Sensory marketing: The effect of music on consumer perception and behaviour

The purpose of this study was to identify the power of music in business to consumer context. Plus, the goal was to highlight the influence of music on consumer behaviour and on the decision-making process along the typical consumer journey. This study relies only on secondary research. It gathers information from several studies published over the years. Both qualitative and quantitative research methodology was implemented in this thesis. It is mainly a summary of data that has already been collected. The results of this study reveal that there are two effects induced by music on the consumer: cognitive effects and affective effects. These effects are tied to the consumer journey’s five steps: need recognition, search, evaluation, purchase and post-purchase. In addition, the connection between the several music elements and these effects is studied. When well-implemented, this relation can provide a wide range of positive outcomes for the brand. Depending on its goal and its storytelling – being more seductive like Chanel, competent like Microsoft or more dominant like Coca-Cola for instance – the different dimensions of the music will be carefully implemented to different marketing tools such as the promotion mix elements. However, one must be aware that music is made of a wide set of dimensions and they all are complex. They have different effects depending if they are implemented on their own or within different combinations together. A music must always be carefully chosen and the negative effects that it can generate should also be considered. All of this leading to the thesis question: What effects does music have on consumer perception and behaviour? It is recommended that further research be carried out on the music effects on consumers. Especially, primary research could provide deeper insights. The use of music in business contexts represents a huge opportunity for marketers and musicians