1. business and industrial
2. advertising and marketing
3. marketing

How to achieve strong brand equity
by using music to engage consumers online
By
SINEAD RAFFERTY
THESIS
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Arts in Professional Design Practice
School of Art, Design and Printing, Faculty of Applied Arts
Dublin Institute of Technology, 2011
Abstract
The aim of the research is to outline how to achieve strong brand equity by using
music to engage consumers online.
Consumers spend a vast amount of time is dedicated to online activities. On a daily
basis consumers constantly engage with products and brands offline; now what is seen
online is a more defined observation of the engagement that already exists offline
Music is an important element in consumers’ lives it will grab their attention due to it
being embedded deep within important cultural aspects of society. Music can be
powerful, as it has the ability in arousing consumer senses to bring them back to a
place in time
Music is also a powerful motivator, if it is connected with a brand and correlates the
brand message, it will encourage the consumer to retain experiences that will alter
perceptions, create new brand associations and create conversations. This will keep
the brand image to the fore of the consumers mind meaning it will lead to return of
investment and stronger brand equity.
If the music that is linked with the brand does not correlate with the brand values, this
may confuse the consumer and the brand may lose control of the associations the
music creates. Lack of consistency within the brand image could damage brand equity.
Music is a powerful tool for brands; when used in conjunction with social web it can
engage a target audience in producing strong brand equity.
ii
Dedication
To Nana & Granda
iii
Declaration
I certify that this thesis which I now submit for examination for the award of Master
of Professional Design Practice (MAPDP) is entirely my own work and has not been
taken from the work of others and to the extent that such work has been cited and
acknowledged within the text of my work.
This thesis was prepared to the regulations of postgraduate study by research of the
Dublin Institute of Technology and has not been submitted in whole or in part for an
award in another Institute of University.
The work reported on in this thesis conforms to the principles and requirements of the
Institute’s guidelines for ethics in research.
The Institute has permission to keep, to lend or to copy this thesis in whole or in part,
on condition that such use of the material of the thesis be duly acknowledged.
Candidate Sinead Rafferty
Signature________________________ Date__________________________
iv
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge those who assisted me in conducting this research.
Especially Selina Sykes, Lynx Senior Brand Manager and Steve Keller, creative
Director and CEO iV music group who were more than generous with their time in
aiding to the research of this study. Without their help this research would not be
I would like to thank all the staff at DIT involved in the Professional Design Practice
Masters program that supported and guided me.
A special thanks to my thesis supervisor, Kieran Corcoran, who guided me through
each phase of the research journey and helped me keep my motivation for the study
intact.
Thanks to Christine and Patricia for proof reading: you helped so much. Thanks Joe
for all the printing. Also thanks to my very supportive boyfriend Liam, who had to put
up with me being stuck to my laptop for a year.
I would like to thank my family and especially my friends for their constant
encouragement and support. Caroline, Rebecca and Niamh, you girls kept me going
like Rocky!
Finally big thanks to all my classmates who went through the same thing. We did it!
BOOM!
v
Abstract ..........................................................................................................................ii
Declaration .................................................................................................................... iv
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ v
1
2
Chapter1: Introduction ............................................................................................ 4
1.1
Introduction ..................................................................................................... 4
1.2
Research Question ........................................................................................... 5
1.3
Aim .................................................................................................................. 5
1.4
Objectives ........................................................................................................ 5
1.5
Rationale.......................................................................................................... 6
1.6
Context ............................................................................................................ 7
Chapter 2: Literature Review ................................................................................. 9
2.1
Introduction ..................................................................................................... 9
2.2
Brand and Branding ........................................................................................ 9
2.3
Brand Strategy ............................................................................................... 10
2.4
Brand Equity ................................................................................................. 15
2.5
Keller’s customer based-brand equity framework ........................................ 17
2.6
Customer engagement ................................................................................... 29
2.7
Social Web and Social Media ....................................................................... 33
2.8
Marketing a Brand through Social Web ........................................................ 36
2.9
Behaviours of consumers .............................................................................. 38
2.10 Audio / Music Branding ................................................................................ 43
2.11
Musical Fit..................................................................................................... 45
2.12 Music as an engagement Tool ....................................................................... 46
2.13 Strategies for working with music online ..................................................... 46
2.14 Summary ....................................................................................................... 48
3
Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................... 50
3.1
Introduction ................................................................................................... 50
3.2
Identifying the research problem................................................................... 50
3.3
Research Objectives and Hypotheses ............................................................ 51
3.4
Data Collection.............................................................................................. 52
3.5
Secondary data .............................................................................................. 53
3.6
Disadvantages of secondary data .................................................................. 53
3.7
Primary data .................................................................................................. 54
3.8
Research Design ............................................................................................ 54
3.9
Quantitative vs. Qualitative research ............................................................ 55
3.10 Survey Design ............................................................................................... 56
3.11 Sampling........................................................................................................ 57
3.12 Pilot Survey ................................................................................................... 59
3.13 Distribution and return of survey .................................................................. 59
3.14 Industry Interviews - structure ...................................................................... 60
3.15 Purpose for industry interviews .................................................................... 61
3.16 Profile of interviewees .................................................................................. 61
2
3.17
4
5
6
7
Limitations of Interviews .............................................................................. 62
Chapter 4. Research Findings .............................................................................. 63
4.1
Introduction ................................................................................................... 63
4.2
Research Method – Survey ........................................................................... 63
4.3
Research method – Interview ........................................................................ 74
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations ..................................................... 87
5.1
Introduction ................................................................................................... 87
5.2
Conclusions ................................................................................................... 87
5.3
Recommendations ......................................................................................... 89
Chapter 6: Bibliography ....................................................................................... 92
6.1
Books ............................................................................................................. 92
6.2
Reports and Journals ..................................................................................... 95
6.3
Online ............................................................................................................ 97
Appendices ........................................................................................................... 99
7.1
Appendices A Survey .................................................................................... 99
7.2
Appendices B Questionnaire Selina Sykes ................................................. 103
7.3
Appendices B Questionnaire Steve Keller .................................................. 108
3
1
1.1
Chapter1: Introduction
Introduction
In recent years there has been a steady migration of people who used to spend time in
front of the TV moving to the computer (Arens mfw 2008). Therefore marketing to
consumers needed to change its format to conform to the online internet culture as this
is where the consumer base lies. This transition to online has changed the consumer
and brand relationship. “In internet marketing terms, the actual experience of the
brand is more powerful than the overall perception of the brand.” (Jevons, Gabbott
and de Charnatony 2000). The approach brands are now adopting to interact with
consumers online, is highly engaging involving at times one on one interaction.
This engaging online interaction between brand and consumer is prominent due to the
multitude of brands available to consumers today. With so many brand options
available to consumers, getting across a memorable brand message is vital. “To get
the attention of today’s newly empowered consumer, you must engage, encourage and
– most of all – respect them” (Lusensky 2010). Brands are attempting to create an
emotional experience with consumers to build a bond through engagement to creating
brand loyalty and equity.
Many brands nowadays have begun to use music as an engagement tool online. Jakob
Lusensky CEO and founder of Heartbeats International inform us that “Music
encourages engagement” he also tells that “music provides the spark for people to
socialise, energise and organise. It’s an engine for social interaction.” Paul Fulberg
backs this statement up further in saying that “Music can create a bond between
consumers and brands” (Fulberg 2003). Brands are creating their own websites that
4
focus on music and lifestyle, while promoting the brand products subtly throughout.
This website is a place where customers can come and interact with the brand that
provide an exciting, youthful and creative space for customers to interact in, turning
them from consumers into fans of the brand.
Despite the growth of brands using music as an engagement tool online, there is
limited research on its potential effect on creating brand loyalties. Studies have been
carried out with regards to customer engagement, using music to promote brands,
brands online and brand loyalties, however inadequate research has not linked these
concepts together.
1.2
Research Question
In order to establish direction for the study (Blaxter, Hughes and Tight 1996) the main
research question is outlined; How to achieve strong brand equity by using music to
engage consumers online?
1.3
Aim
The primary aim of this research is to outline how to achieve strong brand equity by
using music to engage consumers online
1.4
Objectives
The following objectives have been selected in order to understand and outline how to
achieve strong brand equity by using music to engage consumers online.
•
Define branding and consumer behaviour and explore their relationship in
today’s market.
5
•
Discover if an online environment is a viable platform for engagement
•
Determine if music is a viable engagement tool
•
Identify the value of using music to engage consumers online but to also
highlight the obstacles involved.
1.5
Rationale
The research is split into six Chapters
Chapter one introduces the research question, background, aims, objectives, rationale
and context.
Chapter two makes up the literature review where its purpose is to provide the
background to and justification for the research untaken (Bruce 1994). Chapter two
also defines brand and brand equity, customer engagement, social web, consumer
behaviours, the effects of music, and strategies for in using music online. This
determines what is considered best practice for the use of branding in today’s market
place and allows an understanding of how brands have changed their marketing
methods to keep up with consumers in an information age. It also highlights the
effects music can have on consumer behaviour and how this can be an advantage to
brands in building equity when combined with consumer engagement.
Chapters three and four deal with the primary research. The primary research supports
and builds on the findings from the literature review. Chapter three provides an
6
overview of how the research is undertaken and outlines the methods that were
employed in meeting the objectives of the study. This chapter will give an
understanding as to why certain research methodologies were chosen over others and
ensure that the researcher has a clear understanding of what information is needed in
answering the research question. Chapter four analyses the data collected from the
various research methods conducted and correlates the findings with the objectives
and hypotheses. The researcher hopes the finding can create a concrete framework on
how to achieve strong brand equity by using music to engage customers online.
The Final Chapter outlines conclusions and recommendations from the research. The
conclusion will aim to inform those within branding from a marketing perspective on
the topic of how to achieve strong brand equity by using music to engage consumers
online. Recommendations are made on how to achieve strong brand equity by using
music to engage consumers online based on the findings from the literature review,
survey and questionnaires and suggestions are made for the further expansion of the
research.
1.6
Context
The research will be of use to those within the industry, such as marketeers and brand
managers who are considering implementing strategies, to building strong brand
equity for their brands they work for. The research presented in this paper may shape
their decisions in considering if using music to engage consumers online is the correct
strategy to use in the context of their brand.
7
The research outlined in this study will also be of interest to educators and scholars
who wish to support further developments in research of building strong brand equity
by using music to engage consumers online.
8
2
2.1
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Introduction
The research presented in the following section will examine how topics in relation to
branding, social web, customer engagement, consumer behaviours and music will
combine to address the research question; How to achieve strong brand equity by
using music to engage consumers online.
2.2
Brand and Branding
Brand or branding, in its beginnings, was used to mark the ownership of cattle (Aaker,
1991). More recently brands functioned as symbols that enable consumers to identify
and separate one producer from another, with the ability to trace a product or service
back to the manufacturer holding it responsible for its quality (Koehn, 2001). Today
brands are labels, designating ownership by a firm, which consumers experience,
evaluate, have feeling towards, and build associations with to perceive value (Breakus,
et al., 2009). The set of mental associations held by the consumer of the brand add to
the perceived value of a product or service (Keller, 1998).
DeChernatony & McDonald (1992) explain that “a successful brand is an identifiable
product, service, person or place, augmented in such a way that the buyer or user
perceives relevant, unique added value which match their needs most closely.
Furthermore, its success results from being able to sustain these added values in the
face of competition.” Brands are important as they shape customer decisions and
ultimately create economic value. (Czinkota and Ronkainen 2010)
9
There is a great deal of literature referencing to brand and branding, therefore an
overview of the key branding concepts that relate to this study are deemed necessary
to refer to. Concepts such as brand strategy and brand equity, which take a focus on
branding within marketing, suit this study as it is trying to establish how to achieve
strong brand equity by using music to engage customers online.
2.3
Brand Strategy
Arnold (1992) suggests that “the brand strategy is the brand”. He defines Brand
Strategy as “the process whereby the offer is positioned in the customer’s mind to
produce a perception of advantage”. The message “should be communicated by all the
organisation’s activities because any of them may be the salient attribute from which
the customer takes the message and develops a perception” (Arnold, 1992)
Arnold speaks of “the offer” of the brand. This brand offer or brand message is what
the customer buys into. How is the brand offer or message established? Kapferer
explains “a brand draws its strength from the company’s financial and human means,
but it derives its energy from its specific niche, vision and ideas.” It is the brand’s
formation that “justifies the brand’s existence, its reason for being on the market, and
provides it with a guideline for its life cycle.” Kapferer describes brand strategy as
“much more than just giving a brand name and signalling to the outside world that
such a product or services has been stamped with the mark and imprint of an
organisation. It requires a corporate long term involvement, a high level of resources
and skills.” (Kapferer, 2008)
de Chernatony informs “really successful companies adopt a holistic perspective by
regarding their brands as strategic devices.” “They analyse the forces that can
10
influence the well-being of their brand, identify a position for their brand that majors
on the brand’s unique advantages and defend this position against competitors.” (de
Chernatony, 1998).
de Chernatony explains in developing an organisations brand strategy “Identifying the
core values for the brand enables an organisation to be very clear about why it’s
different.” He explains further that “having a clear set of values provides guidelines
about how to develop a brand for the benefit of its customers” (de Chernatony, 2006).
De Chernatony agrees with Arnold on the subject of the brand strategy producing the
advantages for its customers.
Once a clear brand strategy has been created, it is important that this is communicated
clearly and congruently throughout everything the brand is involved with.
With regards to this study, in using music to engage with consumers online, the brand
must use music that adds to, the fit between brand values, the value of the music and
the values held by the customer. A well defined strategic brand management process
should be used when planning to create or recreate a brand. The researcher will now
present Keller’s strategic brand management process in relation to the use of music to
engage consumers online.
Strategic brand management process
Keller has defined the strategic brand management process in four main steps
1. Identifying and establishing brand positioning and values
2. Planning and implementing brand marketing programs
3. Measuring and interpreting brand performance
11
4. Growing and sustaining brand equity
Identifying and establishing brand positioning and values
Keller defines brand positioning as the “act of designing the company’s offer and
image so that it occupies a distinct and valued place in the target customers
mind”(Keller, 2008) He explains that “positioning convinces consumers of the
advantages or points of difference a brand has over competitors.” Core brand values
are the attributes and benefits that best characterise a brand and help consumers
identify with the brand.
Planning and implementing brand marketing programs
Building brand equity involves creating a brand that consumers are aware of and with
which they have strong, favourable, and unique brand associations (Keller, 2008). By
implementing brand marketing programs brands are making it easier for consumers to
understanding and identify them. Keller calls this the, “knowledge building process”
and he outlines two factors it will depend on.
