STRATEGIC BRIEF:
SPOTIFY BOOKS CAMPAIGN
Strategist: Zachary Raber
Art Director: Georgie Blenkey
THE MILE HIGH VIEW
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Spotify has 406 million users, but a relatively unknown second content offering: audiobooks.
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Spotify wrapped has taken social media by storm, offering unprecedented music shareability. It also stands as one of the music giant’s points of difference.
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Spotify can dive deeper into interactive platform elements for a unique user experience. This time, it’s through Spotify’s most unique offering yet: The Spotify Points Program.
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PRESSURE POINT 01
“It’s not that I don’t want to read. It’s just hard to find time. My eyes are tired after work.”
Freetime can feel like work time. After reading emails, briefs, and research articles all day, sometimes we need to give the visual side of our brain a break. We make it easier.
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PRESSURE POINT 02
“I need audiobooks in an accessible place. I don’t want to jump through hoops to find them.”
Tracking things down is a serious blocker. Spotify is one of the most frequently-used apps, and the audiobook content offering is only a tap away.
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PRESSURE POINT 03
“My various rewards points are collecting dust. I also don’t want to have to pay to earn points.”
We borrow psychology from addictive gaming apps (highly popular with Gen-Z). Our user interface is motivating, and progressing doesn’t require a single purchase.
THE SPOTIFY POINTS PROGRAM
The Basics:
I) Earn one point per minute listened.
II) Earn more points for completing challenges.
III) Collect rewards as you go.
Why It Works:
Rewards psychology used by huge brands and gaming applications to hook people on point collection rewards.
BRINGING THE PROGRAM TO LIFE:
UX / UI INTERFACE
The Spotify Program is a natural expansion of Spotify’s current in-app offerings, keeping the app’s iconic design while lifting the UI to new interactive highs.
Research highlighted that the most popular games in the app store have used rewards systems that aren’t tied to actual purchases. These point systems drive daily login loyalty, trigger dopamine releases, and build micro-routines. The Spotify Points Program borrows the habit-building power to gain traction in its lesser-known second content offering.
ELEMENT I
BOLD GUERILLA MARKETING
Non-conventional low-cost marketing makes a big splash in metropolitan areas. It gets thousands of eyes per hour in unexpected ways, aiming for the chuckle or double-take.
The balloons dangle the one-liner “now it pays to listen” and keep the explanation a single scan away. They act as a flashy lure for converting passersby into campaign splash page site visitors.
Hundreds of campaign promo balloons can be placed at high-impact areas: subway stations, bus stops, bike racks, light posts, sidewalks, and benches.
YOUTUBE PRE-ROLL AD
10-second pre-roll ad for YouTube. Copy: “Reading 20,000 Leagues may feel like it’ll take 20,000 hours… We’ve got some incentives.”
FINE-TUNED PLACEMENTS:
COMMUTER BILLBOARDS
DIVING INTO BRAND VOICE:
CAMPAIGN ARCHETYPING
PRIMARY: SAGE
SECONDARY: JESTER
The Spotify Books campaign takes on a punch complementary archetype structure— two identities at polar ends of the wheel. The primary tone of the Sage positions Spotify as a value-driven provider of diverse learning experiences. The meekness of the archetype is energized by the Jester, which injects lighthearted fun into the brand’s campaign voice.