In-Store

Short songs, jingles and sound logos are all around us. For instance; imagine the Intel jingle or classic Nokia ring tone. But, what purpose does sound branding serve?

A company can be represented and identified by a specific sound

Sound has a direct link to our brains and causes an emotional response to memory. In the case of advertising – this is something that makes us take action. In many cases this element of advertising actually turns consumers into fans by adding an extra element of brand identity. We all live in a multimedia society and the power of sound and music cannot be ignored. Can you just image silent adverts on TV or films without a well-crafted soundtrack? The background sound all adds to the overall experience and delivers a response on an emotional level, which is helped by sound branding.

When customers walk into your store, what do they hear?

Is it your favourite radio station or staff CDs? Appropriate music needs to be played that fits your brand and if chosen well can actually increase time that customers spend in your store.

The natural assumption is that music plays merely a pleasant background environment to a store. However, by offering an unsuitable selection of music, establishments lose the ability to identify their branding needs. Businesses now use sound to influence retail behaviour from increasing shopper dwell times and spend to providing an ambiance that creates a positive uplift in the retail experience and improved customer satisfaction ratings.

Our research shows that 72% say playing good music significantly improves the image of a store. However, brands have spent a lot of time and money on visual branding while sound hasn’t been treated as a brand element that needs to be explored.

Branding business through music has emerged as a great sales & marketing tool and by compiling the correct music, OnBrand Music have created a premise where music becomes as important as decor. Like all good interior designers will tell you, consistency is key.

Music is one of the most cost-effective ways to identify with your customers

Choosing the right music means your customers know that they are in your store. They recognise the music you are playing. They sing along, browse, buy and tell their friends. Your customers actually embrace your identity that is driven by your musical branding. This isn’t a radical big budget change that demands huge expenditure to improve your image either … just a simple case of using the correct choice of music that sends a direct message to the customers. You may have many competitors nearby, you may have simple interior decor and you may not have the most competitive prices, but you can have the best choice of music!

Research conducted by music licensing company PPL revealed how retailers could boost their bottom line by playing music and enhancing their in-store customer experience.

A resounding 97% of staff surveyed recommended that all retail stores play in-store music and 99% agreed that in general, retail stores that play music tend to be modern and appealing places to shop, providing brands with a real advantage in a competitive marketplace.

Music Matters

Your customers have an image of your business and using the correct audio branding is one of the best ways to create a memorable identity for them. There are great opportunities here to communicate your overall store image and influence your shoppers behaviour. Therefore, sound and audio branding is a tactical low-cost tool that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Half of Britain’s shoppers have left a store because they were so annoyed by the music being played.

 
The findings illustrate the danger that leading High Street stores face by not developing a suitable ‘sound’ for their brand, according to a study. Three-quarters of shoppers will notice the music playing in-store and out of those that do, 40per cent will stay longer in a shop if they feel the music is well chosen for the environment. Three-quarters of shoppers will notice the music playing in-store and out of those that do, 40per cent will stay longer in a shop if they feel the music is well chosen for the environment.

The study was carried out on more than 1,000 shoppers, who were asked both about their attitude to in-store music, and about how music affects them psychologically and emotionally. Conversely, 40% will spend less time there if they feel the music isn’t suitable. In fact, 49% of all shoppers said they have stayed longer in shops because they like the music versus 45% that don’t.

But the report, carried out by Immedia Plc, which develops music strategies for retailers, found that half of all shoppers say they left a shop because they didn’t like what was playing or because it was annoying.

And overall, 23% say they would be less likely to return to a retailer if they don’t like the music it plays.

‘Audio is the single most effective way to capture the attention and imagination of people who are on the move inside your shop or restaurant’

This is supported by numerous scientific studies that demonstrate how an effective music strategy does everything from improve staff morale to enhance the customer experience, to crucially increase sales.

Especially given the challenging economic environment, it is important to optimise every element of a customer’s sensory experience.

Capitalising on the general effects of music will only get you so far in boosting a shopping experience. Maximising the positive impact of in-store music requires an understanding of how to match sound and brand.

Sound generates feelings & emotions. Feelings & emotions drive behaviour!

 
Not only does sound enhance a brand, it adds a higher level of sensory experience that leads consumers to choose a particular product. Every space has its own natural sound, geography and noise, therefore in-store music can influence consumer judgment. Retail environments, public places and physical spaces are increasingly more important in the relationship between consumers and brands. The opportunity for music & audio is to provide soundtracks for these experiences.

Businesses use sound to influence retail behaviour, from increasing shopper dwell times and spend to providing an ambience that creates a positive uplift in the retail experience and improved customer satisfaction ratings.

