I was teaching a class for FIT earlier this week and talking about retail experiences. I brought up a slide of an Apple store and mentioned how there is no background music at the Apple stores that I visit and how that goes against the grain of retail pundits who spend great effort building play lists that encourage people to shop and buy. 

But, I didn’t say there wasn’t a soundtrack, but rather

The soundtrack of an Apple store is people talking about Apple products.

Because Apple’s social media is its stores. Think about that. They don’t participate in what we generally consider SM, their stores are their social media. People are talking to Apple employees and each other. They’re sharing their information with other people shopping. There’s never silence is an Apple store, at least not the ones that I’ve been too.

Is your brand strong enough to create its own soundtrack? And with that soundtrack be upbeat and sharable? Or would it be somber, negative or worse, would you have no soundtrack at all.

If you run a retail business, try turning off the sound system and listen to the soundtrack that remains. Then start thinking about how to compose your own soundtrack.

Image via flickr

Original Post: http://blog.polinchock.com/2013/10/no-muzak-here.html