Audio On The Webinar Series | Predictions & Insights To Light Up Festive Marketing 2020
As we make our way into the final stretch of a tough year, we’re finally ready to let our hair down and celebrate the festive season. And in 2020, while the idea of togetherness looks different, the spirit of looking forward to the season still lives on.
In the third and final part of Audio On The Webinar Series, we wanted to get marketers in the festive spirit with insights and predictions that can inform their next campaign. The session was moderated by Virginia Sharma — VP, Brand Solutions, JioSaavn, and she was joined by Suhani Arora — Global Director, Ad Product Marketing at JioSaavn.
Staying true to the festive spirit, the JioSaavn team took the opportunity to host a pre-festive virtual party. The moderators were dressed to celebrate, and the session was all about what we’re collectively looking forward to this holiday season.
The Emotional Power of Music
The webinar kicked off with a reminder of what the festival season means to us. This is a time of joy — spending time with loved ones, decorating the house, enjoying festive food. It’s also a time to reflect, reminisce, and reconnect with the emotional spirit of the season.
“If emotions had a sound, it would be music.” — Virginia Sharma
Our streaming insights showed us that music is everyone’s favorite thing about the festival season, tied with family time. And it’s not surprising — music is closely tied to our emotions. We use a pick-me-up playlist to get in the Monday mood, and wind down with a chill playlist at the end of the day. In short, we turn to music that not only reflects the way we feel, but also the way we want to feel.
Music signals our mood and influences purchase intent. And there is a research story that proves it: a florist who played romantic music in-store was more likely to see sales than the florist who played pop music or no music at all.
Here at JioSaavn, we study user signals to help brands design their marketing strategy. Here are some of our most interesting insights:
3 out of 5 users listen to music before festive celebrations
3 out of 5 look to shop before and during the festive season
54% Listeners plan to purchase clothing/accessories during the festive season
52% Listeners learnt more about existing brands through advertisements on JioSaavn whereas 48% learnt about new brands.
These numbers show one thing: these ultra-mobile, screen-free moments are when listeners are paying the most attention and truly opening their hearts. And that’s when they’re noticing the things they’d like to change, and the purchases they need to make.
Turning Up the Volume On Festive Season 2020: Predictions and Takeaways for Marketers
We’re all ready to put our best foot forward and enjoy a well-earned celebration. So, how can brands be a part of their audience’s story?
“As marketers, we’re great at adapting. And today, we’re adapting seemingly in real-time. What was true two months ago doesn’t necessarily hold anymore. So it’s only fitting that we look at ‘right-now’ data to shape our ‘right-now’ marketing strategy.” — Suhani Arora
The session moved into a series of predictions and takeaways to help marketers get started. And the digital audio ecosystem is the best place to truly understand the spirit of the listeners. Lifestyle changes, emotional ups and downs, new routines — these are reflected in our streaming habits.
Every user action tells us a lot about the way they feel, how they want to feel and what they’re doing at the moment . Based on what we’ve seen last year and throughout 2020, here are some top predictions for the festive season:
1 — It Will Be Louder Than Ever
This year, we saw a 68.89% spike in streams for Marathi playlists during the first day of Ganesh Charurthi. This confirmed something important: we’re ready to celebrate, and we’re turning to music to get us in the mood.
Brand Takeaway: Join in the celebrations. The festive season has always been an exciting time for marketers, and this year will be no different. Whether you’re running a multi-touchpoint campaign or wishing your users happiness this holiday season, make sure you’re a part of the joy.
2 — We Will Celebrate in Multiple Languages
In 2019, there was an 11.2% spike in streams during the festival season — across India. We took a deeper look and found that there was an uptick in regional language playlists as well. It was a reminder that in India, the festive cheer is spread to every home and can be translated into every local language.
Brand Takeaway: Embrace vernacular content, sponsor regional language playlists, celebrate in the language your listeners resonate with. Your audience will love you even more for it.
3 — The Festive Season Signifies Different Things to Different Users
To some, this is a time to get together and party. For some others, it’s about religious significance. The numbers confirm it: In 2019, Devotional Anthems grew by 30% and at the same time, Dance & Dance-Pop Anthems grew by 13%. What’s common between these users? No matter what they look forward to about the festival, music remains an integral part of the cheer.
Brand Takeaway: You can stay true to the spirit of your brand while also segmenting your user base and tailoring the message to suit them.
Audio is a cost-effective medium that allows you to tailor your message to multiple listener segments. Use it well.
4 — Our DIY Streak Will Live On
For many listeners, lockdown was an opportunity to try a new recipe, knit a new scarf, or paint a new showpiece for the living room. And they soundtracked every moment of their learning journey; we saw a 41% increase in at-home modules over the last few months.
This is a mindset shift, and it’s here to stay through the festival season. This year, our pre-festival preparations will take on a more creative tone, and we will need the perfect playlist for the moment.
Brand Takeaway: Use audio to fuel your audience’s creative fire. Curate rangoli playlists, or share at-home styling tips for those with limited salon access.
5 — Users Will Spread the Cheer Online
In 2019, video conferencing birthdays, virtual baby showers, and online weddings were unheard of. This year, they’re our favorite ways to celebrate. A 20% increase in birthday anthems confirmed that we’re continuing to share the love online — in the form of song dedications and gift cards. Users have shared content over 11.8 million times, proving yet again that music is the best way to tell someone we’re thinking about them.
Brand Takeaway: Your audience has found a fun and safe way to stay connected. Be an enabler and offer digital subscriptions, virtual gift cards, and more.
6 — We Can’t Wait to Get Back On Our Feet
When we wrote our first playbook, Connecting From A Safe Distance, we pointed out that streams for dance were down by 21%. Today, we’re seeing signs of recovery. While health and safety will continue to remain a priority, users will slowly be able to connect with their closest network again.
Brand Takeaway: Your audience is only meeting a handful of people, but these hangouts are more special than ever. Help them on their journey back into “normal” with created or curated experiences.
This segment of the webinar concluded with a bonus tip: Wedding season is almost here, and a rise in Sangeeth playlists tells us that listeners are ready for (responsibly held) hangouts again!
In Conclusion
We spent a lot of time behind the streams to understand how the celebrations will shape up this year. We’ve compiled our top insights, tips, and marketer takeaways in our brand new festive playbook — Predictions To Light Up Festive 2020. Read it here. You can also view the webinar recording here.
The verdict is in: listeners can’t wait for a well-deserved break. And they are ready for brands to join them in this new story of joy and togetherness. Here at JioSaavn, we’re betting big on festive season 2020. We are incredibly excited to see what it looks (and sounds) like.
