Great products? Check. Clean displays? Check. A well crafted brand identity? Definitely. An in-store vibe that fits that business’ brand? Che…wait…a WHAT that fits the brand?
For many of today’s businesses, having a great product, display and staff are only part of the battle. To create a truly successful business, owners must think about the the overall atmosphere—or vibe—of their business. Is it sending the message they want to send? Is it attracting the right target customer groups?
Creating the right atmosphere for a business means considering many different factors. These details should serve to reinforce the overarching brand so that the first impression of a guest, and the overall vibe of the business, makes sense. And, just as importantly, brings them back to the store.
Every choice made when seeking to create the right vibe for a business can impact the mood of the customers, the staff, and the overall experience the business fosters. Here are a 5 things to consider when working to build out the right vibe for a business.
Finding ways to put special and unique touches throughout the store can really be a great way to solidify the style and vibe of the store. For a retail clothing store, for example, creative price tags, branding the merchandise bags in a fun way, or even making sure the clothes hangers are uniform and stylish can help reinforce the overall feel of the store. But, make sure these details are ones that will resonate with the target customer group. Going back to the clothing store example, If the business is working to create an upscale, sophisticated, luxury vibe, the merchandise bags should reflect that, and, to quote “Mommie Dearest,” maybe no wire hangers.
Imagine walking into a store and what is playing overhead doesn’t mirror what the store is selling or—or worse—it is silent. None of that serves to make customers feel good about the experience. Music is one of the most important factors to consider when creating the ideal vibe for a business. According to research from DJS, 91% of retailers surveyed believe music makes both customers and staff happier. What soundtracks are going to make customers enjoy being in the business more? For example, a gym or fitness oriented business should focus on playing upbeat, high energy music—and leave the easy, soft rock for the dental office down the street. Businesses must create a vibe that works to their best advantage, and using music to create an atmosphere that not only brings customers in, but keeps them coming back.
While the hearing category is covered with the in-store music, businesses should also be sure to include sight and smell when creating their ideal vibe. If something doesn’t look right, customers won’t buy it. Specifically, lighting can be an owner’s friend—or their greatest enemy. Choose lightning that displays merchandise or the space in the most flattering way possible. Extremely bright—or the reverse of too dim—can have a major effect on the store’s vibe. In the case of a restaurant, too bright isn’t good and too dim can have customers wondering what the owners are hiding. The same is true for smell. Smell is the sense most closely tied to emotion, so it is an extremely important element. A craft store, for example, may consider a mild, seasonal candle. Nothing too overpowering, but a nice, light scent can get customers in the right mood.
In-store announcements can be a great way to share news about special offers, upcoming events or any number of informative pieces with customers. However, the tone, volume and verbiage of those announcements can make or break a business’ vibe. Make sure the voice talent for these announcements serves to reinforce the feel and not detract from it. Also, make sure that the wording used will be impactful for the customer base. Stay away from trendy sayings if the target customer won’t understand them. Once again, it all comes down to considering the target customer.
By far, one of the most important factors that plays a role in the overall vibe of a store are the people who spend the MOST time in it—the employees. What are they wearing? Are they up to date with the product offerings? How are they greeting or saying goodbye to customers? Hiring employees who are most likely to reach the customer base is one part of having an engaged and impactful staff. The next part is training them to inherently reinforce the vibe the business is looking to create. Make sure there is consistency where there needs to be, but allow room for each employee’s talent to shine.
In the end, the decisions made for any of the above factors should orbit around one critical thing —the target customer. What do THEY want? What do THEY expect? Each factor is important in its own right, however business owners should always keep the customer at the core. And, by creating the in-store vibe they want, customers will likely want to spend more time there—and more money.
Interested in learning more? Request a demo of Vibenomics today, and learn how you can start creating on-brand music and messaging for your in-store customers.
Picture this scenario: a man walks into an upscale suit boutique looking for a new tuxedo for an upcoming formal charity event. The displays are perfect. A subdued yet elegant and masculine smell wafts through the air. And the music is screaming heavy metal.
Uh-oh. Something isn’t right here.
To create just the right in-store atmosphere, businesses should use everything at their disposal. From the carefully designed displays to making sure the store smells just right, a business owner can look around and feel as though they have done everything in their power to draw shoppers in and encourage them to shop. But a misstep on music, like in the above example, can bring the entire thing crashing down.
