December 01, 2022
4 minutes
The day that Spotify Wrapped drops for every user, opening up social media apps, group chats and, of course, Spotify itself has everyone grinning like spoilt children at Christmas.
Averaging 41 million searches worldwide in the past month according to Google Trends, ‘Spotify Wrapped’ is popular with audiences far and wide. Search volumes across the globe illustrate just a glimpse of how popular the concept is in some of the largest countries.
| Country | Search Volume |
|---|---|
| USA | 90,500 |
| UK | 33,100 |
| Spain | 14,800 |
| Brazil | 27,100 |
| India | 18,100 |
| Canada | 12,100 |
| AU | 12,100 |
| France | 5,400 |
At the same moment, every year for the last four years searches for ‘Spotify Wrapped’ has peaked in the double-digit millions worldwide.
Similarly, the search term of the brand name ‘Spotify’ has followed a similar trajectory.
So, what is it that makes Spotify Wrapped so successful as content and what – if anything – can content marketers learn from it?
User-Centred Content Always Works
Take away Google, take away algorithms, take away data, the type of content that will always perform well is that which makes the user feel something. Whether they feel understood, shocked, appreciated, cared for or even sad, content that provokes feeling and is personal to the user is going to cut through. Spotify Wrapped, quite literally, shows that the brand has listened to its users for a whole year, that it’s been there with them through the ups, downs, heartaches, losses, loves, studying – everything.
Summarising this every year and personalising it to the user has made Spotify as common as New Year’s resolutions. A reliable experience every year that helps users creatively reflect on the past year. Users also know that they won’t feel as strongly a reaction at this point if they don’t dedicate themselves to using Spotify all year round – successfully pushing the product in a way that makes the user feel it benefits them and not the company they’re paying every month.
Utilising Internal Data Creates Uniqueness
No other system could provide users with the insights that Spotify does because it uses its own internal data, personal to its users. Brands that make the most of internal data in their marketing efforts are always going to stand out amongst the rest.
Similarly, internal data can be a great basis for a digital PR campaign – nothing is more attractive to journalists than data-led storytelling that makes a unique impact.
Shareable Snippets Are Successful
How many screenshots of Spotify Wrapped did you receive this week? How many have you seen shared on social media as super fans scramble to show the world a snapshot into their personality, their likes, and their guilty pleasures?
Shareable content that has a linkable asset, has something interactive or shares something insightful performs well and if it’s in short form, summarised well and scannable then that’s an even bigger win-win.
It’s Not Always About NEW Users
When we think of marketing, we always think about how we can attract more users, more traffic and new people to the site. Whilst this is also a huge driving force of Spotify Wrapped, it’s done in a clever way that, instead, rewards users that have been loyal to the brand all year long. Creating content that champions users at the loyalty stage of the user journey shouldn’t be ignored, content marketing is not just about new customer acquisition, it’s also about maintaining a good relationship with those you’ve already captured.
You Don’t Always Have To Re-Invent The Wheel
Spotify Wrapped happens the same way at the same time every year, whilst the graphics may slightly change the message is still exactly the same. Spotify has yet to add something new or surprise its listeners with a twist. Sometimes, the big stunts and the unexpected changes aren’t what users want.
Reliable, predictable yet interesting content that’s accurate and tells the user something is much more evergreen and can – like Spotify Wrapped – become an integral tradition.
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