The first is, “the initial choices of the brand elements or identities making up the
brand and how they are mixed and matched” (Keller, 2008). Common brand elements
are brand names, URL’s, logos, symbols, characters, packaging and slogans. What
would consumers think about the product or service if they only knew its brand name
or logo? These simple brand elements make a difference to the customer and must be
planned out.
The second is, “other associations indirectly transferred to or leveraged by the brand
as a result of linking it to some other entity” (Keller, 2008). Controlling secondary
12
association to the brand must also be planned and implemented; these associations
could act as an advantage or a threat to the brand. The brand may be linked to the
company, country, origin, channel of distribution, or another brand.
With regards to this study, the first approach Keller highlights is already completed
previously by the brand. The second step is the approach taken in helping the
consumer in identifying the brand further; “linking it to some other entity”, is through
the associations perceived through the music used and way it is being engaged with.
By linking the brand to music it now been found that, “increasing audience attention
to music enhances message reception when the music evokes message-congruent
thoughts (Kellaris, Cox, and Cox, 1993). This statement is suggesting that the music
improves the communication of the brands values to the consumer, therefore the
consumer can identify with the brand faster. This topic will be discussed fully later in
the chapter as ‘Musical Fit’.
Measuring and interpreting brand performance
To interpret a brands positioning or performance Keller suggests a brand audit would
be of benefit. “A brand audit is a comprehensive examination of a brand to assess its
health, uncover its sources of equity, and suggest ways to improve and leverage that
equity” (Keller, 2008). When marketers have determined the brand positioning or
performance the next step is to put into place the actual marketing program to create,
strengthen, or maintain brand associations. This is established through market
research (Keller, 2008).
It is not feeble to market a brand the same way year after year. Consumers always pay
attention to the brand that can provide a product or service to relieve their needs and
13
wants and as consumer attitudes and behaviour change year to year it’s important that
the brand changes with them. Today consumers are actively engaging online with
brands, meaning that online customer engagement is very important to a brands
survival in this hyper competitive market. Innovative ways of grabbing consumers
attention online is now beginning to crop up with new media marketing. Using music
as an engagement tool online is a particular trend being used today. For example Coca
Cola launched ‘Maroon 5 24 hour live session’, where Coca Cola enabled music fans
in helping inspire Maroon 5 to write a new song in just 24 hours using a dedicated
website and social networking. "When the fans visit the site they'll be able to see the
studio from a variety of angles, and comment via social networks. These comments
will then be projected into the studio in real time, allowing a feedback loop between
band and audience." (Creative Review, 2011). This new type of marketing program is
now being used to create, strengthen, or maintain brand associations.
Growing and sustaining brand equity
Managing brand equity can mean managing brands within the context of other brands,
as well as over multiple categories, over time, and across multiple market segments
(Keller, 2008). Brand management must always look to the long term of the brand and
will recognise that any changes in the supporting marketing program for the brand
may, by changing consumer knowledge, affect the success of future marketing
programmes. Having a long term plan also creates proactive strategies designed to
maintain and enhance customer based brand equity over time, in the face of external
changes in the marketing environment and internal changes in a firm’s marketing
goals and programmes (Keller, 2008). When managing brand equity, considerations
in recognising and accounting for different types of customers in developing branding
14
marketing programmes and in expanding a brand overseas, managers need to build
equity by relying on specific knowledge about the experience and behaviours of those
market segments (Keller, 2008)
Using music to engage consumers online is a great way in helping to grow brand
equity but as Keller suggests considerations in recognising and accounting for
different types of customers is important as not every consumer will engage with or
appreciate the musical aspects of the brand. In sustaining brand equity, no consumer
should be forgotten about.
The author is now going to take an in-depth look at brand equity, defining it and
explaining its importance to a brand.
2.4
Brand Equity
In marketing it has been believed that brands add value to a product, however the late
1980’s saw a large amount of mergers and acquisitions in multinational corporations
with large and well known brands measure this value in the asset value of companies
(Kapferer, 1998). This notion of added value became something marketers called
brand equity (Elliott and Percy, 2011). But what is brand equity?
There are several definitions of brand equity, most of which define from two
perspectives: The customer- based perspectives and the financial perspectives. For the
purpose of this study this paper will investigate the customer-based perspectives as
this paper is mainly looking at changing customers brand perceptions by engaging
them online using music to build Brand Equity. There are two main authors in this
field Aaker and Keller.
15
Within the marketing literature, customer based-brand equity typically falls into two
groups (Yoo & Donthu, 2001): consumer perception (brand awareness, brand
associations, perceived quality) and consumer behaviour (brand loyalty).
Aaker defines customer based-brand equity as a “set of assets (and liabilities) linked
to a brand’s name and symbol that adds to (or subtracts from) the value provided by a
product or service to a firm and/or that firm’s customers”. These assets are
categorised as: brand name awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality, and brand
associations (Aaker, 1996).
Keller’s explains customer based-brand equity as “the differential effect that brand
knowledge has on consumer response to the marketing of that brand. A brand has
positive customer-based brand equity when consumers react more favourably to a
product and the way it is marketed when the brand is identified than when it is
not”(Keller, 2008).
There is no common viewpoint among the authors on how Brand Equity should be
conceptualised and measured. Aaker’s definition looks at the components that make
up customer based-brand equity whereas Keller’s definition looks at the causes of
brand equity. As this paper is outlining how to achieve strong brand equity by using
music to engage consumers online, Keller’s approach to brand equity is more aligned
with the research question as it requires an audience.
Next the author will present the most central concepts of Keller’s consumer based
brand equity model and discuss them in relation to music as an engagement tool
online, as it offers a structure for analysing and describing how to build strong brand
equity by using music to engage consumers online.
16
2.5
Keller’s customer based-brand equity framework
Keller has put forward a framework for measuring customer based-brand equity; his
model consists of four steps. Each step much be completed successfully before
moving to the next step, working to the top of the model. Within these steps, logical
brand building blocks are outlined.
The following research will outline each step and block, referring to how music or
sound can be used as tool to engage consumers. Treasure (2007) describes sound as
an important and undiscovered brand-building tool. The research will also look at
how an online environment can benefit the brand. IBM’s Study on social media and
CRM outline that companies who engage online with customers can “Enable rapid,
viral distribution of offers and content that may reach beyond what could be done in
traditional channels – all with endorsement from connections people trust.”
The main premise of the customer based-brand equity model is “the power of a brand
resides in the minds of customers” (Keller, 2001)
Figure 1: Customer - Based Brand Equity (CBBE) Model (Keller, 2001)
17
Step 1: Who are you? Brand Identity
Step one of the CBBE-Model is to make consumers connect the brand with the needs
that the product of a brand can fulfil. Along with these consumers’ needs and wants,
brands can identify music communications that congruently mirror its core attributes.
This in turn may give rise to a purchase or consumption action in the consumer.
Block 1: Brand Salience
Keller (2008) tells that “achieving the right brand identity means creating brand
salience with customers. Brand Salience measures awareness of the brand.” Agreeing
with Keller, Egan (2007) explains Brand Salience in terms of awareness, describing it
as the ability of a brand to stand out from all other brands in a category over and
above the competition as important, prominent and noticeable. Brand Salience is
“probably the most important characteristic any low-involvement brand can possess”
(Elliott and Percy, 2011). It serves to differentiate the brands along a recall/familiarity
dimension” (Aaker, 2010). “The salience of a brand will determine if it is recalled at
key time in the purchasing process” (Aaker, 2010). Aaker (2010) explains that
because consumers are flooded every day by more and more marketing messages, the
challenge of building awareness and presence is formidable, particularly considering
the fragmentation and clutter that exist in mass media. Aaker (2010) continues to state
one route of enhancing brand visibility to consumers, is to go beyond the normal
media channels by using event promotions, publicity, sampling and other attention
grabbing approaches.
18
“Music has the capacity to communicate brand values and increase salience. Classical
music, for example, can imbue brands with notions of high culture and high standards”
(Wardle, 2002).
Elliott and Percy (2011) explain “Brand equity springs from consumer awareness for
the brand triggers associations in memory that are linked to the brand. Over time this
positive brand attitude takes on strong emotional associations that extend well beyond
simply ‘liking’ the brand.”
Keller speaks of Brand Salience in terms of brand awareness aspects depth and
breadth. He speaks of depth as the customer’s ability to recall or identify the brand
while breadth is described as the range of purchase and consumption situations the
brand induces. To be highly salient, Keller states that a brand must have both depth
and breadth (Keller, 2001 a).
Step 2: What are you? Brand Meaning
Step two of the CBBE-Model involves establishing brand meaning by making the
consumers link more detailed characteristics with the brand.
Consumers create
associations when they come in contact with a brand, it is important for the brand to
control these associations the consumer perceives. Aaker (2010) explains further in
stating “the associations attached to a firm and its brands can be key enduring
business assets, as they reflect the strategic position of the brand. A brand association
is anything that is directly or indirectly linked to the consumer’s memory to a brand”
Hultén (2009) tells that sound has the ability to extract memories. She continues to
explain that hearing a particular sound can trigger a memory from the past in an
19
individual that arouses certain associations. This confirms that music is a powerful
tool in shaping consumer perceptions and when building brand value Duncan and
Moriarty (1998) state “Perception is more important than reality.”
Block 2: Performance
“Brand Performance describes how well the product or service meets customers’
more functional needs” (Keller, 2008). Keller (2001a) states that it is the basic
properties of the brand in terms of actual product characteristics that make up the
performance associations. He also suggests that the performance dimensions can be
used for product differentiation. “Brand performance transcends the product’s
ingredients and features to include dimensions that differentiate the brand” (Keller,
2008).
“A product (or service) and its components should be critically and objectively
compared both with the competition and with customer expectations and needs. How
good a value is it? Can it really deliver superior performance?” (Aaker, 2010)
The following five types of attributes and benefits which often underlie brand
performance are:
1. Primary ingredients and supplementary features: The customer’s beliefs about how
well the primary and secondary features of the product operate (Keller, 2008).
2. Product reliability, durability, and serviceability: Reliability measurers the
performance consistency over time and from purchase to purchase. Durability is the
expected economic life of the product. Serviceability is the ease of repairing the
product if needed (Keller, 2008)
20
3. Service effectiveness, efficiency, and empathy: Service effectiveness measures how
well the brand satisfies customers service requirements. Service efficiency describes
the speed and responsiveness of service. Finally, service empathy is the extent to
which service providers are seen as trusting, caring, and having the customer’s
interests in mind (Keller, 2008).
4. Style and Design: These are associations that go beyond functional aspects to more
aesthetic considerations such as its size, shape, materials and colour involved. Product
performance therefore depends on sensory aspects (Keller, 2008).
5. Price: The pricing policy for the brand can create associations in consumers’ minds
about how relatively expensive (or inexpensive) the brand is, and whether it is
frequently or substantially discounted. Consumers may organise their product
category knowledge in terms of the price tiers of different brands. Therefore price is a
particularly important performance association (Keller, 2008).
Block 2 of the consumer based brand equity framework does not relate to this study as
it is referring to the actual product of the brand. The researcher felt it was important to
include block 2 in understanding brand equity as a whole.
Block 3: Imagery
“Brand imagery depends on the extrinsic properties of the product or service,
including the ways in which the brand attempts to meet customers’ psychological or
social needs. It is the way people think about a brand abstractly, rather than what they
think the brand actually does” (Keller, 2008). Powell (2011) explains this further as,
“the brand image represents the emotional image a consumer holds in their mind
21
about a brand. A brand image is made up of a set of emotional attributes that describe
the emotions associated with that brand in a customer’s mind”
Using music in line with the brand can create certain types of imagery associations or
a certain lifestyle which consumers may want to buy into. Brands associated with a
certain kind of music may attract consumers who are attracted to that music culture,
lifestyle,
Many kinds of intangibles can be associated with a brand; Keller’s CBBE Model
highlights the main four:
1. User profile: This is a set of brand imagery associations which involves the
type of person who uses the brand in question. It can cause consumers to have
profiles or mental images of users or idealised users. These associations may
be based on demographic or more abstract psychological factors. If a
consumer believes that many people use the brand they may think that the
brand is popular or that it is the market leader. (Keller, 2001a)
2. Purchase and usage situations: A purchase situation association can be based
on aspects such as; the distribution channel, type of retail store, ease of
purchase and associated rewards. Usage situation associations can be based on
aspects such as; when the brand is used, where the brand is used, and during
what type of activity the brand is used.(Keller, 2001a)
3. Personality and values: A brand can take on human personality traits and
values. This involves descriptive usage imagery as well as rich contextual
information. Keller identifies five dimensions of brand personality: sincerity,
excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness. (Keller, 2001a)
22
4. History, heritage and experiences: Brands may take on associations to their
past as well as to important events in the brand’s history. These may involve
distinctly personal experiences or be related to behaviours and experiences of
friends, family and others. These associations are therefore quite personal, but
sometimes certain commonalities can be found. However, these associations
may be more public and broad-based and therefore will be shared to a large
degree. (Keller, 2001a)
Step 3: What about you? Brand Responses
Step three of the CBBE-Model calls to mind the feeling within consumers that they
associate with a brand and their personal opinions about it.
The power of music operates by creating moods that enhance product evaluations and
facilitate message acceptance (Bruner, 1990). Therefore a response to a brand can be
created by using music to change consumer moods towards a brand and alter how the
brand message is accepted or perceived. It is of the interest of the study to determine
if using music to engage customers online can contribute to the brand responses.
Block 4: Judgements
“Brand judgments are customers’ personal opinions about and evaluations of a brand,
which consumers form by putting together all the different brand performance and
imagery associations” (Keller, 2008) The more positively a consumer evaluates a
brand, the more likely they will approach or consume it (Priester, 2004).
In using music to engage consumers online with the brand, this may shape judgements
on the brand as the music may correlate certain associations with the brand.
23
Keller tells that there are four main types of brand judgements with are essential to
creating a strong brand; judgements about quality, credibility, consideration and
superiority.
Brand quality: This is perhaps the most essential judgement which relates to the
various ways in which the consumer perceives the brand’s quality. Consumers can
hold a host of attitudes towards a brand, but the most important, relate to its perceived
quality and consumer value and satisfaction (Keller, 2008).
Brand Credibility: Consumers may also form judgments with respect to the company
behind the brand. This refers to the degree that the brand and its company as a whole
are thought of as credible in the following dimensions: Perceived expertise,
trustworthiness and likeability (Keller, 2008).
Brand Consideration: This depends in part, on how personally relevant customers
find the brand and is a crucial filter in terms of building brand equity. Brand
consideration is therefore the extent to which strong and favourable brand
associations can be created as part of a brand image (Keller, 2008).
Brand Superiority: This measures the extent to which customers view the brand as
unique and better than other brands. Superiority is critical to building intense and
active consumer relationships. It is largely dependent on the number and nature of
unique brand image associations (Keller, 2008).
