“A key component of the Amazon-owned audio subscription service’s experiential marketing strategy is partnering with tentpole events and festivals.

Photos courtesy of Audible.

Audible brought its “Words + Music” series to life at SXSW with a lounge that featured a photo-worthy wall showcasing the covers of all 35 volumes in the series. A corner of the space allowed attendees to sample each record via a record player and headphones.

The Basics: The audiobook industry has grown tremendously in recent years, with the global market size anticipated to reach $35.05 billion by 2030. So, it makes sense that audio subscription service Audible is building up its experiential presence at major events and partnering with festivals like SXSW, Sundance, Comic-Con, and Tribeca.

For example, Audible was Sundance Film Festival’s official audio entertainment partner with an on-site activation called the Audible Listening Lodge that included listening stations and panel discussions, as well as the Variety Interview Studio, presented by Audible.

As the leading curator and provider of audio storytelling, Audible’s SXSW experience—The Audible Sound Studio—immersed listeners in panels, podcasts, and other performances.

Most Innovative Experience: “The response to our presence at SXSW in Austin was off the charts,” said James Finn, head of global brand and content marketing at Audible. “Southwest attendees are true cultural connoisseurs, and we wanted to meet them where they were with our new slate of Audible Originals grounded in music storytelling.” At the tentpole event, the audiobook and podcast brand showcased its established franchise “Words + Music,” “Origins” (a new series featuring Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Tobe Nwigwe, and other artists), and an audio-only singing and songwriting competition series called “Breakthrough.”

“Sound is the gateway into your imagination. With that in mind, we created a discovery-forward space to take music aficionados into the worlds of our popular Audible Originals,” Finn said. Working with Civic Entertainment Group, the Audible created the Audio Sound Studio, an interactive space for SXSW guests to immerse themselves into each of the Originals series. The brand also hosted a recording studio where fans could record their own custom audio that was cut live to a vinyl record.

Event Philosophy: “For us, experiential marketing is about creating deeper, emotional, and fun activations for our customers in ways that traditional media isn’t able to,” Finn said. “It’s also a way for us to connect directly with our customers.”

Lessons Learned: “While we may connect with tens of thousands at tentpole events like SXSW or San Diego Comic-Con, millions more of dedicated followers and evangelists of our brand who are unable to attend [those events] are also looking for ways to engage,” Finn acknowledged.

“Knowing this, Audible is now creating bespoke digital marketing strategies that accompany these key events. We always strive to develop extensions of our activations to live digitally as well, and to work with our creators and talent to connect with the fans that can’t be there.”

Photo: Jean Pierre Kathoefer for Audible

At last summer’s Sea.Hear.Now music festival, Audible give attendees the opportunity to listen to snippets of various volumes from its “Words + Music” franchise, which blends personal storytelling with performances from artists.Photo: Jean Pierre Kathoefer for Audible

Audible was Sundance Film Festival’s official audio entertainment partner with an on-site activation called the Audible Listening Lodge that included an outdoor area.Photo: Courtesy of Audible

“Southwest attendees are true cultural connoisseurs, and we wanted to meet them where they were with our new slate of Audible Originals grounded in music storytelling,” said James Finn, head of global brand and content marketing at Audible.” – Michele Laufik 

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