An unfortunate turn of events came upon me two weeks ago. One of my teeth broke suddenly, causing me both anxiety and pain. I had to then promptly undertake a journey which I do my best to avoid — a visit to a dentist. My dentist, located at Kemps Corner in Mumbai, discovered that I had developed a huge cavity and needed a root canal procedure. He asked me to report the next morning for this treatment.

My dentist’s Buddhist chants When I reached his clinic, I confess I was rather scared of what his sharp drill would do, and how much pain I would have to endure. As I got seated on the dentist’s chair, I imagined that I heard soft strains of nice music in the background. Slowly, this music began growing on my mind. It had a sort of ethereal, poetic, calming feel. At some stage, I think the music virtually lulled me into a state of numb relaxation, sleep and silence. In the meanwhile, with the additional help of a small local anaesthetic, the dentist had already begun and completed the root canal procedure. I had hardly noticed the entire surgery on my tooth.

Afterwards, I asked the dentist what music it was that he had played. “These were Buddhist chants,” he replied, “the sort of music that you can listen to in Buddhist monasteries. I always play it in my clinic ahead of any painful dental procedure, and I find that it helps many patients immediately.” I was struck by this observation, and went on to read about Buddhist chants. I learnt that the music of these chants prepares monks for meditation, by calming the mind and shutting out all external influences, as well as all other senses. As the Zen master Dogen famously says of such chants — “The whole universe then becomes nothing but the ear.”

No wonder my dentist used this specific form of music to shut out or minimise perceptions of the pain, knowing fully well that many of his customers, like me, are scared of his drill. This episode set me thinking about how people respond to various forms of music, and, in particular, the influence of music on customers. I have read about this topic sporadically from time to time, but as I gathered my thoughts on the subject I have come to realise that there are so many different ways in which various forms of music can impact consumer behaviour. These influences can vary greatly across diverse locations, and can also differ based on the specific activity in which the consumer is engaged. Here are some illustrations to spark off your own thinking in this area.

Brand mnemonic Memorable music reminds consumers of specific brands, so music is a great mnemonic. Most of us in India will immediately recollect the famous musical tunes associated with Titan or Airtel. Back in the late 1980s, Titan watches transformed an adaptation of Mozart’s 25th symphony into one of the most recognised pieces of music in our country. Several years later, Airtel signed up AR Rahman to compose its unforgettable signature tune. I submit that these musical tunes were a key contributor to the fame of Titan and Airtel, by constantly reminding people of these brands.

Similarly, many of us who are in our middle age today also remember the memorable musical jingles of Nirma, Lifebuoy, Vicco Turmeric and Bajaj scooters — but all these were created two or three decades ago. In recent days, marketers appear to have lost the plot in creating memorable music for their brands. I do not know of any hugely famous “brand music” created in the past few years, and which can rival the Titan or Airtel tunes. Here is an open space for marketers to consider.

Music and consumer choice Research has shown that playing German music in European stores and restaurants has influenced consumers to choose German wine. On the other hand, when French music has been played, this has led to increased sales of French wine and food. Clearly, music has a sub-conscious effect on what consumers choose to buy and consume. I have not seen similar research about the impact of Indian music, but I think it is likely to have some equivalent impact. I wonder, would playing Carnatic or Hindustani classical music encourage women in our country to buy ethnic Indian dresses or traditional designs of jewellery, in a retail store? Conversely, would playing Bollywood music in the background lead to increased propensity to buy “ filmi fashion” apparel? This is an interesting area of enquiry that can throw up some useful and actionable insights.

Music, quality of shopping There is evidence to show that music affects the length of time that shoppers spend within a store. A slower tempo of music often correlates with longer time in the store, and therefore the possibility of a larger shopping basket, which retailers would greatly welcome. I wonder if online retailers can also leverage this insight, by ensuring they play slow music on their e-commerce sites, to accompany all the browsing and clicking.

Similarly, a research paper published in the Journal of Retailing (co-authored by Michael K. Hul, Laurette Dube and Jean-Charles Chebat) reaches the interesting conclusion that certain types of music generate a more positive emotional response amongst consumers to waiting in queues. In other words, consumers are likely to get less irritated while waiting if there is some kind of pleasant music they can listen to. Therefore, if retailers envisage big and tiring waiting lines in their stores on any given day, then playing the right music is one possible quick solution!

Different folks, different strokes Music is a very powerful weapon to help reinforce a brand’s core proposition and imagery. For instance, I expect a Levi’s store to play American country music that I subliminally associate with Clint Eastwood and Hollywood movies of the Wild West. Similarly, a brand such as Wildcraft, targeting urban Indian explorers, should use music that evokes outdoors and adventure, and is young at heart. Stores that are all about gifting or flowers need romantic music. And if you are managing a chain of stores or restaurants that cater primarily to elderly consumers, it may generally be best to stay far off from loud hip-hop music. Marketers should be eternally conscious of the types of music they choose.

Music and mood Finally, marketers should be aware that music can alter the consumer’s mood. In fact, music is one of the greatest enhancers of mood. The type of music that accompanies a television advertisement, or is played in a restaurant or marketing event or dentist’s clinic should therefore be a well deliberated choice — and should be based on the kind of consumer mood that the marketer wishes to create, even if it is not deeply linked to specific brand imagery. In many of these cases, silence is often not an option at all. As the music psychologist Victoria Williamson says, “Music positively influences consumer mood and emotional states. Silence by comparison can be intrusive, as it throws unwelcome attention on consumers’ behaviour.”

The Buddhist chants played by my dentist certainly altered my mood. If you are a marketer or retailer, have you thought carefully enough about what music can do, and should do, for your customers?

Harish Bhat, MEMBER, GROUP EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, TATA SONS

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