CULTURE NEXT 2022 VOLUME 4

EDITION 2022 GLOBAL TRENDS REPORT GEN Z CREATOR EDITION 2022 GLOBAL TRENDS REPORT GEN Z CREATOR EDITION 2022 GLOBAL TRENDS REPORT GEN Z CREATOR EDITION 2022 GLOBAL T

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GEN ZS CONSTRUCT THE NEXT

ERA OF CULTURE, BLURRING THE
LINES BETWEEN CONSUMPTION
AND CREATION.
they’re harnessing as they look towards the more that form the immersive soundtrack of
WHO IS GEN Z, REALLY? WHO IS GEN Z, REALLY? WHO IS GEN Z, REALLY?
future: Idealistic and Passionate, were among their lives. Digital audio streaming habits are
the music moods that grew most among Zs personal. They're a strong predictor of Zs'
By: Dawn Ostroff Chief Content & Advertising Business Officer, Spotify
in the last year.6 But make no mistake: Zs are attitudes and moods, and what's in store for
highly aware of the world around them. Our culture at large. So, if you want to understand
How has a generation moved from 2022 alone, 18- to 24-year-olds have already research shows that Zs are more likely than this consumer demographic, tune into what
"emerging" to the center stage of culture played more than 578 billion minutes of music millennials to describe their generation as they're doing on Spotify. And if you want to
faster than the world could understand on Spotify — more than any other cohort, and “stressed out” (67% vs 48%), and more likely connect with this generation in meaningful
them? By raising their voices, listening to roughly 16 billion more minutes than 25- to to agree that “my generation is under too ways — we can help with that, too. I’ve spent
one another, and blurring the lines between 34-year-olds.4 much pressure to fix the world’s issues” (76% my career developing content for younger
consumption and creation. The youngest vs 72%).7 With all that external pressure, generations, from TV to digital media and
Zs are well into their high school years, In this year's Culture Next, we dive ever audio helps Zs turn inward to understand more. At Spotify, I’ve seen firsthand what sets
while the oldest are starting to enter the deeper into Gen Z as tastemakers, fans, and enhance their inner journeys. Eighty Gen Z apart. They’re expressive, resilient, and
workforce. As creators, their approach to and, most of all, individuals navigating and percent said audio allows them to explore ready to disrupt culture. Read on for insights
music and podcasts are forging entirely defining their place in the world through different sides of their personality, while more and inspiration about meaningful ways to
new aesthetics, genres, and fandoms. As audio. As Gen Zs’ global destination for audio than a third said the podcasts they choose connect with them through audio.
listeners, their tastes and habits are fluid and streaming, here are the top trends and insights to stream are the ones that help them feel
say a lot about who they are.1 Above all else, we uncovered during our research – and how a range of emotions, from joy to sadness.8 1-2, 5, 7-9 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22
as a generation, they're more engaged we’re seeing it play out on our platform in When things get too raw or real, Zs are more 3-4, 6 Spotify First Party Data, Q1 2022 vs. Q1 2021

with digital audio than ever. In 2021, ways that both validated our predictions and likely than other gens to say they use audio as
Gen Zs streamed music more often than took us by surprise. a respite from their current reality.9
they used other media (including videos,
games, and TV).2 They also shared more Despite everything, Zs are ready to make We know the conversation around Gen Z is
Spotify playlists and engaged in more group the world a better place. Sixty-nine percent incredibly noisy. But we believe Spotify offers
listening sessions than any other generation, of Zs characterize their generation as change- something different: A deeper, more intimate
making them the most social generation of makers rather than status quo,5 and their understanding of this generation through
audio streamers.3 Now, in the first quarter of collective soundtrack reveals the energy the music, podcasts, playlists, fandoms, and

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TABLE OF
CONTENTS

03 CHASING CREATORS METHODOLOGY

Gen Zs revolutionize the relationship between audio For this issue of Culture Next, Spotify conducted a combination of
creators and their fans. qualitative, quantitative, and first-party data analysis that explored distinct
segments of Gen Z (15-25) based on lifestage, as well as their millennial
06 ALTER EGO AUDIO (26-40) counterparts.

