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Music, signage and atmosphere influence how long customers stay, how they feel, and how they perceive a brand.
In pub environments, these elements help shape the atmosphere, influence social energy throughout the visit, and enhance the experience across different trading periods and occasions.
McMullen’s operates a traditional, community-focused pub estate with a strong emphasis on food-led venues and relaxed local hospitality. Our observations and suggestions could support and further enhance atmosphere consistency while preserving the brand’s character-led feel.
Music was present throughout the venue at a low and comfortable volume, sitting well within the background of conversation and service activity.
The soundtrack during the visit was varied but consistently soft in tone. The audio system itself felt discreet and well integrated into the space, with colour-coordinated speakers blending into the interior rather than dominating it.
The overall tone was relaxed and easy-going, supporting a traditional pub environment where conversation is the primary focus. However, there is an opportunity to introduce more intentional structure to playlist curation - particularly around subtle dayparting - to better reflect the different ways guests use the space throughout the week.
There was no digital signage present in the venue.
Customer communication is currently limited to traditional printed materials, with a QR code system used to encourage loyalty sign-ups via the “Mac’s Family” programme.
This approach aligns with the traditional feel of the estate, though it does limit opportunities for dynamic communication around events, food offers, and local promotions.
There is a potential opportunity for very light-touch digital integration in select sites - particularly for events, rotating menus or community messaging - provided it is implemented in a way that respects the pub’s established aesthetic.
Build gentle variation into playlists across the day - supporting relaxed daytime trade, busier dining periods and evening drinks without disrupting the overall atmosphere.
Use centrally guided music curation to create a more consistent brand feel across venues, while allowing individual pubs to retain flexibility based on their customer base.
Consider carefully designed, optional signage for events, menus or community messaging where appropriate - enhancing communication without compromising traditional pub character.
Based on your brand, audience and environment, here’s an example of how your music could feel with Startle.
This playlist has been designed to reflect the warm, familiar and easy-going atmosphere of a traditional British pub - blending soul, soft rock and timeless classics to create a relaxed social environment that feels comfortable at any time of day.
The intention is to:
Choose from our library of over 100 professionally crafted playlists spanning genres, moods and sectors, or opt for curated soundtracks designed to support different trading periods.
We offer scalable digital signage to automate your sports promotion and make the most of F&B offers and key campaigns. Promote, entertain and engage.
With Startle Studio, you’ll have full visibility and control of all your pubs’ music and signage schedules from a central platform, ensuring consistency across your estate.
We’ve worked with large pub operators to create more engaging and consistent guest experiences across complex multi-site estates.
We partnered with Mitchells & Butlers to help deliver a more scalable and centrally managed music experience across a diverse portfolio of pub and restaurant brands.
By aligning playlists more closely with different customer occasions, venue formats and trading patterns, Mitchells & Butlers were able to create environments that felt more consistent, welcoming and reflective of each brand’s atmosphere.
This approach included:
Working with Startle has been a very positive experience for Mitchells & Butlers. They understand the important role that music and atmosphere play in shaping the overall guest journey and helping our venues feel welcoming, engaging and on brand. Their solutions support us in delivering a consistent, high-quality experience across our estate, while still allowing our teams to focus on what matters most – great hospitality.
Head of Electronic Leisure
Book your discovery call to explore how music and signage could enhance experience, consistency and engagement across your estate.
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