What does your brand sound like?

There are many scientific types of research that have shown music can have an effect on our psychology, mood, and behavior. It can contribute to keeping customers in-store, enhance their retail experience and even increase sales.

Time to consume: 3 min
20 August 2020

A study by Texas Tech University, already in 1993, found that customers spent more money in a wine store when they changed their music from “top 40” to classical music in the background.

When searching music for your brand, start by listening to others with the same feel you are seeking, but be careful so you don’t end up using the same retail store music that your competitors are playing. You want to create your own sound profile.

If you think of stores you have visited, has the music been different e.g. in high-end stores compared to more relaxed ones? Or maybe you have had the unfortunate experience that the music being played was too loud so you left the shop quicker than you anticipated?

A study from 2011 found that customers in grocery stores bought more when music was played in a minor mode accompanied by a slow tempo.

Create an Experience

To create a successful store experience, it’s important to design for the ears, as well as for the eyes. Good sensory design is the first step, the second is to be creative and dynamic, changing the store experience according to time of day, day of week, and season.

Kotler wrote an article for the Journal of Retailing and noted that “In some cases, the place, more specifically the atmosphere of the place, is more influential than the product itself in the purchase decision. In some cases, the atmosphere is the primary product.”

Make shopping in your store a dynamic experience your customers will never forget, and they will be back. A well-thought-out store experience affects the customer in several interconnected ways. All your senses can affect your feelings, your thinking, and how you behave. It is called cross-modal perception.

A survey (Elevating the Customer Experience – The Impact of Sensory Marketing, Mood Media 2019) confirmed the importance of experience.

78% of shoppers in this survey said that the in-store atmosphere was a key factor in choosing a physical store over an online shopping experience.

Right the first time

It can be challenging to know what system is best for your business. What if there was one solution that could control them all – sound, visual, and light?

Please read more in the related articles below to find out more.

Article written by
Anna Tärnström
ITAB

WIRELESS SOUND