Clover Hogan
OneFinePlay created a podcast with a climate activist that got sponsorship deals, a Ted Talk, and continued to grow her personal brand.
Background & first steps
Clover Hogan is a climate activist and the founding CEO of Force of Nature: a youth nonprofit mobilising mindsets for climate action. Clover approached OneFinePlay in early 2020 to produce a podcast about the climate crisis.
Clover wanted to contribute meaningfully to the climate conversation. She wanted to make a show that would connect with young people and make her a trusted authority. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the financial capital at the time to fund a full season. But seeing the importance of the issue and the potential of Clover, we made the first full season free to get her started.
obstacles
- Purpose: This is an important and massive subject. So the content had to be accurate and sensitively delivered. We worked with Clover to ensure our messaging was factual, using research and experts. We were dealing with difficult topics, so we emphasised the importance of external support and positive mental health in the content. This ensured the content was a safe space for listeners. As well as being a place where difficult topics were addressed.
- Connecting to the Target Audience: Clover was a young person trying to speak to a young audience. We came up with a concept together that brought this target audience centre stage. We crowdsourced content, opinions, and material from the Clover community. This meant Clover wasn't just speaking to her target audience, they were talking back. We connected with the audience we wanted to.
- Coaching: Clover was a good public speaker but had never made podcast content before. We provided guidance and feedback throughout all three seasons. This included how to conduct guest interviews, articulate impactful questions, and write scripts. Clover is an exceptional speaker. She has done multiple TedX Talks. Her corporate and public speaking have even become important parts of her business.
- Working with Sponsors: It's not always easy to work with advertisers in the climate space. But we helped Clover forge close relationships with sponsors. These included major companies such as Lay's and PepsiCo. We worked on outreach, sponsor liaison, and contracts. This ensured Clover's work with these brands could continue outside of the studio. And her positive impact can be felt on the ground and in the boardroom today.
- Evolution: We have made three seasons of the podcast so far. Every season has had its own unique format, themes, and concepts. Season 1 gave a platform to 9 different leaders guiding change in the climate space. Season 2 described the growing mental health crises surrounding eco-anxiety. Season 3 explored imperfect activism. This ever evolving model has helped keep the podcast fresh and interesting.
- Narrative Complexity: As we evolved the show, so did the format. Force of Nature season 2 had many sections to each episode: Two guest interviews, a co-hosted section, and crowd-sourced material. Season 3 had many interviews, crowdsourced content, and lengthy scripted sections. These sections had to be delicately weaved together. Blended with music, contextualised, and fitted seamlessly within the narrative of the episode. This made time in the editing suite longer, but the content was better. The narrative complexity of Force of Nature is a great source of pride for OneFinePlay.
impact & achievements
We have produced the entire series, comprising over 25 episodes. Our work included researching, scripting, editing, and filming episodes. We produced social clips, posted them on hosting platforms, and assisted with marketing. We also created the visual brand identity.
Clover’s podcast and her brand would grow to become a company of paid employees dedicated to saving the planet.
Her development as a content creator is evident.
Clover is now one of the most prominent youth climate activists on the planet today.
- 6-figures of corporate sponsorship secured.
- Globally recognised guests including filmmaker Jack Harries and editor of the New York Times Stephan Dunbar-Smith appeared on the show.
- Clover’s TedX Talk, that accompanied the narrative of the podcast, received millions of views worldwide.