RGU Crime Files
Critically-Acclaimed Podcast Production
The verdict is in: we're culpable for criminally-good podcasting
RGU's School of Law and Social Sciences wanted to build their profile and engage prospective students. We produced a true crime podcast series that turned academic expertise into compulsive listening, and earned industry recognition in the process.
challenges
- Engaging a digitally native audience with high expectations
- Showcasing academic expertise without sacrificing entertainment value
- Maintaining the production quality needed to compete in a competitive genre
- Creating an evergreen content asset that delivered over the long-term
Sector
- Education
Services
- Podcast Production
Compelling Content
In five episodes, we covered some of Scotland's most compelling historical crimes, maintaining broadcast quality to stick the landing.
160
Minutes Of Content
Global Reach
Downloaded in over 23 countries, RGU Crime Files introduced the School of Law and Social Sciences to a genuinely international audience.
150
Cities Reached
National Recognition
Shortlisted at the UK True Crime Awards, and highly commended at the Scottish Podcast Awards where we went up against productions from some of the UK's biggest podcast makers – including the BBC.
2
Award Recognitions
Making The Case for Quality Content
True crime is one of podcasting's most competitive - and saturated - categories. When Robert Gordon University's School of Law and Social Sciences asked us to create a series capable of capturing their target demographic's attention, we knew we'd need to earn every listen.
For Pete McIntosh, that meant avoiding the traditional academic interview format and opting for a podcast with genuine editorial ambition.
Each episode would open with an immersive, documentary-style retelling of a real historical Scottish crime, before Pete guided listeners from the story into a deeper conversation with RGU's academic experts. The format gave the series two distinct layers: the compulsive pull of true crime storytelling, and the credibility of genuine academic insight.
With the concept locked in, Pete and the rest of the team got to work developing the editorial direction and selecting five of Scotland's most fascinating and little-known historical cases, including the Aberdeen Witch Trials, the Anatomy Riots and the last man to be hanged in Scotland.
Every episode was recorded, edited, mixed and mastered in the M&G Media Studio. We worked closely with RGU's academics at every stage, balancing historical accuracy with the pace and texture of compelling audio storytelling. Before launch, we produced a full suite of promotional teaser clips and social media assets to build anticipation and drive listeners to the series from day one.
Six months in, RGU Crime Files has been shortlisted at the UK True Crime Awards and awarded Highly Commended at the Scottish Podcast Awards, competing against productions from some of the biggest names in the medium, including the BBC. Downloaded in more than 150 cities, it's a content asset that's built to last.
Whodunit? Wedunit!
RGU Crime Files exceeded its original brief, earning international reach, industry recognition and a lasting content asset that continues to engage prospective students long after launch.
The work Pete and his colleagues put lifted the project from something that had the academic substance to something with the X-factor needed to engage a much wider audience. Pete and the team made the whole process easy for us, allowing us to focus on our contribution before turning it into a polished and engaging final product.
David Christie
Associate Dean, School of Law and Social Sciences, Robert Gordon University
The people behind the work
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