Subliminal Retailing?

Leave it to Switzerland to come up with a tech-savvy way to completely brainwash retail customers. Zurich-based Barix AG creates IP audio and recently developed a product specifically for New Balance retail stores called SneakerRadio--an in-store radio station featuring custom advertising. So, very soon, you'll walk into a New Balance retail store and have the privilege of listening to great music along with messaging that, according to SneakerRadio," has been proven to increase brand awareness and customer recall of important marketing messages and can help increase sales through the power of suggestion." This is subtlety known, of course, as brainwashing. Thanks so much Barix.

For retailers, Barix's form of in-store radio means less hassle, as everything is handled via the store's Internet connection. With a million and one things to do in retail anyway, this system is set-up to basically run itself, all while streaming in real time. Barix teamed up with StreamGuys to handle the content as the system's service provider. StreamGuys distributes the retailers' custom program over the Internet as Shoutcast streams, creating multiple streams from different servers. But, all retailers really need to know, is that this format makes the program extremely easy to use and implement.

One New Balance owner actually credits the messaging system with training employees and making the store seem more professional. Now, that really takes a lot off of a retailer's hands--the radio system can even carve the company branding right into the employees brains. Wow, that's incredibly wrong and frightening.

Honestly, the whole thing is creeping me out. Yes, good audio is critical. I can't tell you how many times I've walked out of a Ross or Albertsons with some god-awful Celine Dion song pounding through my head. I mean, no one needs to hear the Power of Love again. Ever. So, I'm with Barix on the Internet-connection real-time streaming radio thing. Less hassle for retailers is also important. It's the custom messaging that gets me. Aren't consumers already deluged with endless amounts of advertising? Isn't in-store advertising a little bit overplayed already? Fred Meyer tells me constantly what their specials are as I cart my way through the store. By the end of my shopping experience, I'm ready to beat that lady with the computer generated voice over the head with a stick. But maybe that's just me.

I'm curious to see what the future holds for SneakerRadio and others like it. From now on, though, I'll have to make sure I don't walk out of New Balance with 20 bags looking like a zombie...

Do you have Internet-streaming radio playing in your store? Or do you have an unbelievably horrible song stuck in your head from retail radio (i.e., anything by the Bee Gees or Michael Bolton)? Let us know!

--Heather Strang

Comments

[Mitchell Hill]

Heather
As the creator of SneakerRadio I'd like to point out that much care and research is done to select just the right music to play in our New Balance store affiliates. Much like your favorite radio station we create a special mix that is most likely to appeal to the average New Balance shopping demographics and much like your favorite radio station we play commercials and brand our product. What we also try to do is entertain and educate our customers with important FIT information about New Balance products for sale and how important it is to get your feet measured when you visit. What seperates us from your examples is that we brand and advise without hitting people over the head with our message. I invite to visit any of our affiliate store locations and judge for yourself. BTW after reading your blog I sense that you wear your shoes too tight :) Remember shoes that fit better perform better!

Happy Listening