Music is powerful in communications as it talks to both our minds and hearts. It is universal, versatile, interpretative. It can relax, aggravate, excite. It can motivate the subconscious and create a first and memorable impression. In a marketing context, it is highly versatile - being able to be a product, a channel, an influencer and even an entity.
The history of condoms was revolutionized forever when a designer condom company (Ondo Creation Limited) created ‘ONDOMUSIC’ – a hybrid of a premium condom brand and a hip music label. "Music with love" (condoms bundled with music in trendy packaging) turned the condom from functional to a trendy lifestyle product. ONDOMUSIC condoms are sold as fashionable items in premium lifestyle stores, designer book shops, record stores and clubbing events. Reversibly, it also brought about a pathblazing way of selling music, in condom channels. Music can drive sales directly and indirectly.
Retailers are finding it increasingly difficult to differentiate their stores on traditional retail components of color, lighting, visual merchandise – once considered to have an immediate effect on the decision making process. The emphases has moved towards elements that can excite the senses – music, scents and flooring that capture the brand image or personality and help to create a unique environment and shopping experience.
An exploratory study conducted by Monash University with key retail brands indicated that the shopping atmosphere, created by music can influence customer attitudes and perceptions in relation to the overall quality of the store in terms of the uniqueness of the product, service levels, consequently purchase price and volume. Some of the examples include:
Borders Books:
The objective is to maximise the amount of time people stay in the store. Slow-tempo music relaxed shoppers to encourage browsing by altering customer perception of elapsed time in-store. Shoppers and sales associates said the soothing music also helped facilitate discussions of products and services
Victoria’s Secret: Classical music in-store contributed to customer perceptions of elegance, style, even grandeur. The prestigious store atmosphere created perceptions of higher quality in merchandise and service. The soothing music also soothed the men, who enter what had strictly been a ladies only domain into discussion about potential purchase
Nike Town: At Nike Town, brand is everything and everything is focused at maximizing the brand’s potential. Total branding hits the shopper – from door handles, elevator buttons, floor tiles, to the music! Powerful music – vibrant, proactive and uplifting helped attract the younger urban customer and led to ‘Nike Music’ play lists
Beyond music in physical storefronts, music as a channel on www.pandora.com is gaining high in popularity. It has the potential to be the next "YouTube" in line - creating a new channel for advertisers to reach more eyeballs and listening ears.
Beyond the good old jingle, much remains to be explored with music in advertising. The role of music in TV copy creative is entrenched. One of the recent Honda ads: " Grr..." rode on the grunt sound "Grr" to drive home the message of changing what the company hates. This campaign was highly successful, winning numerous awards including a Cannes Lion Titanium.
As advertising makes greater strides into the terrain of the mobile and internet, more thought and effort is ploughed into conceptualising campaigns. The bid is to create a campaign that is interactive & entertaining enough to generate virality. In the thought process, the role of music should not be neglected. As evidenced by the digital viral campaign "Baby Queen" for Pampers, the brand name is cleverly weaved within the animation via the music.
Music is indisputably a powerful force and its uses and properties can lend great power to marketeers. Employing music in different channels & contexts effectively can bring direct benefits such as increase in sales and indirect benefits such as a more positive brand image.
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