From the 25th – 27th July I attended what has arguably become the king of Aussie music festivals ‘Splendour in The Grass’. After an 18 hour Melbourne to Byron road trip I stepped out into the wonderful Belongil fields in North Byron to find myself among the granola gnashing, open air yoga loving masses, at the starting point of what was to be an incredible 3 days.

Retailers have much to learn from the success of music festivals. Here are 3 things retailers can implement into their brand strategy to create a truly engaging and highly coveted experience:

1. Use the power of the event

An event, by its very essence, has a clear beginning and an end, with a schedule in between. Rather than thinking of the store as a space to sling product for the term of your lease, think of it as a place to create engaging and ephemeral experiences. The layout of your store should be conducive to hosting events where rather than simply transacting, customers can come to enjoy themselves, create and try something new.

The temporary nature and exclusivity of an event often results in a social media onslaught (Viewing is often obscured by a sea of phones, documenting the user’s experience), and the thrill of it all has the potential to create powerful emotional connections to your brand.
Forward thinking brands have already started to treat the store as a centre for events; take Burberry hosting instore acoustic concerts, or Kikki K hosting happiness seminars, or LuluLemon’s instore yoga retreats as great examples.

2. Focus on the WHOLE experience

Music festivals are no longer just about seeing great live music, they have become places where attendees can create, paint, take a class on growing microherbs, be treated to an awesome visual experience, discuss political issues and eat a heap of delicious food options.

Yes, music is still at the core of the experience, but there are a whole other range of delightful options on the peripherals that keep revellers coming back every year.

In the same vein, retailers should be thinking of ways to incorporate popular trends and experiences from outside the retail industry into their store.

3. Bands can be great for your brand

Much like the success generated from brand collaborations (Look to Patternity X Clarks for a great example), brands can reach out to bands to draw from their associations. Burberry (again) reaches out to and supports musical groups that capture the brands British attitude via their Burberry acoustic project, and has managed to hone their edgy yet clean image as a result. Beyond this, the iconic London superstore is used as a stage to showcase this talent. Music and fashion go hand in hand, and we saw Topshop blend the two wonderfully with their musical fitting rooms. Music is a powerful form of expression that can have a large impact on store ambience and brand associations, It’s clear that brands have much to gain by drawing from music’s universal appeal. 

It’s clear that brands that the excitement and hype generated by music festivals can be a great example on how to create ‘retail theatre’. Retail is at a crossroads and the brands with an ‘excite and delight’ approach rather than a purely transactional one will be the winners of the 21st century.