Block 5: Feelings
“Brand Feelings are customers’ emotional responses and reactions to the brand”
(Keller, 2008). Aaker (2010) explains these emotional responses in terms of benefits;
24
he puts them into two categories of emotional and self expressive benefits.
“Emotional benefits relate to the ability of the offering to make the consumer feel
something during the purchase or use experience......Emotional benefits are all about
the ‘I feel....’ statement: I feel energised, I feel warm” (Aaker 2010). “Self-expressive
benefits are all about the ‘I am....’ statement: I am successful, I am Young” (Aaker,
2010).
Consumers do more than just simply process incoming information when making
purchasing choices (Park, 1986); Consumers will also engage themselves in
imaginative, emotional and enthusiastic consumption experiences (Woods, 1981).
This means consumers don’t just buy products for what they functionally do, they buy
products for the meanings and feelings attached.
One of the papers interests is in establishing how using music online as an
engagement tool can actively contribute to the level and type of consumer feeling that
is evoked.
Consumer feelings can be mild or intense as well as positive or negative in nature
(Keller, 2001a). Keller (2008) outlines six important types of brand-building feelings:
1. Warmth: Brands that evoke soothing feelings such as peaceful, sentimental,
warm-hearted or affectionate.
2. Fun: Upbeat types of feelings make consumers feel amused, light-hearted,
joyous, playful, and cheerful.
3. Excitement: Brands that create excitement may generate a sense of elation, of
being alive, or feeling cool or sexy. Consumers feel energised and as though
they are experiencing something special.
25
4. Security: Brands that produce a feeling of safety, comfort and self-assurance.
Security occurs when the consumer associates the brand with the elimination
of worries or concerns.
5. Social approval: Consumers feel that others look favourably upon their
appearance and behaviour as a result of the brand. The consumer therefore
receives positive feelings from the reactions of others to them.
6. Self-respect: The brand makes consumers feel better about themselves,
therefore consumers feel a sense of pride, accomplishment or fulfilment from
the brand.
Step 4: What about you and me? Brand Relationships
Step four consists of establishing a relationship between brand and consumers which
results in consumer engagement and loyalty. Stockfelt (1997) explains how people
live their lives in interactive relationships with sound. This has resulted in that it is
through sound that people establish an identity.
Therefore if consumers see an identity in a brand that is matched to theirs, it is more
likely that they would have a strong relationship with the brand. Music also quicky
communicates brand identities meaning that consumers can establish a brand identity
faster.
Block 6: Resonance
This is the final step in the CBBE – Model which focuses on the relationship the
customer has with the brand. “Brand Resonance describes the nature of this
relationship and the extent to which customers feel that they are ‘in sync’ with the
brand” (Keller, 2008).
26
“It is the depth of psychological bonding a consumer has with the brand. Brand
resonance therefore is important for marketers to enable them to develop a long-term
relationship with consumers through their brands” (Kumar, 2007)
Using music to engage with consumers online may create interactive relationships
between brand and consumer.
Keller explains that brand resonance involves intensity and activity aspects. Intensity
refers to the strength of the attitudinal attachment and sense of community, whereas
activity is the frequency of purchase and usage of the brand, as well as how often the
consumer engages in brand activities not related to the purchase and usage of the
brand (Keller, 2001a). Brand Resonance can be broken down into four categories:
1. Behavioural Loyalty: This can be measured in terms of repeat purchases and
the amount or share of category volume attributed to the brand. This is looking
at how often and how much a consumer purchases a brand.
2. Attitudinal Attachment: To successfully create resonance, a brand must be
perceived as something special in a broad context since some consumers buy
specific brands merely out of necessity and accessibility. Consumers should
go beyond having a positive attitude towards the brand. A strong personal
attachment is necessary to create attitudinal attachment. Consumers who have
attitudinal attachment to a brand may state that they love the brand and
describe it as one of their favourite possessions.
27
3. Sense of Community: Identification with a brand community occurs when
consumers feel kinship or affiliation with other people associated with the
brand. It can be consumer connections in the form of fellow brand users or
consumers, as well as individuals from the company (Keller, 2008). A brand
relationship can exist online or offline (McWilliam, 2000).
4. Active Engagement: Keller (2008) claims that perhaps this is the strongest
affirmation of brand loyalty, which occurs when customers are engaged, or
willing to invest time, energy, money, or other resources in the brand beyond
those expected during purchase or consumption of the brand. Consumers
therefore become brand evangelists and ambassadors since they actively
communicate about the brand as well as strengthen the ties of others.
Summary
In summary using music to engage consumers online may affect consumer based
brand equity in the following ways:
Step 1: Brand identity, music is used to communicate brand values in a fast an
effective way to the consumer. Using music that mirror brand core attributes increases
salience.
Step2: Brand meaning, music is an influential means to shaping consumer
perceptions and when building brand value, brands associated with a certain kind of
music may attract consumers who are attracted to that music culture or lifestyle.
Step3: Brand responses, a reaction to a brand can be created by using music to
change consumer moods towards a brand and alter how the brand message is accepted
28
or perceived. If the consumer’s observation of the brand is a positive one, this will
result in the consumer having a deeper engrossment within the brand, perhaps
triggering a brand response.
Step4: Brand relationships, if consumers see an identity in a brand that is matched
to theirs, it is more likely that they would have a strong relationship with the brand.
Creating memorable consumer experiences such as participating in a musical
collaboration with other users, will allow the consumer to feel exclusive and produce
a loyalty towards the brand.
Using music to engage consumers online affects every step in building brand equity,
this is what makes it a highly influential tool and proves its worth within a brand
strategy. Music is a powerful tool for brands; when used in conjunction with social
web it can engage a target audience in producing strong brand equity. Consumers will
return time and time again to the brand as they are gaining a positive experience with
is then linked to the brand.
2.6
Customer engagement
The research question in this paper asks how to achieve strong brand equity by using
music to engage consumers online? An important element of this question is the
phrase ‘to engage’. This study is now going to define customer engagement and how
engagement is extremely important to the brand in building and sustaining brand
equity.
There has been some debate to what exactly customer engagement is but there is no
set definition, or full agreement among professionals. However they do share the
29
opinion of collaborative relationships between the customer and the brand. Patterson’s
and Haven’s definition of customer engagement are quite similar in how much the
customers level of involvement, interaction, physical cognitive and emotional
presence in their relationship with a brand create customer engagement (Patterson,
2006), (Haven, 2007). Whereas Shevin tells that customer engagement is “Repeated –
and satisfying – interactions that strengthen the emotional connection a consumer has
with a brand” (Shevin, 2007). Bowden explains that customer engagement is the same
process in gaining customer loyalty with new customers but this loyalty must be
maintained to keep the customer engaged (Bowden, 2009). Hollebeek describes “the
level of expression of an individual customer’s motivational, brand-related and
context-dependent state of mind characterised by a degree of activation, identification
& absorption in brand interactions” (Hollebeek, 2010).
Customer Relationship Management and Customer Experience Management
In the area of customer engagement the terms Customer Relationship Management
and Customer Experience Management are mentioned a great deal. It is important to
understand the differences between the two in understand customer engagement
further.
CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, is a business strategy designed to
reduce costs and increase profitability by solidifying customer satisfaction, loyalty,
and advocacy. True CRM brings together information from all data sources within an
organisation to give one, holistic view of each customer in real time. This allows
customer facing employees in such areas as sales, customer support, and marketing to
make quick yet informed decisions on everything from cross-selling and up selling
30
opportunities to target marketing strategies to competitive positioning tactics. (CRM
Magazine, 2011)
The concept of customer experience (CX) was first introduced by Pine and Gilmore in
their 1998. They believe that successful businesses influence people through engaging,
authentic experiences that render personal value (Pine and Gilmore, 1998).
In Helping to explain the difference between CRM and CX Jim VonDerheide vice
president, CRM Strategies, for Hilton Hotels asks “Do I have a relationship with 17
million people?” when talking about customer experience management. “I don’t think
I do,” VonDerheide said, answering his own question. “Do I interact with 17 million
people? You bet.” (Customerthink, 2011)
Customer Relationship management is knowing everything about your customer,
perhaps so you know which customers to sell certain products to and what
market strategies you can use on them.
Customer Experience management is how you interact with the customer, perhaps to
gain more customers, to give current customers an experience that will have them
using word of mouth. Basically giving current customers a brilliant experience and to
gain more.
This study is focusing more on the side of Customer experience management through
using music to engage consumers online.
The Engagement Process online
In terms of social web, collaborative engagement is prominent today due to the rise of
social networking sites. The ease of access between brand and consumer has never
31
before been made so easy. Brands are now creating innovative media marketing
campaigns online to stage experiences for the consumer. “Companies stage an
experience when they engage customers in a memorable way”, (Pine, 1999). When a
consumer is engaging with a brand and the experience is enjoyable, the relationship
between consumer and brand grows and the steps to building brand equity is formed
for the brand.
“Engagement is central to the effective use of social technology and the creation of
social business. Unlike traditional media and the business processes of selling based
on it, social technologies push towards collaboration rather than exposure and
impression” (Evans, 2010)
Evans (2010) puts forward a support a ladder-type engagement model with customer
collaboration as the end point.
Consumption: in terms of social media means downloading, reading, watching, or
listening to digital content. It is the basic starting point for nearly any online activity,
and especially so for social activities.
Curation: is the act of sorting and filtering, rating, reviewing, commenting on,
tagging, or otherwise describing content.
Creation: Content creation requires community members to actually offer up
something that they have made themselves.
Collaboration: occurs naturally between members of the community when given the
chance. Blogging is a good example.
32
When a brand is using music to engage consumers online to achieve strong brand
equity, the consumers engagement level ideally should be at the creation stage or even
better at the collaboration stage of Evans (2010) engagement model. At these stages
the consumer is more involved; therefore they are having a more memorable
experience, which builds associations and a sense of community that will link to the
brand.
As most brands are now actively involved in staging experiences for consumers
online, it is important a brand ensures that their message is heard or seen in the crowd
of this hyper competitive market. How can a brand utilise customer engagement in
their online marketing campaigns in an exciting and fresh way? Schmitt (1999) states
that creating cognitive problem solving experiences will engage consumers creativity.
2.7
Social Web and Social Media
There has been much research into the concept of social media; however there have
been several conflicting ideas relating to the similarities and characteristics between
social media, web 2.0 and user generated content. Kaplan and Haenlein define social
media as “A group of internet-based applications that build on the ideological and
technological fountains of web 2.0, and allow the creation and exchange of usergenerated content” (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010)
Weber’s definition covers technologies commonly called “social media” or “Web 2.0”
under the term social web, which he defines as “the online place where people with a
common interest can gather to share thoughts, comments and opinions” (Weber,
2009). This paper will continue to apply Weber’s term social web to mean the terms
social media and web 2.0.
33
Solis (2010) shares the view of social web as any “service that uses the internet to
facilitate conversations” along with Newlands (2011) who states “Social media is
about creating conversations and cultivating relationships online”. Expanding on this,
Scott (2010) gives the following definition; “Social media provides the way people
share ideas, content, thoughts, and relationships online. Social media differ from socalled ‘Mainstream media’ in that anyone can create, comment on, and add to social
media content. Social media can take the form of text, audio, video, images, and
communities” (Scott, 2010). The authors on this topic appear to reiterate the words
‘share’ and ‘conversation’ in their definitions; these are extremely engaging activities
that allow for much interaction. Social media simply allows for the ease of social
activities that, in the offline world, we typically participate in on a daily basis.
The main creator of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners Lee stated
“The web is more a social creation than a technical one. I designed it for a social
effect--to help people work together--and not as a technical toy. The ultimate goal of
the Web is to support and improve our weblike existence in the world. We clump into
families, associations, and companies. We develop trust across the miles and distrust
around the corner. What we believe, endorse, agree with and depend on is
representable and increasingly represented on the web.”
Social Web therefore "can be seen as an evolution back to the Internet's roots, since it
re-transforms the World Wide Web to what it was initially created for: a platform to
facilitate information exchange between users." (Kaplan, 2010)
34
What makes up social web? Constantinides (2008) presents the three main dimensions
of social web as: Application Types, Social Effects and Enabling Technologies 1.
Application Types
1. Blogs: Short for web logs: online journals which are often combined with
podcasts i.e. Digital audio or video that can be streamed or downloaded to
portable devices.
2. Social networks: Platforms which allow users to build personal websites
accessible to other users for exchange of personal content and communication.
3. Communities: Websites organising and sharing particular types of content.
4. Forums / Bulletin Boards: Websites for exchanging ideas and information
usually around special interests.
5. Content Aggregators: Applications allowing users to fully customise the web
content they wish to access. These sites make use of a technique known as
Real Simple Syndication (RSS).
1
Enabling Technologies - Social web has seen a rise in the creation and improvement of open source
software. The nature of social web allows for “collaborative development and continuous, real time
improvement” (Constantinides, 2008). The user can become a co-developer of these online applications.
35
Social Effects
The ease of generating and gathering information for users in a social web
environment allows for the creation, sharing and dissemination of information which
results in democratisation of knowledge and allows active participation by users as
contributors, reviewers and editors. Users can easily create communities of special
interests and further share their experience and knowledge, but also engage in a
transparent conversation with the industry or politicians.
The result is “a unique form of customer empowerment allowing customers to affect
as never before the market power structures, and more importantly, the shape of
future marketing” (Constantinides, 2008). Social web applications are becoming more
and more popular as the advantages they offer to users and their effect on consumer
power (Urban 2003). Interaction with peers triggers new customer needs and alters
buying attitudes.
2.8
Marketing a Brand through Social Web
Marketing a brand online through the uses of social web has, according to Scott
(2010) changed the rules or marketing and PR. He states that “prior to the web,
organisations had only two significant choices to attract attention: Buy expensive
advertising or get third party ink from the media. But the web has changed the rules.
The web is not TV. Organisations that understand the new rules of marketing and PR
develop relationships directly with consumers” (Scott, 2010). “The explosion
in Consumer Generated Media over the last couple of
years means
consumers’
reliance on word of mouth in the decision-making process, either from people they
know or online consumers they don’t, has increased significantly” (Carson, 2009).
36
This means that brands need to start creating conversations with consumers online and
encourage them to continue the conversations with their online friends. This also
means the brand will get ultimate exposure with its target audience from developing
relationships with its consumers.
