Photo Credit: Deezer
Four months back, Deezer revealed that it had about 9.6 million subscribers and disclosed plans to generate €1 billion in 2025. Now, in an effort to grow the former figure and meet the latter goal, the French streaming service “is repositioning its brand to attract younger users.”
Deezer, which has suffered a material stock-price falloff since listing on the Euronext Paris last month, unveiled the high-profile marketing shift this afternoon. Worth noting at the outset is that close to 72 percent of the platform’s aforementioned 9.6 million subscribers reside in France or Brazil. And in total, execs said that Deezer boasted about 16 million monthly active users.
Bearing in mind the figures, Deezer announced today that it had enlisted Paris-headquartered ad agency Buzzman to spearhead the brand realignment, beginning with a Gen Z-focused marketing campaign in France, Brazil, and Germany.
“With engaging visuals from photographer Lou Escobar, Deezer presents a number of intriguing scenarios that at first glance might not tell the full story,” the company said of its campaign, which features the work of Warner Music-signed Dua Lipa, French singer Édith Piaf, Germany’s Die Prinzen, French rappers Heuss l’Enfoiré and Jul, and Brazil’s Vitor Kley. “After scanning a QR code on the image, a song will be played which will either elevate or change the perception of the scenario.”
Focused on communicating “the power of music” to prospective users, the promotion is poised to reach eight billboards, television, social media, and other “outdoor formats” in the above-identified nations. Deezer is also developing “a TikTok challenge where people will enhance or change a situation with the power of music,” higher-ups relayed, though the launch schedule remains unclear.
Addressing the brand repositioning in a statement, seven-year Deezer exec Elsa Batigne touched upon a wider goal of driving user-generated content creation with music.
“Working with Buzzman, we have created a disruptive, and engaging campaign, where music makes images come to life,” Batigne said in part. “We can’t wait for our users to interact and play with the concept, and use the power of music to create their own content.”
Moving forward, it’ll be interesting to see whether Deezer’s attempt to woo younger users pays off, especially considering the market presence of well-entrenched players like Spotify and Apple Music.
But some in the industry have long called on the company to lean into artist partnerships – and particularly tie-ups with Warner Music acts, as the major label likewise belongs to Access Industries – to expand. Consequently, the initial marketing campaign’s featured professionals may well be a sign of the promotional initiatives that are forthcoming.
During today’s trading hours, Deezer stock dipped slightly from Monday’s close and finished at €4.31 per share.