Researchers have long known that music can influence consumers’ experience and behavior in commercial marketplaces, the purpose of this article is to provide an summary of previous research and the results.
How can a commercial marketplace use music to influence customers, to strengthen their brand and to in turn increases sales?
Customers Prefer Background Music to Silence A review of previous research indicates that customers prefer background music to silence or no music at all.
Music Choice is Key
But the right music choice can be more important than the decision to play music. Music’s effects on the behavior of consumers depend primarily on in the context. One important lesson is that music should match the commercial marketplace to have a positive impact on consumers’ experiences and behaviors.
Music Tempo is Key
The tempo of the music can affect consumers’ time perception and how fast they move in the marketplace. Music with slower tempo leads to customers moving more slowly, while faster tempo makes them move faster. Many previous studies demonstrate that a slower tempo makes customers spend more time in the shop and buy more. But the result also depends on the market.
In some cases, it may be better to play up-tempo music, i.e. if a restaurant wants to encourage two seating’s over a lunchtime, they can play more up-tempo music to hurry the customers up.
Music's Social Role in Sensory Marketing
The trend towards sensory marketing and immersive experiences is growing in popularity and the music played interacts with the other sensory factors in the marketplace such as sight, touch, light smell and taste. This interaction means that the many different factors play a significant role.
Music might influence consumers’ behavior through an emotional response that makes them either approach or avoid the marketplace. A significant factor is music’s social role. Research shows that individuals believe that their musical preferences reveal something about their personalities. They use music to convey information about themselves to others, but also to judge others. Research also indicates that musical styles convey this type of information. The importance of musical style means that companies can approach their desired target group by the choice of music, and by making this an integral part of their branding. Many studies indicate that this is an area that offers great business potential.
SOURCE: This report is a summary of the research overview “Musikens effekter på konsumenternas 5b0eteende: En forskningsöversikt” by Sven-Olov Daunfeldt
This report is a summary of the research overview “Musikens effekter på konsumenternas 5b0eteende: En forskningsöversikt” by Sven-Olov Daunfeldt