By Michelle Strydom

More than anything else, music impacts our brain and emotions. There are other reasons why music is an important marketing tool, but emotion is something most people share, which makes it all the more important for marketers to tune into music marketing. 

Music injects emotion

In an article written by Malini Mohana, the idea of music being preferred over language is discussed as it connects on a deeper level.

“Music, though it appears to be similar to features of language, is more rooted in the primitive brain structures that are involved in motivation, reward and emotion,” she says

Furthermore, Mohana explains that music conjures up images and feelings that aren’t necessarily reflected in memory, leaving listeners to try and uncover the mystery of why they feel so strongly about a certain song.

But how is this relevant to marketers?

According to Joanne Olivier, director at Tickybox Media, music is a core ingredient to a successful campaign, as it delivers a specific message and makes a brand come alive.

“Music has the ability to transcend everyday realities and inject all sorts of different emotions and actions into an audience who may not have connected with a specific brand if they had been presented with it in any other way. It brings life and heart to your brand, and usually has a very specific meaning and message behind it,” she says.

By using music as a marketing strategy, brands can instil an emotion that audiences will associate with the brand, therefore drawing more attention to the brand and supplying people with what they need to stimulate their emotions.

Relevance of the music to your brand

Although music is an important tool for marketing, it needs to be relevant. Like with any advertising or marketing strategy, you need to think about how your marketing tool relates to the brand itself. 

“You have to be very clever about your song choice and message and make sure it fits with your brand. You can’t have a slow ballad for an advert about a brand new 4x4 car. You have to have a testosterone-fuelled song that makes your audience want to immediately go ride over rocks and sand dunes,” says Olivier.

Related to the above-mentioned example is Coca-Cola’s single Wavin’ Flag, which was the anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. According to Jay Moye, editor in chief of the Coca-Cola Journey, the song served as a motivator to teams, and a festive call to action for football fans to chant and sing during matches, 

As for Lunch Bar, comedian Tol A$$ Mo used his music video for shugadibang, which saw him walking the busy streets of Johannesburg, to draw Lunch Bar lovers’ attention to the new wrapper, and appeal to all the hungry hustlers, the typical target market of the chocolate bar. 

Millennials - enough said

Music is a language most people understand, but no one speaks it better than millennials. They are a large group of influential people and the creators of culture, and according to an article by Macala Wright, strategist and writer for Mashable, music is one of the most helpful tools used to connect with them.

“Music is powerful because it is content, and it stimulates social interaction and drives loyalty,” says Wright.

And why wouldn’t you use music to market to millennials?

In a recent study done by adweek, statistics show that 72% of weekly streams on Spotify, the popular digital music service, are by millennials. Therefore, to drive marketing among this large demographic, music is clearly the way to their hearts.

With any marketing strategy, there are ups and downs and times when you will have to think of plan B, but music connects people on a much deeper level, and when emotion is involved, little can go wrong.

As Olivier says, “There really are so many ways you can skin the cat when it comes to music and how you market your product, but if you do it right, it's the perfect vehicle.”

Do you think music is a good marketing tool? Let us know in the comments below.