Dive Brief:
- Music streaming service Spotify has named Seth Farbman, former global CMO of Gap, Inc. as its top marketing officer.
- Farbman overhauled Gap’s marketing during his four-year tenure, sparking creativity and breathing new life into the brand.
- Spotify has 60 million active users in 58 countries, one-quarter of whom are paying subscribers.
Dive Insight:
Gap’s global marketing guru, Seth Farbman, is joining Spotify as it faces added competition from rivals including Rdio, Pandora, Google Play, and Apple. The streaming music service delayed an initial public offering earlier this year by moving to raise $50 million in private investment, but Farbman’s hire could signal a big push forward for the Swedish-based service.
Farbman made substantial changes at Gap, launching the apparel retailer’s “Be Bright” campaign, tapping new creative agencies to freshen the brand, and debuting creative from David Fincher and Sofia Coppola for its recent "Dress Normal" campaign. Gap media spending grew to $54 million under Mr. Farbman, more than twice the amount it spent in when he joined the company in 2011.