Introduction to WanderPod Tours
WanderPod Tours is an exceptional podcast series that transports listeners on a virtual journey across diverse cities, offering a captivating fusion of history, culture, and immersive encounters. WanderPod Tours' core objective is to render history and cultural exploration accessible and captivating for travellers and history aficionados. Through expert narration and storytelling, each episode delves into a city's essence, revealing hidden treasures, local enigmas, and historical anecdotes. The podcast's distinctive approach empowers listeners to explore at their own pace and convenience, enabling them to craft personalised and indelible travel moments. By bridging the gap between independent exploration and expert guidance, WanderPod Tours opens a gateway to a world of enriching knowledge, sparking curiosity and cultivating a deeper appreciation for the manifold cities and cultures we embrace.
To see the full WanderPod Tours PRD click here.
The Scope
This is an independent project that I am currently working on.
Timeframe: March 2023 - Present
My Role: Founder, Contributor, Guide and Product Manager
Tools Used: Mirro, Google Suite, Canva, Garageband, ChatGPT, Zotero, SquareSpace
Phase 1: Conceptualisation
I laid the foundation for WanderPod Tours, a unique podcast series that combines the freedom of independent exploration with the expert guidance of local guides. We developed the core vision and mission, focusing on making history and cultural experiences accessible to every traveller. The concept centred around immersive urban adventures and the belief that storytelling could bridge cultural gaps.
Company Vision
To create a community of passionate travellers who value authenticity, independence, and exploration.
Company Mission
To offer unique and memorable travel experiences that go beyond traditional group tours and tourist activities, and to provide our listeners with the tools and resources they need to plan their own independent tours.
Problem Statement
Guided tours in European cities can be expensive and thus inaccessible to many people who want to experience them.
Phase 2: Identifying the Audience
The primary audience for WanderPod is likely to be travellers who value independent and personalised travel experiences, and who are looking for a more immersive and authentic way to explore new destinations.
This may include:
- Adventurous solo travellers who enjoy exploring new cities and cultures on their own.
- Groups of friends or families who want to plan their own tours and explore destinations at their own pace.
- Travellers who want to learn about the history and culture of a destination from local experts and insiders.
- Budget-conscious travellers who are looking for affordable and accessible ways to explore a new city.
- Travellers who are passionate about sustainability and eco-tourism and want to support responsible and ethical travel.
- Travellers want a unique and memorable travel experience beyond traditional group tours or tourist activities.
- Digital nomads who work remotely and have flexible schedules, and who want to explore new destinations while still being able to work.
Ultimately, WanderPod is designed for travellers who want to explore new destinations on their own terms, with the support of local experts and insider knowledge and are looking for a more personalised and authentic travel experience.
Phase 3: Market Research and Branding
To gauge potential interest in WanderPod Tours, I designed research questions targeting the podcast's target audience. Through this market research, we sought to understand tourists' preferences, desires, and pain points related to city exploration and guided tours.
Few serious contenders are currently on the market regarding comprehensively researched guided audio tours in Berlin.
Tours narrated by local guides, where part of the proceeds go directly to the guides do not currently exist on the market, and WanderPod Tours will as such be the first to market.
Phase 4: Creating a professional website
I started creating a website for WanderPod Tours using Squarespace, and the website is still under development. I found that creating a website using Squarespace left me frustrated, as it leaves very little room for customisation of their preset templates.
Now I'm currently working on moving the WanderPodTours domain to a different host, where I am able to customise and cultivate the image that I need for the website.
I brainstormed and crafted the brand identity for WanderPod Tours, encompassing elements like the name, logo, and tagline. The chosen name, WanderPod Tours, captures the spirit of flexible exploration, expert knowledge, and walking-focused experiences in cities. The tagline, "Explore the world, one episode at a time," encapsulates the essence of the podcast.
To create the branding I researched other tour companies and successful podcasts to understand what kind of image had previously been successful in capturing the attention of their audiences.
I have also started creating a social media audience on Instagram to have a platform already fully active for when the first episodes get uploaded.
You can visit the WanderPod Tours Instagram here.
Phase 5: Script Writing and Guide casting
Enable to create a proof of concept I have recorded prototypes of myself presenting historical locations in Berlin, more precisely the sites by the Berlin Wall on Bernauer Strasse. I did this to ensure that the format works and that the quality of the audio would come out crisp and clear despite the noise from traffic and tourists at the sight.
I have consulted with local guides, historians and authors, who have expressed interest in recording tours with me. It's important to me and for the quality of the tours that the guides have worked on their tours and personalised them, so they know what stories to tell, what guests want to learn about and to give the listeners the closest approximation to a private tour as possible. While it is important to find experienced guides, it is equally important to ensure that they can tell stories that will work in a podcast format. Some guides are amazing in person, but they need their surroundings to feed off of, in order for their stories to work, some guides have voices that are so powerful that they need a big group to gather around them for their stories to work, and I need the guides whose voices are calm, yes enticing and are able to make the stories come to life.
I am currently writing scripts for the first tour which will go from the Brandenburg Gate to the Museum Island and I have arranged for a talented guide to be the narrator for this pilot tour.
Phase 6: Upload and retrospective
While I am not yet at this stage, I have been preparing for uploading by creating a Spotify Podcast login and familiarising myself with the uploading process.
Once the first full tour is uploaded, I will be able to approach various historical funds in Berlin to apply for funding and resources to further develop WanderPod Tours.
