What is culture, really? Sure, there’s a universal definition we can all agree on—but in reality, culture is constantly growing, morphing, and being redefined. It’s different for everyone, and Gen Z—the driving influence behind cultural trends on Spotify—agrees.

Spotify creates a deeply personal space for fans to listen, watch, learn, and connect with culture on their own terms. This helps them shape their identities and communities—and project them onto the world.

For brands who want to stay culturally relevant, it’s important to create audio or video ads that reflect your commitment to your audience—and the culture they’re part of or tuning into.

Help fans tune in, not out.

No matter the moment, we have creative principles you can use in all of your messaging on Spotify to help ensure your advertising strategy is creative, inclusive, and culturally relevant.

1. Listen to learn

You can’t act on the concerns of your audience if you don’t hear them. So gather information thoughtfully and intentionally.

Listen to consumers, creators, and thought leaders. Analyze brand sentiment and existing campaigns, and keep a close eye on the cultural narrative. What moments can you plan for? How can you be agile to show up in unexpected viral moments? How do those moments typically play out on Spotify?

Our 2023 Podcast Trends Report highlights streaming insights around major cultural moments on the world stage—and the different ways that brands use them to benefit their marketing efforts.

2. Be inclusive

Creative work is inclusive when it represents the breadth of experience, and authentic when it reflects the nuance. Pay attention to regional diversity (e.g. accents, dialect, activity norms) and cultural cues (e.g. popular food and music, everyday city sounds, typical greetings) that can quickly engage your audience.

3. Diversify your media

Comscore reports that Spotify has the most diverse audience of any streaming platform.¹ To give that some perspective, Spotify is available in 74 different languages across 184 global markets²—helping more than 615 million people connect with creators in their local tongue or even a non-native language if they want.

To help your creative be as diverse as its audience, think about different ways you can effectively diversify your media formats. Audio may be the Spotify staple, but combining it with other formats like video and display may lead to greater resonance across multiple audience segments, and greater impact across the funnel.³

4. Lead with a story.

When used effectively, storytelling is a powerful marketing tactic that can spark a connection and send listeners on a journey. The key to getting it right is finding a familiar narrative; one that strikes a chord with your audience and transports them from their own realities to an imagined, first-person scenario.

It’s also important to be conscientious. Consider using a narrative that’s relevant and conscious of current social climates.