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When Max Schüler stepped into the role of Director at Swedish Schibsted Brand Studio, he brought 15 years of experience from the sales floor into the world of branded content. But it wasn’t just the numbers he brought with him—it was a deep understanding of what clients need to hear, and how to listen.
“My role is really strategic,” Schüler explains. “It's about making sure we build a product that delivers value for clients, and to do that, you need to understand both market trends and internal creative potential."
At the Native Advertising Days 2025 in London, he’ll explain how that philosophy came to life in Animal Life, an audio-first campaign for online veterinary service FirstVet, which went on to deliver not only standout engagement but the highest listen-through rates in Aftonbladet’s entire audio inventory.
A podcast built for the modern pet parent
At the core of Animal Life was an insight that resonated with both client and audience: pets today are family. "There’s been a generational shift,” Schüler says. "We used to see pets as companions or helpers. Now, they're loved like children."
But unlike parenting, where instincts and advice abound, pet care remains an area with massive information gaps. That’s where FirstVet saw its opportunity—and Schibsted saw the ideal format.
“If you own a dog, you’re likely busy. You’re moving, walking, multitasking. Audio lets us meet the audience where they are. And when done right, it resonates deeply.”
Made to feel native—and newsworthy
The 5-episode podcast series launched inside Aftonbladet’s editorial audio feed, alongside regular news programming. That decision made two things clear: it had to be journalistically sound, and emotionally compelling.
Editorial Team Lead Joachim Forsén and his team structured the episodes around seasonal, news-aligned angles. One explored holiday hazards for pets. Another covered tick prevention during summer. The most powerful? A deeply personal episode about a young woman who had to euthanize her dog.
“It was the riskiest one we published. But it was also the strongest,” Schüler says. “That emotional honesty resonated with our audience.”
Strategic reach, powerful results
The campaign rollout included audio promos across Schibsted’s media ecosystem and native articles embedding the podcast player. But the real impact came from audio.
"We reached over 150,000 listeners, with a completion rate of 81% on 15-minute episodes. That beat Aftonbladet's own editorial podcasts."
While embedded players on articles drove some engagement, the Aftonbladet audio feed became the essential distribution point. The key was making the campaign feel like it belonged there.
Creative freedom, commercial sense
For Schüler, great native content balances two imperatives: emotional storytelling and business impact.
“You can create amazing content, but if it doesn’t move the needle for the client, it fails,” he says. “And if all you do is push the product, you won’t connect with people."
One success factor was trust.
“Our team had creative freedom, but it’s up to us to build that trust with clients,” he says. “It helps when you work long-term. You show results early, then get the space to elevate the work.”
That approach also hinges on the talent in the room.
“You have to hire great people and let them do what they do best. For this campaign, our content producers Jimmy Rydén and Nathalie Wänblad made all the difference.”
Why audio is native’s most underused asset
As native advertising matures, Schüler sees audio as an essential addition to the format mix.
“It’s cost-effective compared to video, and the inventory is growing fast,” he says. “If we want bigger budgets and better margins in native advertising, we have to go beyond just text.”
It also helps that the emotional resonance of audio is hard to beat. "It’s not just a trend. It’s a channel where we can do impactful, meaningful storytelling at scale."
At Native Advertising Days 2025 in London, Max Schüler will explore how Schibsted Brand Studio produced and launched "Animal Life" for FirstVet, and why audio may be native’s most powerful next step.
Want to hear more? Join Max Schüler at Native Advertising Days 2025 in London.
