LAS VEGAS & OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pandora (NYSE: P), the leading internet radio service, today announced it will begin rolling out in-car advertising solutions this month. Major national brands including BP, Ford Motor Company, State Farm® and Taco Bell are on board to take advantage of the first-to-market opportunity. Pandora, which today reported more than 76.2 million active monthly listeners and more than 1.58 billion listening hours across all platforms in December 2013, is currently available on nine out of the 10 best-selling passenger vehicles. More than 4 million unique users have activated Pandora through a native integration across the 23 major auto brands and 8 aftermarket manufacturers on the company’s partner roster, representing an increase of 244 percent from the same time last year.
Pandora Chief Marketing Officer, Simon Fleming-Wood, said, “Nearly half of all radio listening takes place in the car. We knew early on that to redefine radio, we would need to seamlessly deliver Pandora through in-dash entertainment systems. With an 8.60% share of total U.S. radio listening and unmatched growth and adoption of Pandora in the car, we are now seizing the opportunity to connect advertisers with a more targeted audience than traditional radio can provide.”
Incorporating Pandora into the native environment of the car has remained a key focus for the company since announcing its first automotive brand partnership with Ford in 2010. Through the connectivity of a smartphone, Pandora native automotive integrations shift the popular controls of the service, like station creation and thumbs feedback, from mobile devices into in-dash entertainment systems, so listening to personalized radio in the car is as easy as AM/FM radio.
Advertisers will now have the opportunity to reach car-bound audiences through 15- and 30-second audio spots that will run across the 130 vehicle models that include a native Pandora integration in addition to the more than 270 aftermarket automotive devices that feature the personalized radio service. The company will introduce listeners to the in-car advertising experience by delivering fewer audio ads than on any other Pandora platform. Pandora listeners who subscribe to a Pandora One premium account will continue to enjoy an ad-free listening experience.
Ford Motor Company Digital Marketing Manager, Erica Bigley, said, “As an innovation leader, we knew early on that a vibrant app ecosystem was essential to the success of our technology platform and with the vehicle as the traditional home of radio, we were the first to bring the personalized Pandora experience to customers via SYNC® AppLink™. This next partnership phase lets us effectively reach highly engaged customers where they are most likely to enjoy radio and is incredibly exciting for our business.”
State Farm Advertising Director, Ed Gold, said, “State Farm was a Pandora early-adopter. People are passionate about their music and their cars. With so much music being consumed in the car, Pandora automotive platforms allow listeners to customize that experience and we are excited to be able to connect with consumers in that environment.”
Taco Bell Chief Marketing Officer, Chris Brandt, said, “Taco Bell fans are passionate about music, and we want to continue to share moments of music exploration and discovery with them. We’ve already been able to reach fans by Pandora via their mobile devices, and now, the latest in-car platform will allow us to reach them in their car during mealtime moments when our message is most relevant.”
ABOUT PANDORA
Pandora (NYSE: P) gives people music and comedy they love anytime, anywhere, through connected devices. Personalized stations launch instantly with the input of a single "seed" - a favorite artist, song or genre. The Music Genome Project®, a deeply detailed hand-built musical taxonomy, powers the personalization of Pandora® internet radio by using musicological "DNA" and constant listener feedback to craft personalized stations from a growing collection of hundreds of thousands of recordings. Tens of millions of people turn on Pandora every month to hear music they love. www.pandora.com