Through digital audio, Zs find new ways to express their

We partnered with youth culture agency Archrival to conduct eight Zoom
individuality.
focus groups and 13 in-depth interviews, ultimately speaking with over
four dozen respondents around the globe, in the United States, Canada,
09 HEAR IT OUT Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom, India,
18- to 24-year-olds turn to podcasts to process life’s most Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Japan, Australia / New Zealand, and the
complex issues. United Arab Emirates. We conducted additional in-depth interviews with
advertising and audio industry thought-leaders.
12 NOUVEAU NOSTALGIA We also fielded a global quantitative survey via Lucid among 12,500
Gen Zs innovate by filtering throwbacks through a respondents in March and April of 2022 (with approximately 650-750
contemporary lens. respondents per market — both in the above markets, as well as Thailand).
Findings were additionally grounded in Spotify’s unique Streaming
15 LIFE IN STEREO Intelligence and first-party data.
Brands deepen the personal narratives Zs share
about themselves.

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TREND NO. 1

Chasing
Creators
Gen Zs are revolutionizing the creator-fan relationship,
turning it from a one-way broadcast into a two-way
exchange. Now, creators are building entire digital worlds
for their ride-or-dies to dig into — and carving their own
path to stardom in the process.

GLOBAL TRENDS REPORT TREND ONE CHASING CREATORS GLOBAL TRENDS REPORT TREND ONE CHASING CREATORS GLOBAL TREND

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CHASING
PROCAL
“ CREATE A RECI
RELATIONSHIP
A
AND NOT JUST

CREATORS TI O NA L
UNIDIREC
IT 'S A M UC H
ONE…
RE EN RI CH IN G
MO
BOTH
SCENARIO FOR
TO R AN D
THE CREA
N SU M ER .”
THE CO
N AGUILERA
— MUSIC BELÉ

Through Discord chats, TikTok updates, texting,

and even IRL interactions, Zs are creating a
new style of creator-fan relationship based not
on one-way admiration, but on mutual kinship.
Even for smaller emerging creators, Zs are
forming online communities where they can
gather and encourage each other to chase down
every scrap of information they can find about
their favorite artists. We’re not just talking fan
culture here; we’re talking stan culture.

Enabling these standoms is a new generation one-on-one in the worlds they’ve built for their
of creators who are fans of, well, their fans — fans. Huron John, for example, hosts an active ZS ARE MORE LIKELY
and are skilled at constructing entire worlds Discord to keep up with fans. Podcast hosts, THAN MILLENNIALS
to keep the mutual interest going. Lil Nas X, too, are prompting their ride-or-dies to follow TO FOLLOW A MUSIC
CREATOR ON SOCIAL
who ran a Nicki Minaj stan account before not just a single channel or project, but the MEDIA AFTER LISTENING
becoming famous himself, engaged his fandom creator as a whole. “Our advice to connect with TO THEM (46% VS 41%).11
early on by carving endless pathways through Gen Z is to build a community around them,
digital realms, an intimacy he’s kept up even going beyond the audio format itself,” said the 11 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22

as one of the world’s biggest stars.10 But it’s hosts of YO INTERNETO, who regularly engage
smaller emerging artists who are truly engaging in discussions with fans on Twitch.

10 “Lil Nas X finally admitted he's a 'Barb,' confirming long-time

rumors that he ran a Nicki Minaj stan account,” Insider, June 2020

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TAKEAWAYS &
47% O F ZS
E TACTICS
SAID THEY’V
IGITAL
JOINED A D
Y, SUCH
COMMUNIT From that one track they can’t stop playing, to that one podcast
IT OR
AS SUBREDD
episode that makes them laugh (or cry, tbh), musicians and

R FANS
podcasters help give a voice to what Gen Zs might be thinking
DISCORD, FO and feeling. Conversations happening between artists and fans
U L AR
OF A PARTIC
via social media and social audio are adding even more access
and intimacy to the creator-fan relationship. Here are some ways
CREATOR.
13
your brand can bridge the gap between audio creators and their
biggest fans.

