In-store entertainment

18 : 10 : 2016 Sonos : Explorium Retail : Rough Trade

New York – Sonos has installed a listening room in Rough Trade as part of a new retail partnership.

  • People can stay overnight in the vintage-inspired room, which comes with a sound system, a record player and a bed, by booking via Airbnb
  • Sonos is also targeting new audiences through brand partnerships with design retailer West Elm and Apple
Sonos Listening Room in West Elm, US Sonos Listening Room in West Elm, US
Sonos Listening Room in West Elm, US Sonos Listening Room in West Elm, US
Sonos Listening Room in West Elm, US Sonos Listening Room in West Elm, US
Sonos Listening Room in Rough Trade, New York Sonos Listening Room in Rough Trade, New York

The aim is to move beyond a product-driven strategy, where technical details are at the forefront of marketing material, towards an experience-driven one that highlights Sonos’ seamless wireless technology and high-quality sound delivery.

Each of the partnerships emphasises different aspects of Sonos that the brand wishes to promote. In design retailer West Elm stores, for example, it not only installed sound systems but introduced trained staff to speak to customers about the role that sound and acoustics play in people’s personal spaces.

‘We want to get in front of people when they’re in the mindset of thinking about how they can transform their homes,’ Joy Howard, chief marketing officer at Sonos, told Fast Company.

The Big Picture

Brands need to consider the physical store as a place of learning and inspiration, even if this means slowing the journey to purchase. For more, read our Explorium Retail microtrend.

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