Observed Signal · Jun 26, 2026 · Interview · Source: The Drum · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Spotify: Channel‑First Marketing Is Over
At Cannes Lions, Kay Hsu, Global Head of Creative Lab at Spotify, told The Drum that marketing organised around discrete channels is becoming obsolete as audio, podcasts, video, live experiences, commerce and creator formats converge. Spotify has evolved from a music service into a multi-format platform offering podcasts, video, merchandising, ticketing and personalized discovery. Hsu argues creativity should prioritise audience journeys and community value (not just targeting), citing examples where branded creative was woven into video podcasts via bespoke interstitials and where personalized playlists extended campaign impact. Spotify has formed a Creative Council to explore storytelling, fandom and AI; Hsu advises creative talent to develop multimedia skills and design ideas that can move natively across formats as media and commerce boundaries dissolve.
Highlights platform-driven media convergence and changing creative requirements for advertisers and agencies on a major streaming publisher (Spotify); signals practical examples of blended ad formats and personalized post-campaign engagement, which affect creative planning and media strategies.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Kay Hsu is Global Head of Creative Lab at Spotify and spoke to The Drum at Cannes Lions.
- Spotify has expanded beyond music into podcasts, video, live experiences, merchandising and ticketing.
- Spotify used bespoke interstitial creative in video podcasts (e.g., The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Entertainment) that blend sponsorship, entertainment and branded content.
- Spotify ran a campaign for a luxury watchmaker that included personalized playlists built around artists Mark Ronson and Raye.
- Spotify has established a Creative Council to convene creative leaders on storytelling, podcast innovation, AI and fandom.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“As we caught up with Kay Hsu, global head of Creative Lab at Spotify, at Cannes Lions for The Drum’s Future of Creativity series, produced i...”
“As we caught up with Kay Hsu, global head of Creative Lab at Spotify, at Cannes Lions for The Drum’s Future of Creativity series, produced i...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
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