PASS THE (HOT) MIC TO CREATORS.

Turn your podcast ad campaign into an audio series that features
bonus content from the hosts, like unaired bloopers, candid
conversations, or feedback from the audience via Q&As and Polls.
Many Z creators are using the digital worlds built
by them or their fans to foster tight-knit fan bases CREATE A DIGITAL JOURNEY.
with deeper, more meaningful connections. “We're Transport Gen Zs to the places where it all started. For Pride,
all just kind of homies,” is how 21-year-old singer- Target created an auditory queer space on Spotify where both
music and storytelling could blend together. LGBTQIA+-identifying
songwriter Dreamer put it. Meanwhile, 17-year-old
artists Hayley Kiyoko and MNEK curated Sounds That Found Us
pop-punk up-and-comer Sophie Powers told Alt playlists, composed of music that reminded them of moments
Press: “I want to build a friendship with anyone who when they felt affirmed. The playlists also included spoken-word
supports my music... I don’t really care if I don’t annotations that allowed the curators to tell their personal stories
have the same huge audience as Ariana Grande, between songs.
but if I can have a small fraction of those dedicated
GO LOCAL.
supporters… that’s all I can ask for.”12 For Gen Z You don’t have to be based in a big city (or have a big budget) to
audiences, that’s just the kind of sentiment that amplify up-and-coming artists and reach Gen Zs. Partner with
makes a creator worth stanning. artists, venues, and other players in your local music scene to reach
Zs in your area with location targeting on Ad Studio, Spotify’s self-
12 “At 17, pop-punk newcomer Sophie Powers is already establishing her identity,” Alt Press, February 2022
serve advertising platform.
13 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22

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TREND NO. 2

Alter
Ego Audio
While previous generations of teens and twentysomethings
often aimed to fit in, Gen Zs aspire to stand out — and
they’re constantly finding new ways to express their
individuality. Audio helps them explore and discover the
most niche sides of themselves, tap into identities they
never knew they had, and even create new ones.

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ALTER
EGO AUDIO

Zs were brought up in a time of social upheaval as

long-standing social structures such as education,
work, and religion were disrupted, and the once-
standard paths to success became overcrowded
— or simply disappeared.14 In this landscape, Zs
grew up not only with the freedom and inspiration
to be different, but the competitive need to stand
out. Nothing enables Zs to explore — and show off
— their unique tastes more than audio. 73% of Zs GEN Z'S AUDIO IMMERSIONS EVEN VEER INTO FANTASY: 74% HAVE LISTENED TO MUSIC FROM
said audio allows them to explore the outer edges
of culture that they wouldn’t otherwise experience.15
A MOVIE OR SHOW THEY LIKE IN ORDER TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE A CHARACTER IN THE STORY.17
But more than that, audio takes them to the outer
edges of themselves: 80% said audio allows them to
explore different sides of their personalities.16
According to Zs, audio even allows the “main character” vibe. Zs globally
them to explore sides of themselves even created 79% of all Spotify playlists
they didn’t know they had or couldn’t with “POV” in the title.19 “I think it plays
otherwise access. Gen Zs are driving into everyone's desire to be perceived as
the “main-character energy” trend, in unique,” said Siena, 20, in Sydney, “but
which people use social media or digital also people placing proper emphasis on,
audio to make themselves feel like the ‘This is my life. I am in control of it.’"
center of attention with all eyes (and
ears) on them.18 Zs tune into Spotify’s
14 ““America Is Having a Moral Convulsion,” The Atlantic, October 2020
own “my life is a movie” playlist, and 15-17 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22
18 “We All Have ‘Main-Character Energy’ Now,” The New Yorker, June 2021
curate playlists that immerse them in 19 Spotify First Party Data, Q1 2022 vs. Q1 2021