Facebook has launched a new 'comment ad' which aims to emulate word-of-mouth
marketing at the same time as leveraging the social network's scale. If users comment
on information posted on brands' Facebook pages, then that interaction will appear in
the user's newsfeed and a related advertisement, or "sponsored story" will appear on
their wall. A Facebook spokeswoman said: "If people choose to engage with the ad
and comment, the story can be amplified by the brand – with the aim of driving
further conversations amongst friends. It allows brands to achieve greater recall and
brand engagement." (The Telegraph, 2011)
This announcement of Facebook’s new ‘comment ad’ came soon after IBM’s study
on Social Media and Customer Relationship Management. The study told that
companies who engage online with customers can “Enable rapid, viral distribution of
offers and content that may reach beyond what could be done in traditional channels –
all with endorsement from connections people trust. Companies also can use social
platforms to mine data for brand monitoring and valuable customer insights, which
can spark innovations for improved services, products and customer experiences. In a
constant cycle of listen-analyse-engage evolve, organisations can optimise their social
media programs to continually enhance their business” (IBM, 2010).
37
2.9
Behaviours of consumers
“Consumer insight is critical to success; their behaviours and motivations should be
considered an imperative. Understanding and harnessing how fans consume and
interact with music will ultimately determine the success of a campaign” (Sarah
Tinsley, Heartbeats International Network)
Consumer behaviour can be defined as “the behaviour that consumers display in
searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and services
that they expect will satisfy their needs” (Schiffman, 2009). As a brand it is important
to understand the needs of the consumer to strategically manage the brand, therefore
leading to strong brand equity.
In the book ‘The Cluetrain Manifesto’ it was predicted the Internet would evolve to a
point where the consumer holds the “power” and no longer could the corporate world
continue to communicate to their markets (the people they wish to interact with) in a
push marketing or broadcast manner (Levine, 1999). This ‘power’ is now the rising
trend of the transformation of consumers to prosumers, this activity is known as
prosumption.
Prosumption and Prosumer
“Prosumption involves both production and consumption rather than focusing on
either one or the other” (Ritzer, 2010). Toffler (1980) argued that prosumption was
predominant in pre-industrial societies; what he called the “first wave”. It was
followed by a “second wave” of marketisation that drove “a wedge into society, that
separated these two functions, thereby giving birth to what we now call producers and
38
consumers” (Toffler, 1980). McLuhan and Nevitt suggested in their 1972 book Take
Today, that with electric technology, the consumer would become a producer. Alvin
Toffler (1980) merged consumer and producer together thus coining the term
‘prosumer’.
It is important to note that the internet and web 2.0 did not create prosumers; it merely
acted as a facilitator to the activity of prosumption (Ritzer, 2010). In the mid 1950’s
fast food chains began relying on consumers to clean up after themselves in their
restaurants, the consumer would have to take their waste to a bin. This is putting
consumers to work which turned them into prosumers (Ritzer, 2010). Other business
saw this trend and began to do the same; examples are pumping your own petrol at the
petrol station, serving as a bank teller at the ATM machine or working at the checkout
counter at the supermarket by scanning your own food and bagging it (Ritzer, 2010).
Prosumption can now been seen online due to social web, examples such as
Wikipedia, where users create articles and edit and update them and Social
networking sites such as Facebook , users create profiles that include video, photos
and text and build communities. (Ritzer, 2010). These sites are relying on the
consumer to create the content for them, As Levine, (1999) stated the consumer holds
the “power”.
Ritzer suggests that many people seem to prefer and enjoy prosuming, he gives the
example of a prosumer being empowered on Facebook as they can choose exactly
how to present themselves and can alter that presentation at will (Ritzer, 2010).
Prosumers enjoy and love what they are doing and are willing to donate long hours to
it for pay (Ritzer, 2010)
39
“In the new worlds of consumer and prosumer capitalism, the brand is all important
whereas in earlier production-oriented capitalism the goal was to create a profitable
product with the hope that it, in turn, would generate a successful brand. Now the
situation is largely reversed and it is the brand which comes first, the profitable
product will follow once the brand is institutionalised” (Ritzer, 2010)
This discussion highlights that the consumer is now involved in prosuming, which is
an activity that they enjoy. Leading brands are now aware of this fact and are
encouraging them to interact, engage or create content for the brand online. With the
prosuming of the brand, not only are relationships being forged, but the sharing of
consumer created content for the brand, helps to spread word of the brand to others
online. Consumers are now, in way, working for the brand. This leads to the
‘Produser’.
Produser
The next level of prosumer is to produser. Dr Axel Bruns, a professor at Queensland
University of Technology, has conducted a study into understanding user-led content
creation, which those involved are given the title, ‘produser’. He explains that in
“collaborative communities the creation of shared content takes place in a networked,
participatory environment which breaks down the boundaries between producers and
consumers and instead enables all participants to be users as well as producers of
information and knowledge - frequently in a hybrid role of produser where usage is
necessarily also productive” (Bruns, 2008).
40
Produsers do not engage in a traditional form of content production, but are involved
in ‘produsage’ this is "the collaborative and continuous building and extending of
existing content in pursuit of further improvement” (Bruns, 2008).
This activity of produsage was mentioned earlier in this study where Coca Cola
launched ‘Maroon 5 24 hour live session’. This enabled music fans in helping inspire
Maroon 5 to write a new song in just 24 hours using a dedicated website and social
networking. The collaborative and continuous building and extending of existing
content is the main premise of Coca Cola’s online music strategy at the time.
Theory of motivation
Zuckerman (2000) puts forward the arousal theory of motivation; he proposes that
people need to be aroused if they are to become motivated. Zuckerman constructed a
‘hierarchy’ of stimulation
1. Thrills, adventure-seeking, risk taking through extreme sports or adventure
travel. This is the highest level of arousal.
2. Experience-seeking through travel, walking, the arts, books. This is the second
highest level of arousal.
3. Disinhibition, social stimulation, parties, drinking alcohol,etc.
4. Boredom. The need to change things around, perhaps to buy new products, try
new things.
A brand will always seek to have the consumer in the thrill and experience seeking
stages of stimulation, as this is the level were consumers are more alert and in
concentration. Therefore the consumers mind is more prone to absorbing memorable
experiences. Meaning a consumer is more susceptible to retaining a brand message
41
thus brand awareness is created. This is why brands are now opting in using music to
engage consumers online in exciting ways; if consumers are aroused from the brand
experience, they are more likely to become motivated and share this experience with
others. Brand awareness is being spread.
Classical Conditioning (with music)
Pavlov’s classical conditioning theory (1927) is a famous experiment on changing or
altering behaviours. Using a bell to call his dogs to their food, Pavlov showed that
after a few repetitions, the dogs would salivate in response to the bell as they would
associate the sound with food.
Classical conditioning suggests that pairing a product (neutral stimulus) with a wellliked piece of music (unconditioned stimulus) will create an association between the
two, and therefore a preference for the product (a conditioned response). (ApaolazaIbanez, Zander, Hartmann, 2010)
A researcher, Gorn 1982 held an experiment on the effects of music on choice. Using
the Classic conditioning approach, he matched a light blue or beige coloured pen
(neutral stimulus) with both well liked and disliked music (unconditioned stimulus).
The results showed that seventy-nine percent of the subjects chose the pen with music
they liked – a conditioned reaction (Gorn, 1982)
Brands at present, are attempting to condition consumers into associating new music,
music lifestyles and festivals with the brand. This is being achieved through using
music to engage consumers online. Consumers may find after engaging with a brand
in this way, the associations created are youthfulness, energy and innovation, which
are all very attractive in a brand to the consumer.
42
2.10 Audio / Music Branding
Music is defined as a complex chemistry of three controllable elements; Time, pitch
and texture (Bruner, 1990). Jackson (2003) refers to the Oxford Dictionary of English
as the best definition of music “The art or science of combining vocal or instrumental
sounds (or both) to produce beauty of form, harmony and expression of emotion”
Many brands are utilizing audio strategically when building their brand identities; this
use is known as audio branding or sonic branding. There is no set definition for audio
branding and experts appear to have opposing opinions on the topic.
Jackson, a well known author in sonic branding, explains that audio branding can
mean many different things in many different scenarios; however he primarily
describes audio branding as a tool to reinforce an identity focusing mainly on sound
logo’s (Jackson, 2003). Fulberg on the other hand describes audio branding as a
means where customers can be motivated and encouraged to make purchases by
certain kinds of music that aim as brand prompts to aid consumers to recall their
previous experiences with a brand (Fulberg, 2003). Both Jackson and Fulberg appear
to be focusing on different areas of audio branding.
Franus, a brand strategist, includes a wide definition of audio branding including two
clear cut approaches. He describes audio branding as the intentional use of music,
sound and voice to create a connection between people and organisations (Franus,
2007).
Franus has outlined two approaches to building an audio identity. The first and most
commonly used is promotional audio branding, which aims to strengthen the brand
43
identity in the same way as a visual logo would, for example “Intel inside” have a
musical wave (‘dum, da da da dummm!’) that is extremely identifiable.
The Second approach is actionable audio branding, which intends in affecting
emotions and changing behaviours in an approach that support the brand. Franus has
described this as “Linking sound to the brain”(Franus, 2007). Sound can encourage
and adjust mood and stress levels and can enable the transformation from one set of
feelings to another over short time periods (DeNora, 2000). Transferring the
associations and feeling of the sound to the brand.
An example of actionable audio branding is highlighted through the research carried
out in a British wine shop to establish the function of background music in purchase
decisions. For a few days French and German music was played within the shop
changing between the two. The results showed that on French-music days, the French
wine outsold the German wine by a ratio of four to one. On German-music days,
German wine outsold the French by a ratio of three to one. (North, Hargreaves and
McKendrick, 1999)
For the purpose of this study, this paper will adopt the definition of audio branding
from Franus following the second approach he suggests; actionable audio branding
which affects emotions and behaviours, this is what happens when using music to
engage consumers online. Dunbar (1990) explains “music can give an emotional
dimension to the brand” and Fulberg (2003) states “music can create a bond between
consumers and brands”. This is the emotional affects of audio branding. Franus
(2007) tells that “Sound triggers recall and reactions”, this is the behavioural aspect of
audio branding. In this study, actionable audio branding through music is employed in
44
a youthful and engaging way online. The emotional and behavioural changes in
consumers are transforming them from consumers, into fans of the brand. The musical
aspect almost becomes a subculture to the brand
The use of actionable audio branding is backed up my Kilian (2009) who states “a
common trait of all acoustical brand elements is that they affect us emotionally and
increase brand recognition, often times beyond our awareness and our field of vision.”
2.11 Musical Fit
Musical fit is explained as a consumer’s subjective perception of the music’s
relevance or appropriateness to the central brand message (Macinnis and Park, 1991).
The music chosen to use in conjunction with the brand must fit with the brand
message and values, otherwise consumers will get frustrated as there would be a lack
of consistency across the brand.
When the musical fit is correct for the brand, “Increasing audience attention to music
enhances message reception when the music evokes message-congruent thoughts”
(Kellaris, Cox, and Cox, 1993). This statement is suggesting that the music improves
the communication of the brands message to the consumer, once the music is fitting to
the brand message. Therefore the consumer can identify with the brand faster.
Macinnis and Park (1991) highlight that when there is a fit between the musical
execution and the brand message, less cognitive power is need to link to the brand
time after time.
45
2.12 Music as an engagement Tool
Jakob Lusensky CEO and founder of Heartbeats International, informs us that music
encourages engagement”, he also tells us that “music provides the spark for people to
socialise, energise and organise. It’s an engine for social interaction.” In his report,
Sounds like branding, Lusenky (2010) puts forwards the idea of using music to
engage the customer; using “the power of music to turn customers to fans of the
brand.” Franus in 2007 backs Lusenky theory up in saying that “sound and voice
create a connection between people and organisations”.
Music is a powerful factor in the engagement process, it is capable of attracting
attention, conveying messages, influencing perception in many ways, evoking
emotions and helping to retain information (Gorn, 1982).
2.13 Strategies for working with music online
For numerous years brands worked in promoting themselves under Jerome
McCarthy’s (1960) marketing model of the four P’s; product, place, price and
promotion. However today we are seeing an adjustment in this marketing model due
to the change of communications through social media.
The uprise in social media means it has never been easier for a brand to reach out and
engage with the consumer using social media’s as the platform for engagement.
Brands are now changing to model of the four E’s; emotion, experience, engagement
and exclusivity (Lusensky, 2010)
Jakob Lusensky CEO and founder of Heartbeats International, explains that as music
is more accessible today, this is having a huge effect on social media networks. Some
46
that revolve around music such as ‘iTunes’, ‘My Space’ and ‘Last.fm’ are rapidly
become more popular. Lusensky tells that media research reports show that two out of
five social media networkers have music embedded in their personal profile. “Without
a doubt, music is an engine that helps to facilitate the exponential growth of online
networks”(Lusensky, 2010)
If brands wish to follow Lusensky’s four E’s model of emotionally engaging with the
target group and creating exclusive experience, Lusensky states “it’s no longer
enough to offer just music”. Brands “have to offer music that both connects with the
brand and creates true value for customers”
Lusensky offers three basic strategies that a brand can use to connect and give value
to customers.
1. Association Strategy
2. Involvement Strategy
3. Exploration Strategy
The first of these strategies is association strategy, which is a brand connecting to
artists that connect to audiences. Lusensky gives the example of Bacardi connecting
to Groove Armada. Barcardi was able to offer their customers exclusive recordings of
Groove Armada available through an online media platform. The result of this
connection was extensive press coverage as customers spread the music and engaged
actively with the brand.
The next strategy outlined is Involvement strategy which is through co-creation or
‘crowd surfing’. There are different ways of implementing an involvement strategy;
however a popular method is initiated through remixing competitions on social media
47
networks such as MySpace or Soundcloud. Customers are invited to remix music
from particular artists and share the results. This method works well on social media
networks because it includes the customer and it motivates people to engage with
each other.
The final strategy is exploration strategy, which guides people to new music and
artists that they haven’t heard before. This could be done through launching new
artists in affiliation with the brand or by organising talent scout competitions.
2.14 Summary
A brand will seek to have the consumer in the ‘thrill’ and ‘experience’ seeking stages
of Zuckerman‘s (2000), theory of motivation, as these are the levels were consumers
are more alert and in concentration. Brands who use music to engage consumers
online will achieve this, as music is a powerful tool capable of attracting attention and
evoking emotions. When combined with engagement online, consumers will be in a
highly motivated condition, driving them to take part in collaboration or creation
online.
Consumers who are involved in collaboration or creation are at the highest level of
Evans (2010) engagement model. It is at this level that the consumer’s mind is more
prone to absorbing memorable experiences; meaning a consumer is more susceptible
to retaining brand messages and thus, brand awareness is created. This is why using
music to engage consumers online is powerful in achieving brand equity; if
consumers are aroused from the brand experience, they are more likely to become
motivated and create and share this experience with others. Consumers become
produsers through their collaborative and continuous building and extending of the
48
brand content they are engaging with. Brand awareness is created and consumers are
being conditioned into perceiving the brand associations as youthful, energetic and
innovative, which are all very attractive in a brand to consumers.
