It’s that time of year; Spotify Wrapped is back at it again!
Throughout the year, we listen away to music and podcasts galore, all while awaiting a gift-wrapped package of data breaking down our listening habits. But why?
The idea behind it was to create a little time capsule of our year. A digital diary that allows us to look back on and reminisce parts of our year through the music and podcasts we were listening to at the time. All in all a lovely idea, but without fail, the questionable listening choices we made several years ago still manage to worm their way into our Wrapped some way or another. Whether your Wrapped is good, bad or a bit confusing, undoubtedly, every single Spotify user looks forward to it.
We’ve taken a look at why Spotify Wrapped is and will continue to be, one of the best marketing tactics of all time.
What is Spotify Wrapped?
Spotify Wrapped is a round-up of everything we’ve consumed on the app throughout the year. Rumoured to be created by an intern, Wrapped has become a notable global event since launching in 2015.
Currently, there are 551 million active Spotify users worldwide, making it the top music streaming service and a pioneer in the music market, so it’s no surprise that the campaign has become a huge success story. In 2021, 120 million people accessed their Spotify Wrapped and this number creeps higher year on year!
Personalisation Prowess
Compared to other streaming platforms, Spotify Wrapped offers unparalleled personalisation. Giving users a curated summary of their listening habits. Over 89% of marketers see a positive ROI when they feature personalisation within their campaigns, and 60% say they'll become repeat customers after a personalised shopping experience.
Making users feel unique and recognised makes them feel more connected and valued by the brand - and Spotify undoubtedly achieves this. In recent years, their Wrapped campaigns have included things such as messages from artists to add that all-important personal touch. And this year, they've added extra personalised features such as users being able to identify their 'Sound Town', a singular place in the world that shares the same love for particular artists and genres.
Shareability Factor
At the end of each year, we scramble to find out which songs we listened to the most. What was our top genre? What’s our musical aura? How many minutes did we listen to? Is it an unhinged amount, or are we normal? How mortified will we be on a scale of 1 to 10?
Spotify Wrapped gives us the answers to all of our questions in a way that makes us want to instantly share them. With aesthetically pleasing graphics and colours that are interlinked with our moods, emotions and favourite genres, it’s like bundling up parts of our personality specifically for sharing across social media. Everyone loves a main character moment every now and then, and Spotify Wrapped fuels this.
Wrapped continues to dominate Instagram Stories and our X (formally Twitter) feeds. Even the Insta Story of someone we haven’t seen, heard from or spoken to in god knows how long, we can’t help but stop and have a nosey at any mention of their Spotify Wrapped, which is the power behind the campaign.
Giving us the ability to choose exactly which slides we’d like to share on our Stories, and even a choice of colourways, is the perfect example of creating content specifically for sharing.
Data-Driven Insights
Spotify sets itself apart from other streaming platforms with its unique data-driven insights. There is quite literally no way of hiding your listening habits; they see everything *shudders*. If you think your day of listening to ’I’m Just Ken’ on loop went undetected, think again.
Using these insights allows users to have a fun and interactive experience that they wouldn’t normally get. It’s also a huge factor in helping Spotify enhance user experience, target users with things such as ‘concerts near you’, and tailor any future marketing campaigns so they’re directed at individual users.
Emotional Connection
No matter what your stats say, Spotify Wrapped brings millions of people together with collective embarrassment. And always gives us a false sense of what we listen to. In our minds, we listen to normal songs a very normal amount.
But once Wrapped comes around, we’re hit with the uncomfortable reality that we’ve listened to the same three songs on repeat, and they’re always guilty pleasures that are best kept unseen. These emotional connections and feelings are a big factor in Spotify’s success.
Beyond the numbers and stats, it taps into a part of the human psyche by highlighting the nostalgia and memories associated with each track and lets us bond over our shared interests or wild cards in our listening habits. Over 71% of customers would recommend a brand after building an emotional connection with them, so Spotify putting this as their main focus is crucial to their success.
Reflection & Brand Loyalty
The overarching theme of Spotify Wrapped is the brand loyalty it creates. By consistently creating visually appealing content and personalised data, it strengthens the bond between consumers and the platform.
Spotify users have become loyal and dedicated to the platform because they’re hooked on the yearly round-ups. Wrapped is able to give music streamers something that they wouldn’t get from any other platform, setting it well apart from any competitors. Who’s Apple Music anyway?
Spotify, time and time again, sets itself apart from competitors with its mastery of marketing. Blending storytelling, brand loyalty, emotional connection and data with personalisation is the perfect blend that keeps consumers coming back for more.
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