Spotify Wrapped: The Greatest PR Campaign
It’s that time of the year: Spotify Wrapped came out on Nov. 29.
In case you have been living under a rock, Spotify Wrapped is an annual campaign that celebrates the user’s loyalty to the app by reviewing their top artists, songs and listening minutes throughout the year. For the 2023 edition, Spotify managed to get around 40,000 artist cameo videos, grouping users into 12 listening habits such as “vampire” and “alchemist” and even included an AI DJ to have a curated radio station of the user’s top songs.
With quirky graphics and tongue-in-cheek commentary, Spotify Wrapped is a national holiday for music lovers and Spotify listeners everywhere. If anything, Spotify is doing everything right. Spotify Wrapped alone is free buzz marketing for the brand to reach out to both an existing and new audience. Spotify can thank social media for making this happen.
Not only is Wrapped interactive with the user, but it is extremely shareable. One thing about me is that I LOVE seeing other people share their Spotify Wrapped data online. I feel like I learn about someone’s personality just by looking at their results. This year, many Spotify users flocked to platforms such as Instagram and X to talk about which Sound Town Spotify placed them in. Sound Town is a new feature for this year’s Wrapped which categorizes users which town they most likely resemble based on the residents of the town who supposedly had the same music taste. This feature even had the City of San Luis Obispo posting online. What should PR pros take away from this?
The personal touch
I can talk all day about Spotify Wrapped and how great of a campaign it is. I think one of the many reasons to list is that it is VERY personal. Spotify knew how to properly insert slang and sentimental touch that turns users into brand advocates.
Timing is crucial
Arguably, Spotify Wrapped is talked about year-round. What makes Wrapped smart is that it is a year-end gimmick that was strategically planned. To release Wrapped towards the end of the year delves the listener into a conclusion of their year based on what they listened to. For a campaign to work, timing is crucial to cultivate trends and create relevance to your brand.
Repeat, repeat and repeat
All in all, Spotify Wrapped is just to release data about the user’s listening habits. However, this campaign gets bigger every year. Even with the fun things Spotify can add to Wrapped, the part the user loves is that there is something to look forward to. What Spotify does best is that they stick to what works for them: amplify awareness, engage users and increase brand loyalty.