With 'staycations' on the rise, parents are looking for ways to keep their kids occupied as they hit the road. HearHere is an app that tells historical stories of US towns as people drive through them, creating memorable family moments and preserving American culture. We explore the insights behind this and why podcasts become shared experiences.
Co-founded by actor Kevin Costner, HearHere tells tales of towns across the US and is set to add 10,000 stories to its library. Celebrities including Costner and Phil Jackson take on the role of narrator about particular points of interest, regions, and native communities, as well as local histories of war, art, and food.
Users of the app, which costs $49.99 a year, receive notifications when stories are ‘found’. “Kevin loves to stop at all the historical markers and share that history with his kids but the kids aren’t nearly as excited about this,” explains co-founder Woody Sears. “With HearHere, they can get that history while they are in their car, told at the perfect time in their drive without even requiring a stop.”
As COVID-19 continues to prevent most long-haul travel, people are vacationing closer to home. Indeed, only 7% of Americans surveyed in April said they were willing to travel internationally, with 72% preferring to drive. As such, 2020 has seen a renewed interest in the Great American Road Trip, with RV rentals soaring. And with nearly 80% of parents predicting that their summer plans would be dashed by the virus, HearHere offers an alternative to screen time in the car, helping to relieve stress for parents while also satisfying desires for 'edutainment'.
Not only does HearHere keep passengers busy, but the stories provide a shared experience between kids and adults. As families spend more time together under one roof, education brands have opportunities to tap into the social potential of podcasts.
Sophie Robinson is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8. With a background in social anthropology, she’s experienced in understanding the cultural mechanisms that shape the world, and how people symbolically construct and communicate meaning. When not mining for insights she’s wild swimming, listening to techno or thinking about documentary films she’d like to make.