Music is a powerful tool for brands; when used in conjunction with social web it can
engage a target audience in producing strong brand equity.
49
3
3.1
Chapter 3: Methodology
Introduction
The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of how the research is undertaken
and outline the methods that were employed in meeting the objectives of the study.
This is known as methodology Crotty (1998) defines methodology as “The strategy,
plan of action, process, or design lying behind the choice and use of particular
methods and linking the choice and use of methods to the desired outcomes”. Hines
(2000) explains “It is important for all researchers to have a clear understanding of the
most appropriate philosophical position from which to derive a suitable research
method.” He continues to state “how this helps to provide the researcher with
clarification, focus and consistency of research design.” Within this study, interviews
and questionnaires were found most appropriate to understand the current trends in
brands using music as an engagement tool by consulting with experts in the field and
consumers. Their opinions were captured on this topic. This chapter will discuss the
research methodologies undertaken and provide a rational as to why certain research
approaches were chosen.
3.2
Identifying the research problem
Identifying the research problem is an important element in the research process,
Yegidis and Weinback (1991) explain that “First identifying and then specifying a
research problem might seem like research tasks that ought to be easy and quickly
accomplished. However, such is often not the case”. As it is essential to identify the
research problem, a considerable amount of time should be taken in thinking it
through (Kumar, 2010).
50
In identifying the research problem, a clear idea about what is needed to be found out
and not, what you think must be found should be regarded. Kerlinger (1986) states “If
one wants to solve a problem, one must generally know what the problem is. It can be
said that a large part of the problem lies in knowing what one is trying to do”
Research problem definition is identified further by being broken down into a series
of research objectives and /or in the form of a research hypothesis. (Brace, 2006). The
research objectives set out what the research will examine, objectives are broad
statements that should provide direction. The research hypotheses are tentative
assumptions made to the question being considered. (Polonsky, 2010).
The main research question is outlined as
“How to achieve strong brand equity by using music to engage consumers online?”
3.3
Research Objectives and Hypotheses
1. If an online environment is a suitable platform for engagement
2. If music is a viable engagement tool
3. Identify the value and benefits of using music to engage customers online
however, to also highlight the barriers and costs involved.
Discover if an online environment is a suitable platform for engagement
H1. An online environment is a suitable platform for engagement
51
Rationale
It is the purpose of this research to discover that an online space rather than an offline
space is suitable for engagement.
Determine if music is a viable engagement tool
H1. Music is a viable engagement tool
Rationale
It is the purpose of this research to determine that music is a viable engagement tool
with the ability to change behaviours and attitudes towards a brand
Identify the value and benefits of using music to engage consumers online
however, to also highlight the barriers and costs involved.
H1. Value and benefits will be ample compared to the barriers and costs
Rationale
It is the purpose of this research to identify what the values and benefits are in using
music to engage consumers online however, to also highlight the barriers and costs. In
doing this the researcher will gain a insight into knowing if using music to engage
consumers online, is a viable marketing choice for brands to use.
3.4
Data Collection
With the research problem defined and an understanding obtained of the areas to
investigate further, the researcher can now focus on when, where, how and why the
necessary data is gathered. There are two types of data collection methods which a
52
researcher can use in helping to answer the research question. These are primary and
secondary data
3.5
Secondary data
Secondary data is data that has been already collected by someone else which the
researcher needs only to extract the required information for the purpose of their study
(Kumar, 2010). Kumer (2010) categories sources of secondary data from:
Government or semi-government publications which collect data on a regular basis in
a variety of areas and publish it for use by members of the public and interest groups
E.g. Census, health reports, etc
Earlier research which can provide an enormous number of research studies that
already have been done by others, providing the researcher with the required
information.
Personal records which can provide historical and personal records that my offer the
necessary information needed.
Mass media which can provide reports published in newspapers, in magazines, on the
internet etc, which can give another source of data required.
Secondary data on many occasions will be quicker and cheaper to answer a question
and this can have an important role in generating research options (McQuarrie, 1996)
3.6
Disadvantages of secondary data
When using data from secondary sources, the researcher needs to be careful “as there
may be certain problems with the availability, format and quality of data” (Kumar,
53
2010). Cooper and Emory (1991) highlight that information gathered is always
subject to bias and the possibility of inaccuracy and that there is no way of knowing
this.
There is a lack of secondary data or literature in relation to building strong brand
equity by using music to engage customers online, consequently primary data will be
carried out for this study.
3.7
Primary data
Secondary sources of data may not be sufficient to solve the problem; therefore the
researcher must turn to primary data collection methods. “Primary data are originated
by a researcher for the specific purpose of addressing the problem at hand” (Malhotra,
1999). If a researcher is to conduct the collection of primary data, a structure or guide
is essential for gathering the relevant information required. This is known as Research
Design. The author will now discuss this in detail.
3.8
Research Design
Research design is a “master framework to guide the remaining steps of the research
process – data collection, measurement, analysis and reporting” (Domegan and
Fleming, 2007). Research design gives structure, order and logic to the remaining
research steps (Domegan and Fleming, 2007). Domegan and Flemming (2007)
explain, to organise the nature of the necessary information required, research designs
have been structured to three types: exploratory, descriptive or casusal.
Armstron and Kotler, (2010) outline each type of research design as follows:
54
Exploratory research is designed to gather preliminary information that will help
identify problems and recommend hypotheses.
Descriptive research is designed to describe things, such as the market potential for a
product or the demographics and attitudes of consumers who buy the product.
Casual research is designed to test hypotheses about cause and effect relationships.
As there is a lack of secondary data or literature in relation to building strong brand
equity by using music to engage customers online, exploratory research is a suited
research design, as it aims to explore an area to understand it better. “Exploratory
research is about establishing trends, patterns and ranges of behaviour that are
unknown” (Domegan and Fleming, 2007). Exploratory Research allows for primary
data collection methods such as Literature review, expert surveys, focus groups, indepth interviews or projective techniques (Domegan and Fleming, 2007).
3.9
Quantitative vs. Qualitative research
Primary data may be qualitative or quantitative in nature. “Qualitative research
provides insights and understanding of the problem setting, whereas quantitative
research seeks to quantify the data and, typically, applies some form of statistical
analysis” (Malhotra, 1999). At times qualitative research is carried out to explain the
results obtained from quantitative research (Malhotra, 1999). This has been
undertaken through the study in this paper; a survey was carried out to gain
perspective on statistical opinions and attitudes of consumers, to help identify the
topic’s that needed to be addressed further. As a result the study in this paper has
adopted a mixed methodology in answering the research question. However, as
55
explained previously in the paper, this study will implement an exploratory research
method which according to Domegan and Fleming (2007) is one way of generating
qualitative data, which aims in exploring an area to understand it better. Therefore as
this study requires in-depth analysis of attitudes and opinions, primarily qualitative
research will be employed for the purpose of this study.
3.10 Survey Design
As stated previously, quantitative research was first obtained through the use of a
survey to gain perspective on statistical opinions and attitudes of consumers. This
helps to identify the topic’s which need to be addressed further through a qualitative
approach. “A survey is a systematic method for gathering information from (a sample
of) entities for the purposes of constructing quantitative descriptors of the attributes of
the larger population of which the entities are members” (Groves, 2009). As Sapsford
( 2006) puts it “a survey describes a population, it counts and describes ‘what is out
there’.” To insure reliability and validity of the survey, a great deal of preparation
and consideration is required during the design stage of the survey. Saunders (2006)
explains that the time spent planning exactly what data must be gathered, how this
data will be analysed and the designing of the survey to meet these requirements is
crucial in answering the research question and meeting the objectives. Therefore the
research objectives were looked at extensively in designing the questions for the
survey.
“The more structured the question, the easier it will be to analyse” (Youngman cited
in Bell 2005). The wording used in the questions must also not confuse the
respondents. Proctor (2005) highlights the importance which is needs to be given to
56
the appearance and organisation of the survey. “Well-structured questions will not
present so many problems at the analysis stage” (Bell, 2005). Keeping this in mind a
survey created using Surveymonkey.com allowed for the presentation of the survey to
come across in a professional manner. The survey stated clearly its aim and how long
it would take. Bell (2005) states “start with straightforward, easy to-complete
questions and move on to the more complex topics”. For this reason, the first three
questions are easy and straight forward in the purpose of profiling the respondents.
Many types of questioning methods were used in collecting the necessary data to help
answer the research question. The majority of the survey was constructed using close
ended questions allowing the respondents to choose an answer which applied to them.
If a respondent felt the need to elaborate further on their chosen answer ‘Comments
(Optional)’ options was available on the majority of the questions. Finally the last
question was an open ended question permitting the respondents to give additional
opinions or feedback on the topic of a brand that interacts / engages with customers
online using music. The use of Surveymonkey.com ensured the credibility of the
answers given and granted the researcher to be confident with the end result.
3.11 Sampling
“A sample is a miniature version of the population of which it is a part – just like it,
only smaller. The best sample is a representative or a model of the population” (Fink,
2002). Bell (2005) explains it can be difficult for a researcher working on a small
scale project to achieve a true random sample; therefore a researcher may be forced to
interview anyone from the total population who is available and willing at the time.
This is acceptable once the makeup of the sample is clearly stated and the limitations
57
of the data realised. However bell continues to state that even in small studies efforts
should be made to select as representative a sample as possible. Aaker (2006) states
sampling is required when the population size is too large and both the time and cost
associated with acquiring the information from the population is high. Malhortra and
Briks (2006) tell a population sample should combine of all elements that share some
common set of characteristics and that comprise the universe for the purpose of the
research problem. As the study is interested in how brands use music to engage
customers online, only those who engage in online activities were deemed as possible
respondents for the sampling frame.
Holbrook and Schindler (1989) put forward a convincing theory, that the development
of tastes for popular music follows an inverted U shaped pattern that reaches a peak
around the 24th year of a person’s lifecycle. Therefore Preferences toward popular
music appear to reflect tastes acquired during a person’s early 20’s. People are more
tuned into music in this stage of their lives as they develop their individualism and
endure social pressures from ones peer group that “reach peak intensity during a
particular phase in one’s lifecycle” (Holbrook and Schindler, 1989). For the purpose
of this research, respondents selected for the sampling frame were mostly close to the
age of 24, this is the fact that they are more responsive to music and the brands appear
to actively target this age bracket from engaging with them using music online. Due
to the short time frame and lack of budget, online users, who mostly were aged in
their mid 20’s sampled, were Irish.
A simple random sampling method was applied to this study. This involves selecting
the sample at random from a sampling frame using either random number or a
58
computer (Saunders, 2009). A computer was used in this study to randomly select
participants online who fit the sampling frame.
3.12 Pilot Survey
All data-gathering instruments should be piloted to test how long it takes recipients to
complete them, to check that all questions and instructions are clear and to enable the
researcher to remove any items which do not yield usable data (Bell, 2005).
The survey used in this study was piloted by acquaintances that were similar to the
one that will form the population of the sample frame. The test respondents were
asked to complete the pilot survey through Surveymonkey.com while in the presence
of the researcher. This allowed the researcher to note any difficulties they encountered
with the survey. Their responses also enabled the researcher to review the
questionnaire ready for the main distribution.
3.13 Distribution and return of survey
Once a survey is developed and one or more pre-tests or pilot studies have been
conducted, the next step is to gather data from an appropriate group of respondents
(Wimmer, 2010). As stated previously the survey was administrated using an online
application known as Surveymonkey.com as the study is interested in brands using
music to engage customers online. The selected respondents were given access to the
survey through a link which was sent to them via email or social network. When the
survey was completed by the respondents they would click a “Finish” button sending
the results to the researcher instantly. The survey ran for a week as the responses
collected needed to be current as online trends can change rapidly. The survey
59
gathered one hundred responses which gained an ample perspective on the sample
frame. The method of online data collection was an efficient and precise way of
retrieving the data required as the researcher was confident, that only true online users
were the respondents of the survey.
3.14 Industry Interviews - structure
This study includes structured interviews with two industry professionals. A
structured interview is one in which each subject or respondent is asked a series of
questions according to a prepared interview known as a questionnaire. Structured
interviews are carried out using a range of different data collection media.
Interviewers can be uses to ask questions face to face with the respondent or subject;
interviews can be carried out by telephone; questionnaires can be mailed to subjects;
or questionnaires can be accessed by subjects through the internet (Brace, 2008). A
questionnaire was sent to each respondent through email, once completed the
researcher had access to the answers. The structured interview in the form of a
questionnaire was used as both respondents do not live in Ireland and due to time
limitations this option was found the most straightforward and efficient way of
collecting the data required in answering the research question. “Most studies of how
people respond to web-based questionnaires have found that they are completed more
quickly than their equivalent telephone or face to face administered versions. Being
quicker can help to make it a more pleasurable experience for the respondents” (Brace,
2008). The questions were piloted and tested before being sent to respondents. The
questions asked mostly included open ended questions providing the respondent to
give a great deal of feedback.
60
3.15 Purpose for industry interviews
The purpose of the interviews with industry experts was to reveal their professional
opinions on the following research objectives:
1. If an online environment is a suitable platform for engagement
2. If music is a viable engagement tool
3. Identify the value and benefits of using music to engage customers online
however, to also highlight the barriers and costs involved.
In assessing their professional opinions this will help the researcher to make
conclusions on how to achieve strong brand equity by using music to engage with
customers online.
3.16 Profile of interviewees
Those chosen to participate in an interview were based on those most knowledgeable
within their field on discussing the research objectives. Both respondents were given a
different questionnaire which was specifically tailored to clarify their industry
knowledge and to gain the best possible feedback from them. To ensure that the
responses did not lose interest, the number of questions were kept below ten. In May
2011 contact was made with those required to participate in the research, this made
certain that there would be adequate time for scheduling, execution and analysis.
Selina Sykes was chosen to give her opinions due to her ability as an industry expert
through her many years working as a Brand Manager for Unilever. Sykes has worked
with brands such as Persil and Lynx and is currently Lynx Senior Brand Manager.
61
Steve Keller was chosen due to his ability as an industry expert through his work as
creative Director and CEO of Nashville based iV music group and Frankfurt based
iV2 music group. iV1 and iV2 are creative communities of audio and marketing
professionals, focused on providing strategic audio branding for a wide range of
global agencies and brands. He has a catalogue of works with brands such as Nike,
Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Burger King, Toyota, Audi, Opel, Vodafone, and many more.
