LadyGang/PodcastOne
Becca Tobin (L), Keltie Knight, Jac Vanek (R)
- Keltie Knight, Jac Vanek, and Becca Tobin are the founders of LadyGang, a celebrity-driven brand that started out as one podcast and eventually launched an entire network.
- With three hosts who were already familiar with show business, the podcast quickly became a success with listeners and advertisers.
- Almost five years after the podcast launched, LadyGang has opened doors to other creative endeavors for the hosts and expanded into various revenue streams.
- Click here for more BI Prime articles.
Keltie Knight, Jac Vanek, and Becca Tobin were all working to establish themselves in Hollywood in 2015 when they came up with the idea for their "LadyGang" podcast.
At the time, they had no idea it would spin out into a brand that now includes a network of other podcasts, a TV show, a subscription box, live tours, and a community of women spanning the country.
Knight started her career as a professional dancer and cheerleader and went on to work as a host at "Entertainment Tonight." Vanek is known as a fashion and music influencer and is also the creator of the Jac Vanek clothing brand. Tobin toured with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and rose to fame when she was cast as Kitty Wilde on "Glee."
But the women said before they launched "LadyGang," they felt as if they hadn't quite been able to achieve all of their professional aspirations.
"It seemed like there wasn't a place for us to have our spot at the table," Knight said. "We were sick of waiting for people to pick us, so we picked ourselves."
The women of the LadyGang pitched a show that was unapologetically feminine to the PodcastOne network, and it was an immediate success. It debuted at No. 8 on Apple Podcasts and maintains a regular spot in the top 100 society and culture podcasts in the US, now averaging over 8 million downloads per month.
The "LadyGang" podcast started with one episode per week featuring celebrity guests like Kristin Chenoweth, Carmen Electra, and Jonathan Van Ness discussing life in Hollywood and answering questions from listeners.
High advertising demand sparked the start of the LadyGang network
"LadyGang" listeners - mostly young women - were a desirable demographic for brands off the bat, especially those that were looking to capitalize on the high conversion rate associated with podcast ads.
The podcast started generating ad revenue in about seven weeks, Knight said, which has increased regularly by about 200% year-over-year. Since "LadyGang" was a fairly early entrant to the podcast ecosystem, it took about six to eight months for the show to turn a profit.
"'LadyGang' was so popular with advertisers, it would sell out eight or nine months in advance," Knight said.
PodcastOne handles ad sales for the show, and eventually convinced the hosts to add an additional short, weekly show with similar content to satisfy advertising demand.
At the start of 2018, about three years after the launch of "LadyGang," PodcastOne approved further expansion of the show into its own network featuring original programs produced in the "LadyGang" tone under the PodcastOne umbrella.
"We're very raw and unapologetic, and we want to make sure anyone we're partnering with has that same mindset and is unafraid to speak their minds," Vanek said.
The team looked to celebrity friends and previous guests when recruiting new hosts in order to set them up for success with the existing fandom, and also developed a social-media team to promote all the new content.
"The power of Instagram is incredible when it comes to the launches and has been super influential," Tobin said.
Network success quickly led to TV show, live events, merchandise, and more
In May 2018, the E! network picked up a series order for a TV show based on the podcast, with Knight, Tobin, and Vanek starring and producing.
LadyGang also has several other projects in the works, including a book scheduled for a June release, a line of merchandise, a subscription box, and a live tour circuit.
Knight said the podcast is the brand's primary source of revenue, but its Facebook group is an important way to keep fans engaged. At almost 30,000 members, the page facilitates conversation between the hosts and their listeners to improve content and connects members of the LadyGang across the country.
Knight said when two fans got married, a third officiated the wedding without ever having met the couple in person.
"Obviously this is a business, and a big business, but once the ladies of the LadyGang have connected, the craziest things happen," Knight said.