Let the music play

Younger Brits place more value on music as a key element of marketing than older generations, according to new research from audio branding specialist PHMG.

More than half (51 per cent) of 18 to 24-year-olds and 49 per cent of under 45s say music helps them feel more connected to a brand, compared to just 27 per cent of those 55 and over.

Daniel Lafferty, Director of Music and Voice at PHMG, said: “As the expectations of audiences shift, it’s important that organisations don’t get left behind. Millennials place greater importance on music in marketing, so businesses should be planning now to cater for future success with the consumers of today and tomorrow.  We live in an increasingly multimedia world where audio is fast becoming the modus operandi from Alexa and Siri to voice driven car infotainment, so how a brand sounds is now an important as how it looks.”

Of those who gave a definitive answer, 60 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds also believe that they develop a better understanding of a company’s personality through music¹ and 64 per cent (and 55 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds) claimed that businesses appear more professional if they use custom created music² rather than popular off-the-shelf music tracks.

“It’s clear from the research that marketing departments across the country need to rethink how they can integrate audio into the marketing mix,” added Lafferty. “Younger consumers engage better with brands that carefully consider audio, and make assumptions about the professionalism and reliability of the brand according to the sounds they hear.”

“If businesses want to ensure they attract and retain the Millennial and Generation Z markets, they need to focus on the audio just as much as the visuals in their campaigns.”

The study, which surveyed 1,000 British consumers, also discovered that while 82 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds and 80 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds agree that music is an integral part of their life, just two thirds (67 per cent) of the over 55s age group agree.

PHMG is the world’s largest audio branding agency with more than 32,000 clients in 39 countries worldwide.