Spotify Makes Fun Of Its Users As A Marketing Strategy, And It's Brilliant

If you thought no one would ever know that you still have an unhealthy obsession with Hanson, then you're sadly mistaken!

Stephanie

• Published in Funny
• October 25, 2021

If you love music as much as I do, chances are you're a Spotify user. And if you're a Spotify user, you will know that the top music streaming service in the world loves to keep track of what its users are listening to.

So, if you thought that sad playlist you created after your last breakup was private, think again! And if you thought no one would ever know that you still have an unhealthy obsession with Hanson, then you're sadly mistaken!

The best part is that Spotify has come up with a way to use its customers' listening habits to create a series of effective (and hilarious) ads. Each one pokes fun at the embarrassing playlists created by its members (a.k.a. us)!

The Swedish company was founded back in 2006. And with more than 356 million monthly active users, it has quickly dominated the digital music streaming scene.

A large part of Spotify's success can be credited to its clever marketing techniques. The company continues to innovate its advertising structure and, in doing so, has achieved huge things in a relatively short amount of time.

Scroll down to take a look through some of Spotify's best and funniest ads. From making fun of playlist names to mentioning the unspeakable number of times certain songs have been played, we've got them all below for your entertainment!

1. "Do not delete!"

2. Burnnn!

3. But really, what did you do?

4. "Sorry I lost your cat."

5. Be less proficient.

Spotify knows that the way to attract younger users is to attract social media attention. And the way to do that is to focus on popular trends.

The company also knows that change is key to keeping people's interest. So, you will find that Spotify's ad campaigns will continue to change from year to year.

For example, consider the year 2016. It was an odd year with Donald Trump being elected President, not to mention Brexit. Well, the people at Spotify were quick to realize that 2016 was a unique year, and naturally they used it to their advantage.

A series of billboards were released poking fun at users who had listened to different songs many, many times. Each one also included the phrase, “Thanks, 2016. It’s been weird,” written in small black letters.

6. "It's The End Of The World As We Know It."

7. "Slow Hands."

8. How do you make a playlist, any way?

9. "Daddy Pence Come Dance."

10. "Root Canal Songs."

Then there was 2018. Back in 2017, it was trendy to include the hashtag #goals in social media posts.

So, once again, Spotify used the trend to its advantage. Towards the end of 2017, the company launched an ad campaign called, "2018 Goals."

It was a small jab at social media users. And it worked!

Continuing to run with the trends on social media, in 2018 Spotify used the infamous Yanny vs. Laurel debate for their #2018Wrapped billboards.

11. Finallyyy!!!

12. "Boys Of Yoga."

13. No one likes a violent piano.

14. "Sick Bush Doof."

15. We love you!

Spotify Wrapped was launched in 2017. The advertising strategy was created by user-generated content alone.

It was a simple concept. Each year, users would get a report that lists what their most listened to songs were on Spotify.

Spotify Wrapped allows the user to how many songs they listened to during the year, their favorite artists, how long they spent listening to music, and lots of other interesting bits and pieces.

The campaign was genius, as it reinforced the personalization aspect of Spotify. Musicians even jumped on board, applauding the company for the idea.

16. All CAPS All Stars!

17. Savage.

18. You OK?

19. Sorry Ralph!

20. So many questions.

21. Operating room playlists.

22. Panda-related songs.

23. Who doesn't love gingers?

24. Be humble. Sit down.

25. Keep it on.

26. "Smashed Avo."

27. "Leftist Elitist Snowflake BBQ."

Above all else, Spotify knows that personalized marketing works. It increases brand loyalty and demonstrates an enjoyable experience to users.

Another clever aspect is that Spotify's personalized marketing is shareable. People love to share their yearly charts and compare them with friends and family.

Lastly, when users look back on their listening habits for each year, they are reminded of many songs they may have since forgotten about. Subconsciously, this encourages people to continue their subscriptions and create more playlists.

Any business can learn a lot from Spotify and its clever marketing techniques. So, what ideas will you take from this epic

Stephanie