WPP creates first-party data partnership with Spotify

WPP and Spotify have joined forces to offer WPP's clients early access to Spotify's ad products and first-party intelligence, catering to engaged audiences on a large scale. 

The collaboration sees Spotify becoming the first digital audio platform to be directly integrated into WPP's suite of products and solutions.  

The integration will explore possibilities with WPP’s 'Choreograph' insights platform, and leverage Spotify's first-party data insights to help clients create effective and creative digital audio advertising strategies through aggregated listening patterns. 

The partnership will also scale training programs for both WPP's employees and clients, with a focus on digital audio creativity and Spotify's ad products. WPP will also have early access to Spotify's Neuro-Insight's research. 

“In the fast-evolving media and entertainment landscape, audio streaming has become an integral part of everyday life,” said Stephan Pretorius, the chief technology officer of WPP. 

“At WPP, we recognise the power of audio as a critical component of marketing. The intent of this partnership is to integrate Spotify’s insights with the Choreograph platform to create more innovative and relevant ways to connect our clients with their customers.” 

WPP has already started using Spotify's 'Sonic Science' insights study for its clients. Conducted in conjunction with WPP’s Mindshare, the study delves into the connection between Spotify, digital audio ads, and listeners.  

Spotify, together with research firm Neuro-Insight, recreated its Sonic Science Volume 1 study using audio ads from WPP clients to explore engagement triggers, emotional intensity, memory recall, and more. 

The platform found Spotify's audience shows consistently higher levels of engagement compared to other media formats such as visual media (+24%), other audio media (+27%), and social media (+38%).

There was a 17% increase in ad engagement when listeners transition from music or podcasts to real WPP client's audio ads, highlighting the effectiveness of audio advertising.  

In addition, Spotify found strong engagement in both podcast and music environments, with ad engagement remaining high for listeners in both scenarios (+29% for music and +36% for podcasts). 

“We’ve long partnered with WPP to enable agency planners and buyers to make more informed decisions when planning for digital audio. With our new global partnership, we’re helping WPP clients modernise their strategy and planning,” said Brian Berner, global head of advertising sales at Spotify. 

“More than 550 million people across 184 markets come to Spotify every month to be entertained, to learn and to discover for nearly two-and-a-half hours each day. As we continue to drive innovation in audio and the advertising industry at large, partners like WPP are critical to delivering for advertisers, creators and audiences wherever they are.”