Consumer Psychology - the role of music in advertising - Essay Example

Consumer Psychology - The Role of Music in Advertising ID Lecturer To start with, within advertising and marketing communications, music has a huge role to play as it persuades the target audience towards the product and/or service under the aegis of the relevant organization. The music could either be in the form of a jingle or even an anthem that is aired or run on television or radio each time the brand’s advertising is done. This is also applicable in the case of Below the Line activities (BTL). One must remember that the effect of music in advertising makes the brand look different and thus makes it stand out from the competition. Hence the role of music in breaking the clutter is a stark reality and has played to good effect within the field of advertising in the time and age of today as well as in the yesteryears. It is a fact that a pleasant-sounding and catchy music tune asserts that a brand has the right feel and connection with its audiences. It remains synonymous with the audience’s wishes and desires that they have of the product, being close to their heart, which ultimately builds feelings of association with the brand itself. Similarly, these music tangents construct a very unyielding and heart-warming linkage with the audience and therefore the relationship becomes stronger when it comes to the implied users of the said brand (Gibson 2002). In essence, the role of music in advertising is indeed quintessential towards the audience who want to have a feel of the aura surrounding the product before they go out there and buy it for their own selves. Within the field of advertising, music has a very significant place. A question that needs proper answer lies in the fact that whether or not advertising with music could be a viable option which would indeed pour in profits. This is something which must be comprehended in a proper manner with the assistance of a number of factors, all of which entail the psychological tangents related with the target audience. Also one must take note of the fact that there is the aspect related with the cultural manifestations of the audience, that could include dance as well as music as intrinsic pointers within it, thus suffice to state that advertising must always comprise of a close link with the audience and the brand’s advertising that is being done. At times this is a main criterion of advertising that whether music should be used or left completely blank within a brand’s campaign. The huge amount of dollars spent in the wake of advertising demand that music should definitely be there for the sake of the audience who want to have a connected feel with the brand for their own liking. This will eventually ask of them to get out there and buy the brand, based on their associational tenets that they have achieved thus far (Shuker 1994). On the part of the consumers, the identity with which they remain clung on to is a binding one and thus the advertiser needs to ensure that the brand is able to break the clutter by addressing these requirements as well as delve deep into the related needs of the people. Moving on, it is very necessary that the capacity and quantity with which the advertiser is bringing out the message towards the people as well as the fact that where to hit this message are also some of the most important decisions to make. Furthermore, when one speaks of the role of music within advertising, it is important to understand how this music will be developed and what themes would it touch upon before coming out in the open for the audience to judge and thus analyze upon the role of the brand within their lives. Thus the effect of music in advertising could bring about different sets of consumers as well as the potential consumers in close linkage with the brand that is being presented to the audience through the advertising message, in the form of visuals and the music. There is an element of one-on-one linkage with the people, coming directly from the domains of the brand team and its advertising agency which is indeed developing the core idea behind the message that is going to be delivered to the audience (Sutherland 2000). What this music does is to inculcate feelings of acceptance and usability of the brand. Even those people who are not enticed by the brand or its specific advertising appeals can usually get attracted and thus make the vital purchase of the brand. Even if they accept that the brand exists to satisfy some of their needs and requirements, one should believe that advertising has played half of its job. The remaining half would be fulfilled when the consumer goes out there in the retail outlet and eventually buys the very product to completely satisfy his need. What all these points do is to build upon some serious positive influences as well as lead the consumer into the persuasive factors that ultimately become crystal clear within the related discussions. Once again, there remain some consumers who could go to the extremes that they decide to start using the said brand on a recurring level if they appreciate the brand fulfilling their needs in a better manner than they had expected in the past. Such is the positive role of music within the lives of the people for whom the music is being produced and linked to the brands in the first place. One should believe that this indeed is an interesting intention as it details the aspects that are being talked about in entirety. One must believe that music can construct the bridge between the non-users of a brand