3.17 Limitations of Interviews
Proctor (2003) points out interviews can suffer from some weaknesses. The one to
one nature of the research means sample sizes are small therefore the information
provided by the respondents may not be a true representation of research. Having a
small sample size however enabled the researcher to seek responses free from the
pressure and the interference of other respondents in a focus group situation.
Consequently the findings would be exclusive to each professional and therefore more
revealing of the varying attitudes and opinions held by the target group as a whole.
Another limitation is not having an interviewer on hand to clarify questions or to
repair misunderstandings, (Brace, 2008). The researcher understood this issue and
ensured the questionnaires were piloted thoroughly with colleagues giving ample
opportunity to mend any wrong impressions of questions.
62
4
4.1
Chapter 4. Research Findings
Introduction
Despite the growth of brands using music as an engagement tool online, there is
limited research on its potential effect on creating brand loyalties. Studies have been
carried out with regard to customer engagement, using music to promote brands,
brands online and brand loyalties, however inadequate research has not linked these
concepts together.
The author’s main objective in this chapter is to analyse the data collected from
various research methods conducted and to correlate the findings with the objectives
and hypotheses outlined in the research methodology chapter.
As mentioned
previously a mixed research methodology was used, first data was established using a
quantitative research method. A survey was carried out to gain perspective on
statistical opinions and attitudes of consumers, to help identify the topic’s that needed
to be addressed further. Secondly structured interviews were carried out with two
industry experts to obtain their professional opinions on the research objectives and
hypotheses outlined in the research methodology chapter.
The researcher hopes the finding can create a concrete framework on how to achieve
strong brand equity by using music to engage customers online.
4.2
Research Method – Survey
The survey was sent to random subjects who fitted the sample frame decided upon.
The results are based on the findings of one hundred respondents which comprised of
online users, 42% male and 58% female.
63
As stated previously the age of the
respondents were mostly in their 20’s which was 60% of those surveyed. The age
profile majority is following the theory the Holbrook and Schindler (1989); the
development of tastes for popular music follows an inverted U shaped pattern that
reaches a peak around the 24th year of a person’s lifecycle, this is the age group that
are more susceptible to music.
The age profile of the respondents is as followed:
•
2%
12-19,
•
60%
20-29
•
17%
30-39
•
12%
40-49
•
9%
over 50
How often do you spend Online per week?
Purpose
This question is to establish the amount of time people would dedicate to online
activities. Knowing this, means brands can be aware of how much time they have to
engage with the consumer.
Key Findings
Those surveyed answered to this question the following
•
26%
11-20 hours
64
•
21%
21-30 hours
•
19%
6-10 hours
•
15%
Over 40 hours
•
12%
1-5 hours
•
1%
Less than 1 hour
Interpretation of answers
More than half of the respondents spend over 11 hours plus online, it is evident that a
vast amount of time is dedicated to online activities. This time gives ample
opportunities for brands to target this market.
Which of the following would be the most difficult to live without in your daily
life?
Purpose
The purpose of this question is to establish what people class as essential in their day
to day lives. Knowing this means brands can incorporate these items into their
branding strategies, making it more interesting and memorable to the consumer.
Key Findings
The top three options selected are shown as follows. Full results can be seen in
appendices
•
42%
Mobile phone
65
•
19%
Internet
•
18%
Music
Interpretation of answers
Mobile phones topped the poll as the item people cannot live without on a daily basis,
yet interestingly Internet and music followed, which are features found on a mobile
phone. This shows that these three elements are interlinked.
It has always been common knowledge that people find music important however this
survey shows that they find it more important than sports, TV, movies and literature.
Brands must be aware of how powerful music and the internet are in people’s lives
and using them side by side will evidently grab the attention of this target audience.
How important is music to you?
Purpose
This question is to establish how the respondents feel about music in their lives. This
will verify for a brand, if it is worth using music as a tool to relate and communicate
with consumers.
Key Findings
The survey found the following
•
82%
Very Important or important
•
18%
Unimportant or very unimportant
66
Some respondents included additional comments on the question
“it's important from the point of view of my work as it adds atmosphere to pieces of
motion graphics, websites and advertisements. But I also use it recreationally too,
partying, chilling out, and working out.” (Male, 20-29)
“Current music is like a soundtrack to your life, years later, you hear a song and it
brings back a memory, of a time, a place, a friend - it's amazing” (Female, 40-49)
“Music is a game changer, a mood changer and source of energy I physically require
to do what I have to do each day” (Male, 20-29)
Interpretation of answers
It is evident from the results that music is an important factor in our daily lives. As the
respondents commented on this saying it is a source of energy, used in almost every
space in some of their lives. Interestingly, music viewed as a nostalgic entity of a
person’s past, makes it a very powerful source which brands can tap into. Arousing
our senses to bring us back to a place in time will create a more memorable
experience for the consumer, making a memorable brand.
Are you part of any music related social network? (last.fm, my Space, etc)?
Purpose
This question is to establish how customers are interacting with or sharing music. This
will show how enthusiastic they are about interacting with music and connecting with
like minded people, who share this enthusiasm for music.
67
Key Findings
The survey found that 66% answered No
Interpretation of answers
The results shows that people are less inclined to be involved in a social networking
site that focuses around music, this possibly could be due to fact that as of February
2011, 50% of the Irish population over the age of 15 are now on Facebook, which is
approximately 1.75 million users (RTE News, 2011). The need to expand to a music
related social network may not be of interest as Facebook users express their music
tastes through their Interests section and deeply integrated Facebook Connect
applications. People are sharing their interests, favourite tracks and playlists with
friends. Music has long been a part of the Facebook experience (Facebook, 2011)
Has a brand ever interacted / engaged with you online using music?
Purpose
The purpose of this question is to determine if brands are actively using music in
online spaces to engage with customers and also to observe if the respondents are
aware that brands are engaging with them through music online.
Key Findings
Of those surveyed, 52% answered Yes
68
Interpretation of answers
Using an online platform to connect and music as a tool to engage with customers,
shows that brands are aware that online is where the target market is spending the
majority of their time and that their keen interest is mainly music. It is apparent that
over half of those surveyed are aware of engaging with a brand through music.
If you answered Yes to question 7, How?
Purpose
This question will determine what music based, engagement strategies put forward by
Lusensky (2010), brands are using to interact with customers. This will also establish
what appears to be the most effective strategy in terms it being more memorable to
the customer.
Key Findings
The survey found the following
•
25%
Exploration: Brand introduces you to new music/artists
•
15%
Involvement: Brand encourages you to create music, vote on music,
Etc.
•
14%
Association: Brand is linked to music artist(s) who give exclusive
access to you, from your connection to brand
Some respondents included additional comments on the question
“I also think a lot of it is subconscious interaction” (Involvement, Female, 20-29)
69
“I enjoy music association with a brand because I associate that music with that
brand because the music appeals to me as a person, therefore as a sale.” (Association,
Female, Over 50)
Interpretation of answers
This answers show that customers appear to have engaged with brands that mostly
interact online with them through introducing them to new music and artists. This
seems to be the most memorable in the eyes of the customer, however a respondent
pointed out a lot of it may be subconscious interaction. Meaning that customers may
not be aware of the brand strategies they have interacted with. Subconsciously
customers possibly build perceptions of the brands they have engaged with, without
knowing, associating certain music to a brand.
If a brand interacts / engages with you using music, do you find you are more
likely to recommend, buy or have preference for the brand?
Purpose
This question is to determine the return on investment (ROI) of engaging with
customer’s online using music.
Key Findings
The survey found 61% answered Yes
Some respondents included additional comments on the question
“Probably, but it completely depends on what music the brand uses. If I don't like the
music, it usually creates a negative effect, rather than the desired positive. Although
70
the negative can also stick in the mind and cause me to talk about it more too.” (Yes,
Female, 20-29)
“Makes it more enjoyable and holds your attention for much longer. You
automatically have that song or music in your head so when you hear it you think of
the brand” (Yes, Female 20-29)
Interpretation of answers
The question answered illustrates that engaging with customer’s online using music
creates memorable experiences meaning that customers would more likely talk to
others about their experience. It also keeps the brand image to the fore of their mind
meaning the purchase intent is increased. This proves that the return on investment
(ROI) from engaging with customers online using music as an aid to building strong
brand equity.
Do you have any comments or feedback on brands that interact / engage with
customer’s online using music? Or have you had any experience in this area that
you would like to share?
Purpose
The question was designed to give the respondent an opportunity to give their opinion
on the topic on a whole. This will give the researcher a possibility to gain extra
insights on feedback that may have been overlooked.
Key Findings
Some feedback given:
71
“Recommendations via 'associated' brands/music/bands/similar interests are more
appealing than advertising” (Male, 30-39)
“Sometimes a terrible piece of music may be used to sell something and because of
that you are inclined to remember the brand and possibly buy it” (Female, Over 50)
“Brand association often leaves a permanently and unmovable connection to that
piece of music, e.g Dandy Warhols "bohemian like you" and Vodafone, re-vibrating
the brand on every play of the song. I guess my preference would be for original work
to be associated to brand.” (Male, 20-29)
“In my experience a lot of browsing and online purchasing is done in the workplace
(with the volume turned down or off)” (Male, 30-39)
Interpretation of answers
Association’s conjured from music being linked to a brand, appears to be a
memorable forte in the mind of the consumer. These associations can create
memorable conversations, if the customers are actively talking about the brand with
others, the return on investment for the brand possible could raise.
Another respondent highlighted that not everyone has access to volume on their
computers, Are brands missing out on a segment of the population who cannot engage
through music online with brands?
Summary of Survey
The survey conducted verified and gave an insight into the following,
Discovering if an online environment is a suitable platform for engagement
72
The survey clearly shows that a vast amount of time is dedicated to online activities. It
shows that mobile phones are a device people cannot live without and as the internet
is a feature on most mobile phones, people tend to be online more often. This gives
ample opportunities for brands to target consumers online and to grab consumer
attention in today’s hyper competitive market, brands must seek to engage consumers.
Determining if music is a viable engagement tool
Music is an important element in most consumers’ lives as this survey highlights.
Using Music will grab the attention of consumers and engage them as it is used in
almost every space of their day to day lives.
This survey also exposes that music can be viewed as a nostalgic entity of a person’s
past, which makes it a very powerful source which brands can tap into. Arousing
consumer senses brings them back to a place in time that creates a more memorable
experience, making a memorable brand.
This survey stresses how music affects consumer’s lives, showing it a viable
engagement tool.
Identifying the value of using music to engage consumes online however to also
highlight the obstacles involved.
This survey shows the value of using music to engage consumers online will create
memorable experiences that will alter consumer perceptions, create new brand
associations and create conversations. This will keep the brand image to the fore of
the consumers mind meaning the purchase intent is increased. This proves that the
73
ROI2 from using music to engage consumers online is an aid to building strong brand
equity.
An obstacle found through the survey for using music to engage consumers online, is
not all consumers have access to volume on their computers, many go online while in
work.
4.3
Research method – Interview
Two structured interviews were conducted with industry experts Selina Sykes, Lynx
Senior Brand Manager and Steve Keller, creative Director and CEO iV music group.
This part of the research aims to obtain information based of the objectives outlined in
the methodology chapter which are
1. Discover if an online environment is a suitable platform for engagement
2. Determine if music is a viable engagement tool
3. Identify the value of using music to engage consumes online but to also
highlight the obstacles involved
The researcher will also gage a professional insight in to what it is to achieve strong
brand equity by using music to engage customers online
In exploring these objectives the researcher hopes to answer questions that were not
covered in the literature review and that the findings can create a concrete framework
on how to achieve strong brand equity by using music to engage customers online.
2
Return on Investment
74
Objective 1. Discover if an online environment is a suitable platform for
engagement
Purpose
This objective will discover from a professional opinion if an online environment is
best suited for engagement.
The literature shows that engagement is central to the effective use of an online
environment. Unlike traditional media, social web push towards collaboration rather
than exposure and impression (Evans, 2010)
Key Findings from Selina Sykes, Lynx Senior Brand Manager
Sykes believes that online is a suitable place for engagement explaining that in her
line of work an online environment “offers us an unprecedented medium to have
always on conversations with our consumers and serve them with a multitude of
owned assets and content to entertain and engage.” She continues to add that an
online environment “is an exciting place because we can be more innovative due to
the fast paced development of new digital technology.”
Interestingly Sykes makes the point that today the online and offline environments are
interlinked, she states, “Offline is still a crucial area to work in, my consumers really
don't see the difference between online or offline, they are all one real world so we
begun to operate like this too.”
75
Key Findings from Steve Keller, creative Director and CEO iV music group
Keller explains that “digital media is continuing to overtake more traditional forms.
The growth of Spotify and the launch of Apple's iCloud service have continued to
move consumers to ‘living in the cloud’, and devices like Smartphones and tablets
make online access available practically around the clock.”
“Online strategies allow for more direct consumer engagement that traditional media
hasn't provided. There are more opportunities to use technology in a way that allows
consumers to experience the brand - and to shape the brand in return”
Keller continues to say that “social media platforms give brands and consumers
immediate access to each other” he points out that we've already reached the tipping
point. Keller believes that “online engagement will continue to grow exponentially.”
Interpretation of answers for industry professionals
Both Sykes and Keller believe that the online environment is fully integrated into
consumers daily lives, there is a blur between online and offline worlds. On a daily
basis consumers would constantly engage with products and brands; what is
beginning to be seen online is a more defined observation of the engagement that
already exists. As Keller pointed out “digital media is continuing to overtake more
traditional forms”
Sykes adds that an online environment is a “medium to have
always on conversations with [our] consumers.”
Both professionals find an online environment an exciting and suitable place for
engagement and expect that online engagement will increase further due to the “fast
paced development of new digital technology.”
76
Objective 2. Determine if music is a viable engagement tool
Purpose
This objective will determine from a professional opinion if music is a viable
engagement tool.
The literature shows that music encourages engagement as it gives the spark for
people to socialise, energise and organise.(Lusensky, 2010) and that sound creates a
connection between people and organisations ( Franus, 2007)
Key Findings from Selina Sykes, Lynx Senior Brand Manager
Sykes highlights that “music is a major passion point for most consumers and at the
heart of what is culturally relevant”, she continues to explain, “Brands are at their best
when they tap into both these things, therefore music is a great area to work in if you
can do it right.”
As Sykes is Senior Brand Manager for Lynx body spray, her target market is primary
young males, “music is a massive part of their life. It is a great opportunity to engage
with them.” She carries on to say that “music can be powerful in our communication,
getting the right track on a television commercial can make or break a creative.”
Sykes sees music in conjunction with her brand as very relevant for music on website,
music events, artist sponsorships and collaborations, sound logotype, music for
commercial spaces are extremely relevant on TV Commercials.
77
Key Findings from Steve Keller, creative Director and CEO iV music group
Keller believes that music is a viable engagement tool and explains “consumer
engagement can happen on a variety of levels.”
