What advertisers can learn from Spotify’s latest offering
Different people require different things when it comes to working, but there is one element that many tune into to boost their concentration, or indeed their mood: music. No matter what the jam – or how many beats per minute – music and radio have the power to bring an office to life.
Spotify has decided to make the most out of this by extending a new offer: Spotify for Work, a programme that allows employers to provide their workers with Prime accounts, both inside and outside working hours. For now, Spotify have only kicked off this new deal with global professional services firm Accenture, but future collaborations are well within the realm of possibility.
It’s easy to see how this is a win-win situation for all involved: employees get an extra shiny benefit to enjoy whether they’re working, commuting, or in their free time, while Spotify sees its reach and number of premium accounts soar, extending, perhaps, beyond previous limitations.
The office: a place of silence or sound?
What does a positive, engaging, and productive office environment sound like?
While complete silence might be considered the sound of hard work, the truth is, many of us would not want to work in an office without an atmosphere. Having the radio on – or a collaborative playlist on a streaming platform – is a common way to lend some character to the workplace. Indeed, it provides a lot of opportunity for conversation, for laughter, for team members to bond over music preferences, and generally to lighten the mood. You may discover a new side to your co-worker, such as an unexpected musical choice (Mariah Carey, perhaps).
Of course, whereas previously, you would tune into FM radio, now there are a number of ways to get your music fix. From digital radio sets to laptops or phones connected to smart speakers – with estimates of future smart speaker installations to reach 640 million by 2024 and over half (52%) of the UK’s internet-using households owning voice-activated speakers – there is a whole community of listeners for advertisers to tap into.
This is where the evolving capabilities of audio advertising technology can really come to the fore. Interactive audio advertising is a great and non-invasive method to capture a listener’s attention. It plays on the strengths of both audio and technology, giving the audience the power to easily engage with the ads that interest them through their own devices.
These interactions are also incredibly varied in their offering: listeners might choose to share their mobile number to receive a link or calendar invite when making a booking, learn more about a product or service, get the contact details for a sales representative, or even find out about any timely deals or vouchers.
Advertising in this way creates an incredibly seamless transition for the audience, who can decide when and where they want to tune in, all the while enjoying the perks of communal listening.
Listening in
Whether office teams prefer classical over pop, some disco funk, or some golden oldies, having some media playing in the background is something that many employees will appreciate, and perhaps even look for when considering their ideal work environment. This means there is room for advertisers to spread their message and extend their reach – especially if they can do it in a way that is both easy to use and non-intrusive.
TGIF playlist, anyone?