into a group where the consumers start using it, merely for the sake of listening to the music that comes along with the campaign. Usually these musical tones are easily humming by the audience and thus they could relate with the essence of the brand which is another positive. Advertising without the use of music makes for a failed cause as it could make a product look very boring and dull, and indeed the entire campaign could fall deep into the muddle of monotonous advertising. In different cultures of the world where music has quite a lot of essence within the lives of the people, those societies make sure that their brands use music within nearly all of their advertising. This is so done to entice consumers into make that vital purchase and remain steadfast with the product on a consistent basis. This cultural aspect makes sure that the consumers remain in constant touch with the specific brands and thus the related associations that take place on an out and out basis. This essentially is a complete 360 degree approach when one specifically talks about the brand and its advertising domains. One can quote the example of the Indian advertising industry where the music within advertising is seen as the most quintessential component and hence the brands use it for achieving sound results and make sure that the people hum it consistently to remain connected with the brand on a persistent basis. This is in addition to the dance tangent that Indian advertising industry is famous for (Roehm 2001). The advertising agencies within the nation are producing the creative part that is focusing more and more towards the connection of music with the brands in order to have better results, thus meaning effectiveness and efficiency for the entire advertising regime within India. The figures and statistics signify the very same and hence the reason that the Indian advertising is seen as a winner amongst the related industries all over the world. Then again, one must comprehend that the role of music within the Indian culture is not something which could increase the awareness of a brand on a short term basis, rather it tends to be geared towards the long term duration, and hence having a consistent and persuasive feel of the same. The music jingles and themes are thus playing a very important part at detailing the differences that exist within India and the rest of the world. The differences have come about due to the stark realities that are presented within the folds of creativity. One must study the fact that there are a number of different facets that need to be delved deep into when one thinks of entering into the minds and hearts of the intended audiences and then only make the vital sale with the assistance of the advertising message that has been designed and ultimately developed. This could only be made possible through the apt usage of music and jingles to a level where the consumers have a good enough feel and can relate with the brand on a superior level. In essence, within the Indian domains, one can effortlessly see that these related aspects linked with the usage of music in their commercials is a positive and at the same time an influencing factor whilst understanding the advertising tenets. There is a soothing effect of music within the field of advertising. Music has the necessary connection with the consumers, and hence the reason that it is deemed as an instant success within the commercials. The essence of rhythm and music and add to that the positive connection with the people for whom the brand is marketed, are some of the salient aspects related with the usage of music within advertising (Olsen 1994). This soothing effect of the music does bring about a positive in the form of making out the brand look peculiar from the rest of its competitors, being unable to come up to the levels of advertising as carried out by this brand in meticulous. There is an important consideration that relates with the kind of music that is well-suited towards the brand as well as the connected feel which is being designed and ultimately transmitted in the form of an advertising message to the target audience. There could be a combination of different music genres as well as a combination of pop and rock music genres. The genres of hip hop, salsa and reggae are added to give the music within advertising a lively touch. These forms of music are basically used in order to have jingles and different soundtracks which essentially guarantee that the brands mesh well with the specified audiences and entice the potential target markets in a wholesome basis. It is pretty much important to discern the fact that music has a very crucial role within the production of the advertising message and indeed proper thought needs to be given towards the same quarters in order to have sound results in the end. It is a fact that the usage of jingles, soundtracks and themes within commercials is employed in order to have a justification for the basis of the linkage with the storyline, the brand’s personality basis and the image that is being carried forward to the intended audiences. The role of brand associations and the essential ingredients of the brand are also very quintessential in order to determine the complexity involved with advertising and the role of music within the very same. It is a fact that the jingles need to mix properly with the brand personality otherwise there could be scenarios where confusion on the part of the audience might happen. There is a need to have a proper place for progression within the designing of