The Trade Desk and Spotify ink programmatic deal bringing audio ads to APAC
The Trade Desk and Spotify have confirmed they are offering audio advertising inventory on the music-streaming service meaning advertisers can now target consumers across APAC using programmatic targeting.
The Trade Desk now enables APAC advertisers to buy ads on Spotify / Spotify
The service is now live across the region after an initial beta-trial that saw participants from agency holding groups, and smaller independent agencies target Spotify users with audio, video and display ads based on specific segments including: age; gender; music genre, including specific playlists.
Both parties claim the latter targeting capability, which includes segments such as commute, workout and party, is a significant development as “users today are no longer just searching for specific genres or artists,” rather they are now looking for playlists that would represent moments in their lives.
Matt Harty, SVP Asia, The Trade Desk, said: "Our goal is to move quickly and offer advertisers access to innovative solutions and we have done that with programmatic audio."
Speaking with The Drum, he also noted how the adtech outfit, which recently listed on the Nasdaq, would move to launch its audio offering to other sources of inventory, such traditional broadcaster alliances, in the region as opportunities presented themselves.
“The feedback has been positive with agencies looking to push more and more activity to The Trade Desk as part of an overall omni-channel strategy for their brands,” he said.
He went on to add that it has also seen “significant test and learn activity”, using Spotify’s own data and targeting capabilities, with participants using targeting parameters such as day of the week and time of the day targeting, etc.
“This type of buying is moving quickly to some of the largest brands in the region, who are looking to deploy their own first party data and device IDs in combination with Spotify’s data,” he added.
In terms of measurement, and campaign reporting, the tie-up lets advertisers evaluate performance on KPIs such as: completion rates; CTRs; along with “more granular reporting around mobile device make and model.”
The beta trial was part of Spotify’s global roll out of its programmatic audio offering, which has been taking place in stages from the beginning of 2016, as exclusively revealed by The Drum last year.
Joanna Wong, head of business marketing, Spotify, APAC, added: “As our listeners are generally a lean-forward group, they are engaged with the music and are always searching, discovering new music and curating playlists. As a result, we are constantly looking at ways to keep our listeners engaged, even with an audio advertisement.”
Harty went on to add that the ‘mobile first’ nature of many of the markets in the APAC made the ad format a particularly interesting offer to advertisers in the region.
“Music streaming is booming around the world, and brand advertisers view programmatic audio as a big opportunity to create relevant and personalized advertising. Programmatic makes it easy to achieve that goal,” he added.