Music has been scientifically proven numerous times, including in research on NCBI.gov, to influence our behaviour.
Different tones, tempos, lyrics, and sound levels can make our emotions fluctuate in various ways and impact areas, such as productivity, spendings, and world perception. For this reason, many industries have started using music for their benefit, embracing this aspect of life to ensure the success of their business. Here are a couple of those industries that have flourished and created a strong customer base with the help of music.
Casinos and Electronic Music
As mentioned above, music can influence our spending habits, as well as our productivity and how much of our time we dedicate to a certain activity or task. If a place makes us feel comfortable and safe, then we will automatically want to spend more time there. This is the premise that casinos have applied to their business model. Downtempo and ambient music, which are genres of electronic music, invite people to take their time and enjoy the present. This way, players place more bets because they are spending more time on a certain game.
The same strategy is being used by online casinos as well. Most games, be it poker or slots, come with their own background music, which has been researched in detail before. Depending on the type of mood they want to instigate, software providers might go for more upbeat genres or for low-tempo ones. Bonus.net.nz, an online gambling guide, even presents players with available bonuses, so they can make an informed decision and often try out different slots for free to see which type of music works best for them before committing their money.
Retail and the Variety of Genres
When it comes to the retail industry, there is no right formula or a ‘one genre fits all’. It all depends on what you are selling and who the target audience is. For example, if you own a local store and you are trying to go for a ‘hipster’ vibe, then the best choice would be indie or local artists. By promoting and including local artists in your store’s playlist, you would bring awareness to the music scene of your area and would create a strong, loyal customer base.
However, fast fashion stores in popular locations or in shopping centres would most likely go for popular and trending songs, or for fast-paced music. It has been mentioned by Cardiosmart.org that fast music increases heart and breathing rates, which can then increase the traffic speed in your store. This type of music also covers a wider target audience, because people get exposed to it more often. But no matter what music genre you pick for your playlist, customers should get an idea of what you are selling even before entering the store.
The way music affects certain areas of people’s lives is a complex concept. It touches people on a psychological and an emotional level, which results in reactions and behaviours that we might not even understand. The volume impacts the time we spend in a certain place or doing a certain task, while the tempo affects our pace. Some music genres can even create an atmosphere that we might want to return to.
