Commentary

Don't wreck the halls: Tips for staying true to brand values in curating seasonal playlists

Danny Turner, global senior vice president, creative programming at Mood Media, offers up insight and tips on how music in the retail customer experience should be about adding to the experience, not adding to the noise.

Photo by iStock.com

November 9, 2018

By Danny Turner, global senior vice president, creative programming at Mood Media

Music is a big part of the customer experience during the holiday shopping season and navigating your brand's seasonal mix can be tricky, but it doesn't have to be.

As we get a jump-start on holiday playlists, it's important to remember that there's no singular solution or prescribed methodology. Gone is the “one-size-fits-all” mentality. Rather than throwing your arms in the air and blasting 100 percent Gene Autry through Dec. 26, I've got a few suggestions for cueing up holiday playlists in your retail establishments.

Apply brand filters | Know who you are
Remember that the holidays don't drive the brand experience; rather, they enhance the in-store experience in a fresh, timely and seasonally appropriate way. It's more about curating a cohesive brand experience that aligns with the narrative that you've created the other 11 months of the year. The most important time of year for your business is no time to abandon your brand identity.

Be cognizant of category | Holiday isn't a genre as much as a theme
It's incredibly important to understand the nuances of holiday music. While some consider holiday music a genre in and of itself, it's really just a supporting theme. Each song is still rooted in its own core genre, yet shares the common subject matter of holidays. Yes, the record store in your mind may have a category labeled “holiday,” but imagine all of the diverse iterations and dozens of sub- genres of music found within that one section (jazz, country, classical, folk, R&B, etc. etc.). Simply put, “holiday” is merely a lens through which we look at any given genre. Just because it has the generic “holiday music” label doesn't mean that an Alan Jackson Christmas song can work next to a Lou Rawls holiday track.

Hit the traget | Dial in your consumer demo and curate accordingly
A good rule of thumb? The broader your customer target, the broader your holiday music opportunity. The more defined your brand personality and customer base, the more you'll need to apply filters to your choice of holiday music. In a nutshell, brands must first figure out who they are, who they're speaking to, and how broad their audience is. Once brands have their consumer demo dialed in, they can then map out a solid strategy and put a personalized spin on their holiday playlist. An electronic remix of Bing Crosby's Happy Holidays may work well in a more progressive or diverse environment; however you may want to reserve the use of Bing's original track where a more traditional presentation is warranted. When it comes to brand-appropriate holiday experiences, your brand's unique point of view will undoubtedly dictate what your threshold should be.

Timing is everything | Know when to cue up seasonal tunes
One thing I've learned over the years is that it's important to let the turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie digest before introducing candy canes into the mix. Very few brands should be playing Jingle Bells before the candles from Thanksgiving dinner have been blown out. I'd advise most retailers to start playing seasonal tunes on Black Friday – at the earliest – and take a measured approach, building slowly until Dec. 25 rolls around. Too much too soon and you could start to lose customers, or worse yet, face Jingle Bells burnout two weeks into the season!

Create the right mix | Start slowly and build
Whenever you decide to cue up holiday music, you also have to determine how much of it to work into your daily music mix. Truth be told, 100 percent holiday music is a really bold statement. Like that bedazzled Christmas sweater, it's not always palatable for everyone. Ultimately, I would never suggest that brands lead with 100 percent holiday music straight out of the gate. My recommendation is to scale how much you play over time. For the majority of brands, I'd go with 25 percent to kick things off, and then dial it up to 50 percent as the season progresses. As we reach that fever pitch in mid-December, your instincts may be to go to 100 percent, but only do so if it is brand appropriate.

However you land on your holiday strategy, just remember how important it is to have one. The goal remains the same: to create a memorable shopping experience. Consider the different genres within holiday music and which genres are most appropriate when curating specific playlists for your brand. Remember to be cognizant of when you start cueing up seasonal tunes, what percent of holiday music you work into the mix, and perhaps most importantly, how you stay true to your key customer base while protecting your brand identity at its core. Add to the experience; don't add to the noise.