A Westward Mirage

Listening to music became much more personal when Spotify, a popular music streaming platform, created a way for individual users to get a yearly breakdown of all of their most listened-to artists and songs. Launching in 2015, Spotify Wrapped gives each of its subscribers a fun and personable presentation containing cameos from even some of the biggest names in music, gifting each user a tailor-made takeaway to share with their friends on social media.

Now in 2025, Spotify has created a strong media marketing strategy that has other music brands, and even corporations, following suit trying to match the engagement Spotify received, but why was it such a smart move and why was it such a hit among users? Here’s why it was such a success, and this is what I would have measured if I was in charge of the campaign.

1. It Taps into Human Truth

Let’s face the music, we as humans love to learn more about ourselves. Spotify Wrapped takes the concept of a personality test and evolves it into music that gives users a lens into their own personalities and conciseness. By using listening data, Spotify allows users to tell their stories without using words.

2. The Customer is the Heart of the Campaign

Spotify uses its Wrapped experience as a reward to loyal customers. It is an annual celebration that allows users to take a trip down memory lane and see their happiest (… and sometimes less happy…) moments. It creates a bond that showcases how far the user and the music have come together.

3. Measuring the Success: What I Would Have Tracked

If I were in charge of the Spotify Wrapped Campaign, this is what I would have analyzed:

The execution of Spotify Wrapped was genius and it crossed over so many different media channels. The campaign itself is designed to go viral.

Awareness Metrics

1. Impressions: The number of times Spotify Wrapped appeared on social media timelines whether they interacted with the post or not. This would show me how far the campaign was reaching in terms of digital foot traffic.
2. Reach: The number of unique users who saw reposts about Spotify Wrapped. This would show me how far the campaign has spread across all social platforms.
3. Brand Mentions: I would track the number of times Spotify Wrapped was shared or mentioned through users’ social media profiles, on the internet, and how much social media content was generated through the inspiration of Spotify Wrapped.

These three things are vital to track because impressions and reach are what show the exposure of the brand. Brand mentions indicate how much buzz the campaign is creating across the internet.

Engagement Metrics

1. Shares: How many people are sharing their Wrapped Summaries on social media platforms, and how many people are sharing memes and other user-generated content that mimics Spotify Wrapped.
2. Mentions & Hashtags: How many users are mentioning Spotify in a direct tag or hashtag across social media, both good and bad.
3. Saves: How many people are saving their Wrapped Summaries or other content from Wrapped on social media and the app.

But why track? It’s important to track the engagement the campaign is bringing because it shows the customer sentiment and buzz surrounding it. High levels of engagement mean that the public is really catching onto the creative strategy the brand is playing off of, and it means the campaign is leaving an impression.

Not only is Spotify Wrapped a genius marketing strategy, but it continues to grow year after year because the content creates itself. Users are the ones who spread the good news about Spotify, and creates FOMO for non users or those who don’t subscribe to the premium perks Spotify has to offer.

Spotify Wrapped created a way for loyal paying customers to feel seen and special, and by measuring both awareness and engagement metrics, Spotify can hear straight from the public why their company is such a hit and how they can build off of this marketing success.