IN-STORE RADIO

Sound affects our mood and emotions, it has been applied in mass marketing for a long time. To begin with, let us explain the term In-Store Radio – in store radio means point of sell music. Point of sell is any place, where people buy things, such as grocery store, restaurant, shopping mall etc. In the 21st century, more and more firms have come to realize that sound is important for understanding arguments, opinions and feelings. In sensory marketing, this can be accomplished through sound logotypes, jingles, voices, or music. Every day, people hear a great number of sounds that convey what is happening in the environment. The lowest level a human can apprehend is 0 dB, and the normal upper threshold of hearing is 120dB. People often express their identity through sounds. Verbally, we tell others who we are, what we stand for, and how we feel. Sounds help clarify our arguments, opinions, and feelings in a way that facial expressions alone can not. We also identify ourselves through sound – mainly music – with which we feel intimate. The internet, cell phones, and radio and TV music channels allow access to almost any kind of music 24/7. The deliberate use of sound in sensory marketing implies, that a sound experience should be associated with a brand. This can involve short jingles, sound logotypes, and music. A jingle as a sense expression can contribute to the sound experience of a brand. In the United States jingles were used as a new way to market new products and services as early as the 1920’s. During the following decades jingles became more important in marketing. Jingles have traditionally been characterized by short lyrics and commercial messages. They are memorable because short sound sequences that are repeated tend to be easily remembered (Hulten, Broweus, Dijk, 2009, p. 67-73).

A good part of what we hear comes from the world of marketing operating around us. Imagine a typical scenario: you wake up to the blaring tune of an ad jingle on your clock radio. As you get ready for work, you turn on the television to hear the morning news and weather forecast. Shortly after entering your office, the familiar Microsoft tones greet you as you boot up your computer. So ask yourself: How much of your day is spent listening to marketing-related audio information? If you are like most people, you probably spend hours being exposed to auditory material delivered by marketers aimed at shaping your thoughts, judgements, and behaviours (Krishna, 2010, p. 137-146).

Music in Advertising

Music accompanies much of the radio and television advertising that we are exposed to each day, and it is increasingly used in Internet advertising to attract browser’s attention. The importance of music in advertising can be explained by the link between music and one’s mood. For example, Gorn (1982) found that after hearing liked or disliked music while viewing a pen in one of two different colours, individuals more frequently chose a pen of the colour that was associated with liked music, but they chose the alternative colour pen when the featured pen had been associated with disliked music (Gorn, 1982, p. 94-102).

Music can shape the very behaviour or actions that consumers display. Consider how an up-tempo tune on iPod causes us to pick up the pace as we walk or run. Milliman (1982) found that background store music with a slow versus fast tempo altered both the pace of shopping and total sales volume, slower music prompted more leisurely in-store traffic, which in turn elevated sales volume. Slow-tempo music also has been found to lead diners to spend more time at a restaurant. As a result, they ate the same amount as did patrons in a faster-paced outlet, but they drank more, which heightened their average expenditure (Milliman, 1982, p. 86-91).

In-Store Radio Case Studies

This chapter supports all information stated above with facts and experiences from real life. Impact of In-Store Radio is explained on famous brands and their marketing strategies.

Hultén-Broweus-Van Dijk (2009) state that: “It took the U.S. company Microsoft eighteen months to develop the sound that plays when Windows Vista starts up. Microsoft was looking for a clear, simple sound that would reflect the rhythm of the words “Windows Vista”, consisting of four chords with a duration of four seconds. Four is also the number of colours in the visual logotype for Windows Vista. Because the sound would be played on millions of computers every day, it was essential to find a sound that expressed the identity of the brand and also contributed to a pleasant sound experience.

At one McDonald’s restaurant in Chicago a digital jukebox enables guests to use cell phones or laptops to select the kind of music played in the restaurant. This provides individual opportunities to create a sound experience at McDonald’s.

The Viejas Casino in San Diego uses a jingle on Elvis Presley’s song “Viva Las Vegas”. The song has been updated and modernized to make it sound as innovative as possible.

BMW in Great Britain believes that a carefully selected voice is of major importance in the company’s sensory marketing. For more than ten years BMW has been using the British actor David Suchet’s voice to give the right feeling to its commercials. Together with the British advertising agency WCRS, BMW conducted consumer research into different voices for BWM’s radio commercials, including David Suchet’s. It was shown that BMW had created a stronger identity by using the actor’s voice” (Hulten, Broweus, Dijk, 2009, pp. 67-73).

Abercrombie & Fitch is an amazing example of using In-Store Radio for branding. In every Abercrombie & Fitch store, there is loud music, this music never stops, more specifically, they use mixed playlists. These playlists are mixed together and are carefully picked by people from music industry to create the feeling of belonging. Customer base of Abercrombie & Fitch consists of young people and that is the reason why their music has to be modern and loud.

Starbucks uses slow music in their cafés to slow down their customers. People are stressed and always in hurry, the aim of Starbucks is to play pleasant, slow and relaxing music and to let their customers enjoy the moment. As a result, people spend more time in cafés and they very often order more drinks or a dessert.

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