Advertising music: an alternative atmospheric stimulus to retail music

Abstract

Purpose Studying the role of advertising music (ad music) in a retail context can be an emergence of new marketing practices. The purpose of this paper is to identify the potential usage and utility of ad music as an atmospheric stimulus in contrast to music (retail music) as an atmospheric stimulus. This paper also aims to provide a model, which depicts how ad music could be an alternative to retail music in retail settings with regard to consumers’ attitudinal influence and its optimistic correlation with related marketing outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviewed the literature related to the role of retail music as an atmospheric stimulus and studies related to the role of music in the ad. Findings Advertising music as an atmospheric stimulus is more likely to influence consumers’ attitude towards advertising music, towards advertising and towards the advertised brand. Contrary to retail music, advertising music as an atmospheric stimulus may help a consumer for ad recall, ad message/brand information recall, brand recall, brand identification and brand recognition. Consequently, advertising music may always have an advantage over retail music with regard to purchase intent, brand choice and financial return. Practical implications This work may encourage the advertisers for the proper usage of ad music as an atmospheric stimulus that may holistically magnify the saliency of advertising theoretically and practically. Originality/value This study is a novel attempt to conceptualise the potential scope of utilisation of ad music in the retail context.

Will music with or without fragrance in retail stores increase consumer purchase behaviour in emerging markets?

“…Melody, soft music and instrumental music in the background are the three most preferred types of music in the background. Thus, this confirms the recent study of the experimental work of Yi and Kang (2019) and Washim et al. (2019), who reported that retail consumers have the lowest satisfaction and behave in the most arousing and dominating ways in no music setting as compared to foreground, and background music settings (Yi and Kang, 2019, p. 411).…”

The written press as an instrument of informal music education in the general population: content analysis of three Spanish newspapers (La prensa escrita como instrumento de educación musical informal en la población general: análisis de contenido de tres diarios españoles)

“…In this regard, the diffusion of music and its reception by listeners via the Internet and other specific networks is highly shaped by the direct and indirect advertising of all kinds of products and services, and by related economic interests (Frigkas et al, 2008; Rau & Chen, 2006). Hence, the networks do not tend to spread a musical culture based on quality, but rather on the potential sales to cybernauts from advertising messages disseminated by the tech companies that run them (Raja et al, 2019; Ruth & Spangardt, 2017). Thus, messages of a musical nature succumb to the uniformity and banality of much of the content generally distributed by the audio-visual media (Bobo, 2005), squandering the networks’ excellent potential for the transmission of musical content oriented towards educating users and providing them with high-quality entertainment.…”

“…En este sentido, la difusión de la música y su recepción por parte de los oyentes a través de Internet y de otras redes concretas están determinadas en gran medida por la publicidad directa e indirecta de todo tipo de productos y servicios, y por intereses económicos relacionados (Frigkas et al, 2008; Rau & Chen, 2006). Por tanto, las redes no tienden a divulgar una cultura musical basada en la calidad sino en el potencial de ventas a los cibernautas de mensajes publicitarios difundidos por las compañías tecnológicas que las gestionan (Raja et al, 2019; Ruth & Spangardt, 2017). En consecuencia, los mensajes de carácter musical son víctima de la uniformidad y banalidad de gran parte del contenido que suelen difundir los medios audiovisuales (Bobo, 2005), que desperdician el excelente potencial de las redes para transmitir contenidos musicales orientados a educar a los usuarios y a facilitarles un entretenimiento de alta calidad.…”

Tackling the ‘death’ of brick-and-mortar clothing retailers through store atmospherics and customer experience

“…Music has been found to influence experience, meaning that enjoyable music enhances pleasurable feelings for customers (Triantafillidou et al, 2017). The use of music is effective in retailing and advertising (Raja et al, 2019). Playing the right music can assist retail stores in developing a good and acceptable atmosphere, which contributes to the store's image and the type of consumers that visit it (de Farias et al, 2014).…”

“…Playing the right music can assist retail stores in developing a good and acceptable atmosphere, which contributes to the store's image and the type of consumers that visit it (de Farias et al, 2014). According to Raja et al (2019), consumers are likely to experience three emotional states in a retail environment, pleasure (satisfaction), arousal (stimulation), and dominance (feeling in charge), which may or not determine the time spent in-store and purchasing decisions. Another critical element in the physical store environment is lighting.…”