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66%
of Zs said they listen to at TAKEAWAYS &
least one music artist or
NA
podcast that others would
“ THERE'S BEE TACTICS
find niche, obscure, or
OT
experimental.23
TREND OF N
AN
JUST BEING
B UT
INDIVIDUAL ,
Welcome to young adulthood, Gen Z. As their personal tastes and
niche interests start to take shape, audio content is their doorway
RENT
BEING DIFFE
to new corners of culture. Zs are looking for opportunities to
embrace the unique, multifaceted aspects of who they are: 63%
Y.”
AND QUIRK
said they own products that allow them to explore different sides
of their personality, and 77% like when brands are able to connect
Y
NEW YORK CIT with their different sides.22 Here are a few ways your brand can
— DYLL AN, 18, help, too.

REVEAL A NEW SIDE TO THEM.

With fluid personalities that can change by the day (or the hour),
try using a playlist generator that analyzes their listening habits to
reveal something new about themselves. JÖRĐ oat drink showed
Spotify listeners how naturally restless their streaming habits were
This gen’s creators are also using audio to bring and gave personalized playlists with new music to explore.
alter egos into the mainstream. While music artists
have been constructing personas for years (from FORGET WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT GENRE.
Ziggy Stardust to Megan Thee Stallion’s Tina Snow), Gen Z is fluid when it comes to factors like gender, politics, and
sexuality — and it’s no different for music. Sponsor playlists like
Zs are getting creative. Yameii Online, for example,
POLLEN and Lorem, which put quality first and genres last. And
is a vocaloid artist created by rapper Deko and visual consider targeting micro-genres like Emo Rap, Trap Latino, and
artist Osean, whose track “Baby My Phone” reached Post-Teen Pop.
No. 2 on the Spotify Viral 50 chart in 2021.20 “Yameii
is the perfect outlet of creation,” Deko told us. “I can MAKE DISCOVERY PART OF THEIR DAILY ROUTINE.
Spotify’s real-time audience and contextual targeting can help
make as cute, fun, and feminine sounding songs as I
brands reach the right Zs at the right time with fresh, unexpected
want.” 59% of Zs said they like when audio creators messages. Like how MIDE, the Interactive Museum of Economics
take on different personas or characters.21 in Mexico, used Ad Studio to pair an educational message (starring
Karl Marx) with reggaetón to promote a new virtual exhibit.
20 “The Year in Music on TikTok 2021,” Pitchfork, December 2021
21-23 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22

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TREND NO. 3

Hear
It Out
Gen Zs are turning to podcasts as a safe space to work
through life’s most complex issues. Especially among
18- to 24-year-olds, who are on their way into adulthood,
podcasts go beyond sheer entertainment and serve as
spaces for knowledge, learning, and even catharsis.

GLOBAL TRENDS REPORT TREND THREE HEAR IT OUT GLOBAL TRENDS REPORT TREND THREE HEAR IT OUT GLOBAL TREND

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HEAR
IT OUT

Navigating everything from college to early

career to new relationships, the teen and
twentysomething life stage demands an
intense need to process one’s experiences.
But Zs may have it even harder than
generations past. Social media has amplified
insecurities by putting young people’s identity
experiments and stumbles on full display. And
on top of it all, the pandemic isolated Zs from
their peers at the very moment they needed
each other most. With all this as a backdrop,
Zs globally are more concerned about mental
health than millennials — in fact, it's the issue
most important to them.24

