Harmonize Your Success: How Music Can Amplify a Restaurant’s Reputation
Diners are excited to explore a new restaurant for many reasons. From unique dishes to the wow factor of the ambiance, one thing that can make or break an experience is music.
Did you know: 60% of restaurants fail in the first year, it’s crucial for restauranteurs to keep in mind the key elements that play a role in the guest experience, whether that’s standing out from the competition to retention rate there are tools that can be leveraged to leave a lasting impression and increase revenue such as a curated playlist.
Standing Out from the Competition
2023 marked a new, post-COVID era in the U.S. among the food service industry. Diners are looking for new spots to wine and dine. Just last year, Yelp tracked 53,793 new restaurant openings giving guests a plethora of options to choose from.
It’s imperative to find innovative ways to stand out from the competition as new openings will remain on the horizon in 2024. One of the key elements patrons are looking for in their dining experience next to food is the ambiance, and understanding how music sets the mood for diners is essential.
A recent study shows among millennials, music is the second most important feature they consider when selecting where to dine. Not only does it help with foot traffic, but it also plays a role in increasing revenue. Because music is such an important aspect for diners, having a playlist that makes an impression needs to take center stage.
Coming up with a playlist that can wow your restaurant guests can be intimidating and it’s important for restaurateurs to be cognizant of playing licensed music to eliminate any legal risks. A B2B music streaming platform that can help alleviate the stress of curating a playlist that is accessible to level up your restaurant’s game and provide a memorable dining experience.
Being in the Know
Keeping up with changing consumer preferences, industry trends and technological advances can also keep you ahead of the curve and stay competitive. Music can form a connection with the consumer and the overall brand. As trends shift and technology continues to evolve among all industries, the benefit of streaming music lets you access pre-made playlists that are tailored specifically to your guests while not having to navigate copyright laws. Working with a music solutions service can eliminate the confusion of PROs as that is built into the recipe of a B2B music platform.
A great way to be in the know of what is trending among the music scene is to ask your staff and do your own research among the robust library that a B2B music platform offers. What would your host, waiters or chefs want to listen to motivate and keep them happy? Use your team as a resource while listening to their needs to ensure you have customer retention and loyalty among your staff. This can lead to a great recipe for sound system success and brand loyalty.
Brand Loyalty: Music As a Marketing Tool
Music can not only help you stand out against your competition and entertain diners, but it can also be a great marketing tool. Music has a direct impact on customer behavior. It can influence a patron’s mood, how long they want to stay and customer loyalty. A recent survey shared 80% of diners would stay longer if good music was playing and 60% stated that they would buy more food and drinks to continue to listen to the music that they enjoy.
Music curation is key and attracting the right customers and turning them into repeat patrons is always top of mind for restaurant owners. New advancements such as AI technology with a B2B music streamer allows for brand-fit playlists that will have your diners coming back. Leveraging music as a marketing tool can help boost revenue. The latest AI capabilities such as AI Playlist Generators, can instantly create bespoke music playlists tailored to your business needs and is the perfect curation assistant. According to a study, background music that matches your brand’s persona lifts restaurant sales by over 37%. You can set the mood in a variety of ways from specific artists to certain genres, having a B2B music streaming platform can give you a variety of aspects to tailor and curate your music menu.
Act Now to Amplify Your Restaurant
Many restaurant owners know what the power of music can bring to their customers and the overall dining experience that can lead to their reputation. Adopting a platform dedicated to maintaining the ambiance with an off the chart playlist that personifies your brand can help gain and maintain loyalty, engagement and ROI. As the food service industry continues to boom, it’s important to act now on curating the right playlist and establishing your brand’s tone to differentiate and continue to have your restaurant succeed.
About the Author
Ola Sars is a Stockholm-based serial entrepreneur active in the music-tech space. He is the CEO, Founder and Chairman of Soundtrack Your Brand, the world’s fastest growing music platform for businesses. Ola founded Soundtrack Your Brand as a joint effort with Spotify to help businesses strengthen relationships with customers through the power of music. By combining expert curation and world-class technology, Soundtrack Your Brand provides an all-in-one solution for streaming music that’s properly licensed for restaurants, retail stores, hotels and other commercial settings. Soundtrack Your Brand’s clients include iconic brands such as Lululemon, Uniqlo, Joe & The Juice, Aesop and Tag Heuer, to name a few. Soundtrack Your Brand is the first music streaming company to release an AI Playlist Generator for businesses that instantly creates bespoke music playlists delivering best-in-class customer experiences.
Before Soundtrack Your Brand, Ola co-founded Spotify Business, a stand-alone effort to expand Spotify’s reach into B2B-streaming. Ola pivoted Spotify Business into Soundtrack Your Brand in 2018 as a fully independent brand and business. Prior to co-founding Spotify Business, Ola was the co-founder and COO of Beats Music, acquired by Apple and transformed into Apple Music. Through his multiple start-ups in the music-space, Ola has focused on unlocking that intrinsic value first in B2C and now in B2B.