How music can help pubs this Winter

What a year it’s been…

The end of one year and the start of a new is often a time for reflecting. Thinking back over the last few months and remembering those moments that particularly stood out. And what a year it’s been…

The sad passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II left the nation in mourning, while the new King brought hope, excitement, and the start of a whole new era.

Then there was the glory of England’s victory at the Women’s Euros, which coupled with the spell of hot weather made summer all the more memorable.

In many ways 2022, has been a better year for businesses as the UK continues to move away from restrictions of the pandemic and all it brought about, but then of course, there has been plenty of other challenges.

Looking ahead to 2023

Looking to the new year – and January in particular – many of us are no doubt expecting even more difficulties, but there is still some hope that the hospitality industry will remain as popular as ever.

According to research by Beer Today, over half of pub-goers say they will visit the pub at least once a week over the next 12 months, while 38% of pub-goers said they are likely to visit food-led pubs more often over the next year.[1]

For some, a visit to the pub may be all about the social element, while for others, it may be about the ease of taking the night off cooking – but overall, it’s about the experience.

In the same research, 78% of pub-goers said they are looking for their visits to be unlike what they can experience at home, a figure that has increased by 24% in the last 3 years.[1]

What to do this January?

Understandably, it can sometimes be difficult to provide customers with the most enjoyable and uplifting experience – especially in January and across the winter months, but there are ways to make businesses as welcoming and engaging as they can be.

This could be anything from lighting an open fire to keep customers cosy on cold, winter nights, serving healthy treats to add some spice to new year diets or playing music to create a more welcoming and familiar space.

According to our research, the majority of people said that they prefer pubs that play music, with 66% of people agreeing that it adds to the atmosphere.[2]

Playing music could help to lift the mood, boost the environment and help to create a friendly and appealing space. It could help to give businesses a more upbeat feel, make people feel more positive and help to create the sort of comfortable and familiar atmosphere that people are looking for.

With the New Year often bringing quieter months, playing music could help to encourage people into businesses and may be an important aspect when it comes to attracting new interest. Just think how students return to university after the Christmas break might like to listen to some of their favourite songs as they enjoy a long overdue catch up with friends, for example.  Or how about those who work over the festive period who might enjoy relaxing to a mix of melodic sounds as they unwind after weeks of busyness and stress.

Whatever it is, playing music, particularly songs that suit the mood, time of day and even the customers that are visiting your business could help to lift the mood, make your business stand out and could help to ensure the experience is even more relatable.

According to our survey, 67% of people admit to leaving a business after realising no music was playing, while 40% also said they are more likely to indulge in an extra treat, if music, particularly pop music is playing.[2]

With revenue likely to dip after the festive period, playing music could help to make customers feel good and encourage them to stay longer. It could help to provide an experience your customers enjoy and could potentially encourage them to spend more as a result.

And it’s not just your customers that can benefit from the music that you play. Music could help to improve concentration and focus of your staff, something that is especially important during and then after the busy Christmas rush. It could help to make staff feel more at ease and valued and could lead to improved customer service levels as a result. As the new year begins and motivation levels may dip, playing music could help to provide an added burst of energy throughout the day, ease stress and help to create a comfortable and vibrant working atmosphere.

So, this winter, turn it up and use music to turn your post-Christmas pause… into play!