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Subscribe to RSSForget about Muzak. If you want put customers in the mood to purchase your innovative new product, a new study suggest you try pumping some road noise or the sounds from a busy mall into your store or showroom.
Noise, if its not too loud, can spark creative thinking — and that can lead to sales of inventive products, researchers reported in the study published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Moderate noise — around 70 decibels — is enough to distract us from our normal thought patterns, said the study’s lead author Ravi Mehta, an associate professor in the Department of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign.
And once we’re distracted, we tend to think in broader and more creative ways, which apparently allows us to better appreciate the value of innovative products.
Mehta and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments to investigate how various levels of noise impacted thinking and consumer behavior.
In one experiment, the researchers asked 65 college students to take a creativity test while seated in front of a set of speakers playing a mix of sounds that had been recorded in a busy restaurant and near a highway. The sound the volunteers heard was very much like what you would experience if you were seated near the street at an outdoor restaurant, Mehta said.
The study volunteers were divided into four groups. One heard the noise recordings turned up high, another heard the recordings at medium volume, another heard low volume and the fourth got silence.
The researchers found that the volunteers who heard a moderate level of noise did best on the test. Low noise and silence produced results that were similar to each other. Loud noise produced the poorest performance. That’s because it’s too distracting, Mehta said.
In another experiment, the researchers had 68 college students fill out a survey to determine their likelihood of buying one item out of each of eight pairs of products. In each pairing, one traditional product was matched with an innovative one. One pairing, for example, included a traditional mountain bike and a mountain bike that could be folded up so the rider could hike with it for a while and then ride it when he or she chose, Mehta said.
Once again, volunteers were exposed to different levels of noise as they filled out the surveys. Sure enough, people from the group who heard moderate noise in the background while they were filling out the surveys were more likely than those in the other groups to choose innovative products.
So, is the noise effect limited to innovative items?
Maybe not, Mehta said.
In another experiment, the researchers asked 95 college students to come up with creative uses for a brick. Again, the students were divided into groups, some exposed to moderate noise and others exposed to low noise in the background as they wrote down their ideas.
When the researchers looked at the lists of ideas, they found no difference between the two groups when it came to the number of ideas originated by each group. But the group that heard moderate noise came up with much more creative ideas, Mehta said.
Perhaps if you have a convertible in an auto showroom, potential customers will be able to think of more ways they might enjoy the car if they’ve got a moderate level of noise in the background — as compared to the pin-drop silence usually heard in such establishments, Mehta said.
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just what we need! truck noise picking up the milk.
Note this study was conducted with college students, that allegedly have no money to buy anything anyway.
I don't mind background music, but I hate the tendency of stores, hotels, restaurants, etc. to have music blasting. I guess they think it is cool and hip. But I just get annoyed and leave.
Just tried to shop at the new Austin Whole Foods. Rushed through with nothing to buy.
They chose to blast shrill music over the speakers . . . I chose to leave. It was hard to consider what I might purchase in an environment that was too distracting and annoying.
Not actually imaginative, but it solved my problem. We now select against those local restaurants that are similarly noisy. Reasonable ambiance and some background noise is perfectly fine. We've gone well past that in some locations.
I leave noisy stores be it music or mall noise.
I hate loud noises. They inspire me to find creative ways to leave.
But what I REALLY hate are those little TVs on the ends of the aisles in WalMart. Isn't it bad enough I'm shopping there in the first place, without having to be subjected to constant loud, obnoxious, video advertising? I know that's not the point of the article, they're talking more about "white noise" but still.
Your first problem is shopping Walmart.
With more and more stores blasting obnoxious music at us, I find myself actively seeking out those stores that, at the very least, play their background noise ( excuse me - music ) at subdued levels. For that reason I have abandoned Wal Mart and Hannaford super markets. Shaws supermarkets aren't too bad.
Yeah, Walgreens tried that when I still worked for them, and all we got in the pharmacy was complaints from older people about not being able to hear, not being able to think for the noise, etc. Some of the managers finally wised up and turned the volume except when the Chicago genius squad was in the store.
Especially at or around the holidays. Being force-fed music you don't like from a belief you don't share, will drive anyone away. I like music, but of MY choice. When I make the mistake of entering a store with music of ANY kind, I get out fast. I will go to the trouble of driving a bit more, just to shop in peace. I gave up on a couple, Walgreens and Rainbow.
just what we need, more psychologists and behaviorists figuring out ways to make us buy more. hooray consumerism.
It's just information. I look at it as a means to possibly stimulate my own creativity. And as far as the sales applications are concerned, being aware of it may make me less susceptible to it. If I do end up buying, I may be more satisfied with my purchase having thought of more ways to use it.
If I can't manage to have a conversation with the sales clerk at normal speaking volume then the music or restaurant is too loud. I quickly leave stores that are too loud.
What?
So I guess now most stores will be getting rid of the sales people and replacing them with recorded noise.
I think most stores already have gotten rid of most of the sales staff, but most of the retailers have gotten rid of most of the merchandise that would require one anyway, its all mostly junk now, hum maybe the noise level will drown out the fact that the stores are incredibly boring and have no redeeming qualities what so ever. T
You need to stop shopping in chains and start looking local. Better goods, better service and despite popular opinion, competitive pricing.