As Zs seek to gain perspective as to podcasts at least weekly (51% vs 32% of “PODCASTS ARE
they come into their own, they have a 15- to 17-year-olds). 26 Mental Health, the top
heightened need to process their raw podcast genre among Zs, witnessed impressive ASKING FOR HELP
emotions — and audio is providing critical growth with a 62% increase in the number of WITHOUT HAVING
support, especially podcasts. Over the streams among this generation of listeners in
last year alone, we saw a 40% increase in Q1 2022, compared to the year before. 27
TO ASK FOR HELP.”
average podcast listenership among Zs — HANNAH PANGILINAN, HOST OF
PAUSECAST, A SPOTIFY ORIGINAL
on Spotify between Q1 2022 and the year 24, 26 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22
PODCAST
prior. 25 Now, 18- to-24-year-olds are listening 25, 27 Spotify First Party Data, Q1 2022 vs. Q1 2021

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TAKEAWAYS &
73% OF ZUS DSIO
AID
TACTICS
THEY USE A
TAND
TO UNDERS Podcasts have become a space for Gen Z to work through life’s
S
THEMSELVE most complex issues. Whether they’re navigating change (like
MPARED
BET TER, CO
entering college or the workforce) or seeking to learn more about
relationships, Spotify has podcasts that help Gen Z find those
6% OF
WITH JUST 6 answers.

S.
MILLENNIAL
29

USE HOST READS TO BUILD TRUST…

With podcasts being such an intimate audio format, Gen Z feels
especially close to their favorite hosts. Use Host Talent ads, which
are created and voiced by the show's host in the style of the show,
within podcasts where personal anecdotes can complement clear
brand messaging.

Part of the draw of spoken-word content, according …AND VOICE TALENT ADS TO BUILD YOUR AUDIENCE.
to Zs, is that podcasts serve as a safe space for Businesses of all sizes can run Voice Talent ads, which are pre-
processing their feels. Whether they’re feeling too recorded by an actor or producer, across Spotify’s owned and
exclusive shows via the Spotify Audience Network, podcasts
vulnerable to speak up or still figuring out the right from third-party publishers via Megaphone, and up-and-coming
words to describe what they’re feeling, podcasts are podcasts via Anchor. Get started setting up your next podcast
a judgment-free zone. In fact, 62% of 18- to 24-year- campaign with Spotify Ad Studio.
olds said they turn to podcasts to get answers to hard
or personal questions before talking to their families BECOME A PODCAST PRO.
Curious about podcast advertising, but not sure where to start?
about it, and 66% of the same group said they Whether you're new to podcasts or a seasoned pro, the Spotify
listen to podcasts to inform the conversations they Advertising Academy has (free!) resources to help you and
have with their friends.28 This doesn’t mean that Zs your team understand the basics of podcast ads, industry best
aren’t still having deep conversations in-person, but practices, and creative tips. You’ll be telling your pre-rolls from
podcasts have become a powerful supplement. your mid-rolls in no time.

28-29 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22

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TREND NO. 4

Nouveau
Nostalgia
While all generations look back fondly to earlier eras,
Gen Zs are reinventing nostalgia. Zs are filtering pop
culture throwbacks through a current lens to access
and inspire something new and all their own.

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NOUVEAU
NOSTALGIA
68%
of Zs said they like listening
to and watching media from
Faced with climate change, economic upheaval, earlier decades, because
it reminds them of when
and the threat of WWIII (all during their most things were simpler. 32
formative years), Zs are more likely than millennials
to describe their generation as “stressed out” (67%
vs 48%).30 Nostalgia has been shown to provide a
sense of comfort amid uncertainty,31 and the last
few years have been tumultuous to say the least.
However, while millennials are nostalgic for earlier
eras they themselves lived through, Zs will latch
on to almost any era that offers a reprieve from
the heaviness of the now.