Various companies have shown that at least one clear path to people’s hearts, minds and wallets is through their ears. Sound adds dimension; music adds emotion. Sound can help shape a potential client’s perception of your brand. It can also potentially help you connect with the client on a deeper, more subconscious level.

Department stores and supermarkets may use the right music to cue shoppers to consider certain product categories or to visit certain sections of the store that sell those products.

Examples of music in retail situations

French vs. German wine:
In 1998, Adrian North, David Hargreaves and Jennifer McKendrick ran a test in a British wine shop to determine the role of background music in purchase decisions. For a number of days they played French and German music in the shop, alternating between the two. It was found that on French-music days, the French wine outsold the German wine by a ratio of four to one. On German-music days, German wine outsold the French by a ratio of three to one.

Several studies have shown that the style of background music played has affected customer behavior. In a recent study, Gueguen and Jacob (2010) obtained that the mean amount of money spent in a flower shop was significantly higher while love songs and romantic music was played, whereas pop music did not lead to an increase in the amount of money spent

Our case study:

Based on previous studies (Mattila and Wirtz, 2008) we know that store atmospherics have a significant effect on the customers’ emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses, as well as on the quality of the interaction between customer and staff. Music is considered as one of the central atmospheric variables in creating an in-store experience and connecting directly with customers’ emotions (Morrison and Beverland, 2003).

To investigate the influence of music “fit” on the staff performance, customers’ behaviour, and in general the atmosphere in the store we conducted our recent case study at 6 Internacionale stores. Data was collected from 520 customers and 72 staff over the period of 4 weeks.

We obtained that:

1) Our right choice of music represented the products and the store identity more than the music the store already had (up to 15%)

2) this leaded to 24.7% positive improvement in the general atmosphere liking due to the type of music

3) We were able to improve staff performance in the store up to 15.67%

OnBrand Radio are now broadcasting to over 250 malls, our advertising network now boasts an incredible footfall audience of over 120 million per month. With this reach, and its proven influence to increase and drive shoppers into store, we could be the perfect anecdote to the current climate.

Retail analysts are suggesting that there may be further casualties from our shopping centres and high streets in the next year

However, it’s not all doom and gloom as there is growth in certain sectors – The large department stores and supermarkets for instance are doing well (with less profits than before maybe, but generally still happily floating along without major concerns) The whispers from various sources are looking at the leisure and entertainment outlets – restaurants, cafes, books and music shops, to become the next victims of the recession as we choose to eat at home and increasingly buy music and books online from the likes of Amazon.

Retailers need to know what their customers really want, as we’ve all become rather savvy about our shopping demands. Businesses are now looking to other strategies to increase their customer loyalty and keep the customer coming through the doors and spending. The increasing use of social media channels is an easy & relatively low cost way to increase brand awareness and improve customer service for many retailers, but ultimately bricks and mortar brand awareness and brand image are vitally important to the modern retailer.

Create the right store image

The right store image is one of the best ways to build a unique brand identity and can differentiate between two otherwise similar shops. It’s not just about the cosmetic and visual details either. Retail environments have been using music for years to influence customer experience and judgement and is a powerful medium when it comes to providing the right atmosphere within a shop. It’s also one of the cheapest ways to get your message across to the customer while they are browsing.

Think about the correct choice of music

Providing something memorable to your customers is essential in keeping them loyal to your brand. They might not remember the decor, or the layout, or the trendy posters, but they’ll remember they were humming ‘that’ song whilst they were in your premises. Obviously it’s important to do your research about your customer base as there’s no point playing current trendy hits if your customers are generally all over 65. Equally if you’re a young and hip fashion retailer you don’t want dinner jazz playing in your shop … or maybe you do. We understand, as music consultants what music is the right music for your brand, through it’s all about what image you wish to portray. Whatever genre of music you choose … make it memorable for your customers.

Getting the experience for your customer right affects the perception that they have of your business, but building customer loyalty through music is an underestimated element of modern retail marketing. In terms of ‘being different’ to the competition – there is simply no way better than some good music.

Various studies have shown that a clear way to people’s emotions, hearts, minds and wallets is through their ears.

 
Audio branding and sound adds something memorable through melody & emotion, so silence isn’t an option. As your business has an identity it is essential that you use all the tools available to get your message across to the consumer. Audio and sound has an effect that shapes your customers perception of your business.

Retail environments and public spaces have been using music for many many years to influence customer experience and judgement. These places have found that music is a very powerful medium when it comes to bringing people together and forming a relationship with a brand or place, so for instance a fashion retailer can convey an atmosphere where the customer has a pleasant and calm experience.

