Anyone above the age of 30 likely remembers music downloading services such as Limewire. If someone could not purchase a CD they went to a trusted source for this golden nugget. Limewire and others similar to the brand were notorious for downloading any and all music directly onto a compact disc. Enter: the mixed CD. Some of us probably still have some sitting in the attic with our handwriting on them. “Summer 2006 Jams!”
What has replaced older downloading services are streaming apps, right on our smartphones. Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and Apple Music are among the top names in this industry. Some of these applications may have been around prior to 2010. They gained popularity as technology fit more into our hand than on our desks. What are some of these industry leading marketing tips? How did these apps become household names in the musical world seemingly overnight?
How Is Spotify Marketing Their Brand?
This service shares music from around the world in multiple genres. This service also includes podcasts. How did this company curate so much success?
First, Spotify capitalizes on changing their marketing strategy every year. The marketing team uses world events to start their future campaigns. For example, the end of 2016 was the “Thanks 2016, it’s been weird” campaign. This highlighted events such as the election of Former President Donald Trump and Great Britain’s exit from the European Union.
Second, their marketing is a personalization to individual users. Listeners get a recap from their previous year with information about their streaming experience. This includes quantifiable data about how long a user was on the app and how many songs the user was streaming.
What Is the Spotify Brand Strategy?
With all the successful marketing it leads one to wonder how this Swedish company has risen to the top. Originally the creator of Spotify founded it to reduce the issue with music piracy. Historically this application was an invite-only membership. Members have five sharing opportunities to pass around. This creates an exclusive feel to the application. Larger amounts of people want inclusion in entities that are exclusive in nature. This generates a sense of community among users.
The application also offers a free subscription, with ads, and a paid membership. The paid membership has no ads. Listeners can stream a vast variety of music with zero piracy issues. The ads between songs contribute to the revenue stream. The users that pay for a subscription also contribute. Word of mouth sales increase either way.
Next, Spotify chooses to partner with publishers and music labels. This allows Spotify to continue to reach their target audience. It also creates an opportunity for publishers and labels to put their music onto a highly reachable platform. Both parties gain the awareness desired to grow their individual brands. Spotify has also expanded brand partnership to companies like Starbucks and Uber. With Starbucks, users can make a playlist for any Starbucks store. Their brand affiliation is with other globally known names thus generating more of a customer base.
In conclusion, Spotify also chooses an emotionally driven brand strategy. 2013 is when Spotify first used an emotionally driven ad campaign. Their idea was to focus on music’s emotional impacts on listeners. One example is the “#thatsongwhen” campaign. Users were encouraged to share their emotional experiences attached to certain songs.
How Can You Do This Too?
In summary, knowing your brand’s target audience is a key to success. Spotify marketing executives know that they want everyone to stream their service. They know that one way to increase sales is to tap into human emotions. Additionally, a great method is to tailor each experience to the individual.
Your brand strategy can do the same things. Tap into the emotions of your target consumer base. Personalize each experience so customers know and feel that they are important. Generate brand awareness in any way that will guarantee continuous and new customers.
At V12 Strategies we are here to help you do exactly that and more. Give us a call today at (918) 863-5856 or email jp@v12strategies.com!
