Year-in-Review Revolution: How Brands are Turning Data into Shareable Stories

Every December, Spotify Wrapped take over social media feeds, as users proudly share their top songs, most-streamed artists, and listening stats with personalised visuals.

This campaign has become a masterclass in data storytelling easy to replicate turning user habits into a moment of self-reflection and celebration.

But Wrapped’s genius goes beyond its colourful cards and shareable stats. It’s a subtle reminder of just how much data Spotify collects, packaged in a way that feels exciting rather than invasive.

The data paints a specific picture of an individual that lumps us all into niche groups, and within those niche groups, people find community and like-minded folks. In that regard, it’s not just the data that people are interested in, it’s the way it’s analysed and positioned.

This ability to transform data into an emotionally engaging experience has inspired a wave of brands to follow suit. From Duolingo’s playful recaps of learning progress to Tinder’s Year in Swipe trends, companies across industries are leaning into the “year-in-review” trend.

Even grocery stores like Tesco and digital platforms like Xbox are using user data to create sharable, personalised summaries.

The result? A growing trend where brands turn customer interactions into stories: offering users a chance to see themselves in the data and share it with the world.

How Spotify Wrapped Changed the Game

• Personalised Reflection: Spotify turns data into personal stories, making users feel seen and connected to their listening habits.
• Designed for Sharing: Bright visuals and playful captions make Wrapped Instagram-ready, driving FOMO and millions of social media impressions every year.
• Bragging Rights: From “Top 0.5% of Taylor Swift listeners” to genre discoveries, Wrapped turns user data into status symbols, boosting loyalty.

The Rise of Wrapped-Inspired Campaigns

Spotify Wrapped’s immense popularity has sparked a wave of copycat campaigns across industries, as brands tap into their own user data to create engaging, year-end experiences. These campaigns take inspiration from Wrapped’s formula of personalisation, storytelling, and shareability, tailoring it to fit their audiences.

Duolingo’s year-in-review experience, for example, offers users playful insights into their language-learning journey. From total XP earned to global rankings among peers, the platform makes learning progress feel fun and celebratory.

Inspired by the trend of TikTok users sharing “Dating Wrapped” presentations of their dates throughout the year, Tinder’s “Year in Swipe” takes a similar approach, showcasing dating trends while allowing users to create personalised vision boards.

Gaming giant Xbox invites users to relive their achievements with a detailed recap of their top games, hours played, and biggest milestones. Meanwhile, Mastodon’s “Wrapstodon” campaign highlights social activity, including most-boosted posts, top hashtags, and new followers gained throughout the year.

Even Tesco has joined the trend with its “Unpacked” campaign, providing Clubcard members a lighthearted look at their grocery-buying habits. By adding humour and nostalgia, Tesco creates a personalised connection with its customers, showing that year-end reviews aren’t limited to digital platforms.

Why Wrapped-Inspired Campaigns Work

What makes these campaigns so effective? Wrapped-inspired campaigns tap into universal desires for self-expression, recognition, and connection. Here’s why they work so well:

• Personalisation: People love seeing their data reflected back at them in a meaningful way. Whether it’s listening habits, gaming stats, or grocery shopping trends, these insights feel personal and unique.
• FOMO and Social Proof: These campaigns create buzz by turning user data into shareable moments. The ability to say, “I’m in the top 1% of listeners” or “Here’s my dating vision board” fuels a sense of pride and encourages social sharing.
• Emotional Connection: By connecting data to identity (like favourite songs or milestones) brands create an emotional bond with users, making interactions feel more memorable.

How Your Brand Can Create Its Own Wrapped Moment

Spotify Wrapped has shown that turning user data into stories can drive engagement, loyalty, and virality. So how can your brand create its own “Wrapped” experience?

Identify the Data That Matters

Start by understanding what data your brand collects and what would be meaningful to your users. For example:

• Duolingo celebrates learning progress
• Xbox highlights gaming achievements
• Tesco reflects on shopping trends with humour

Consider what insights your audience would find valuable or fun.

Tell a Story

Data on its own can be dry, but a good story brings it to life. Frame the data around your users’ experiences to make it personal. For example:

• “You earned 10,000 XP this year—more than 90% of learners worldwide!”

• “Your favourite purchase? Those chocolate biscuits you bought 25 times.”

Make It Visually Engaging

Design content that’s bold, shareable, and easy to consume. Use vibrant graphics, animations, or interactive features that invite users to share their stories with others.

Encourage Sharing

Add a social element by making it easy for users to share their “Wrapped” moments. Include features like badges, custom captions, or links designed for Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter.

Focus on Fun and Connection

Don’t take yourself too seriously: playfulness can go a long way in creating a memorable experience. Whether it’s a quiz, a “roast,” or a heartfelt thank-you, tailor the tone to your audience.

Creating a Wrapped-inspired campaign doesn’t require Spotify-level data—it just needs creativity and a focus on making your users feel valued.

Creating “Wrapped” Moments with Audience Insights

You don’t need heaps of customer data to create a Wrapped-inspired campaign. By focusing on broader audience behaviours and trends, you can still craft compelling, shareable experiences.

Highlight Trends: Instead of personal stats, showcase overarching behaviours. For example, you can identify common behaviours of your target audience and build clearly sign-posted fake data for it.

Celebrate Collective Milestones: Focus on community achievements. A streaming service might highlight, “Together, our audience streamed over 1 billion minutes of content this year.”

Create Relatable Personas: Use audience insights to develop fun, shareable archetypes. For example, a bookstore might create “The Speed Reader” or “The Emotional Escapist,” based on common reading habits.

Tap Into Trends: Reflect on cultural moments or industry shifts relevant to your audience. A great example is to zero in your niche and highlight some of the specific behaviours.

Leveraging the Power of Wrapped Campaigns

By leveraging behaviours and insights rather than individual data, you can still engage your audience and deliver a creative, inclusive year-in-review experience.

Wrapped takes something as functional as listening stats and transforms it into a celebration of individuality, a moment of joy and reflection.

And maybe, just maybe, these annual recaps are a sign of something bigger. They’re a subtle confirmation that we’ve become more comfortable with Big Tech watching our every move.

After all, how else would you know you’re in the top 0.05% of Taylor Swift listeners? That tiny stat isn’t just data: it’s a badge of honour, a status symbol, and a way to say, “This is who I am.”

For brands, the lesson is clear: data doesn’t have to be dry. It can spark joy, foster connection, and tell stories that make users feel seen. Whether you’re working with detailed customer insights or collective trends, the key is to craft experiences that inspire and engage, turning numbers into storytelling.

Ready to get started with positive impact marketing?

Set up power marketing systems build a marketing strategy that drives results, when you join our certification.

Take our certification, build your marketing plan and build your ultimate marketing toolkit.