Non-empty sound: how melodies help sell
Miscellaneous / / April 05, 2023
The wrong soundtrack can cause a client to leave early.
What is audio marketing and why is it important for business
Audio marketing is the use of sounds and melodies to promote a brand and increase sales. This marketing direction may seem insignificant compared to other tools. For example, an announcement about discounts or promotions “three things for the price of two” will clearly be more noticeable than some kind of music. However, it should not be underestimated either.
According to researchers, music (or lack of it) influences customer behavior and can increase or decrease sales.
Ksenia Kasyanova
Director of research and development of the communications agency KROS.
Audio marketing is not a new direction. Music was first used in public places during the Great Depression in the United States. It was included in the elevators of the first skyscrapers, so that people feel calmer in unusual conditions. Massively, melodies have been used to solve business problems since the 80s.
The influence of music on us is enormous and is formed, oddly enough, not only on the aesthetic, but also on the physiological level. If we like the composition, or we just “joined” it, as psychologists say, then our heartbeat adjusts to its rhythm and pace. Remember the notorious 120 beats per minute - if we characterize the speed of a melody, then we are talking about a very fast, fun audio track. If we are talking about the pulse, then this is the heartbeat of an agitated, unbalanced person. By regulating the rhythm of music, we voluntarily or involuntarily influence the mood of people, their activity.
That is why during peak hours, for greater throughput of outlets, faster compositions are used with a beat frequency of more than 60–80 beats per minute (a person’s pulse in a calm state). And in restaurants, calm music sets up visitors for a leisurely pastime and, as a result, a larger bill for the institution.
Audio marketing includes background music played in an establishment or store and audio branding. The latter includes creating recognizable melodies associated with the brand. For example, wherever the famous “para-pom-pom-pom” sounds, even without I’m loving it, most people will immediately think of McDonald’s. Yes, and some of the hits from the ads of the 90s are still firmly in my memory. But in this text, we will focus on the first component as an affordable tool for business.
What aspects of background music affect customer behavior
Pace
Above, we have already partially touched on this topic, but there is still something to talk about. To fast music man moves more active, under slow - calmer. Major melodies improve mood, while melancholic ones relax and make you more thoughtful. And business uses it depending on the goals. For example, research showthat slow music makes diners stay longer in restaurants. Accordingly, if the establishment wants people not to rush anywhere and, perhaps, order more dishes, you can take note of this. But for a fast food restaurant, this is unprofitable, so they often play bravura melodies.
At the same time, the tempo of the compositions may change during the day. For example, the store may include slow audio tracks during low loading hours. This encourages customers to wander between the shelves, to look at everything, perhaps to take something impulsively. During peak hours, vendors are interested in avoiding crowding, so they get customers to move faster with peppy tunes.
Volume
Noisy compositions in the background on average make customers to leave establishments faster.
Daria Yausheva
Cognitive Behavioral Therapist.
Music can overwhelm braincause irritation and acoustic discomfort. And it is also important to regulate.
If in a club it is important for a person to switch off, to throw out energy, then in a shopping center he should be in a comfortable enough state so as not to leave. At the same time, the visitor should be encouraged to buy. Therefore, the music should be slightly above average volume and dynamic to a certain extent.
Genre
The point is not so much in the genre itself, but in the extent to which it suits the brand, is consonant with it. If you can guess, it brings results.
Inessa Sizova
Business psychologist at the Rassvet Development Center.
To assess whether music can help businesses earn more, Swedish scientists conducted an experiment. For 20 weeks, they watched how desserts were sold in 16 different cafes in the country, depending on what kind of music was on the background. In places where silence reigned, revenue fell. Where popular songs were played, desserts were more readily bought. Cafeterias were the most lucky ones, who were not too lazy to make a mix of songs that fit the mood of their brand. Sales of desserts and drinks in these cafes increased from 6 to 15%. Visitors trust companies that carefully think through their concept and ideology more.
Recognition of melodies
According to psychologist Inessa Sizova, familiar songs make customers stay in the store longer. But the average check falls at the same time: such melodies distract from the goods. For this reason, Russian stores are less likely to put compositions in Russian, which, according to retailers, create an excessive semantic load.
However, sometimes the recognition of songs is only at hand. Like Jingle Bells on eve New Year helps promote the holiday assortment, and Sinatra and Presley's romantic ballads boost chocolate and flower sales on the eve of Valentine's Day.
How to make your business more efficient with background music
Decide on goals
The first step is to understand what you want to achieve with music. Maybe you have a store with unique handmade goods, and you need the buyer to see them all. Then quiet relaxing compositions will work well. If you need to increase traffic, it is better to choose tunes quickly.
Please note: if the customer is expected to wait - for example, until they collect bouquet, major music is also not suitable. She will excite and turn waiting into torture.
Study the audience
It is important to understand who your average customer is. Young people will feel harmonious if energetic modern music is played. This is not suitable for the elderly: dynamic melodies make you move faster, and this is hard. Concerned about ethical issues, clients are unlikely to appreciate the discriminatory rap about "chicks and cars." And in the pub "in the area" classical compositions will sound foreign.
Experiment
The influence of music on buyers and clients has been studied enough. But at the same time, one must understand that the results of the experiments give average guidelines. Therefore, it is important not to blindly follow them, but to see what works best for your business.
Larisa Pukhova
Event director of TexTerra.
When we opened the Stachka food hall, we decided to be modern and stylish. We made a playlist of jazz and lounge music. But the guests complained that "background melodies annoying." And after the phrases “Somehow it became dull in the Strike,” we realized that we urgently needed to change the playlist.
Now every weekend we have musicians. We managed to test all formats: from hot Brazilians to guys with a balalaika. As it turned out, the most solvent clients come to vocalists who perform hits of the nineties and zero.
Experimentation and contact with the audience will help you find the best solution.
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