You want noise???? Eat at Cracker Barrel.
Or Ruby Tuesday.
I totally agree when i lived in Atlanta the small mom and pop shops were fantastic, with great prices, or at least you new the quality made up for the price, havent found that so much here in charleston tho.
Gee, I wonder how much more annoying supermakets will get: crowded and narrow isles, produce and bakery carts "strategically" placed, blocked corners, screeching kids, obnoxious people parked in the middle of the aisle, "music" and weekend vendors giving out free samples.
Question: do they really think we have time to take a look at products that are blocking our way? I simply ignore them and tried to get the flock out of there! I no longer enjoy grocery shopping!
I'm frequently tempted to knock the aisle obstructions over.
That may be true with regards to noise such as background music, but certainly is NOT true with regards to noise such as kids running wild through the store aisles.
It's very easy to keep from being distracted. I just keep my mind on the task at hand and then......SQUIRREL!
I won't go near a Panera at lunchtime - worse than a high school cafeteria. Same for 5 Guys hamburger joints (or whatever they're called) - the noise was so deafening I thought they were trying to get people out of the place on purpose - and it sure worked in my case - permanently!
Notice that all of the subjects in these studies are COLLEGE STUDENTS... used to studying etc with noise. These days I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a college student who isn't accustomed to jamming the ipod buds into their ears before beginning a study session, or otherwise subjecting themselves to a lot of background noise while doing anything that requires any thought. Somewhere along the line there's been a cultural/generational shift. I think those of us whose college years are a bit further behind us respond very differently. Hope the marketers etc who might be tempted to latch onto this research don't forget that the older generations still have some spending power left in 'em, and are probably still picking up the tab for those youngsters!
So wrong - Went shopping for the kids at The Gap and ended up walking out. It was so loud I lost the will to even look through the racks. Don't you think the constant noise is making people crazy? The gas pumps talk at you, the grocery store is loud, the 3 minutes of TV to the 7 minutes of commercials at the break. I now find when I get in the car to go to work I don't turn on the radio and record almost every favorite show on TV so I can blast through the commmercials. I would pay a buck to enter a store if they advertised "No Noise"!
Not sure what age group shoppers were studied here - but there are certain chains that I will not go into because of the choice of music and/or the volume. Many of us cannot hear clearly when there is lots of background noise. and distraction means that I typically forget items, in my hurry to escape the noise. Restaurants - the reason we go there is to enjoy a good meal, and to converse with our dinner companions. Loud background music, chairs scraping on hard floors, loud waitstaff, and clattering dishware from the service areas are all negatives - and good reasons for a small tip and no return visit. .
The article said they were all college students.
"In one experiment, the researchers asked 65 college students to take a creativity test while seated in front of a set of speakers playing a mix of sounds that had been recorded in a busy restaurant and near a highway. The sound the volunteers heard was very much like what you would experience if you were seated near the street at an outdoor restaurant, Mehta said."
Thanks for pointing this out. We assume "college age" means about ages 18 to 22, but not necessarily. Many college students have probably adapted to higher noise levels in daily living in dorms and apartments.
Picked up this sentence from the article - I admit it is out of context: "Loud noise produced the poorest performance. That’s because it’s too distracting, Mehta said."
I expect there is a correlation between campus-environment noise and academic perfomance.
I rest my case.
Poppycock!
Sad to say, this "tactic" won't work for me. If I find a store too noisy (as in BestBuy nerds pumping up the stereo volumes I leave the store! My $$$ stays in my pocket!
I have no idea how this loud music trend started, but it's absolutely terrible at this point. In some establishments you have to actually yell just to be heard. I have no idea how anyone envisions this as an enjoyable dining/shopping experience.
Dear Friends:
Take a break go home turn on the Classical Music or your favorite and relax!
Country Music! Make Love!
Open more stores like we had clothing designers. Stop selling everything to China.
We NEED to FLOOD Congress and the House with this just to see if THEY can balance the budget for a change!!!
Agree with several commenters. If the sound is too loud or irritatinig, I leave before buying anything.
Then I must be doin' some prrrety creative shopping at Walmart, becuase that place is NOISY!
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I don't know how many times I've asked managers to turn down the music because it's so distracting I can't make a choice. They do.
I often notice music and noise level in stores when I go in and the only thing it does is drive me out as soon as possible.
Hey I did some research the other day. I discovered that noise or no noise, when you don't have the money, you won't buy their crap.
So we meet in the middle?
The organ of Notre Dame de Paris, Pierre Cochereau playing Bach Toccata d-Moll upon a 1000 watt Phillips EL6471.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7qMVYf85sM
I think we left too many good ideas behind when we fast forwarded into the future. Stop the clocks, let's grab some retro tech before we move forward.
Not sure the organ music mentioned above is in the same category as the "background noise" discussed in the article. We enter the church for the purpose of listening to the organ concert. If we don't like Bach, or organ music, we don't go in - a little different from needing to get groceries at the local supermarket . . . . .