Earle, a global brand manager at Spotify and 2016 alumna, joins President Connie Ledoux Book to discuss her work on Spotify Wrapped and the Elon experiences that guided her path.
In the latest episode of Elon Beyond the Bricks, marketing leader Simone Earle ’16 reflects on the experiences that guided her from the track at Elon to her role shaping global brand initiatives at Spotify.
Returning to campus to receive Elon’s Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Award earlier this year, Earle described the moment as both grounding and reflective: “It was very humbling to come back to campus to receive this award.”
Surrounded by her family and closest friends, she found herself looking back with new clarity. “I spent so long just really reflecting on my experience in a way that I don’t think I had before.”
At Spotify, Earle has played a key role in the annual rollout of Spotify Wrapped, a digital event that has grown into a global cultural phenomenon. Wrapped resonates, she explained, because it gives listeners a personal narrative of their year.
“It is so personal, in the sense where you’re able to reflect on something that is true to you,” she said.
Its impact comes from the intersection of identity and data.
“Wrapped is data-driven. It’s really objective and it tells a story about you and how you interact with content.”
And while Spotify prepares all year, the culture around it is audience-built: “Honestly, the best content with this experience doesn’t even come from us.”
For Earle, authenticity is central to modern marketing. She noted that people expect brands to understand them.
“People don’t want to be marketed to,” she said. That expectation requires deep listening and cultural fluency.
“It is extremely important to be authentic and really understanding who your audience is,” said Earle.
Her creative leadership style is rooted in lessons from track and field, where individual performance always serves the larger team goal. The discipline of showing up, adjusting, and striving carried into her professional life.
“I have to run my race. I have to show up for the people around me,” she said.
Reflecting on her journey, Earle emphasized the importance of self-knowledge as students enter a rapidly changing industry.
“Your resume is really only going to get you but so far. You really have to be able to truly know yourself.”
Her gratitude for Elon remained evident throughout the conversation, from the mentors who shaped her to the experiences that continue to guide her as a creative leader.
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