‘Magazine B ’ started to broadcast “B CAST” . B CAST is a podcast that introduces one brand every episode. It is hosted by a South Korean pop singer, Jiyoon Park, and the publisher of Magazine B, Suyong Joh joins as a regular panel.

What made you launch a podcast?

We were attracted to the fact that the original communication of oral tradition arouses curiosity and excitement. As Magazines have only a limited space, stories would get trimmed. We were sorry that we could not include all the things that happened during the interview, background knowledge or back story. But we learned that whenever we had a chance to share those stories, people showed a lot of interest and they ended up starting to look for our Magazines. Reading till the end or watching videos to the end these days requires us to set aside extra time, but audio contents can be enjoyed while driving, commuting to or from work, cleaning or taking a walk. And this is why we chose to try podcasting.

How would you introduce B CAST to those who have not yet heard about the show?

B CAST is easier than a book and a bit more formal than general podcasts. As with the format of Magazine B, B CAST covers a brand per episode. Beginning with everyday conversations about the brand, we look deeply into the values of the founder and share personal experiences with the brand. After the broadcast, we even received feedback such as “Is that okay to be that honest about the brand?” because we not only talk about the good points but also negative aspects about the brand.
As Magazine B does, we try to look at the brand from the perspective of the users, rather than representing the brand’s view.

The host of B CAST is singer-songwriter Jiyoon Park. We asked her to be the host as we know she has been a longtime reader of Magazine B, and she gladly took the opportunity to join B CAST. As a host, she leads the show, asking questions that consumers may want to know from their point of view, and composedly delivers the story of the brand. In fact, the theme music that many people are wondering about is a song that Jiyoon Park made for B CAST.

Suyong Joh who joins the show as a regular panel is a publisher and creative director of Magazine B and the CEO of Joh & Company. He makes the story of the brand very easy to understand to the listeners. Every episode is filled with interesting anecdotes and behind stories about the brand, industry and consumer trends, as well as his personal honest reviews as a user.

B Lounge segment, where you invite a guest also seems quite interesting. Are there any criteria for selecting guests?

We invite a variety of guests from brand enthusiasts, to industry experts in the field or industry, and to employees who work for the brand. In the first issue of the Magazine B, which covered FREITAG, we heard how the Magazine B started and the story behind the brand FREITAG from Choi Tae-hyuk, the editor of Magazine B. And in the Aesop episode, we could hear about the recent trends and consumption patterns of the cosmetics industry from the head of JTBC Plus Entertainment channel, Kang Ju-yeon. In the case of Muji episode, Muji’s branch manager in Korea, Mr. Katsushi Onishi visited the studio in person to share the philosophy and value of the brand as an insider, and his experience of going back and forth between the head office and several overseas branches. I think it is the charm of B CAST that you can listen to the behind story of many different industrial scenes from each guest.

“Sounds of Brands” and “Sentence of Brands” placed at the end of episode 1 and 2 gave an impression that they clearly represent the concept of brand documentary Magazine.

Those are segments that have reinterpreted the concept of “Documentary Magazine” aspect of Magazine B to the media of podcast.
“Sound of Brands” offers “raw” sounds that were recorded at the interview scenes, and delivers the vividness of the interview spot that cannot be conveyed in language. We hoped the listeners would also feel as if they were at the scene and would feel like going to the scene in person.

While we are talking about a brand, there comes a moment when we want to know more deeply about the brand. “Sentence of Brands” reorganizes the content in the “Brand Story” of the Magazine B to fit to the podcast, and Jiyoon Park reads down the history of the brand, from its birth to the present day. We hope that what our regular panel and the guest talk about in the earlier part of the show and the well-arranged story of the Sentence of Brands to remain as a single brand story in the mind of the listeners.

It feels like the area covered by Magazine B is getting wider.

Magazine B deals with consumer brands such as bags and shoes that are often reminded when we hear the word “brand” as well as “space” brands such as hotels and bookstores, “content” brands such as record labels and movies, and even “city” brands such as Berlin and Seoul. We have continued to expand our horizons. Now in addition to the topics covered by Magazine B, we want to expand the way we consume content. In its first attempt, we have launched a podcast, and in the future we are preparing to introduce the content of Magazine B in new forms such as education, exhibition or commerce.

Here is the most important question. How can we listen to the B CAST?

You can listen to B CAST via Podbbang , Apple iTunes (Podcast app) or YouTube Magazine B channel . It is updated every Monday. We receive questions by email in advance and reply through B CAST. So, please let us know via e-mail (info@magazine-b.com) if you have a brand that you are interested in.