Are You in The Mood for Romance?

Chris Brown is apparently giving his fans the gift of music this Valentine’s Day when he releases a mixtape entitled “In My Zone” – although whether couples will want to be reminded of his assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna on Valentine’s Day is another matter! It’s no wonder that music plays such an important role when more than three out of four people say that the right background music puts them in a romantic mood. Along with cards, chocolates and flowers the gift of music has become a traditional token of one’s romantic feelings.

According to research conducted in January 2010 by research firm Entertainment Media Research 24% of people surveyed say they intend to give their partner a music CD this Valentine’s Day and almost the same number intend to give a compilation of songs they have personally selected for their partner – that’s a significant proportion of couples giving each other music this Valentine’s Day.

The top 10 gifts are:

The saying goes that “music is the soundtrack to our lives” and for many people it is the signature tune to their relationship. According to the research one in two people (49%) say they have a particular song that makes them think of their partner or a particular event such as the first time they got together. The most popular song for the people in the survey is Aerosmith – I don’t wanna miss a thing but Bryan Adams and Snow Patrol also received a number of mentions.

Music indisputably has an impact at the personal level but the question is whether that impact can be transferred to a business context? All the research we have analysed leads us to believe that it can. For instance 72% of respondents agree that they would prefer to go to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day that plays music rather than a restaurant without music and 62% agree that music is an essential ingredient for a perfect Valentine’s Day dinner.

Previous research conducted by Entertainment Media Research in 2009 sheds some light on some of the possible reasons why. Of those who like hearing music in a restaurant:

• 71% said they feel more romantic when good background music is being played
• 74% said that playing good restaurant background music means they are more likely to enjoy their meal
• 78% said a restaurant that plays good background helps them relax

Not only does playing background music enhance the atmosphere in the restaurant, it can also positively impact customer behaviour, as shown by the following statistics. Of those who like hearing music in a restaurant:

• 56% say they are much more likely to recommend a restaurant that plays background music they like
• 64% say good background music at a restaurant encourages them to stay there longer
• 67% say it would make them more likely to revisit the restaurant