Music is certainly one of the most powerful things known to mankind. And oldest. Excavations proved that music in Mesopotamia began with the Sumerians in 4500 BC and that there were schools of music in that area since that time. Music was used in many fields of life especially in the religious ceremonies where it played an important role.
The Acadian octave was divided into 24-quartertones. Every eight keys formed a scale. Scales didn’t cover a whole octave, because they were built on the first four tones only (tetra chord). Tetra chords were combined until they made up to 3000 different and complete scales. Most of these scales didn’t give much musical satisfaction and were consequently reduced. Today only about 10 are in use.
It’s thought that the musical octave and its divisions may have been the precursor, if not directly responsible for our number system and mathematics.
Apart from that, it’s been proven that music can alter body temperature and affect your heartbeat. It may even be able to strengthen your immune system. And if you are a musician, it actually builds mental strength.
Music creates a chemical reaction in us which affects our emotions, stimulating that part of the brain which gives us pleasure. That’s why we often “feel” music. There are even those who claim to have “seen” music, while, of course, on psychedelic drugs.
I’ve always liked to think of music as a competitive and fuller form of language, that also defines people. It certainly defines tribes – everything from mods, to punks, to rockers, to goths – would not exist without music, because there’d be no shared social object, or glue.
A significant and more-or-less recent study titled ‘Bands & Brands’ examining the relationship between music, advertising, brands and consumers was published in a book by brandamp, a joint venture between Universal Music and the ad agency holding company, WPP. Research-based branding consultancy Sparkler, Entertainment Media Research and Millward Brown conducted and coordinated the research for the project.
The book marks the culmination of over six months’ in-depth research, involving musicologists, psychologists, music industry insiders, broadcasters, advertising agencies and hundreds of members of the public.
Key research findings:
- Music consumption has never been so widespread; it is now ubiquitous in modern society.
- Music is something most people love, that no one dislikes and that touches everyone throughout their lives.
- People’s senses, their brains and their bodies can all be penetrated and deeply effected by music. It can manipulate heartbeats and links our emotions with what our senses perceive.
- 61% agree that music makes them feel different physically.
- 85% agree that music can change their mood
- 88% agree that music reminds them of special places in their past
- Over 77 million downloads in 2007 – an increase from 52.5 million in 2006
- Easy access to music is a reaction to demand and does not in any way dilute the power of music in people’s lives. If anything, the option to have music with you at all times only strengthens the consumers’ relationship with music.
- Music is a ‘like’ or ‘love’ thing. Unlike any other form of popular culture or any other medium, people do not actively dislike music
- People would rather live without their computers, their mobile phones, their television and even sex than be without music for the rest of their lives.
- There are two types of music consumer: The Centrals and Peripherals.
- For the ‘Central’ music is an extremely engaging force, superseding any other media. They will take music with them in every space – in the car, on the bus, or at home. A Central’s music taste tells the story of their life over time.
- For ‘Peripheral’ consumers, music is less integral to their lives. They like a bit of everything and their music tastes can be based around an artist’s personality or the memories music evokes, rather than thinking or feeling something about the music itself.
- Whether Central or Peripheral, the emotional, mood-changing, memory-evoking power of music remains strong. Music was embedded in all of our respondent’s memories and will remain so.
- 59% of our total sample listens to music every single day.
- 80% of 16-24 year olds listen to music every single day and 41% of those listen for 1-2 hours daily (27% listen to music for 4 hours every day too!).
- 60% of 25-34 year olds listen to music for an hour a day with 39% of those choosing to listen before 9am.
- More Britons would prefer to be trapped in a lift with John Lennon than either Winston Churchill or Martin Luther King.
The authors of the book claim that “digitization has in effect forced the dislocation of music from its traditional platform.” This has created both questions about the future of music and therefore opportunities.
Music may be incredibly powerful, but it’s ‘homeless’ for the moment. For smart companies wishing to enrich their brands appeal, audience engagement, message stickiness and recall (what’s memory without music?), now’s the time to start understanding and benefiting from the power of music in brand communications.
Music is a welcome guest in every household. Is advertising?
Cross posted from flatacre.mp
Flatacre’s purpose is to build client brands as well as promote it’s own music talent base. Apart from in-house writers, producers and existing content, Flatacre sources talent for cooperative promotion with our clients. The music is made available for our client’s exclusive use, all for a fraction of the price of typical original music production and leasing arrangements. The potential is that the music can help make the client’s brand famous and through media exposure, the brand makes the music famous. This partnership creates further opportunities such as music videos, entertainment based content, virals and live performance. The client’s brand benefits further by engaging with the audience through channels which typically have not been available.
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