Music is something we typically associate with as a form of entertainment. Whether we’re at a concert, the ballet, musical theatre, or opera, music is there for us. It creates a variety of emotions whether it’s the sadness and desperation of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio” or the joy and wanting to dance when hearing Pharrell William’s “Happy”, it sets the mood of our brain. By creating a strong emotion, the listener is more likely to recall a message.
It’s no small wonder that music is used in most videos of TV, radio, film, and social media. Don’t think of this as merely a catchy jingle. It targets the audience you want to reach and it aligns your message with your business. Listen and watch this example of creating the perfect emotion through music: https://bit.ly/3og557c (John Lewis animation of a friendship between a bear and a rabbit to Lily Allen singing ‘Somewhere Only We Know’.)
Music is an important part of telling your story so here are some tips to guide you:
- Who do you want to reach? If you’re targeting teens/tweens, think in the style of Lady Gaga or Jonas Brothers
- When targeting Millennials, look to Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, and Ed Sheeran for inspiration.
- Want Boomers as customers? Think along the lines of James Taylor, The Doors, and Rod Stewart.
- For seniors, get encouraged by the sounds of Tony Bennett, Paul Anka, Johnny Mathis, and Frank Sinatra.
- What emotion do you want to elicit and grab attention? Fast strings create excitement; percussion might indicate drama; electronics could be used to shock; and acoustic guitars could create a mellow mood.
- There are a few websites with free original music. Check out https://www.bensound.com/ or https://mixkit.co/free-stock-music/mood/uplifting/ or https://www.free-stock-music.com/corporate.html
- Take your time making decisions; try out several pieces of music until you choose the right one. You will “feel” it in your gut when you hear it.
- Most popular music is protected with copyrights so check to ensure you are not infringing on legal rights.
Music in itself is based on intricate math; as a marketing tool, it becomes even more complicated. Recent research showed that customers were more willing to make purchases when classical music was playing. Grocery stores schedule their music by time of day based on research of demographics and their time of day to shop. Picking the wrong music can hurt your brand: for example, don’t play hip hop if you’re catering to seniors and likewise, don’t play Mozart if you’re selling sneakers to athletes. You get the idea.
From Mozart to Madonna to Metallica, the choices of music are endless. If you need help with your social media videos and your content creation, contact us to get you started on the road to effective strategic branding.
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