Spotify Wrapped: marketeers are you listening?
All campaigns can learn something from Spotify Wrapped. With media consumption at an all time high, seeing a marketing campaign that users are genuinely excited for is refreshing. But, what makes Spotify Wrapped such a success?
There are so many elements of Spotify Wrapped that make it the viral sensation it is…
Share-ability
The shareable, made-for-Instagram format is hugely popular with #SpotifyWrapped trending on X every year and with billions of views on TikTok. Year on year we are seeing numbers grow as more and more users access, engage and share their listening.
Users want to share who they are and what they like with their friends and followers. Whether it’s to prove that they really are Taylor Swift’s biggest fan or to debunk the myth that they only like pop music because Slipknot makes an appearance too- there’s something for everyone. It celebrates a user’s journey and provides time for reflection – whether your year was full of upbeat songs or a few too many break-up ballads, it’s a round up of the year you’ve had.
Ongoing engagement
Because Spotify Wrapped is shared, users are mindful of this throughout the year. When a new album launches they’re more inclined to listen on Spotify knowing that as December rolls around so too will Spotify Wrapped. If music listened to elsewhere doesn’t contribute to this data then, arguably, what’s the point? It keeps the user engaged- not just as the recap launches- but all year too as users listen in anticipation. If you want to prove that you really are Harry Styles’ biggest fan then that means listening again and again on the same platform to ensure consistently high data. This increases engagement and ensures listeners come back for more. While the listening experience is the same on any platform it’s the performative appeal that guarantees Spotify is top choice time and again.
Fear of missing out
Everyone wants in on the action. Apple Music launched its replay feature in 2019 and Tidal and YouTube followed suit with yearly recaps too. And, it’s not just music streaming services cashing in on this year-in-review phenomenon. The Washington Post creates “Newsprint” to recap on the stories subscribers read the most and DuoLingo the language app provides yearly stats as do Reddit, Twitch, Nintendo Switch and Hulu. With all of these companies unveiling their own shareable graphics too.
Users don’t want to miss out either. If we see friends sharing their niche and cool music tastes we also want to engage. Does a fear of missing out lead users to ditch their current streaming service in favour of joining Spotify? Spikes in membership could suggest that they do.
It’s a fantastic marketing campaign that is smart, innovative and on-brand with content that is inherently community-made. Spotify simply provides the tools to share it. It’s a blueprint for modern marketing. From personalised user data to social media share-ability, marketeers really can learn a lot.