However it is important that you do your research and pay attention to the kind of customer base that you are looking to attract. For instance, If you are a traditional business looking to attract the older and possibly retired customer then there is no point playing a soundtrack that would suit a young and hip fashion retailer. For this reason it is especially important that you know your demographic that you will be targeting otherwise you may actually be driving away customers and doing more harm than good in providing a background soundtrack to your business.

Music is perhaps the most important element for businesses and constitutes an important piece of the experience it offers to consumers.

For good audio branding, the music needs to fit the environment where it is played!

background music for stores and business. Restaurant background music. royalty free music for stores.

It wasn’t that long ago, before the advent of social media that if you had an issue that needed to be rectified with a store or business you either phoned their customer help department or wrote them a letter.

Whether this was to complain or thank them for their service, both of these channels were viable contact points, but the response time could be many weeks until you received acknowledgement of the issue that you initially raised. However, In today’s social driven world, businesses have lost the control over the customer as it only takes one disgruntled customer on Twitter or Facebook to damage your brand image.

The whole point of social media is to encourage interaction and communication. We all know that if used effectively, it can be a great promotional tool to increase brand awareness and showcase your business, but users have become used to getting answers and feedback within hours of posting.

The truth about your customer care department

Customers don’t have the time to search the web for your customer help address and they don’t have the time to phone your call centre and wait in a queue to be served. They simply don’t see your support phone number or email. They just see your business on social media so they will complain on your Facebook wall or @ you in a Tweet for all to see.

Make customer service work for you

• Your social media customer care team should be listening what is being said about your brand online. It may be the case that you are automating your posts and broadcasting, but you should never neglect your profiles because there is a risk that negative remarks could be made and be shared within hours. There are many online monitoring tools and simple notifications that can be set up through email so you can keep track of activity.

• Your social media team should have plan of how to deal with problems. They may be creating your marketing content, but also need to know how to handle a crisis.

• When an issue has to be dealt with a decision has to be made, whether it should be handled privately (via traditional channels) or, whether to consider going public where you can demonstrate that you listen & care about your customers and can create a positive outcome for your brand. As to whether you ‘delete or not delete’ the comment, It is considered poor form to bury bad press as this can lead to complaints going onto other social platforms and making the problem worse. Proving you can handle these situations and adding value for the customer is even more important than just creating informative and engaging marketing content.

• Review your business and see what the common issues are. Measure your customer satisfaction ratings and if there is a problem. Fix it!

A report by NM Incite found that: 71% of those who experienced positive social care are likely to recommend that brand to others, compared to just 19% of customers that do not receive any response.

Social media isn’t just about marketing

As social media continues to grow, it is really important for businesses to accept the fact that consumers will turn to online channels to either complain about service issues and in many cases praise you. It’s very easy for your customers to go elsewhere if you fail here, so unless you get this point of your customer journey right whatever you achieve with your social media marketing can be damaged by your lack of care.

If you aren’t listening and responding to your customers then how do you expect continued loyalty for your business?

Shopping centres and retailers are always looking to provide the right experience for their customers, but the value of creating an audio brand is often overlooked.

Over half of us notice music playing in the shops we visit, but it’s not just a case that the same music can be put on the PA system and left to play just to provide background noise. Research shows that 40% of shoppers will stay longer in a shop if they feel that the music fits the environment and is chosen carefully to enhance the overall brand of a business.

If the right music is picked and researched then it can help engage the shopper and ultimately lead to increased sales, but we need to be sure that the playlists that we play are not making our customers run to the exits.

Of course, the urban trendsetting fashion retailer that is playing club music wouldn’t be suitable background audio for the entire shopping centre so a careful approach has to be taken when portraying the right atmosphere. Choosing the right music isn’t as easy as it first seems as intrusive and annoying music can cause shoppers to head back to the car parks. We all have our own opinions of what music we like but audio branding is now a vital part of the retail landscape. Just as choosing the right colour schemes, signage and visual look, music is also important in providing the right image.

Music Matters

OnBrand Radio have over 10 years of experience and work in over 250 shopping centres and constantly review our playlists. For instance, we change our playlists seasonally and refresh our music to make sure the background audio doesn’t become stale, so If your shoppers leave with bulging shopping bags happily whistling songs then our mission is complete.

Music played in-store and in other public place, businesses have become more than just simple background music. Just as interior design and decor is part of an in-store experience, music has become just as important as a marketing tool for business owners.

But why do we need music & why does it affect us?

A recent survey found that people rank music as more difficult to live without than sports, movies and newspapers. People have a huge relationship with music because wherever we turn we are offered music & pop culture. It has the same effect on our lives as much as TV and is only dwarfed by our demands in our busy lives by usage of the mobile phone and the internet!

