. The key takeaway? Authenticity connects—no overproduction needed. If I did it again, I'd make it even more interactive, like live Q&As or listener-submitted topics. The real win? The enthusiasm from our Berliners, turning a content experiment into a powerful networking and visibility tool. Sometimes, the best ideas are the bite-sized ones.