Rather than seeing the cultural past emerging artists (Teddy Hyde, Will
as something stagnant, Zs are using Wood). “You have to craft it in a way that
technology — and digital audio speaks to them, and sometimes it's really
streaming, specifically — to mash it all perplexing to see what is the connecting
together to create something totally thread,” said Lizzy Szabo, Senior Editor
new. Take the Gen Z playlist Limelight, at Spotify.
an eclectic sonic hodgepodge of
throwback artists (The Dresden Dolls, 30, 32 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22
31 “A Nostalgia Expert Says Reminiscing Can Provide Happiness
Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor) alongside (so Keep Reposting Those Old Photos),” Well + Good, April 2020

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WHEN ASKED TO RANK

THE EMOTION THEY FEEL
“
TAKEAWAYS &
MOST WHEN LISTENING TO
MUSIC FROM THE PAST, ZS
GLOBALLY WERE JUST AS

TACTICS
LIKELY TO SAY "ENERGIZED"
AS THEY WERE TO SAY
"COMFORT."36

“ WE CAN
BE MOS All generations feel nostalgia, but Gen Z’s relationship to the past

INNOVA T is unique. They like to revisit pre-smartphone, pre-social media

TIVE IN eras when the world seemed more stable and the future felt more
CONTEX certain. Music can be a vehicle of comfort, but also hope. On
T TO TH Spotify, brands can create unique experiences that tap into this
PAST. IT E nostalgia in an aspirational way.
’S EASY
TAKE FR TO TAKE THEM BACK TO THE FUTURE...
OM THE
RE.”
Zs are nostalgic, but they’re also forward-looking. Use contextual
— LEVI, targeting to reach them when they’re listening to nostalgic,
24, BE RLIN sentimental, and other moody playlists. Invite an artist to discuss
how they take musical cues from the past, or tap creators who are
expressing their vision for a new world with audio.
On social media, Zs are mixing old hits with new visual
trends — lip-syncs, dances, makeup tutorials, fit checks, …OR HELP THEM TURN BACK TIME.
and the like — to push them viral once more. Celine Bring the sound of your brand to life with curated Branded Playlists,
Dion's song "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" set a one- throwing it back to the decades and genres that align with your
day streaming record on Spotify 25 years after it first brand’s personality. Or take Gen Z back to specific moments in life,
like Netflix: They transported listeners back to their 12-year-old
came out.33 Nirvana and Coldplay saw a surge in streams
selves for The Adam Project.
among 18- to 24-year-olds globally between March 2022
and the year prior.34 Among Zs, the past is all fuel for STEP INTO THE STUDIO…
the future — and that’s true for more than music. 77% Ad Studio, that is. If it’s your first time making audio ads for
of Zs like when brands bring back old aesthetic styles, Spotify, Ad Studio gives you all the free creative tools, educational
resources, and more to help you recreate nostalgic-sounding ads
and 73% love when brands produce retro products or
that will resonate with Gen Zs — no synthesizer or throwback
content. 35 Brands today need to understand how nuanced celebrity spokesperson necessary.
nostalgia has become to connect with this gen.

33 “Why the music industry is paying close attention to TikTok,” NPR, January 2022
34 Spotify First Party Data, Q1 2022 vs. Q1 2021
35-36 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22

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TREND NO. 5

Life In
Stereo
Self-expression and creativity are core components of how
Gen Zs navigate the world. Now, not only are they leaning
into music artists, podcasts, and playlists to shape the
stories they tell about themselves — they’re inviting brands
to reflect and broadcast their personal narratives as well.