61% of people consider music to be important or very important and that figure rises to 74% when 16-24 year olds were asked how important music was in their life.

Music is a tool that can connect to consumers.

An international study showed that businesses that played music that fitted their brand identity were 96% more likely to be remembered by those that had no music at all.

Further more 4 out of 10 people would stay longer in a public place business if they appreciated the music, 21% would recommend to others and 14% would buy more. In other words, music is very important to businesses!

The right music.

Music played in a business affects consumers opinion of that brand. However it’s not as important as you think that the music corresponds to consumers personal taste or that the music is well recognized. First & foremost is that the music has to have the right volume. Basically, the wrong music played too loudly makes consumers leave.

But what about silence? 32-41% of respondents said they would react negatively to silence. More precisely, the absence of music in a shopping mall or business!

Conclusion.

Music is perhaps the most important element for businesses in targeting the younger generation and constitutes an important piece of the experience it offers to consumers. It is crucial that the music has the right volume and matches the profile of the shopping centre or brand. It is also not enough to just play current music or chart hits.

The music needs to fit the centre where it is played!

OnBrand Radio broadcasts in over 250 Shopping Centres in the UK and Ireland, reaching over 150 million shoppers every month. OnBrand Radio create the right ambience, increasing dwell time & influencing shopper behaviour and spend.

The instant you walk through the doors of a supermarket, you are surrounded by bright lights, products, offers, signs and the smell of the bakery department.

We are all very aware of the supermarket trick of piping the smell of lovely fresh bread towards the entrance of the shop, but this is one of many ways of appealing to the customer and encouraging them to spend more on their visit. In this tough economic climate retailers are employing techniques to direct us toward making bigger purchasing decisions on our weekly shopping visits.

One of the biggest challenges in the supermarket is to engage us a little more whilst we wander past aisles of fresh fruit or tins of beans. After all, shopping for groceries in big supermarkets isn’t exactly the most taxing activities that we do in our daily lives. As such, we become more susceptible to the little tricks of the trade and certain parts of this subtle retail strategy go straight to our subconscious.

Research shows that the less a person has to actually think about, the more their subconscious mind becomes suggestible to other influences.

Hear that music?

It is well documented that slow and calming music makes people spend more time browsing and subsequently spend more money. Luckily, we are now well beyond the years of annoying Musak & elevator music that used to be associated with filling the audio space in public areas. Retailers now have music specifically profiled to suit their brand image.

Trendy fashion brands are particularly aware of these trends because if they played the wrong kind of music then their brand image would seem out of date very quickly.

But what about supermarkets?

There is a case here for using generic music as it complements the rather ‘none taxing’ environment where it is played. You want the music to ‘disappear’ encouraging a feeling of calm, but not grabbing the attention of the listeners. This is one of the few places where a generic playlist of music can fit the background atmosphere.

Of course the overall ‘atmosphere’ is a small part of the supermarket shopping experience, but what is significant is the place where products are bought. In some cases this ‘atmosphere’ is more influential than what you actually went into buy. You may not necessarily think that a supermarket has an atmosphere but it’s certainly part of the overall shopping experience that can be enhanced with the right background music.

But why play music at all in a supermarket?

There is a famous study that found that a 34% increase in time spent in a supermarket when background music was played with a corresponding increase in sales. (*Millman 1982)

Playing background music is thought to improve the image of a store and make both customers and employees happier.

70% of customers surveyed said they actually preferred shopping in stores that played music, and 63% said they probably purchased more as a result. The impression was that the supermarket cared more about its customer when it played music.

The right music can have a massive impact on sales. According to research 79% of consumers in the UK have indicated that music encourages them to stay in stores longer.

As today’s consumer becomes increasing more savvy, and consequently demand more from their shopping experience, retailers are constantly challenged with deploying the right in-store communications strategies and solutions.

Music & audio can be used to differentiate two otherwise similar shops by producing variations in their atmosphere. This could attract different kinds of customer.

OnBrand Music understands the businesses objectives that you have for playing music in your retail environment, we apply extensive musical resources and skills to create a unique bespoke music playlist. With access to tens of thousands of music tracks, our experienced music consultants balance the mix of artists, styles, genres, eras and tempos to complement your trading style and pattern.

Music is becoming an increasingly important part of the in-store ‘environment’ package and can be a customer’s first impression of a store if they are not greeted by a member of staff.

If you would more information about our services, the benefits of Shop & Retail Radio or simply advice on music choices then please contact us on 03333 220022

‘Because Music Matters’