856 Pitches. 26 Interviews. One U.S. Market Introduction.
Podcast PR & Executive Authority Building
Thelemata built Flote’s U.S. presence through a concentrated podcast authority campaign targeting fintech, payments, and business leadership audiences.
856 personalized pitches sent. 26 interviews booked. 64% email open rate. 3–4x above benchmark reply rate.
THE CLIENT
Flote (Ovanti Limited, ASX: OVT) is an ASX-listed fintech challenger entering the U.S. buy-now-pay-later space with a genuinely differentiated model: instead of relying on credit scores, Flote uses open banking to assess what consumers can actually afford in real time. Peter Maher serves as U.S. CEO. The campaign ran September 2025 through February 2026.
THE CHALLENGE
Flote needed credibility fast with the audiences that drive U.S. fintech adoption — investors evaluating the growth story, merchants assessing whether to integrate, and fintech operators who shape category conversations. Traditional press outreach was too shallow. A two-sentence mention in a roundup was not going to move investors or merchants unfamiliar with the brand. The product was differentiated. The problem was awareness.
THE STRATEGY
Thelemata designed a podcast authority campaign targeting long-form interview placement across fintech, entrepreneurship, payments, and business leadership shows. Podcast listeners who choose a 45-minute conversation with a founder are far more engaged than readers scanning a press mention. For a brand building its U.S. reputation from zero, that depth of attention is the asset — and long-form content continues generating value well past its initial air date.
EXECUTION
Mapped 200+ podcasts across fintech, B2B, leadership, and payments verticals, scoring each for audience fit, host credibility, and editorial alignment
Crafted individually personalized pitches for every host, referencing specific past episodes and framing Peter Maher’s angle for that audience
Used AI-assisted automation to run outreach and follow-up at scale, saving 214 hours of manual pitching time while preserving pitch quality and personalization
Prepared Peter with tailored briefing notes, talking points, and host context before every appearance
Secured placement on Escaping the Drift — a top-20 U.S. business podcast with 1M+ monthly downloads and 250K Spotify subscribers
Secured placement on Strativ’s Social Interview Series (250,000+ followers) and The Growth Mandate
Locked in 22 confirmed appearances for January/February 2026, delivering consistent weekly visibility during the critical pre-launch window
RESULTS
856 custom pitches sent. 64% email open rate. 26 interviews booked. 12% reply rate on cold outreach.
3–4x above benchmark reply rate. 22 appearances confirmed Jan/Feb 2026. 45K–80K engaged listeners reached. 214 hours manual time saved.
The campaign built Peter Maher into a credible voice on the future of payments and generated a library of long-form content that continued working for Flote well beyond the initial run.
THE TAKEAWAY
Thelemata treated the podcast medium as a precision instrument, not a broadcast channel. By mapping 200+ shows, personalizing every pitch, and preparing Peter for every appearance, the campaign delivered not just bookings but a durable authority profile and a reusable content library. This is how an unknown brand earns credibility with the audiences that decide whether it succeeds.
SERVICES DELIVERED
Podcast PR Strategy & Campaign Management, Show Research & Audience Mapping (200+ shows), Personalized Outreach at Scale (856 pitches), Guest Preparation & Briefing, Content Repurposing Strategy, AI-Assisted Outreach Automation.