But selecting the right genre of music is only part of the puzzle. Business or retail owners should also consider the impact certain aspects of the music can have on shoppers. Take, for example, tempo and pace. When looking to control the flow and pace of the store, in-store audio can have a major impact.
When the tempo of a song picks up, the natural inclination of a person is to speed up. The inverse is also true—the natural inclination individuals have when the pace of music slows is to slow down. Think about being at a wedding reception. It’s likely the happy couple wouldn’t begin a slow waltz during “Shout” by the Isley Brothers. Those store owners who know the impact of music on shoppers can use that power to better control the pace and flow of their stores. A customized musical soundtrack—paired with the right in-store announcements—can influence customer’s in-store movements and be a critical tool to improve traffic flow and, ultimately, improve the bottom line.
How Does Music Impact Customers?
There has been study after study conducted to learn why people enjoy listening to music. For example, one study concluded that people listen to music to regulate arousal and mood, to achieve self-awareness, and as an expression of social relatedness.
Specifically when it comes to in-store music’s impact on shoppers, 63% of small retailers agree that playing music encourages customers to spend longer in-store. 72% of people who like music in-store say that a shop playing music is more inviting and 76% of small business owners believe they can positively influence the behavior of customers through music.
When it comes to using music to positively influence the flow of traffic, however, it goes beyond just this basic explanation of stimulation to HOW tempo and pace can impact the behavior of shoppers.
Let’s Talk Tempo
As noted previously, the natural inclination to hearing a fast tempo tune is to increase speed, creating a greater sense of urgency. For business owners, that is particularly important to note. Play a song with too fast of a tempo and customers are rushing through the aisles, potentially missing important items and leaving without a purchase. And yet, if the tempo is too slow? Customers could stick around for much longer than desired, taking up space at tables or in other areas of the business.
Creating a specially curated playlist that features songs of a specific pace at a certain time of day can either keep customers moving about the business at an efficient pace during higher traffic times. For a family restaurant, the dinner hour is likely not when an owner wants customers lingering at the table long after the meal is finished, so keeping the music upbeat is usually a good idea.
On the other hand, carefully selected music with a slower pace can help to slow customers down. This can be of particular importance if the store has higher ticket items that may require a little more thought and decision-making.
While the preferred genre of the target customer should be the first thing businesses consider, looking at the various times of the day (a term called “dayparting” which we examined in a previous post) can help to improve business through the pacing and tempo of their in-store audio.
The Answer? Very.
To answer the question posed in the title of this post, pace and tempo are extremely important, particularly when it comes to crafting a soundtrack to support the flow for any business. Controlling the way customers or potential customers experience a space is critical to the sales, and thereby the success, of a business. Music tempo and pace can be an easy and efficient way to do that. By using a custom designed in-store playlist, businesses can control flow through a vehicle they likely already have today—in-store speakers.
Interested in learning more? Request a demo of Vibenomics today and learn how you can start creating on-brand music and messaging for your in-store customers.
Music and the overall auditory experience can be an extremely powerful tool for many brick and mortar businesses, regardless of their industry. Making the soundtrack not only a part of the customer experience, but one of the MOST appealing parts of it, can drive customers to want to spend more time in the store and to come back again and again. Industry research backs that up with 63% of small retailers agreeing that playing music encourages customers to spend longer in-store.
Customers often want a pick-me-up or are shopping or browsing to feel more relaxed. How satisfying to see a customer walking around humming or singing along to the in-store soundtrack and truly enjoying their shopping experience? And it does have an impact on customers. 67% of shoppers who recall hearing music during their most recent shopping trip identified the music as being programmed specifically for the retail location as opposed to the shop simply playing a local radio station.
And while the music is a critical component, once they are listening to what’s playing over the speakers, why not use that attention for a more targeted message? That’s where on-demand announcements can play an important role. On-demand announcements can be useful for everything from sales events to driving customers to digital channels to reminding them about important loyalty programs. They can also quickly provide an easy and effective way to educate customers on new products and offers, pushing products faster while increasing the revenue potential for every customer.
That being said, with all the information and benefits on-demand announcements can provide, in additional to all the benefits a custom soundtrack can bring, it’s hard to find the right balance between the two. Too much one way or the other and it can defeat the purpose of both. Here are a few tips to striking the perfect in-store balance between music and announcements.
