Unraveling The Global Stage

Vision

For years, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) has shaped global discourse through Mark Leonard’s World in 30 Minutes, a weekly podcast offering in-depth explorations every Friday since 2019. They approached us to expand its reach with two additional Emergency Room episodes each week, tackling breaking news with razor-sharp, immediate insights.

Our challenge was to craft a seamless extension that balances rigorous analysis with agile, digestible content: equipping policymakers, academics, and curious minds with clarity in a chaotic global landscape.

Brand

We preserved the established style of Mark Leonard’s World in 30 Minutes to honour its legacy, ensuring continuity for its dedicated audience. The artwork showcases a striking globe—split between textured dark blue and beige tones—set against a bold orange backdrop, symbolising global perspectives.

We enhanced the show’s signature audio identity, refining it for clarity and impact while retaining the format listeners cherish.

Production

Mark Leonard’s World in 30 Minutes connects top voices—think tank leaders, policymakers, and advisors—often joining remotely from across continents. We deployed high-quality remote recording platforms to capture flawless audio, ensuring every perspective resonates regardless of location.

Post-production demanded precision. The weekly Friday episodes were edited for depth and clarity, while the Emergency Room episodes, released on Mondays and Wednesdays, required swift editing to stay topical, delivering short, impactful insights with the show’s polished standard.

Marketing

We amplified Mark Leonard’s World in 30 Minutes with audiograms that spotlight the podcast’s iconic artwork, ensuring visual consistency. Featuring audio highlights with subtitles, these audiograms engage readers who prefer text, broadening the show’s reach.

This strategy enabled promotion without video—a practical choice for a podcast recorded across continents—ensuring seamless outreach while preserving its global appeal and accessibility.

Result

From a respected weekly podcast to a dual-format powerhouse, Mark Leonard’s World in 30 Minutes redefined global discourse. The Friday episodes dive deep, while the Emergency Room additions, introduced through our collaboration, deliver urgent takes on unfolding events.

Named Best Podcast on EU Politics by PolicyLab in 2019, it engages policymakers, academics, and curious minds. It’s not just part of the global conversation: it shapes it, empowering listeners to navigate a complex world.

Listen

Episodes of Mark Leonard’s World in 30 Minutes can be streamed on Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.