Aligning food & beverage and entertainment experiences
Are you or a team member interested in exploring musical activations in a particular outlet but are wondering where to begin?
A tailored musical activation is one that fits the specific ambiance of a restaurant or bar outlet, connects well with the demographics of clientele, and contributes to a holistic guest experience while they enjoy the outlet. Often, activations may cover two of those elements but miss a facet - have you ever experienced music that is fun, but just doesn’t quite fit the space? Or have you ever felt amped up by music in a space that otherwise should feel relaxing and laid back? These are examples of musical activations that are “out of alignment” with their outlet.
There are a few steps that require thought when aligning music to fit within the holistic experience of an outlet.
Outlet Aesthetics and Ambiance
Is this a fine dining outlet, a pool bar, or a specially themed popup activation in the lobby?
Certain marketing psychology principles apply to the selection of music for a space, as the type of music has an impact on spending habits, occupancy duration, and other facets. For example, classical music or jazz can create an ambiance that reduces inhibitions to consume more sophisticated beverages and meals.
Upbeat (faster tempo) popular music can encourage a faster turnaround time (meal and drink consumption rate) for guests, and may result in more table turnover in a given duration.
Outlet Acoustics
How does it sound in the outlet when people are talking or other current musical activations occur? Is the outlet generally a loud environment or do guests maintain a soft speaking voice?
Outlets with high ceilings and hard floors/walls tend to be “boomy” or acoustically live. Think of how your voice echoes in an old church or cave. Hard surfaces reflect sound waves. Too many sound wave reflections can cause high capacity nights to become too loud for an enjoyable experience as speech intelligibility becomes difficult.
Short Ceilings, carpeted floors, and a lot of fabric wall coverings tend to result in “dead” or less reverberant spaces. Many hotel ballrooms are designed this way so that sound and noise volumes can remain controlled when occupancy is at its peak.
A well-aligned musical activation will increase guest satisfaction and should lead to a more holistic and immersive guest experience in the outlet. Remember, music is another tool in your arsenal for enhancing the guest experience while they are on property!