Dayparting
Dayparting is a concept covered more in depth previously in this blog, which refers to the concept of musically “parting the day” into different, benchmarked times throughout the day. The term has origins in the radio business referring to playing certain songs or content at a certain time of the day. In stores, owners and their marketers must consider the time of day when thinking about on-air announcements as well as soundtracks. During higher traffic times or times when there is higher customer turnover, playing announcements more frequently certainly makes sense. However, if there is no one in the store, consistently playing those announcements again and again will only serve to annoy the staff.
Consider Customer Longevity
As mentioned, striking this balance also has quite a bit to do with how long a customer is actually in the store. A restaurant, for example, will most likely have customers sitting in seats longer than those browsing a retail environment. And even then, it depends on the type of restaurant. A fast-food restaurant sees a much higher turnover, and, as such, can play on air announcements more frequently to target different customers. It’s also not necessarily a negative to play or feature the same messaging through on-demand announcements more frequently. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), high frequency over a short period of time is much more effective than low frequency over a longer period of time.
Adjust—Don’t Follow—the Rules of Radio
A recent study found that the average radio station aired 2.6 commercial breaks per hour, resulting in an average of nearly 9 minutes of advertising per hour. The average spot break was approximately 3.5 minutes in duration. In an in-store environment, that duration would be far too long for a single announcement. For example, if a store does a 30 second announcement, they could adjust the musical breaks to 3 per hour and likely see positive results.
The best part of an on-demand announcement service? Business owners can determine—on the fly—how frequently announcements should be played. If they notice the store is busier than normal, they can adjust the number, tone, or content of the announcements. While the above are general tips, they are just that—generally a good idea. But for a specific business, having the ability to adjust based on the current customer atmosphere is the best way to find balance for in-store music and in-store announcements.
Interested in learning more? Request a demo of Vibenomics today and learn how you can start creating on-brand music and messaging for your in-store customers.
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.
To survive in today’s competitive environment, most businesses understand the importance of finding the most efficient and effective ways to engage their customers. That often requires an increased level of personalization for each customer. But how can small or medium sized stores, particularly franchise businesses, do that at scale with limited marketing resources? They must start strategically thinking about providing the best in-store experiences.
One area that’s often overlooked is the auditory experience customers have while in a store or business. Music can put customers in—and quickly take them out—of the moment. That likely isn’t a big surprise. After all, 91% of business owners believe that playing music makes staff and customers happier. However, how many included in that large percentage are using that music to its best business advantage? Not nearly enough.
The in-store music experience, coupled with on-demand announcements, can be just the solution when looking for ways to increase customer basket or sales size, drive enrollment or registration for events and reward programs, and also share information about specials and community initiatives. Here are just a few ways music and messaging can impact a business’ bottom line, along with a few real life examples of how it’s already working:
How Audio Can Have a Major Impact
Some think that music and announcements that play over the speakers of a store are just “noise,” but they’re mistaken. Research conducted by Vision Critical among 1,000 UK businesses and Entertainment Media Research among 2,000 UK consumers found that 63% of small retailers agree that playing music encourages customer to spend more time in a store. 72% of people who like music in-store say a shop playing music is more inviting, while 76% of small retailers believe they can positively influence the behavior of customers through music. Imagine being able to influence customer behavior—not just through price and product quality—but by offering a more personalized customer experience through custom in-store music.
It is likely that the ideal customer for a specific store also has a targeted style of music they prefer. In fact, 67% of shoppers who recall hearing music during their most recent shopping trip identified the music as being programmed specifically for the retail location as opposed to the shop simply blaring a local radio station. Plus, imagine playing that local station and airing an advertisement for a competitor’s offer that sends a potential customer out the door. Instead, why not utilize that passive experience to benefit the current shopping experience?
The Proof is in the Sales
In the world of business, there are plenty of priorities that require time, resources, and, above all, money. Thinking that devoting any of those to customized in-store music experiences or on-demand announcements may not seem like a priority. However, many customers are finding that it not only brings in enough sales to be a positive return on investment, but it helps to create a better overall customer experience.
A recent article in RetailWire found that, out of those who noticed in-store music, 40% will stay longer in a shop if they feel the music is well-chosen for the environment. A customer survey at Jiffy Lube found that 60% of customers heard the messages and 90% enjoyed the atmosphere.
