Document Type
Dissertation
First Faculty Advisor
Gravier, Michael
Keywords
Music; Branding; Advertising; Commercials; Marketing
Publisher
Bryant University
Abstract
Have you ever found that the music a company chooses helps you understand its brand better, and did you eventually find yourself becoming a loyal customer? The goal of this project is to investigate whether or not connections like these occur and, if so, why they happen and what they mean for advertisers. More specifically, the study examines the influence of music in television advertisements on the last three steps of the brand building process: brand imagery, brand feelings, and brand resonance. The purpose of the research is to discover the extent to which popular songs used in television commercials create the appropriate brand image, spark an emotional connection to the brand, and eventually establish a brand relationship with consumers. In addition to secondary research compiled in a literature review, a survey comprised mainly of Likert scale questions was distributed to Bryant University students. Participants were assigned to one of three conditions in which they were shown commercials for both Nike and Starbucks 1.)with popular music, 2.) without popular music, or 3.) no commercial at all. Participants were then asked questions relating to perceived brand imagery and purchase behavior. Results suggest that the popular music does not have significant effects on consumers’ brand perception and loyalty. Limitations of this study and suggestions for further research are also discussed.
