Does Music Increase Sales?
The experiment was conducted at a Supermarket in mid- Missouri. This location was chosen because of the owner’s willingness to participate, as well as being an ideal location to ensure regular traffic flow for an optimum sample. The experimenter was provided with a folding chair and table of average type and color. An electric cooler was placed on the table which was filled with twelve, eight-ounce tubs of regular Cool Whip Whipped Topping. Additional tubs were in the main cooler if needed for refill. In front of the table, just below the cooler was an eleven by eight and a half inch sign that read, “Cool Whip Whipped Topping $1.49 per 8 oz.” The experimenter sat on the left side of the table during both phases of the experiment.
During the first phase of the experiment, the experimenter sat by the display for a one hour period from one to two p.m. on a Monday. The experimenter had no interaction with customers other than being cordial when spoken to. The experimenter kept track of how many people came down the aisle as well as how many tubs of Cool Whip were sold by marking them on a hidden tally sheet. During the first hour of the experiment, sixteen people utilized the aisle and three individual tubs of Cool Whip were sold. At two p.m., the experimenter brought out a guitar and periodically sang an original jingle about purchasing Cool Whip for a one hour period ending at three p.m. All other criteria were kept the same as before. The lyrics performed were, “Everybody knows if you want to be hip, you got to make it home with the Cool Whip. Yeah everybody knows that the winning team is all the folks picking up the cool cream. Light and fluffy like the clouds above, so come on y’all and get and eight ounce tub. Get out your wallet and go get in line ’cause you can only be this happy for a buck forty-nine.” During this hour, one hundred-twelve people utilized the aisle, and twenty-four individual tubs of Cool Whip were sold.
On Thursday of the same week, the experimenter began at two p.m. to observe the possibility of time of day being responsible for the higher traffic flow. As before, the experimenter sat by the display table for a one hour period. Twelve people utilized the aisle and two individual tubs of Cool Whip were sold. At three p.m., the experimenter again brought out a guitar and sang the jingle periodically throughout the next hour. Ninety-three people utilized the aisle and twenty-two individual tubs of Cool Whip were sold.
The third and final experiment took place one week later on a Tuesday. From three to four p.m., the experimenter changed the order and began with the guitar for the first hour. Eighty-five people utilized the aisle and twenty-one individual tubs of Cool Whip were sold. From four to five p.m., the experimenter sat unobtrusively by the display table. Thirty-one people utilized the aisle and five individual tubs of Cool Whip were sold.
The results of the experiment seem to suggest that sales consistently and dramatically increase when a live entertainer is performing. An obvious contributing factor to this is the increased traffic flow attracted to the sound and interaction, as well as the entertainer singing about the qualities of the type of person that buys the product.
Possible Confounding:
It is possible that results were confounded because the entertainer is well-known in Dixon Missouri, which may mean there would be different results for an unknown entertainer replicating the experiment. However, if this was a significant factor, the observed sales while not playing the song should have been substantially higher if results were simply based on popularity.
Another possible confounding factor is that a small town environment lends itself well to word of mouth knowledge. That is to say that, although only the manager of the store was aware that an experiment was taking place, it is at least possible that word got out about what times of day the entertainer would be performing. To help minimize this risk, experiment times were not announced ahead of time to anyone at the store. It was understood that the entertainer could show up whenever the mood struck. The exact time of the performance being different each time also helped assure that customers were not present in the store for any reason other than shopping.
Yet another confounding variable became apparent as some customers were motivated to buy whipped topping, but chose to purchase the less expensive generic brand just across the aisle. These sales were not calculated or added to the sale of Cool Whip brand sales since the experiment wanted to specifically target Cool Whip Whipped Topping.
The motivation to purchase Cool Whip differed greatly from customer to customer. Some simply wanted to be part of the fun atmosphere; others seemed to make the purchase just because their peers around them were. One gentleman had no use for Cool Whip whatsoever, but purchased two tubs just because he appreciated the novelty of witnessing a mini-performance in the middle of his hometown market. He then gave the two tubs of Cool Whip to the people behind him in line. This would suggest that people are valuing more than just the product. It is the personal connection that motivates them.
In conclusion, the experiment suggests that a valid relationship exists between live music as part of a product display and sales. Further study seems warranted to test the effectiveness in other regions, use with other products, and cost effectiveness.