Case Study: How Dairy Queen Drove Immediate In-Store Demand
But what about the sales numbers? An Indianapolis area Dairy Queen franchise may have something to add. While Dairy Queen Corporate, a global fast food company, provides local franchisees with marketing materials, this specific store location prefers doing more personalization for their customer base in the form of an annual Valentine’s Day dinner. While the dinner has seen moderate success in past years, this year it began using in-store, on-demand announcements about the dinner, and the event sold out in record time. Customers at their tables were even making reservations immediately after hearing the announcements. By not using custom messaging over their speakers, this Dairy Queen was—almost literally—leaving money on the table. By simply finding better ways of educating customers on new products and offers as they become available, this franchise found a new and easy way to make a profit.
The Customer Experience is King
VisionCritical estimates that, by 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the most important key brand differentiator. For nearly any business, using custom licensed music to create a superior in-store audio experience is a great way to promote unique events, offerings, and specials in a way that is non-intrusive but impactful. It allows businesses to push products faster while increasing the revenue potential for every customer or drive customers to a website for coupons and promotions. These tactics—particularly alongside a customized playlist—provide an improved, potentially highly profitable customer experience.
Interested in learning more? Request a demo of Vibenomics today and learn how you can start dayparting your music and in-store announcements.
Once upon a time, not that long ago really, getting gas for a vehicle looked much different. Gas pumping has progressed from having an attendant pump the customer’s gas, to customers going into the store and asking for “$20 on pump two,” to today’s pay-at-the-pump technology.
While that’s been a great time saver—the average convenience store fuel customer spends 5 minutes or less filling up a gas tank—it certainly cuts down on the potential for in-store sales. A few customers may venture in and pick up an item or two, but the vast majority pump gas, replace the gas cap, and drive on. In fact, 300 people visit a convenience store’s gasoline pumps a day, but only 35% of those customers step foot inside the store, according to industry experts at Convenience Store Products.
One of the toughest nuts to crack for gas station convenience store marketers is how to pull those customers from the pump to the store. Finding effective and convincing ways to move the in-store needle can make a huge difference for a business’ bottom line. Take those 300 customers mentioned above. If 35% are going in the store, that’s 105 customers. If each of those customers spent even just $1, that’s an extra $105 per day—or over $38,000 per year.
So, how can marketers find ways to convert gas pumpers to in-store purchasers? Here are a few potential methods that may help out.
Loyalty programs are a great way to motivate those members to stay true to the brand, thereby increasing the visits they make as well as their spend. However, if the reward program is going to work, it must be of value to the customer. Something like a free cup of coffee or lower-margin food item on the fourth visit or earning points that can be used towards a gas card can make a customer feel like their participation is valuable to them. It can also be a key way to get already-loyal customers in the doors of the store. While they are redeeming that free cup of coffee, make sure the fresh donut display is close by or the grab-and-go breakfast items are shown off.
Credit card processing fees are a big pain for any small business. Some gas stations have taken to eliminating that specific pain point by offering special discounts on gas prices for those customers who come in the store and pay cash. According to a study by Cardtronics, cash transactions still make up 63% of all convenience store purchases. Also, a report by NACS says that 23% of surveyed gas consumers primarily use cash to pay for their fuel. Offering a discount for those who pay with cash can not only take care of credit card fees, but can also get more customers—who already are shown to use cash for convenience store purchases—in the door with cash in hand.
Customers are already at the pump and tend to be a captive audience. Why not take advantage of that and incorporate at-the-pump audio announcements? While digital displays and signage can certainly help, more often than not, the customer is looking around or is on their phone and may not see it. Using audio helps to ensure they know about the special two-gallon milk price or the daily deal on coffee and a pastry. Marketers can even work to daypart those announcements to hit key customer needs at certain times. For example, that coffee and a pastry deal? Great for the morning. But a pizza or a dinner item would better attract an evening commuter heading home.
No matter the business, the more pleasant the customer experience, the more likely they are to keep returning. This is just as true for convenience stores. Making the experience enjoyable by creating a great in-store vibe can keep customers coming in again and again. Create a playlist that appeals to the target customers, keep merchandise fresh and expertly displayed, and always keep things tidy. Also, make sure to keep customer wait times down, no matter what the time of day. Above all, keep the “convenience” in convenience store.
With the right in-store vibe and at-the-pump marketing tactics, customers will be much more likely to make their way into the store the next time they stop to grab gas. It just takes some planning and creativity along the way.
Interested in learning more? Request a demo of Vibenomics today and learn how you can start creating on-brand music and messaging for your in-store customers.
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