How Spotify can help marketers connect with their audiences, ahead of the festive season

As one of the busiest times for any marketer and planner in India, the upcoming festive season will be radically different from previous years and any marketing campaign will have to stand out to work. If marketers want to specifically reach and engage with Gen Zs and millennials, this is even more difficult. And here is where Spotify can make all the difference.

Here’s a quick overview of why marketers should consider talking to their audience on Spotify, especially now. All these details and possibilities are also just an email away at [email protected].

The ‘new normal’ in media

On an average, the Indian listener spends 2.5 hours per day on audio and 80 percent of this time, they can’t be reached through visual media¹. eMarketer reports that streaming music was the #1 activity that people adopted during the pandemic. And with connected devices adoption booming, the portability of audio (car, watch, Smart TV, game console, home speakers) means that marketers have ways to reach their audience in key screenless moments, when they otherwise can’t.

Spotify sits at the centre of culture, thanks to its ever-growing music catalogue, and a slate of owned and exclusive podcast content. The more its listeners stream, the more insights are derived from their listening behaviour – and this powers Streaming Intelligence which helps brands make their communication more relevant, engaging, and meaningful. For instance, 75 percent of Spotify listeners say they remember ads more when the ads recognise their moment or setting².

Spotify data shows that running both video and audio increases ad recall by 90 percent and results in a 2.2x increase in brand awareness³. This means that a plan which includes only display or video advertising is missing out on valuable time and engagement with its intended audience. Spotify fans are creating and curating playlists for every mood, and soundtracking every moment of their lives.

Spotify can help brands reach consumers when they are unavailable for other forms of advertising.

Now, that’s music to every marketer’s ears.

Comfort in the time of uncertainty

One reason this year’s festive season will be unlike any other is the fact that listeners are looking to reset their lives. Sample this: after delaying purchases in 2020, 1 in 3 Spotify users are looking at large, big-ticket purchases in a clear case of revenge shopping⁴. And this is a user base that is likely to spend 15 percent more on what they want than any other cohort⁴.

With music emerging as the warm blanket of comfort in these uncertain times, it’s little wonder users are turning to Spotify for festive content. Daily festive streams saw an increase of 63 percent, and occasion and activity-based streams grew 155 percent⁵. It’s going to be the same this year, perhaps even more so with music being an integral part of the celebrations.

Turn on, tune in

Spotify lets brands engage with their audience in moments that truly matter. This festive season, the key moments will be shopping, nostalgia, party, and cooking/dining with family. As friends and families start to come together after more than a year of physical distancing, familiar festive customs and traditions will return but in a unique way. Listeners are in the mood for memories as much as living in the moment with activities such as festive cooking. A massive 441 percent increase in user-generated cooking/dinner playlists bears this out while a growth of 290 percent for nostalgia streams and 590 percent for home (and homesick) playlists shows that listeners are turning to music to connect with memories of good times past⁶.

It is in moments like this – often in times when they are inaccessible to other forms of media – that brands can truly tune in to their consumers and engage with them in ways that are only possible on Spotify.

A never-ending stream of ideas for brands

Spotify offers limitless possibilities for brands when it comes to connecting with their audiences. Want to sponsor the most-streamed festive playlists? Sure.

Want to deliver real-time audio ads while your targeted audience is listening to specific moods? You got it.

Want to turn your brand profile into a cookbook with every special recipe having its own unique playlist?

Want to create a special campaign with a unique digital experience that will truly drive your brand’s message home? Done!

Co-branded digital experiences around festive or shopping wishlists, multiple branded playlists crafted keeping specific consumer personas and/or festive moods, creative audio to complement a brand’s in-store experience - the list of possibilities is endless.

So if you’re looking to add a sparkle to your media plan this festive season, look to Spotify. Write into [email protected] and let the festivities begin.

Click here to download Diwali ad solutions packages from Spotify Advertising.

^SOURCES:

^{1 - Spotify First Party Data, global, based on daily content hours / daily active users, free users multiplatform, May 2019}

^{2 - Key Moments Survey, Spotify Users A15-40, US, UK, DE, IT, SP, MX, BR, AU, October 2019}

^{3 - Nielsen Brand Effect on Spotify, March 2020}

^{4 - GWI, IN, Wave 5 - Outbreak Report 2021}

^{5 - Spotify Internal Data, India, Diwali Q4. Sept Vs Oct vs Nov-Dec 2020}

^{6 - Source: Spotify Internal Analytics, 1st October - 28th February 2021}