the advertising message and the eventual production domains that involve the use of music. Careful consideration needs to be paid towards these regimes in order to have a sound and apt measure in the end, for the sake of the target audience (Burrows 1990). One must remember that these jingles are not specifically directed towards the specific campaigns and hence the carry-over effect of these musical soundtracks and jingles are at times much more than one could think of. Some of these are later developed into mobile tones, national anthems and so on. These run for a long period of time and hence it means that the airplay of these musical soundtracks and jingles is much more than being confined to a single time period, which could be anything between a month and half a year for that matter. This guarantees that these music soundtracks and jingles remain fresh within the minds and hearts of the audience as well as indicate their willingness to be in touch with the brand in one way or the other (Newby 1999). The brand thus gets noticed for all the right reasons and hence there seem to be absolutely no points at all where the brand team has not touched its base with. All of these things are done in order to build the very theme or jingle that the brand has designed for its own self. In essence the need of the brand team or the organization that is producing this very brand needs to be to have as much recall of the brand as there could be. There is an important consideration here that a jingle is essentially something which usually becomes an unforgettable song or anthem of a punch line or slogan. This jingle normally has a very attractive melody linked with it that can easily be memorized and hummed. At times, there is also a karaoke perspective tied in closely with the jingle. The best part about these advertising jingles are that they are played back and forth on radio and television, and hence the results are there for one and all to see. The advertising commercials make use of the music in order to have a positive feel for their brands and the consumer psychology states the fact that the people usually appreciate such kinds of acts by the brands. The different advertising appeals are touched upon in entirety by these brand teams and the advertising agencies. There is a complete mesh within the activities of the brand when it comes to playing the music and/or jingle for the sake of positive recall and remembrance of the very brand. It is always guaranteed that the jingle is made as effective as it can be because this will be played back and forth on the television and radio, and would thus have a connected feel with the brand (Maconie 1997). The brand associations would also come openly for the sake of the target audiences and there is a link that connects the brand each time the jingle is played on these media platforms. Therefore every effort is made to make sure that these jingles are easy to remember so that they get attached to a particular part of the human memory, and thus they can get in sight of the brand even by humming a piece of soothing music. It is therefore a necessity to have such consumer movements which could ensure that the first step leading towards educating these companies is the manner of understanding and properly following the consumer values themselves. Hence it is of significance to develop only those jingles which have a long-lasting feel about the advertising that is being done. In the end, it would be proper to state that the music tangent within advertising needs to be in line with the personality of the very brand that is talked about. It must be made sure that the music used in advertising a product does not have a damaging perspective attached with it, as it could mean disaster for the brand essentially. This is indeed a very dangerous exercise and thus could create serious issues and problems for one and all within the brand team. The people have a sense of trust and wisdom attached with the advertising that is being done and therefore the jingle must hit the correct tangent when the need is to have proper and sound advertising done for the sake of the brand. The different point of views related with having the most apt jingle is therefore a philosophy and must be understood in a proper manner in order to have appropriate results for the sake of the brand that is being advertised. The message should be crystal clear, being delivered in the right capacity at the right time to the right set of people – this is a concept known as the aperture opportunity. The end result is in the form of a 360 degree approach towards advertising and marketing communications, which has a very wholesome effect on the end consumers, who are indeed the main people for whom the music is being developed in the first place. References Burrows, D. (1990). Sound, Speech and Music. University of Massachusetts Press Gibson, C. (2002). Sound Tracks: Popular Music, Identity, and Place. Routledge Maconie, R. (1997). The Science of Music. Clarendon Press Newby, J. (1999). Inside the Music Business. Routledge Olsen, D. (1994). Observations: The Sounds of Silence: Functions and Use of Silence in Television Advertising. Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 34 Roehm, M. (2001). Instrumental vs. Vocal Versions of Popular Music in Advertising. Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 41 Shuker, R. (1994). Understanding Popular Music. Routledge Sutherland, M. (2000). Advertising and the Mind of the Consumer: What Works, What Doesnt, and Why. Allen & Unwin Word Count: 2,774 Read More