•
It can engage an emotional response, conjuring feelings and associations that
can be transferred and connected to the brand
•
It produces physiological responses in brain function and chemistry.
•
On a sociological level, music can become a participatory event, with
consumers not only engaging but actually contributing to the sonic
development of the brand identity.
•
Finally, on a behavioural level, music can be used to shape perception, beliefs
and actions.
Keller has worked alongside brands that have used music based, engagement
strategies that involve approaches put forward by Lusensky (2010); Showing that
brands are keen to use music as an engagement tool.
Exploration Strategy: “We have facilitated a number of brand/artist connections
designed to position the brand as a tastemaker, using the brand platform to connect
consumers with new music.”
Association Strategy: “We have recorded an original brand song with an independent
artist. Brand also produced a full length music video supporting the artist and the song.
Song and video were available exclusively for download on the brand website”
78
Involvement Strategy: “We have created a few different involvement strategies for
clients in the past, but nothing that has been executed to date.”
Interpretation of answers from industry professionals
Both Sykes and Keller believe that music is a viable engagement tool, explaining that
music is very important to consumers (which has been proven in the survey for this
study). Music is embedded deep within important cultural aspects of society and
therefore can be powerful in communication. This musical communication can
encourage emotional, physiological, sociological and behavioural responses. Using
music to engage consumers online can alter the perceptions of consumers towards the
brand, build new associations linked to the brand and consumers can actively get
involved in helping to build upon a brand presence, from sharing and creating their
experiences with the brand.
As Keller has worked with brands who used music to engage consumers online, it is
sufficient to say that music is a viable engagement tool, as Keller has developed a
number of these projects. Interestingly he appears to have worked more on the
exploration strategy, which the survey for the study showed as the most memorable in
the eyes of the customer of a brand using music to engage with them online.
79
Objective 3. Identify the value of using music to engage customers online,
however to also highlight the obstacles involved
Purpose
This objective aims to point out what are the value and benefits that are involved and
discuss the obstacles. Knowing this will allow a brand to know if using music to
engage consumers online is a viable marketing choice for them to use.
The literature shows that music is an engine that helps to facilitate the exponential
growth of online networks (Lusensky, 2010) and Social Web permits a constant cycle
of listen-analyse-engage evolve (IBM, 2010). Music can also encourage and adjust
mood and stress levels and can enable the transformation from one set of feelings to
another over short time periods (DeNora, 2000). Transferring the associations and
feeling of the sound to the brand. The Barriers in using music to engage consumers
online can be in recognising and accounting for different types of consumers. Not
every consumer will engage with or appreciate the musical aspects of the brand. In
sustaining brand equity, no consumer should be forgotten about. Another barrier the
literature is accounting for the consumer’s subjective perception of the music’s
relevance or appropriateness to the central brand message (Macinnis and Park, 1991).
Key Findings from Selina Sykes, Lynx Senior Brand Manager
Values and Benefits
Sykes sees the benefits of music engagement online stating that “music is culturally
relevant and a major passion point, if we can join this with our brand message and
product benefit then we will hit the sweet spot in marketing our brand.”
80
Obstacles
One obstacle Sykes has observed in her professional field is “making your brand
relevant in music” She explains a brand should know why it is there.
Sykes added that “usage rights are very important and expensive which can also be a
barrier”
Key Findings from Steve Keller, creative Director and CEO iV music group
Values and Benefits
Keller points out the benefits he considers from using music to engage customers
online. Firstly he states “Music can be a powerful motivator. It connects emotionally,
sociologically and physiologically. When it is congruent with brand values, it can
positively affect brand perception, consumer awareness and purchase intent.”
Obstacles
Keller points out an obstacle that brand may come across when using music to engage
consumers online can be “Issues of alignment and congruency are [a] factor that can
work against the brand, when the music isn't the best fit.”
Another obstacle can be found in the case of association; he explains “it's always wise
to consider the fact that this is always a sharing of brand equity - good and bad. You
may not always be able to control the associations.”
He adds “The use of music isn't always the best strategy - each case must be
considered individually.”
81
The final obstacle Keller brings attention to is that “brands instinctively believe in the
power of sound. But without metrics to support ROI 3 , it is difficult to justify the
expenditure.”
Interpretation of answers from Industry professionals
Values and Benefits
Both Sykes and Keller share the opinion that music is important to people, which can
make it a powerful motivator, if it is connected with a brand and correlates the brand
values or message. It will create a significant interest in the brand that can lead to
return of investment and stronger brand equity.
Obstacles
Sykes explains the music used in conjunction with the brand must have relevance. If
the music that is linked with the brand does not match up to or with the brand values,
this may confuse the consumer. Keller also touches on this point in the above, in the
case of “when the music isn’t the best fit”. Lack of consistency within the brand
image could in turn, damage brand equity.
Keller tells that at times it may not be possible to control the associations the music
can create for the brand. It is a risk that the brand must take if they want to use music
in conjunction with the brand.
He adds when considering using music along with the brand image, it is important
that the reasons for doing so are thought out clearly, which replicates Skyes stating
relevance of the music with the brand.
3
Return On Investment
82
Also without the ability to measure ROI on using music with a brand, this can create
an obstacle where brands can’t validate spending time or money on such a project.
Achieving strong brand equity by using music to engage customers online
Purpose
The purpose of this objective is to gain from a professional point of view, what it is to
build strong brand equity, by using music to engage customers online.
Key Findings from Selina Sykes, Lynx Senior Brand Manager
Sykes feels with her brand Lynx they’ve “built incredibly strong brand equity through
a consistent and insightful brand message. We constantly seek to communicate this in
exciting and engaging ways with our consumers now.”
She highlights that “In the past our TV advertising has been iconic and developed to
brand identity for guys, digital is also now a key channel for us where we can have
conversations with our consumers, looking to entertain and engage them with our
brand message”
Key Findings from Steve Keller, creative Director and CEO iV music group
Keller states that “Music as part of an online marketing strategy can certainly increase
brand awareness”
He continues to explain, the how in achieving brand equity “is a function of strategy,
and that strategy may vary from one brand to another.” Keller adds that “equity is
much more difficult to measure.” However he explains that “if the music is owned by
the brand, it may be considered a brand asset that adds value, and hence, equity, to the
83
brand. If the use of music is congruent with the brand identity, it can certainly have an
additive effect, supporting the perception of the brand as honest, believable, relevant
and trustworthy. That perception can also drive brand equity.”
Interpretation of answers from Industry professionals
Sykes explains how Lynx are using music online to create conversations, entertain
and engage consumers with their brand message. This is shown through the use the
Lynx blog where they emphasise ‘music to give you the Lynx effect’ 4. This backs up
Keller’s explanation that if the musical fit is correlated with the brand identity it has
an effect on the perception of the brand. The music on the Lynx blog is very
innovative and new. Music can build perceptions and Keller points out “perception
can also drive brand equity”
Other Findings
ROI
Keller tells that “Understanding that ROI is the major driver in budget expenditures,
the value of research and evaluation is that it can provide a more objective framework
for developing audio assets that will create more awareness and equity for the brand.
When that happens, it's much easier to convince clients of the value - and justify the
expense to shareholders”
4
Music to give you the lynx effect: http://www.lynxeffect.com/uk/blog/category/lynx-effect-
music
84
Keller carries on explaining that “Measurement is the key” and advices that if
possible to “move beyond the world of opinion, and into the world of empirical
evidence that demonstrates how the use of music effects consumer behaviour and
increases brand equity” this will convince “clients to free up valuable time and
resources necessary for audio branding”
Summary of interviews
Discovering if an online environment is a suitable platform for engagement
An online environment is an exciting and suitable place for engagement and it will
increase further due to the “fast paced development of new digital technology.” An
online environment is now fully integrated into consumers daily lives, there is a blur
between online and offline worlds.
Determining if music is a viable engagement tool
Music is a viable engagement tool, as it is embedded deep within important cultural
aspects of society and therefore can be powerful in communication. Using music to
engage consumers online can alter the perceptions of consumers towards the brand;
consumers can actively get involved in helping to build upon a brand presence, from
sharing and creating their experiences with the brand.
Identifying the value of using music to engage consumes online however to also
highlight the obstacles involved.
Value
85
Music can is a powerful motivator, if it is connected with a brand and correlates the
brand values or message, it will create a significant interest in the brand that can lead
to return of investment and stronger brand equity.
Obstacles
If the music that is linked with the brand does not match up to or with the brand
values, this may confuse the consumer and the brand make lose control of the
associations the music can create. Lack of consistency within the brand image could
in turn, damage brand equity. It is a risk that the brand must take if they want to use
music in conjunction with the brand.
Also without the ability to measure ROI on using music with a brand, it may be
difficult to validate spending time or money on such a project.
Achieving strong brand equity by using music to engage customers online
Using music online can create conversations, entertain and engage consumers with a
brand’s message. Music can build perceptions and which can also drive brand equity
86
5
5.1
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations
Introduction
The main aim of this chapter is to put forward conclusions, gathered from the body of
research on the topic of how to achieve strong brand equity by using music to engage
consumers online. The conclusion will aim to inform those within branding from a
marketing perspective. Recommendations are made for how to achieve strong brand
equity by using music to engage consumers online based on the findings from the
literature review, survey and questionnaires.
5.2
Conclusions
The research paper first set out in discovering if an online environment is a suitable
platform for engagement. The literature tells there has been a steady migration of
people who used to spend time in front of the TV moving to the computer (Arens,
2008). This transition to online has changed the consumer and brand relationship,
where “to get the attention of today’s newly empowered consumer, you must engage,
encourage and – most of all – respect them” (Lusensky 2010).
Through surveys and questionnaires, the findings discovered that consumers spend a
vast amount of time is dedicated to online activities. A blur between online and
offline worlds has emerged. Most consumers carry the online world with them in the
form of their mobile phone, giving them anytime access to the internet. On a daily
basis consumers constantly engage with products and brands offline; now what is seen
online is a more defined observation of the engagement that already exists offline,
therefore an online environment is a suitable platform for engagement.
87
The research paper next set out in determining if music is a viable engagement tool.
The literature shows that, “Music encourages engagement” and that “music provides
the spark for people to socialise, energise and organise. It’s an engine for social
interaction” (Lusensky, 2010)
Through surveys and questionnaires, the Findings determined that music is an
important element in consumers’ lives as it will grab their attention and engage them
due to it being embedded deep within important cultural aspects of society. Music can
be powerful, as it has the ability in arousing consumer senses to bring them back to a
place in time, which will create a more memorable experience, making for a more
memorable brand. Music is undoubtedly a viable engagement tool.
The research paper then set out in identifying the value of using music to engage
consumes online, however also highlighting the obstacles involved. First looking at
the value, the literature shows that consumers who are involved in collaboration or
creation are at the highest level of Evans (2010) engagement model. It is at this level
that the consumer’s mind is more prone to absorbing memorable experiences. If
consumers are aroused from the brand experience, they are more likely to become
motivated to create and share this experience with others. Brand awareness is created
and consumers are being conditioned into perceiving the brand associations as
youthful, energetic and innovative, which are all very attractive in a brand.
The literature shows the obstacles in using music to engage consumes online are
controlling “other associations indirectly transferred to, or leveraged by the brand”
(Keller, 2008). These are association that the brand may not want to be linked to, but
this could be out of their control.
88
In the value of using music as an engagement tool, the surveys and questionnaires
findings identified that music is a powerful motivator, if it is connected with a brand
and correlates the brand message; it will encourage the consumer to retain experiences
that will alter perceptions, create new brand associations and create conversations.
This will keep the brand image to the fore of the consumers mind meaning it will lead
to return of investment and stronger brand equity.
In the obstacles of using music as an engagement tool, the surveys and questionnaires
findings identified that, if the music that is linked with the brand does not correlate
with the brand values, this may confuse the consumer and the brand may lose control
of the associations the music creates. Lack of consistency within the brand image
could damage brand equity. Also it may be difficult to validate spending time or
money on such a project without the ability to measure ROI on using music with a
brand.
All the literature and findings of this study prove that music is a powerful tool for
brands; when used in conjunction with social web it can engage a target audience,
changing perceptions such as brand awareness, brand associations and perceived
quality, and can alter consumer behaviour such as brand loyalty. These changes of
consumer perception and behaviour will lead to strong brand equity.
5.3
Recommendations
The conclusion put forward outlines the objectives of the study, which supports the
researcher in answering the research question. It is at this point that the researcher has
the ability in recommending how to achieve strong brand equity by using music to
engage consumers online.
89
Framework
A simple framework has been created to break down the topic. This is outlined as the
message, the platform and the engagement tool = Brand Equity
Message: The brand has a message to communicate to the consumer.
Platform: The brand uses social web as the platform to reach the consumer.
Engagement Tool: The brand uses music an engagement tool to connect with the
consumer.
These three elements combined have the ability in altering consumer perception and
behaviour, which if successful, will lead to strong brand equity.
How to achieve strong brand equity by using music to engage consumers online
A brand will seek to have the consumer in the ‘thrill’ and ‘experience’ seeking stages
of Zuckerman‘s (2000), theory of motivation, as these are the levels were consumers
are more alert and in concentration. Brands who use music to engage consumers
online will achieve this, as music is a powerful tool capable of attracting attention and
evoking emotions. When combined with engagement online, consumers will be in a
highly motivated condition, driving them to take part in collaboration or creation
online.
Consumers who are involved in collaboration or creation are at the highest level of
Evans (2010) engagement model. It is at this level that the consumer’s mind is more
prone to absorbing memorable experiences; meaning a consumer is more susceptible
to retaining brand messages and thus, brand awareness is created.
90
It is at this point that music should be used in an engaging way that mirrors the brand
core attributes. Music supports communication of brand values in a fast an effective
way to the consumer. Music is also an influential means to shaping consumer
perceptions when building brand value. A brands association with a certain kind of
music may attract consumers who are attracted to that music culture or lifestyle.
A brand should encourage a reaction in the consumer by engaging them through
music online. If the consumer’s observation of the brand is a positive one, this will
result in the consumer having a deeper engrossment within the brand, perhaps
triggering a brand reaction. This is why using music to engage consumers online is
powerful in achieving brand equity; if consumers are aroused from the brand
experience, their reaction is to become motivated to create and share this experience
with others.
In creating memorable consumer experiences, such as participating in a musical
collaboration with other users, the brand is permitting the consumer to feel exclusive
and therefore the consumer will produce a loyalty towards the brand.
Consumers become produsers through their collaborative and continuous building and
extending of the brand content they are engaging with. Brand awareness is created
and consumers are being conditioned into perceiving the brand associations as
youthful, energetic and innovative, which are all very attractive in a brand.
