Stand out and be heard this festive season, with Spotify

The upcoming festive season is one the busiest times for any marketer and planner in India. It will be a festive season that’s drastically 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 it 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 just an email away at spotify-advertising-india@spotify.com Spotify: The ‘new normal’ in media On an average, the Indian listener spends 2.5 hours per day on audio and 80% 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 device 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.  As the world’s largest streaming service, 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 our listeners stream, the more insights we derive from their listening behavior – and this powers what we call our Streaming Intelligence. Streaming intelligence helps brands make their communication more relevant, engaging, and meaningful. For instance, 75% of Spotify listeners say they remember ads more when the ads recognize their moment or setting2. Furthermore, This sensory combination extends your creative options, giving you the best of both worlds. Spotify data shows that running both video and audio increases ad recall by 90% 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% more on what they want than any other cohort4. With music emerging as the warm blanket of comfort in these unsettling and uncertain times, it’s little wonder users are turning to Spotify for festive content. Daily festive streams saw an increase of 63%, and occasion and activity based streams grew 155%5. It’s going to be the same this year, perhaps even more so. With music being an integral part of the celebrations, and bringing friends and family together on Spotify, it’s one platform that marketers need to plug in to, ASAP.  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 way that’s unique. Listeners are in the mood for memories as much as living in the moment with activities such as festive cooking. A massive 441% increase in user-generated cooking/dinner playlists bears this out while a growth of 290% for nostalgia streams and 590% for home (and homesick) playlists shows that listeners are turning to music to connect with memories of good times past. 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 in mind specific consumer personas and/or festive moods, creative audio to complement a brand’s in-store experience - the list of possibilities goes on and on. So if you’re looking to add a sparkle to your media plan this festive season, look to Spotify. Write into spotify-advertising-india@spotify.com 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       This is a partnered post.