One of the fascinating things we've learned over the years working at What's In-Store Music, is just how much the music played overhead in a retail space, can really affect the mood. It's fascinating, just how different the music is from store to store. Having some free time on my hands and my phone in my pocket, for this week's Out & About I decided to do a little experiment. I went to three different restaurants, all with relatively similar menus and bar selections, but clearly aiming to appeal to three decidedly different clienteles. My experiment was to see if the music they played overhead, was in sync with their target audience or was it just a random selection of songs without any thought behind it.

The first place a visited was an English pub called Pickwicks, which features standard English fare and several beers on tap. The interior hasn't been updated in years, but that clearly adds to the appeal to their target audience which is primarily an older crowd.

The second spot is called Eureka! It's all about the whiskey in this place, as they have a full menu devoted to them, along with clever craft beers on tap. The food is more current and experimental, catering more to the younger, hipper, crowd.

My Final stop was at The White Hearte. Although it is also an English pub, they've tried to combine old school favorites and decor, with a unique modern twist on cocktails and food presentation. It turns out this lends itself for a more diverse mix of young and old.

For the experiment, I went to each place, laid my phone on the counter, pressed auto SHAZAM and let it roll. I came home each evening with a pocket full of songs which I later turned into playlists (Which you can listen to here). Upon review, It turns out there was nothing random about the selections. Each playlist really did lean into their target audience, and it showed. Pickwick's was more 60's and 70's classic rock, (Rare Earth, ELO, The Rascals, Sam & Dave). Eureka! had the more modern and alternative stuff (Mallrat, Foals, Coin, Bleachers). And The White Hearte reached both audiences with a mix of old and new (Michael Jackson, Billie Eilish, Lionel Richie, Chappell Roan). I know it wasn't super scientific, but it's another great example of how large a role, overhead music plays in shaping the environment to attract your target customer.