U-TURN Podcast celebrates 100th episode
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May 23, 2008
U-TURN Podcast celebrates 100th episode
SAN ANTONIO, TX — USAA's award-winning U-TURN Podcast celebrates the release of its 100th episode today. The weekly audio podcast features interviews, original stories and essays on driving, money and college sent in from its world-wide high school-aged audience.
Local communications design firm Toolbox Studios has produced the podcast since its June 2006 inception as an online companion to USAA's quarterly U-TURN Magazine, which the firm has designed since 2000. Co-produced by USAA youth media experts Julie Finlay and Roger Slavens, the podcasts are hosted by local voice talent Miguel Romero, Jr., and Kayla Mire.
"We used the 100th episode milestone as a chance to take U-TURN listeners back in time and hit the highlights," said Toolbox youth media account director and podcast co-producer Paul Soupiset. Over the last 100 episodes, the podcast has covered issues facing teens ranging from natural disasters to the pressures of everyday life. Through a toll-free hotline, teens have shared their own stories, which often include personal reflections on patriotism and military life - as all USAA members are current or past military personnel or dependent family members.
While recent studies show that nine out of ten teens are online, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, USAA and Toolbox recognized the trend several years before: In 2005, USAA turned to Toolbox to augment the award-winning print publication with an online component. Together they developed the weekly podcast and published it via RSS feed on iTunes, an application that 12- to 17-year-olds are twice as likely to use than the general population, according to Nielsen NetRatings.
"Podcasting is really just one tactic to an overall brand strategy," said Soupiset. "It enables the brand to exist in different spaces and better resonate with key audiences." The U-TURN Podcast proves this point, having appeared in the top 20 most-downloaded podcasts in iTunes' K-12 Education category in 2007. Additionally, the first episode continues to receive downloads and feedback as new listeners tune in.
While U-TURN Magazine annually receives top industry accolades like the Distinguished Achievement Award from Association of Educational Publishers, the prestigious Parents' Choice recommended seal, and dozens of national design awards, this year the podcast also became award-winning when it garnered an International Association of Business Communicators' Golden Quill Award.
Most recently, Toolbox has helped expand the U-TURN brand with flash interactives, Internet microsites (including a hugely successful "Garage Band Playoff" contest), and a deeply interactive MySpace.com page that includes video, photo galleries, polls, a blog and a digital flip-book of the print publication.
About U-TURN
U-TURN Podcast is a weekly audio podcast companion piece to U-TURN Magazine, a quarterly print publication for more than half a million teen USAA members. To view past issues online and listen to the podcast, visit:
http://www.myspace.com/usaauturn
About USAA
USAA, a diversified financial services company, is the leading provider of competitively priced financial planning, insurance, investments, and banking products to members of the U.S. military and their families. Named by BusinessWeek as 2007's Customer Service Champion and ranked highest among financial services companies for customer advocacy in a Forrester Research survey, USAA provides convenient and accessible financial products to its more than 6 million members. For more information about USAA, visit usaa.com.
Local communications design firm Toolbox Studios has produced the podcast since its June 2006 inception as an online companion to USAA's quarterly U-TURN Magazine, which the firm has designed since 2000. Co-produced by USAA youth media experts Julie Finlay and Roger Slavens, the podcasts are hosted by local voice talent Miguel Romero, Jr., and Kayla Mire.
"We used the 100th episode milestone as a chance to take U-TURN listeners back in time and hit the highlights," said Toolbox youth media account director and podcast co-producer Paul Soupiset. Over the last 100 episodes, the podcast has covered issues facing teens ranging from natural disasters to the pressures of everyday life. Through a toll-free hotline, teens have shared their own stories, which often include personal reflections on patriotism and military life - as all USAA members are current or past military personnel or dependent family members.
While recent studies show that nine out of ten teens are online, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, USAA and Toolbox recognized the trend several years before: In 2005, USAA turned to Toolbox to augment the award-winning print publication with an online component. Together they developed the weekly podcast and published it via RSS feed on iTunes, an application that 12- to 17-year-olds are twice as likely to use than the general population, according to Nielsen NetRatings.
"Podcasting is really just one tactic to an overall brand strategy," said Soupiset. "It enables the brand to exist in different spaces and better resonate with key audiences." The U-TURN Podcast proves this point, having appeared in the top 20 most-downloaded podcasts in iTunes' K-12 Education category in 2007. Additionally, the first episode continues to receive downloads and feedback as new listeners tune in.
While U-TURN Magazine annually receives top industry accolades like the Distinguished Achievement Award from Association of Educational Publishers, the prestigious Parents' Choice recommended seal, and dozens of national design awards, this year the podcast also became award-winning when it garnered an International Association of Business Communicators' Golden Quill Award.
Most recently, Toolbox has helped expand the U-TURN brand with flash interactives, Internet microsites (including a hugely successful "Garage Band Playoff" contest), and a deeply interactive MySpace.com page that includes video, photo galleries, polls, a blog and a digital flip-book of the print publication.
About U-TURN
U-TURN Podcast is a weekly audio podcast companion piece to U-TURN Magazine, a quarterly print publication for more than half a million teen USAA members. To view past issues online and listen to the podcast, visit:
http://www.myspace.com/usaauturn
About USAA
USAA, a diversified financial services company, is the leading provider of competitively priced financial planning, insurance, investments, and banking products to members of the U.S. military and their families. Named by BusinessWeek as 2007's Customer Service Champion and ranked highest among financial services companies for customer advocacy in a Forrester Research survey, USAA provides convenient and accessible financial products to its more than 6 million members. For more information about USAA, visit usaa.com.
