Spotify, the music streaming app, launched a global outdoor ad campaign with the tagline “Thanks 2016, It’s been weird.” The ad campaign uses data from listeners and pop culture topics relevant to events in 2016. We talked to Seth Farbman, the Chief Marketing Officer of Spotify to hear about how they turned data into a selling point. 

On collecting data on its users:

Obviously, we follow all the most strict and data and privacy guidelines. The truth is, if you’re using data to help the music fan and to help the music customer, that’s a fair exchange. If you’re using data to give them information, even about another product, that’s of value to them. But you cannot break that trust. You always have to have empathy and caring for the customer. Advertisers should demand that their messages, their offers, are only going to people who have interest in them. 

On doing this campaign close to the time the company might go public: 

Well, even if you are not considering that, I think it’s a lovely and charming thing to do. I mean, look, this is music. This is supposed to be fun. And absolutely, we want to reinforce that we represent the best community of music fans anywhere. And however that relates to a business model can only be a good thing.