Spotify Wrapped: What a 40% Engagement Spike Teaches Us About Empathy & Personalisation in Values-Led Marketing

Bounty VEGAH
2 days ago
4 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

When a simple “year in review” drives a 40% spike in app engagement in a single week, it’s tempting to give the credit to “great UX” and move on.

But under the animations and data, something quieter is happening:

People feel seen.

Year-end recap campaigns like Spotify Wrapped now reach well over 200 million people and have grown engagement by around 40% year-on-year in some editions.

Not because users love charts, but because the product is holding up a mirror:

“This is who you were this year.”
“This is what mattered to you.”
“Here’s a story only you could have written.”

That isn’t just personalisation. That’s empathy, at scale.

This is how to use the values behind that 40%.

Personalisation didn’t win. Feeling seen did.

Most “personalised” campaigns still sound like this:

“We’ve used your data to target you more accurately. Lucky you.”

Users can feel the extraction. The brand gets smarter; the human on the other side feels smaller.

The recap-style campaigns that keep breaking engagement records flip that dynamic:

The user is the hero, not the brand.
The tone is celebratory, not corrective.
The story is about their feelings and identity, not your funnel.

That’s why people will happily screenshot, share and debate their results in group chats.

The emotional job-to-be-done isn’t “show me my metrics”. It’s:

“Help me make sense of who I’ve been this year without judgement.”

Design for that and the lift in sessions, shares and sign-ups is a side-effect, not the goal.

How “Year in Review” Campaigns Can Boost Business

Big brands like Spotify have shown that a simple “year in review” can drive huge results, their personalised recap has delivered around a 40% jump in app engagement during launch week.

You don’t need millions of users or a giant marketing team to use the same idea.

If you run a café, salon, online shop, fitness studio, or small service business, you can create your own version, built on empathy and personalisation, not big budgets.

Why this works: people want to feel seen, not sold to

Most marketing says:

“Here’s what we want you to buy.”

A good “year in review” quietly says:

“Here’s what you did this year. Here’s what mattered to you.”

That small shift:

Makes customers feel appreciated, not targeted
Reminds them of the good experiences they’ve had with you
Gently nudges them to come back next year

That’s the real value: not just clicks, but a stronger relationship.

What businesses can learn from Spotify Wrapped

You don’t need fancy animations. Focus on three things:

Make the customer the hero: Talk about their year with you: their orders, visits, progress, not your revenue or “growth”.
Use warm, human language: Think: how would I say this to a regular in my shop?
Keep it kind and non-judgemental: Never shame people for “not coming in enough” or “not using their membership”.

Simple ideas for your own “year in review”

Pick one channel to start: email, WhatsApp broadcast, or social DMs.

1. For a café or local business

Send a simple email:

Subject:

A little thank you for this year 💛 “This year you joined us X times for coffee (and probably a chat).Your favourites were: [top 2 drinks].

Thank you for choosing our little place when you needed a break in January, we’d love to treat you to [small perk e.g. a free extra shot, pastry discount, or loyalty stamp].”

What this does:

Reminds them you exist
Makes them feel known
Gives a gentle reason to visit again

2. For a service business (coach, PT, salon, therapist)

“This year, you: Showed up to [X] sessions Spent around [Y] hours working on yourself That’s time and energy you chose to invest in you.We’re proud to be a small part of that.

If you’d like to keep that momentum next year, here’s a simple suggestion just for you: [one next step].”

Keep the focus on their effort and growth, not your package or prices.

3. For an online shop

Even with basic data you can say:

“A quick look at your year with us: You ordered from us [X] times Your most-loved item: [product] Thank you for supporting a small business like ours. As a little thank you, here’s a code just for you: [CODE]. Use it any time in January.”

You don’t have to offer a discount if that doesn’t work for you, a simple “thank you” and early access to something new can work just as well.

Put empathy first, data second

Before you send anything, ask:

Would this message make me feel good if I received it?
Is there anything here that could embarrass someone? (e.g. very personal categories)
Am I making it easy to opt out?

If the answer feels off, simplify. You can always show less detail and more heart.

Quick checklist for your “year in review”

One clear message: “Thank you” or “Here’s what you achieved”
Customer is the hero (lots of “you”, fewer “we”)
Warm, plain English, like you’re talking to them in person
No shaming language (“only”, “not enough”, “failed”)
One gentle next step: visit, book, or reply
Easy way to unsubscribe or say “no thanks”

The real win: loyalty you can’t buy with ads

A well-done recap isn’t about showing off your numbers.

It’s about saying:

“We noticed you. We appreciate you. We’re glad you’re here.”

For a businesses, that kind of connection is worth more than any one-day spike in sales, and it’s something the big brands struggle to copy.