How the World Bank Turned 14 Reports into 14 Podcasts — in 48 Hours
The Challenge
The World Bank publishes some of the world’s most influential development research — from global policy reports to deep dives on food security, digital access, and more. But turning those insights into content that busy policymakers and researchers could actually use was a challenge.
Written reports were thorough, but not always accessible — especially for decision-makers short on time, or audiences outside the academic world.
They needed a new approach: something faster, easier to digest, and available in multiple languages. Traditional podcast production couldn’t scale to meet that need. Creating two versions of every episode in seven languages would mean coordinating studios, voice talent, and production teams around the world — too slow, too costly, and too complex to sustain.
The Solution
To meet their global goals, the World Bank needed a way to quickly turn complex research into accessible, multilingual audio. So they teamed up with Wondercraft.
Now, every week, the team turns a single topic into two podcast episodes:
- A short-form Policy Maker Edition with clear, actionable takeaways
- A Researcher Edition that digs deeper into data and methodology
Both formats are produced in seven languages using our AI-powered, human-first creative studio. No studios. No voice actors. Just high-quality audio, delivered at speed.
What's more, every translation is reviewed by expert linguists and every line of audio gets a second set of ears — ensuring tone, accuracy, and intent are spot on.
From final report to fully localized podcast, it all happens in under 48 hours.
The Results
With Wondercraft, the World Bank has shifted from static reports to dynamic, weekly audio — without the usual production bottlenecks.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Speed: Two podcast episodes per topic, turned around in under 48 hours
- Reach: Published weekly in 7 languages
- Consistency: Clear, controlled messaging across both formats
- Scale: A repeatable workflow ready for future reports
Podcasting is now part of their core communications strategy — not just a one-off experiment.
Looking forward, the team is exploring new ways to push the format even further. That includes:
- Using Convo Mode for more natural dialogue between hosts
- Adding more languages and fine-tuned regional accents
- Experimenting with AI avatars and video for future multimedia content
As their audio-first strategy evolves, their goal stays the same: make critical research more accessible, timely, and globally impactful.
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