If you’re listening to the radio and hoping to hear the latest hits you may — believe it or not — be in totally the wrong space. Bizarre as it seems, increasingly major international brands and retailers are defining the cutting edge of pop culture. The likes of Nike and Abercrombie & Fitch are putting serious strategic and financial muscle into ensuring that the shopping experience they deliver is as cool as you can get. “Audio branding” means taking a research approach to playing music that appeals to a specific target market. In the realm of youth culture, for example, there is nothing better for a brand than to be the channel through which new music enters the charts. This is exactly what has been happening internationally. Nike, for instance, retains the services of DMX music. Together, the two companies ensure that the latest and hippest music is played and released in-store. Young customers have been flocking to Nike stores to listen. Meanwhile, the Nike brand is continually revitalised and is always positioned as a driver of trends. This ensures strong customer identification and loyalty. Locally the audio branding trend is being pioneered by DMX South Africa. Brand leaders like Woolworths and @home have already signed up with the music consultants, and others are sure to follow. Woolworths and @home have more mature customers than a Nike or Abercrombie & Fitch, but ultimately their goal is the same — to create a sound experience that fits neatly with their customer segments. “Music is strongly cognitive and research shows that it has a powerful impact on business environments,” says Craig Cesman, chief executive of DMX Music South Africa. “Music can be used to enhance brand recall, augment brand loyalty, increase the amount of time that consumers spend in store, and strongly influence the experience they have. It can also influence consumer behaviour, improve staff service and attract new customers.” Research indicates that audio branding is able to increase retail sales by close on 40% and that nine out of 10 managers feel that the right music is instrumental in developing a positive and motivating work environment. “When we work with retailers and major players in the leisure industry we look at identifying their musical DNA. We don’t just create a soundtrack but mix the right type of music to create the right aural experience in-store,” says Cesman. “Internationally in-store music has evolved into a science. If you walk into Abercrombie & Fitch you’ll hear the latest dance tracks well before they air on radio. This creates a hot, rebellious and fast-paced feel. The principle can be applied anywhere. At Virgin Active, for example, music makes workouts more enjoyable, but it can’t be just any music ... The research and thinking behind it has to be right.” With millions of people moving through leading stores every year, in-store music programming is increasingly central to promoting artists. This shift in pop culture’s foundations is most noticeable in the youth segment, where consumers come into the store as much for the latest hits as for the clothing. The SA market is only at the beginning of its audio branding growth curve, but certain marketing sophisticates already realise the value of the right music in-store. These players look poised to leapfrog rivals still coming to terms with the parameters of the experience economy. — Miller is a marketing and youth culture specialist