Luxury consumers want to experience brands. They want to know what a brand feels like, tastes like, sounds like. And what better way to show them how your brand sounds than through music?
Brands like Bergdorff Goodman and Hugo Boss are creating playlists on Spotify and using them to engage prospective customers – particularly their more aspirational audiences. Mercedes launched an even more robust Spotify campaign in Singapore to appeal to the “corporate rockstar” and shed the perception of the brand there as old and stodgy.
Using music to express your brand’s personality isn’t anything new. Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn have sold branded compilation CDs right at the register for nearly two decades now. One of my favorite R&B compilations is still the W Hotels CD I “borrowed” from my boss over 10 years ago.
But Spotify brings a different dimension to the branded listening experience – the social dimension. And luxury brands have been slowly starting to understand the possibilities.
Is it all an effort on Spotify’s part to hold ground against the upcoming debut of iTunes Radio (which is already aligning with brands for the masses, like McDonald’s and Pepsi)? Very likely. Fear is a great motivator.
Regardless of which streaming video channel you choose, the emotional connection it can create with both affluent consumers and affluent-consumers-to-be is worth exploring for nearly any luxury marketing brand. Just make sure you’re careful not to align your brand with any controversial artists (ahem, Miley Cyrus).
Other high-end brands that have been using Spotify’s branded playlists to their advantage include:
Will you add yours to the list?