One of the ways we make our music channels truly customized for our clients is with custom messaging between songs. That way, what’s playing for the customer in the store, restaurant or retail space becomes more than just an iPod or satellite radio stream – it becomes that brand’s own medium for music entertainment, promotion and imaging.
Messaging can be done in several ways: it can be recorded by a professional announcer; it can be read by an owner, manager or employee; or it can be actual comments from guests and customers.
For Whole Foods Market Radio we use the voices of team members and store team leaders (that’s how Whole Foods employees refer to themselves) to give WFM Radio the personal, human touch. We’ve been producing Whole Foods Market Radio for several years and often visit Whole Foods stores to gather audio messages.
“Team members love being part of WFM Radio because they see it as “their channel”, not somebody else’s piped-in music” says Josh Keesy, Custom Channels Director Of Operations. “Whole Foods employees really have fun while they’re working so having their own music channel with occasional colleagues’ voices welcoming and thanking shoppers adds to the unique Whole Foods atmosphere. It’s not canned and corporate.”
New digital technologies have made it easier than ever for businesses to get their employees involved in their channel. For example, promotional messages, shout-outs, and even birthday greetings can be recorded on an iPhone or call-in phone line with voice mail. The recording (wav or mp3 file) is emailed automatically to Custom Channels. It’s quick, easy and it sounds great. Of course, we also offer an array of professional audio production and pro voice services to create messaging as well.
Custom messaging is one of the many things that Custom Channels does to improve our client’s music service and to “go beyond background music.”