SOUNDS LIKE BRANDINGâ„¢ Global Insights in music branding and communication

Exclusive survey on what impact music has on businesses in public spaces

To better understand the impact of music on consumers and to learn more about the attitudes towards music being played in businesses in public spaces*, as well as music played in the workplace, Heartbeats International has conducted a survey on 1000 Swedes between the ages of 16-64. We asked them questions about the impact of music on their everyday lives, public spaces and at work.

The survey results are published in the report, Uncovering a musical myth: A survey on music’s impact in public spaces.
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Also available in Swedish.

* Public spaces has been used as a generic term for businesses such as shops, shopping malls, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, transportation services, sports stadiums, gyms and workplaces.

Topics covered in the report include:

• The importance of music for people in their everyday lives
• The impact music has on businesses in public spaces
• The impact music has on employees and workplaces

Five truths about the impact of music:

• People rank music as more difficult to live without than sports, movies and newspapers
• Playing the right music in your business makes customers stay longer
• Music played in your business affects your customers’ opinion about your brand
• Music enhances wellbeing amongst employees in workplaces
• People think it is important that artists, musicians and songwriters get paid for music being played in public spaces

Results in figures:

The importance of music for people in their everyday lives

• Music is ranked as more difficult to live without in peoples’ everyday lives than sports, movies and newspapers. Music also beats TV, radio, arts and literature. Only Internet and mobile phones are ranked higher.
• More than 6 out of 10 further say that music is important or very important to them in their lives. As for 16-24 year olds, that figure rises to 74%.

The impact music has on businesses in public spaces

• ‘The right music’ makes almost 4 out of 10 stay longer in a business in a public space. That figure rises to 50% when it comes to 16-24 year olds.
• 31% return to a business in a public space which plays music that is appreciated.
• 21% recommend the business to others and 14% also say they buy more.

Which music is ‘right’, from the consumers’ point of view?

• First and foremost, the music that is played in a shop or a restaurant for example, has to have the right volume. Secondly, it has to match the business’ profile, or brand. It is less important that music that corresponds to the consumers’ personal taste or that it hits the radio charts and is recognised.

It’s important or very important that the music played in a shop or at a restaurant…

• ‘The wrong music’, as in noisy or irritating, makes 44% of consumers and visitors leave a business and 38% won’t come back. Almost 4 out of 10 also say that ‘the wrong music’ makes them buy less.

The impact music has on employees and workplaces

• More than 6 out of 10 people and as many as 8 out of 10 16-24 year olds listen to music everyday, or at least once a week at their workplaces.
• 66% of those who listen to music everyday, or at least once a week, think that music affects them in a positive or very positive way at work.
• Almost 50% of the 16-24 years olds say they love to listen to music at work, and just as many say that music makes them more productive while they’re working.
• 43% of all people say that music makes the work environment more relaxed. As regards 16-24 year olds, that figure rises to 56%.

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Heartbeats International gives you a whitepaper on Brand Ethics. This whitepaper is a call for those of us working with branding and marketing, to lift focus from consumer needs for a while and examine our own practice, how our everyday work actively contributes to society.

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English Beta Version

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It is the first book released on the topic of music branding, and it takes you on an ear-opening journey through the history of music and marketing, from the humble jingle and Muzak to today’s music, which is blurring the line between brands and bands; making brands into the record labels of tomorrow.

If you don’t have twitter, subscribe on http://www.soundslikebranding.com/book/”>http://www.soundslikebranding.com/book/ and the SLB Beta is yours to download.

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Sarah Tinsley, Heartbeats International Network

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