Every Semester Has a Soundtrack
A self-initiated campaign exploring how Spotify could grow Premium Student subscriptions among UK university students
The Challenge
Spotify wants to increase Premium Student subscriptions by 20% before the start of the academic year, while standing out against other student subscription offers.
target growth before term starts
Objectives
Build Awareness
Increase visibility among UK students
Drive Trials
Get more free trial sign-ups
Improve Conversion
Turn trials into Premium Student subscribers
Deepen Engagement
Strengthen brand presence during Freshers' Week
Research
Audience Personas
The Fresher
18-19 · first year, moved away from home
"I want my dorm to feel like mine — music is part of that"
The Finalist
21-22 · final year, budget-conscious, job hunting
"I've had Premium for years, I just need it to stay cheap"
Competitor Snapshot
Spotify
- Student Price
- £5.99/mo
- Free Trial
- 1 month free
- Standout Feature
- Best discovery algorithm
- Weakness
- Higher price than rivals
Apple Music
- Student Price
- £5.99/mo
- Free Trial
- 1 month free
- Standout Feature
- Apple ecosystem lock-in
- Weakness
- Smaller social presence
YouTube Music
- Student Price
- £4.99/mo
- Free Trial
- 1 month free
- Standout Feature
- Video + music bundle
- Weakness
- Weaker discovery engine
Amazon Music
- Student Price
- £4.99/mo
- Free Trial
- 30 days free
- Standout Feature
- Prime bundle value
- Weakness
- Low student brand heat
Consumer Insights & Trends
68% of students say music shapes their social identity
Freshers' Week spending peaks in the first 10 days of term
UGC and creator content outperforms polished ads with Gen Z
Price sensitivity is the #1 churn driver for student subs
SWOT
Strengths
- Market leader in streaming
- Strong brand loyalty
- Best discovery algorithm
Weaknesses
- Higher price than some rivals
- Student verification friction
- Low differentiation vs Apple Music
Opportunities
- Freshers' Week moment
- Campus partnerships
- Creator collabs
Threats
- Aggressive discounting from rivals
- Subscription fatigue
- Ad-blockers on socials
Strategy
Target Audience
18–24-year-old university students entering or returning to university
Key Insight
“Students don't buy music — they buy a soundtrack to their social life.
Campaign Idea
EVERY SEMESTER HAS A SOUNDTRACK
A campaign that turns Spotify Premium Student into the emotional backdrop of university life — from Freshers' Week nights out to 3am deadline playlists.
Campaign Journey
Awareness
TikTok & Instagram teasers during Clearing & Welcome Week
Interest
Influencer & UGC content showing 'my semester soundtrack'
Consideration
Landing page with student verification + trial offer
Conversion
1-tap sign-up, 3-month discounted trial
Loyalty
Personalized playlists + campus partnership perks to retain post-trial
Deliverables
Instagram Single Post
Single feed post: 'Your semester, your soundtrack' — built for shareability during Freshers' Week
TikTok Concepts
UGC-style hook: 'POV: your first night out playlist'
Paid Meta Ads
Paid
Retargeting ad for trial-starters who haven't converted
Google Search Ads
Paid
Capturing high-intent searches like 'spotify student discount'
Email Designs
Email
Welcome email + trial-ending reminder email
Landing Page Mock-up
CROPremium Student
£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel anytime.
Student verification + sign-up flow, mobile-first
Influencer Brief
DocOne-pager brief format sent to creator partners
Content Calendar
StrategyWeek 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
4-week content cadence across TikTok, IG, and email
Timeline
Audience research, competitor analysis, insight gathering
Research
Audience research, competitor analysis, insight gathering
Concepting, copywriting, asset design
Creative
Concepting, copywriting, asset design
Go-live across paid, social, and email during Freshers' Week
Launch
Go-live across paid, social, and email during Freshers' Week
A/B testing, budget reallocation, performance review
Optimisation
A/B testing, budget reallocation, performance review
KPIs
CTR
Click-through rate on paid & social ads — measures creative relevance
CPA
Cost per acquisition — measures paid efficiency
Trial Sign-ups
Volume of free trial starts — top-of-funnel health check
Student Verification Rate
% of sign-ups that complete verification — measures friction in the funnel
ROAS
Return on ad spend — overall campaign efficiency
What I'd Test
Reflection
If this campaign were live, I'd focus on monitoring early sign-up data and audience engagement in week one. The first optimisation would be testing different creator partnerships and landing page messaging to improve conversion rates before increasing ad spend.