with Steve Pratt, Author of the hit book Earn It
with Steve Pratt, Author of the hit book Earn It
CASE STUDY
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RBC had already launched Disruptors, but the podcast wasn’t achieving the impact the organization believed it should.
The bank had access to remarkable guests, compelling stories and one of Canada’s strongest business brands. Yet the show wasn’t consistently capturing attention or building a loyal audience.
Like many branded podcasts, it had become a collection of interviews rather than a destination listeners actively sought out.
RBC didn’t need another production company.
It needed a strategic partner that could redefine the podcast’s purpose, sharpen its editorial voice and build an experience worthy of the conversations it was already having.
Together, JAR and RBC rebuilt Disruptors around conversations that explored the forces reshaping business rather than simply profiling successful entrepreneurs.
Episodes became more structured, more narrative-driven and more focused on helping listeners understand the decisions, risks and opportunities behind innovation. Stronger editorial preparation, richer storytelling and more dynamic production transformed each conversation into something executives wanted to spend time with.
JAR partnered with RBC across the entire production process, including:
Every editorial decision was guided by one question:
Would this conversation change how a business leader thinks about the future?
The biggest challenge wasn’t finding extraordinary guests.
RBC already had access to many of Canada’s most influential entrepreneurs, executives and innovators.
The challenge was creating conversations that were as valuable as the people participating in them.
The JAR System shifted the focus away from recording interviews and toward designing experiences that rewarded careful listening. Every episode became more intentional, with stronger editorial structure, deeper preparation and clearer storytelling.
As the audience grew, the podcast evolved from a marketing initiative into one of RBC’s most valuable thought leadership platforms, demonstrating that consistent editorial quality creates long-term business value.
The JAR System transformed Disruptors from a branded interview series into one of Canada’s leading business podcasts.
| Before | After applying the JAR System |
|---|---|
| Interview successful entrepreneurs | Explore the forces reshaping business and innovation |
| Share interesting conversations | Deliver practical insights executives could apply |
| Measure downloads | Measure audience loyalty, engagement and long-term growth |
| Publish branded content | Build a trusted thought leadership platform |
| Promote the RBC brand | Earn trust by consistently creating value for listeners |
Many organizations assume a podcast that isn’t growing needs better marketing.
More often, it needs a clearer editorial purpose.
RBC already had access to extraordinary guests, an established brand and meaningful business stories. Growth came after the podcast was reorganized around a single, audience-first job: helping business leaders understand what was coming next and why it mattered.
By defining that purpose before production began, the JAR System transformed Disruptors from an interview series into a destination for conversations about innovation. The results demonstrate that sustained audience growth is rarely the product of better promotion alone. It begins with creating something people genuinely want to recommend.
Before changing the production, JAR worked with RBC to clarify the podcast’s Job, Audience and Result.
Help business leaders understand how innovation, technology and entrepreneurship are reshaping Canada’s economy by giving them practical insight they couldn’t find elsewhere.
The goal wasn’t simply to interview successful founders.
It was to help listeners think differently about the future.
The podcast was designed for executives, entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders looking to understand emerging trends before they became mainstream.
These listeners weren’t looking for inspiration alone.
They wanted ideas they could apply.
Success meant building a flagship thought leadership platform that strengthened RBC’s reputation as a champion of innovation while creating a loyal audience that returned every season.
Once the Job, Audience and Result were established, every editorial decision became easier, from guest selection and interview preparation to storytelling, pacing and audience growth.
Disruptors has surpassed 2 million downloads, making it one of Canada’s most successful branded business podcasts.
Following the relaunch, the podcast increased its audience by 500%, demonstrating the impact of a clearer editorial strategy and stronger audience development.
Episodes consistently achieved 80% average listener-through rates, significantly outperforming typical branded podcast benchmarks and demonstrating that audiences stayed engaged through entire conversations.
Disruptors earned multiple industry honours, including a Webby People’s Voice Award, a Quill Podcast Award for Best Tech Podcast, and a Signal Award, validating both its editorial quality and audience impact.
The show was also nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award for Best Business Podcast.
“We 10x’ed our downloads in the early days of working with JAR. Elevating the show’s storytelling, improving the audio quality and executing a marketing strategy led us to see these results immediately. Since then we have achieved great success with steady audience growth, and are now considered a household name in terms of top Canadian business podcasts. I don’t believe this would have happened without JAR.”
Jennifer Marron
Producer, Disruptors
RBC Thought Leadership