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LIFE IN
STEREO
76%
OF ZS BELIEVE
THAT THEIR
More than any other medium, audio provides
LISTENING
the opportunity for Zs to curate the stories
HABITS TELL A
they want to tell about themselves. Zs have
become especially adept at curating and sharing STORY ABOUT
their personal narratives via playlists. “A lot of us WHO THEY ARE. 38
actually curate our Spotify playlists… to suit the
type of personality that we want to give off,” said
Adele, 19, in Singapore. Branded custom playlists,
which reflect and broadcast users’ specific their profiles, putting front and center the music taste of a potential
tastes, are being embraced by Zs, too. Spotify romantic partner. Meanwhile, Spotify Wrapped, the end-of-year
x Adidas Nite Jogger, for example, created a walk down audio memory lane, has become a cultural staple
custom digital experience that gleaned the “sonic among Zs, especially among 18- to 24-year-olds, who see the
traits” of listeners’ nighttime streaming activity to annual reflection as an opportunity to share their very selfhood via
create a custom playlist unique to each individual. social.37 Podcast hosts are also now letting Zs chime in with their
The campaign racked up 32.4 million impressions opinions via Spotify’s Polls and Q&As, enabling them to engage
and over 9 million unique visitors. directly with podcasts such as Incredible Feats with Dan Cummins
and Crime Countdown – both from Parcast, A Spotify Studio.
As Zs embrace the idea that their listening
habits are a better reflection of who they are 79% OF ZS SAID THEY’VE LEARNED SOMETHING
than most casual conversations, they’re seeking ABOUT THEMSELVES BY LOOKING BACK OVER THEIR
new opportunities to share themselves through LISTENING HABITS.39
audio — and looking to brands to help make it
happen. Tinder’s Spotify integration, for example, 37 Spotify First Party Data, Q1 2022 vs. Q1 2021
allows users to place a 30-second audio loop on 38-39 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22

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“ FROM THE HOLLISTER-BRANDED

MUSIC PLAYLISTS SUCH AS GOOD
VIBRAS (WHICH CELEBRATES
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH)
TAKEAWAYS &
TO ORIGINAL MUSIC FOR OUR
CAMPAIGNS, AUDIO HELPS OUR
TACTICS
BRAND AUTHENTICALLY ADD
VALUE TO THE LIVES OF OUR GEN Gen Zs are at the forefront of culture, constantly finding new ways to
Z CONSUMERS.” express themselves and build communities. Brands have the opportunity
— JACEE SCOULAR, SR. DIRECTOR, BRAND MARKETING STRATEGY AT HOLLISTER
to not only support their journeys, but learn about the lives they live and
how they view the world — especially through Spotify’s diverse slate of
music artists and podcasts.

AUTHENTICITY IS EVERYTHING.
This generation isn’t afraid to call out brands that misuse memes or
appropriate other people’s work. Consider partnering with individual
creators and following their creative lead. You can sponsor relatable,
unapologetically funny and edgy shows like We Said What We Said to
establish an authentic voice, and then scale your ads across the Spotify
Audience Network.

INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION.

So you’ve got Gen Z’s attention. Next, give them a clear path to your
brand with a strong call to action, which can help drive online sales,
Meanwhile, Zs said they’re interested in interacting with increase website visits, or connect with new customers. Make it
brands through customizable ads, too: 46% said they interactive with CTA cards, a new interactive podcast ad format available
like being able to select the ad they listen to on a digital only on Spotify (and coming soon to Ad Studio advertisers).
audio streaming service, and more than a third said
TAP INTO CULTURE IN REAL TIME.
they like it when they can interact with ads.40 So, while One major perk of digital audio? Compared to other formats, it’s pretty
brands of the past may have prioritized keeping an iron easy (and quick) to produce, so businesses of all sizes can join cultural
grip over their messaging, there’s a huge opportunity conversations in real time. Like how Pizza Hut used ear-catching audio ads
to connect with the next generation by handing the and interest targeting to reach hungry sports fans on game days in the U.K.
reins over to them and allowing them to customize
their experience — especially in the space of audio.

40 Spotify Culture Next survey, MAR-APR'22

For Gen Zs across the world, culture happens in real time on Want to become an audio pro? Enroll (for free!) in the Spotify
Spotify. Ready to reach them? Connect with your Spotify rep Advertising Academy for interactive, self-paced courses and
or get started immediately with Spotify Ad Studio. become a certified expert on all things digital audio advertising.
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