S4: E19
Tackling tough social issues while being funny at the same time is a tall order few can do well. This week’s Media Roundtable guests are one of those few. Kulap Vilaysack and SuChin Pak co-host the hit podcast Add to Cart where they share physical and metaphorical items they’re “adding to their carts” through tangential, honest conversations. Apple Podcast recently spotlighted the show and fan reviews say it’s “like a warm cup of tea and cookies with besties.”
Kulap Vilaysack is Laotian American actress (Bob’s Burgers, The Office, Parks and Recreation), comedian, writer, director, and showrunner (Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) with some deep podcasting chops, co-hosting Earwolf’s Who Charted back in 2010.
“One of the reasons why we did this podcast is so we could get free things.”
-Kulap Vilaysack
SuChin Pak is a groundbreaking South Korean-born American television news correspondent and veteran journalist. In 2001 she became the first Asian-American news anchor on MTV, and yes, that’s her voice narrating the revival of MTV Cribs.
“I have to really fight the urge to hide behind a really buttoned up version of myself at all times.”
-SuChin Pak
Add to Cart is a dream podcast partnership for brands because together, Pak and Vilaysack have cultivated an intimacy with their audience and have deep experience talking not only about the things they love, but getting to the why as well.
Because of Pak and Vilaysack’s incredible rapport, in this episode we somehow transition seamlessly from talking about a toothbrush that makes your teeth feel as smooth as glass, to the modern and historic challenges faced by the AAPI community. They share their experience as Asian American women and how that experience has changed over the course of their professional careers, and then again over the course of the Pandemic, as violence has skyrocketed across the AAPI community. They share not only their perspectives, but also resources for how others who are looking to better understand the challenges facing this community can get more information than the sparse amounts provided by mainstream media. We are sharing those resources here for your benefit:
This episode has moments of levity and fun, but like Add to Cart, also delves into the deep, painful, and meaningful. For marketers seeking to support underrepresented voices and misunderstood communities, support for Add to Cart may be an excellent place to start, while benefiting from building relationships with an active, engaged, and trusting listening audience. This episode of the Media Roundtable can be your gateway to a first step in that direction.