Pandora announced the launch of Promoted Stations, a new music recommendation unit that features sponsor-branded listening stations by Taco Bell, Skechers, Toyota, and several other advertisers that have signed onto the program. Pandora says the programs was “driven by high demand from advertisers.”
During a beta phase of the program, the new ads are cycling through about 10% of Pandora’s listeners. The promoted stations appear on the user’s station list, as a “Station You Might Like.”
We asked Lizzie Widhelm, Pandora’s VP of Digital, whether the new promotions are targeted to audience segment, based on registration data, listening history, or some other intelligence about audience attributes. “Targeting isn’t applicable to Promoted Stations at the beta stage,” Widhelm told RAIN. “However, serving up advertising that is both relevant to the user and effective for the advertiser is a key focus for Pandora, so as we build out the product, it will also integrate with our unique ability to target and segment.”
We were also curious about how the promoted stations are programmed: “This varies – we work with marketers to help them curate a station that creates the listening experience they desire,” Widhelm told us. “Whether it be custom content from an artist or a mix of songs powered by the Music Genome Project, our team curates along with the advertiser with the goal of driving time spent with a brand and creating a memorable listening experience for fans. Our Branded Content team is dedicated to designing station experiences that benefit the brand, the band, and the fan.”
Pandora is the market-leading Internet radio platform, used by about 75-million people each month, and claims about nine percent of total U.S. radio listening.
In March, Pandora partnered with Peet’s Coffee to create four branded stations that provide the soundtracks in Peet’s stores — the firt time Pandora extended its listening service into a retail space.