Dive Brief:
- Pandora today is launching its "Holiday Hits Different" campaign across TV, out-of-home and digital ads which feature recording artist Sia, per information emailed to Marketing Dive. As part of the campaign, Pandora will roll out a branded integration featuring Guillermo, the co-host of ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," and a takeover in the movie "Elf" during the "Best Christmas Ever" programming on video channel AMC.
- From today through Dec. 14, Pandora is sponsoring ABC and ESPN's "Holiday Hoops" programming during early-season college basketball games. With the return of the NBA's regular season leading into Christmas Day, Pandora will run TV spots to promote its Uninterrupted station that features music selected by top players from the league and the WNBA, according to the company.
- The multichannel campaign aims to show how the audio streaming platform can help listeners make the perfect soundtrack for holidays spent at home.
Dive Insight:
Pandora's multichannel campaign is highlighting the broad range of programming that the streaming audio service, which is owned by SiriusXM, carries during the holiday season. With many people spending more time at home during, the pandemic, Pandora saw a 7% yearly gain in listeners to its holiday stations from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15, according to the company. As Pandora faces growing competition from rivals like Spotify and Apple Music that are running their own year-end campaigns, its multichannel approach can reach a broad audience.
As part of the campaign, Pandora is showcasing a variety of features for its virtual stations that streamed curated playlists. Two of its most popular holiday stations, Christmas Radio and Holiday Hits, are among the handful of genre stations that now have a seasonal Modes feature that helps people to customize the listening experience. The Christmas Radio station is running a "Holiday Top Thumb Hundred Mode" to showcase holiday songs that have received the most "thumbs up" votes on Pandora. In addition, Pandora now allows users to personalize the iPhone app icon with two different holiday themes.
Pandora Live, the platform's showcase for livestreamed performances, also is running holiday-related programming. Country music star Dolly Parton on Dec. 4 hosted a holiday special that included performances by Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Brett Eldredge and Carly Pearce. Carrie Underwood, who is the most streamed female country artist on Pandora, will perform songs from her first full-length Christmas album titled "My Gift" on Pandora Live in a show sponsored by Audi at 9 p.m. ET on Dec. 8, per an announcement. The livestreamed performances continue the year-long trend of livestreamed entertainment aimed at consumers who are spending more time at home because of the pandemic.
Pandora also is showcasing programming for Uninterrupted as college basketball and the NBA's regular season ramp up amid the pandemic disruptions. Pandora last summer launched the station to feature music selections from star athletes including LeBron James as the NBA resumed its 2020 season following a three-month suspension. James co-founded Uninterrupted to develop a variety of programming featuring professional athletes who have become more sophisticated about controlling their public images and connecting with fans.
