Shop to a beat

Since the birth of the iPod and now the iPhone, people constantly have earbuds wedged into their heads. Whether on the subway, walking the streets, or shopping, more and more people’s lives have a soundtrack. It's not the most social activity, but I can attest that it turns a mundane stroll down the street into a music video. More and more people are acquiring mobile devices with mp3 players and more and more people are listening to music. That shift in behavior creates a whole new opportunity for retailers and record labels.

Music has the ability to make you feel a certain way, and it's not coincidence that some of the world's most influential brands regularly feature music in their commercials. Can you remember the last Apple or Nike commercial that didn't have some awesome background music? Probably not.

Using music to enhance a shopping experience is nothing new. Walk into an Abercrombie & Fitch and brace yourself for a cacophony of "brand appropriate" music. Maybe it’s just me, but I think taste in clothing doesn't necessarily correlate to taste in music. Generally the retailers select the right genre e.g. you don't hear rap or classical in an Abercrombie, but that doesn't mean you like what you are hearing. So how can retailers connect with different shoppers using in-store music without deferring to the current broadcast approach?

Imagine walking into an Abercrombie. [Just for the record, I don't shop there] Instead of heading directly to the table of pre-torn button downs, you approach a screen with a long list of songs ranging in genre. Next to each song is a 2D barcode. You whip out your iPhone, snap a pic of the song your want to listen to, and off you go. Your earbuds are securely fastened and you are shopping and bopping in your own world. You've attainted that perfect balance of privacy in a public space and now you actually want to spend time in the store because you are streaming some free new music you really like. Retailers love having more people in their store and record labels love having new avenues to distribute their artists. Abercrombie wins because you had a great shopping experience and reinforced their brand with cool music that's tailored for you. I don't know what to call this idea or business, but it needs a name or handle so for now let's go with Soundtrack Shopping.

You, me, and Blackberry

I’ve strongly considering adding a place setting at the dinner table for Blackberries. I can’t remember the last time I sat down to a meal where my guests or myself didn’t regularly check our Blackberry’s. For some people it’s possible to go 15-30 mins without glancing, but for others it’s a shameless multi-minute compulsion. Nowadays there is a constant need to be in touch and although many of us recognize this pathetic behavior, it’s virtually impossible to stop it. Blackberry is the scapegoat for this post, but I'm referring to any Smartphone, PDA, or cell phone.

Many of us justify this behavior because “we have work e-mails that need to be read” but most of the time we’re all simply surveying what else is occurring. We’re rarely content in the here and now because we assume everyone else is doing something better. With these devices we've all become opportunists, totally disregarding the etiquette that once existed about when and when not to check the Blackberry. We’ve all succumbed to the fact that we rather know what is going on elsewhere than be stuck in present.

The only time I consciously ignore my inner urge to check the Blackberry is when I am on a good date, an important face-to-face meeting with a superior, or some kind of funeral etc… I’d normally be ashamed to admit this, but given my relatively objective observations, I’m one of the better ones. I have some friends that check their Blackberry’s like a nervous tick. If they moved their eyebrows as regularly as they check their phones we’d think they’re a tad off. It’s scary how extremely pathetic and juvenile the behavior is.

I’d like to think that one day when I have a wife and children, I’ll forbid the use of Blackberries at the dinner table, but it's totally idealistic. It's digital whispering! I can’t stand it and I can’t stop it.