Page 112 - Consuming Media

01Consuming Media 10/4/07 11:17 am Page 99

music, when well-known carols contribute to a festive mood. However, there is no
strict distinction between music experienced as foreground or as background, as this
depends on a situation-bound combination of cultural, subjective and situational
factors. In the commercial space of the shopping centre they are as plastic and trans-
formable as Goffman’s sociological distinction between front and back regions. 3
At such times, the almost unheard background music also competes with the fore-
ground music that flows from some shops, with the dual purpose of attracting the
attention of by-passers and creating a sound-image that supports the overall image of
the respective shops. Hence, music is used in many ways in the shopping centre, but
above all to catch the attention of potential customers and to create a cosy sound
atmosphere for shopping. In both these functions, music interplays with interior
decoration, the display of commodities and the style of the staff who might for
instance intend to give an impression of youthfulness, efficiency or exclusiveness.
As is customary in record shops, Mix Records is more or less constantly filled with
music, which turns into an advertisement for itself. The music played is mostly
current hits or ‘golden’, but not too old, ‘oldies’, underlining the mainstream orien-
tation of the shop. Music is used as a marketing device, directed towards the initial
selection moment of consumption, by generally making potential customers feel at
ease, or by more directly influencing them to make up their mind to buy certain
commodities. It is, however, doubtful if and to what extent this really works. (This is
actually surprisingly true for much marketing and advertising in general.) The taste
for music varies and it is easy to arouse dislike even by the choice of relatively soft
and harmless background music.
Individual taste is revealed in customers’ choice of commodities, and tends therefore
to be a controversial subject in media shops. In Video 48 Hours, taste is openly
discussed when couples or groups of people browse through videos to decide what film
4
to rent or buy. On average, the selection process lasts longer for groups than single
customers, which probably reflects that a common activity, like watching a film in the
company of friends, demands a joint resolution based on negotiation. But although
taste is thus displayed in the shop, the staff considers it a delicate issue and refrains from
making definite recommendations when customers ask for a ‘good’, ‘funny’ or ‘thrilling’
film. In contrast to Mix Records’ way of constantly displaying music, Video 48 Hours
makes no great efforts to influence its customers’ precise choice of films. Excerpts from
films are displayed on a small monitor behind the desk, but the medium on offer is not
itself much used to influence customers’ choices. This difference between the two shops
may be derived from the fact that it is easier to remember a piece of music than excerpts
from films, at least in terms of taste. A catchy tune is something one can grasp imme-
diately, while a film trailer may certainly catch someone’s attention, but can scarcely be
used to give a fair judgement of the whole film. This also corresponds with the common
use of music as a marketing device. In Solna Centre, advertising on TV screens is quite
a rare phenomenon, clearly overshadowed by the use of adverts and still images. This
centre thus reveals a quite low degree of (audio-visual) mediatization, compared to
certain other, flashier shopping environments.

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