Your favorite podcast is now a toy—and a cruise, and a book, and a backpack

Wondery chief brand officer Nicole Blake is giving podcasts the ‘Harry Potter’ treatment.

Not so long ago, a book deal and a live tour marked the outer limits of how far a hot podcast could hope to expand its horizons. These days, they’re only the beginning. Especially at Wondery, the fast-growing podcast network based in West Hollywood, California.