Music is a powerful tool for brands; when used in conjunction with social web it can
engage a target audience in producing strong brand equity.
91
6
6.1
Chapter 6: Bibliography
Books
Aaker,A., 2002. Building Strong Brands. Edition. Simon & Schuster. P7,8
Aaker,D., 2006. Marketing Research. 9 Edition. Wiley.
Aaker,D., 2010. Strategic Market Management: Global Perspectives. Edition. Wiley.
Arens,W., Weigold,M., Arens,C., 2008.Contemporary Advertising. 12th Ed.
McGraw-Hill Higher Education
Armstrong,P., Kotler,G., 2010. Principles of Marketing. 13th International Edition
Edition. Pearson.
Arnold, D., 1992. The Handbook of Brand Management. Random House Business
Books.
Bell,J., 2005. Doing Your Research Project 4/e: A guide for first-time researchers in
social science, education and health. 4 Edition. Open University Press.
Blaxter,B., 2006. How to Research. 3 Edition. Open University Press
Bowden, J.L.H., 2009a. T h e process of customer engagement: A conceptual
framework, Journal o f Marketing Theory and Practice 17 (1), 63-7 4 .
Brace,I., 2006. An Introduction to Market & Social Research: Planning & Using
Research Tools & Techniques (Market Research in Practice Series). Edition. Kogan
Page.
Brace,I., 2008. Questionnaire Design: How to Plan, Structure and Write Survey
Material for Effective Market Research (Market Research in Practice). 2nd Edition.
Kogan Page.
Bruns,A., 2008. Blogs. Wikipedia. Second Life. and Beyond (Digital Formations).
Edition. Peter Lang Publishing.
Cooper,D.,1991. Business Research Methods (Irwin Series in Statistics). Irwin
Professional Publishing.
Crotty,M. 1998. The Foundations of Social Research. Edition. Sage Pubns.
Czinkota, M.R. and Ronkinen, I.A. (2010). Principles of International Marketing (9th
ed). South Western Cenage Learning
Davis, S,. 2000. The power of the brand: Strategy & Leadership p4-9
de Chernatony, L., 1998. Creating Powerful Brands, Third Edition. 3 Edition.
Butterworth-Heinemann.p320
92
de Chernatony, L., 2006. From Brand Vision to Brand Evaluation, Second Edition:
The strategic process of growing and strengthening brands. 2 Edition. ButterworthHeinemann
de Chernatony, L.,1992. Creating Powerful Brands: The strategic route to success in
consumer, industrial and service markets (Bh Marketing Series). Edition.
Butterworth-Heinemann.
DeNora T.,2003.Music in everyday life. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press
Domegan,C., 2007. Marketing Research in Ireland. 3rd Revised edition Edition. Gill
& Macmillan.
Duncan, T. And Moriarty, S. (1998), ‘A Communication-based marketing model for
managing reationships’, Journal of Marketing, 62, 1-13.
Egan,J., 2007. Marketing Communications. 1st Edition. Thomson Learning.
Elliott,R., 2011. Strategic Brand Management. 2 Edition. Oxford University Press,
USA. P88
Evans,E., 2010. Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business
Engagement. 1 Edition. Sybex.
Fink,A., 2002. How to Sample in Surveys (The Survey Kit 7). 2nd Edition. Sage
Publications, Inc.
Groves,R., 2009. Survey Methodology (Wiley Series in Survey Methodology). 2
Edition. Wiley.
Hultén,B., 2009. Sensory Marketing. Edition. Palgrave Macmillan.
Jackson,D., 2004. Sonic Branding: An Introduction. Edition. Palgrave Macmillan.
Joshua, P., 2008. Designing for the Social Web. Berkley, CA: New Riders. pp. 1–32.
Kapferer,J., 2008. The New Strategic Brand Management: Creating and Sustaining
Brand Equity Long Term 4th edition Kogan P18,19, 31-33
Kaplan, A.M and Haenlein, M. (2010) Users of the world, unite! The challenges and
opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons 53.
Keller, K (b). 2001. Building customer based brand equity. Marketing Management.
10 (2)
Keller, KL 2008 Strategic Brand Management, Prentice Hall.
Kerlinger,F.N., 1985. Foundations of Behavioral Research. 3rd Edition. Holt Rinehart
& Winston.
93
Kumar, R, S. 2007. Marketing and branding: The Indian Scenario, Pearson Education
India.
Kumar,R., 2010. Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners. Third
Edition Edition. Sage Publications Ltd.
Levine,R., 1999. The Cluetrain Manifesto:. Basic Books.
Lusensky, J, 2011. Sounds Like Branding: Use the Power of Music to Turn
Consumers Into Fans. 1st ed. .: A & C Black.
Malhotra,N., 1999. Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation. 3rd Edition.
Pearson Education.
Malhotra,N., 2006. Marketing Research: An Applied Approach - European. 2 Edition.
Financial Times Management.
McLuhan,M., 1972. Take today; the executive as dropout. Edition. Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich.
McQuarrie,E., 1996. The Market Research Toolbox: A Concise Guide for Beginners
Second Edition. Sage Publications, Inc.
McWilliam,G,. “Building Stronger Brands Through Online Communities”, MIT Sloan
Management Review 41, no. 3 (Spring 2000), 43-54
Newlands,M., 2011. Online Marketing: A User's Manual. 1 Edition. Wiley.
Pine,J., 1999. The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater & Every Business a Stage. 1
Edition. Harvard Business Press.
Polonsky,J., 2010. Designing and Managing a Research Project: A Business Student's
Guide. Second Edition Edition. Sage Publications, Inc.
Powell,G., 2011. ROI of Social Media: How to Improve the Return on Your Social
Marketing Investment. 1 Edition. Wiley.
Proctor,T., 2005. Essentials of Marketing Research. 4th Edition. Financal Times
Management.
Sapsford,R., 2006. Survey Research. 2nd Edition. Sage Publications Ltd.
Saunders,M., 2006. Research Methods for Business Students (4th Edition). 4 Edition.
Prentice Hall.
Saunders,M., 2009. Research Methods for Business Students (5th Edition). 5 Edition.
Prentice Hall.
Schiffman, L.G, 2009. Consumer Behavior. 9th ed. London: Pearson Prentice Hall
94
Schmitt,B., 1999. Experiential Marketing: How to Get Customers to Sense, Feel,
Think, Act, Relate. 1st Printing Edition. Free Press.
Scott,D., 2010. The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media,
Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly,
2nd Edition. 2 Edition. Wiley. P38
Scott,D., 2010. The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media,
Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly,
2nd Edition. 2 Edition. Wiley. P5
Solis,B., 2010. Engage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build,
Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web. Edition. Wiley
Stockfelt,O.,1997. Keeping Score: Music, Disciplinarity, Culture (Knowledge:
Disciplinarity and Beyond). First Edition Edition. University of Virginia Press
Toffler, A. Future Shock. NY: William Marrow and Co, 1980.
Treasure, J., 2007. Sound Business. Gloucestershire: Management Books 200 Ltd.
Weber, L. (2009), Marketing to the social web. How Digital Customer Communities
build your business. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken P4
Wimmer,R., 2010. Mass Media Research: An Introduction. 9 Edition. Wadsworth
Publishing.
Woods, W., 1981. Consumer Behaviour, New York: North Holland.
Yegidis, B. L., & Weinback, R. W. (1991). Research methods for social workers.
New York: Longman.
6.2
Reports and Journals
Apaolaza-Ibanez, Zander, Hartmann, 2010. Memory, emotions and rock 'n' roll. The
influence of music in advertising, on brand and endorser perception, 4(17), 3805-3816
Brakus, J.J., Schmitt, B.H., and Zarantonello, L. (2009), Brand experience: What is it?
How is it measured? Does it affect Loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 73, May, 52-68
Bruce, C. S. (1994) 'Research student's early experiences of the dissertation literature
review' Studies in Higher Education, vol. 19, no. 2,
Bruner, G.C. (1990) ‘Music, Mood and Marketing’, Journal of Marketing 54: 94–104.
Constantinides, E, 2008. Social Media: A New Frontier for Retailers?. 2 European
Retail Research , 22, 1-28.
95
Dunbar, D. S. (1990). Music and advertising. International Journal of Advertising,
9(3), 197-203.
Fulberg, P., 2003. Using Sonic Branding in the retail Environment –An Easy and
Effective way to Create Consumer Brand Loyalty While Enhancing the In-Store
Experience. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 3 (2), pp. 193 -198
Fulberg, P.,2003. Using Sonic Branding in the retail Environment – An easy effective
way to create Consumer Brand Loyalty While Enhancing In-Store Experience.
Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 3 (2), pp. 193-198
Gorn GJ (1982). The Effect of Music in Advertising on Choice Behaviour: A
Classical Conditioning Approach. J. Market., 46: 94-101.
Hines, T, 2000. An Evaluation of Two Qualitative Methods (Focus Group Interviews
and Cognitive Maps) for Conducting Research Into Entrepreneurial Decision
Making. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, Vol. 3 Iss: 1, pp.7 16.
Holbrook, M.B. and R.M. Schindler (1989), "Some Exploratory Findings on the
Development of Musical Tastes," Journal of Consumer Research, 16 (June), 119-124
Hollebeek, L.D. , 2010. Demys t i fying cus tome r engagement : E x p l o r i n g
t h e l o y a l t y n e x u s . J o u r n a l o f Marketing Management, Forthcoming
Jevons, Gabbott and de Chernatony. (2000). Internet noise and its effects on brand
management. European Journal of marketing special issue on corporate and service
brands. p10.
Judith Wardle, 2002. Qualitative Market Research: Principle & Practice (7 volume
set). Edition. Sage Publications Ltd.
Kaplan, Andreas M.; Haenlein, Michael (January 2010). "Users of the world, unite!
The challenges and opportunities of Social Media". Business Horizons 53: 59–68. p.
60
Karsten , K, 2009. From Brand Identity to Audio Branding. Audio Branding, p 35-49
Kellaris, James J., Anthony D. Cox, and Dena Cox (1993), 'The Effects of
Background Music on Ad Processing: A Contingency Explanation,’ Journal of
Marketing, 57 (October), 114-125
Lusensky, J., (2010). Sounds Like Branding: How to use the power of music to turn
customers to fans (beta Version). Sweden: HeartbeatsInternational. P5-23.
North, Hargreaves and McKendrick, “Music and on-hold waiting time,” The British
Journal of Psychology 90, Fall 1999; North and Hargreaves, “The effects of musical
complexity and silence on waiting time,” Environment and Behavior 31, January
1999
96
Park, C., Jaworski, B. & Maclnnis, D., 1986. Strategic Brand Concept-Image
management. The Journal of Marketing, 50 (4).
Patterson, P., Yu, T., De Ruyter, K., 2006. Understanding customer engagement in
services, Proceedings of ANZMAC 2006 Conference: Advancing Theory, Maintain
ing Relevance, Brisbane, 4-6 Dec.
Priester, J., Nayakankuppam, D., Fleming, M. & Godek, J.2004. The A2SC2 Model:
the influence of attitudes and attitude strength on consideration and choice. Journal of
Consumer Research, Inc., 30 (3)
Ritzer, G, 2010. The Nature of Capitalism in the age of the Digital
“Prosumer” . Production, Consumption, Prosumption
Urban, G. (2003): Customer Advocacy: Is it for you? MIT Sloan School of
Management, Center for E-Business, Paper 175.
Yoo,B. and Donthu,N, 2001. Developing and validating a multidimensional
consumer-based brand equity scale. Journal of Business Research, 52(1),1-14.
Zuckerman, M. (2000) Are you a risk taker? Psychology Today (Nov/Dec): 54 -87
6.3
Online
Creative Review - Coke's 24-hour music session with Maroon 5. 2011. Creative
Review - Coke's 24-hour music session with Maroon 5. [ONLINE] Available
at:http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/march/cokes-24-hour-musicsession-with-maroon-5. [Accessed 5 August 2011].
Customer- Based Brand Equity (CBBE) Model | MBA Knowledge Base. 2011
[ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mbaknol.com/marketing-management/customerbased-brand-equity-cbbe-model/. [Accessed 15 Januray 2011
Engagement Myopia | Ron Shevlin’s Marketing Whims. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://marketingroi.wordpress.com/2007/01/02/engagement-myopia/. [Accessed 24
June 2011].
Facebook.
2011. Misician's
Playbook.
[ONLINE]
Available
at: http://allfacebook.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Facebook-Musician-sPlaybook.pdf. [Accessed 27 July 11].
Franus, N., 2007. Building Brand Value Through the strategic Use of Sound. (AIGA
Website) [online] Available at: http://www.aiga.org/building-brand-value-throughsound/ [Accessed 07 July 2011]
IMB Gobal Business Services, 2010. Report: From social media to social CRM –
What
customers
want. [Online] Available
at: ftp://public.dhe.ibm.com/common/ssi/ecm/en/gbe03391usen/GBE03391USEN.PD
F [Accessed 26 June 2011].
97
Keller, K. (a), 2001. Building Customer-Based Brand Equity: A Blueprint for
Creating Strong Brands.(Marketing Science Institute Website) [online] Available
at http://mktg.uni-svishtov.bg/ivm/resources/CustomerBasedbrandEquityModel.pdf
[Accessed 08 Aug 2011]
New Research On Engagement | Forrester Blogs. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://blogs.forrester.com/brian_haven/07-08-13-new_research_engagement.
[Accessed 24 June 2011].
Nielsen Wire. 2009. Global Advertising: Consumers Trust Real Friends and Virtual
Strangers
the
Most.
[ONLINE]
Available
at: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/global-advertising-consumers-trustreal-friends-and-virtual-strangers-the-most/. [Accessed 21 July 11].
RTE News. 2011. 1.75m Facebook users in Ireland . [ONLINE] Available
at:http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0222/facebook.html
The Telegraph: Katherine Rushton. 2011. Facebook launches new ad that emulates
word
of
mouth .
[ONLINE]
Available
at:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/85
94923/Facebook-launches-new-ad-that-emulates-word-of-mouth.html. [Accessed 26
July 11].
What Is CRM? - CRM Magazine . 2011 [ONLINE] Available
at: http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/CRM-News/Daily-News/What-Is-CRM46033.aspx. [Accessed 14 January 2011].
What's the Difference Between CRM and CEM? A Heck of a Lot, Some Say
CustomerThink.
2011
[ONLINE]
Available
at:http://www.customerthink.com/article/difference_between_crm_and_cem_a_lot.
[Accessed 14 January 2011].
98
7
7.1
Appendices
Appendices A Survey
99
100
101
102
7.2
Appendices B Questionnaire Selina Sykes
103
104
105
106
107
7.3
Appendices B Questionnaire Steve Keller
108
109
110
111
112