Today’s shopper likely doesn’t consider what is playing over the speakers while they’re browsing in their favorite stores or working out in their go-to gym. However, for businesses, it’s an untapped resource that can improve the overall mood for shoppers or increase awareness of special offers and events. Both of which have the potential to increase conversions and provide a much better customer experience.

Think about it. Most shoppers are breezing through a store while looking at their phones or are otherwise preoccupied with children, friends, or rushing to get everything checked off of their lists. They aren’t looking at carefully designed signs and flyers or, if they do, they skim them and immediately forget what they read. When it comes to the music playing over the speakers, they don’t think about it until it’s disruptive or takes them out of the moment.

And for some businesses, a good, non-offensive blend of music with no interruptions can work in their favor. Depending on the business and the audience it draws, there may be no reason to bounce around or mess with the playlist that works for the brand.

However, for most, the overall atmosphere and demographics of a business can change throughout the day. The customer expectation or the needs of the business may be fluid between morning, afternoon, evening, and into the late hours of the night. As such, it falls on the business to navigate those changing needs and audiences with the music and overall in-store auditory experience. These adjustments in music or content are known by the term “dayparting”.

Below we’ll take a look at what dayparting is, why it’s important to stores of all kinds, and how it can improve the in-building music experience.

What is Dayparting and Why is it Important?

Basically, dayparting means “parting the day” into different, benchmarked times throughout a 24-hour period. The term has origins in the radio business referring to playing certain songs or content at a certain time of the day, based on not only the listening audience, but what the FCC deems appropriate content. According to the FCC, for example, there is a reasonable risk that children will be in the audience from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. so the Commision prohibits station licensees from broadcasting indecent material during that period. That’s why radio listeners will often hear more adult-oriented content after that 10 p.m. hour.

For businesses, however, it can simply refer to adjusting the music or the content playing throughout the store at different times of the day. It is important to note that since most in-store music is not playing over the AM/FM airwaves, the FCC does not have authority to dictate what is appropriate or not. As such, if a business wants to offer potentially offensive music or promotional content first thing in the morning for customers to enjoy with coffee, it’s their prerogative. It’s ultimately up to each business what they play through their speakers based on their unique and specific customer demographics.

Dayparting the Music Experience

Dayparting can refer both to the music experience and to promotional content within the store. When dayparting music, businesses need to consider who will be in the store at what time and what sort of music will enhance their overall customer experience. For example, consider a restaurant’s customers consist of mostly adults eating from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. But, after 4p.m., the after school crowd changes and lowers the median age in their dining room substantially. That restaurant would likely want to daypart the music experience based on their clientele.

Some adult contemporary or classic rock would work for the older lunch crowd, and then contemporary with a mix of alternative or hip-hop after 4 p.m. for the younger customers. This is dayparting music, and it’s essential when the customer base is wide, and, for the most part, predictable throughout the business day.

Dayparting On-Demand Announcements

A business owner can also daypart their content and control the message customers hear based on the time of day. When it comes these promotional and on-demand announcements, the time and resources it took to create them would be lost if not targeted appropriately. A sports bar shouldn’t encourage customers to come watch Monday Night Football between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. on a Monday night when the game is already playing on the televisions. A better idea is to daypart that message to play at lunch on Monday, reminding the lunch crowd of any specials and, at the same time, enticing them to come back and watch the game that evening. It’s critical to the success of these specialized promotions to get them in front of the customer when they are most tuned in to hear the message.

What’s Your Dayparting Strategy?

Without dayparting content, businesses are the mercy of a random shuffle and consequently, the wrong person could hear the wrong content. However, by dayparting, businesses increase their chances of getting the right message to the right customer at the right time, bettering the overall in-store experience. Dayparting doesn’t have to be complicated. By following the cardinal rule of marketing—knowing the audience—businesses can create an atmosphere through music or create targeted on-demand announcements that resonate no matter how often the crowd changes.

Interested in learning more? Request a demo of Vibenomics today and learn how you can start dayparting your music and in-store announcements.