Hyundai scores many firsts in landmark partnership with Spotify India

Over the years Spotify has set a standard in the online music streaming industry that others aspire to reach. This is largely down to its ability to curate music to each individuals’ tastes and preferences. Its algorithms are smart enough to keep the listener hooked. How can marketers seek advantage of a ready audience to whom relevant messages can be delivered?

Hyundai has done just that. It has sponsored Spotify’s playlist, “Discover Weekly” to spread awareness about the launch of the Hyundai i20N Line. By doing so, it has become the first algorithmic playlist that is being sponsored in India. Instead of a “spray and pray” marketing campaign where an ad is delivered to the masses, this novel medium on Spotify offers Hyundai for driving home personalised targeted messages.

“Hyundai is an innovative brand and our prime focus has always been to create unique curated content and engage new age customers. We firmly believe that our association with Spotify for an industry-first activation of ‘Discover Weekly’ algorithmic playlist will place Hyundai brand at the center of music culture and will further strengthen our brand connect with smart and trend setters music lovers” said Mr Tarun Garg, Director (Sales, Marketing & Service) Hyundai India.

“Discover Weekly” is an algorithmically-curated playlist that is personalized and delivered to Spotify listeners across the world every Monday. For a vast majority of these listeners – 36% of who are in the 25 to 34 age range – it’s something they look forward to as they begin their week and to discover new music specially tailored to their tastes and musical preferences. Because of its highly personalized experience, Discover Weekly users stream more than 2x as long as non-Discover Weekly users. These listeners tend to be smart, savvy, early adopters and trend-setters who define culture and are eager to embrace the next big thing.

This is especially important because Hyundai i20 N Line has features that are squarely targeted to a young car-buyer. With recognizable looks and great handling agility, Hyundai N Line makes each drive a sporty experience, a crucial element that customers tend to base their buying decision on.

One of the unique challenges every advertiser faces is on how to become part of the customers’ daily routine. By tapping into a very personal medium, when folks listen and enjoy their favourite music, Hyundai and Spotify have pulled off a marketing coup. By sponsoring “Discover Weekly” locally, the automaker placed a brand message, it has connected with its prospective buyers. It demonstrated to its audience that the Hyundai N Line is the best fit for the customer’s lifestyle.

Technology is at play too. Using mobile overlay and Spotify India’s Audio Everywhere solution, Hyundai was able to tap into the “discovery” mindset of listeners with customized in-playlist messaging, thus driving action to know more about the car and to experience it.

“We're excited that Hyundai is India’s first brand to sponsor Discover Weekly, a powerful personalisation experience that Spotify uniquely offers our fans. This partnership uses the intimacy of audio, backed by our streaming intelligence, and supercharges discovery for Hyundai’s audience,” said Arjun Ravi Kolady, Head of Sales at Spotify India.

What makes the experience different is that the customised in-playlist messaging consisted of audio spots that were curated to pique the users’ interest on what it would be like to drive the Hyundai i20 N Line and look at the world as their playground. With the sporty roaring exhaust note sound, engine revving, and the car powering through a road, the creatives exemplified that ‘It’s time to play,’ and made listeners feel the sporty fit that the Hyundai i20 N Line is.

In a world where consumers are bombarded with different messages through different impersonalised media channels, a partnership like the one with Hyundai and Spotify stands out. It illustrates the old cliché that “medium is the message” and also makes it that much more personal.  

The pages slugged ‘Brand Connect’ are equivalent to advertisements and are not written and produced by Forbes India journalists.