This article originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of Retail New Zealand.

With over 1.2 million customers nationwide, Westpac knows how important it is to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for their customers in branches around the country. And they also know that playing the right music can be a simple and effective way to make a visit to a Westpac branch just that little bit better.

So it makes sense that the team at Westpac pay close attention to the music they play in selected branches, and how this is delivered to their customers. “We know that playing the right music, at the right level, can add to a much more inviting and friendly atmosphere for our customers” says Westpac’s Senior Manager Shared Services Kathryn Lee.

“We pay careful attention to the digital media within our branch environment and a component of this is music, ensuring that the type of music we choose appeals to our customers and also that the playlists we use are regularly updated. This keeps the music fresh and interesting not only for our customers, but also for Westpac staff who spend their days in our branches.”

Consistency is also important, so Westpac use software and media services company Eyemagnet, who manage the delivery of digital media, to not only compile and update playlists but to supply video and music directly to selected Westpac branches around the country.



New content and music playlists are updated remotely each month, so there is no need for staff to spend any time selecting or programming the music they play — this is taken care of by the Eyemagnet music service solution.

“It’s crucial that the right music is selected for Westpac customers and staff, so along with a range of other services, we compile playlists that we know will work well and will set the right tone and atmosphere in a branch setting,” says Paul Treacy, Chief Executive Officer of Eyemagnet.

“The music needs to work alongside all the other aspects of customer service that the Westpac team delivers to its customers. Eyemagnet is there to support these relationships, making sure that music creates an appropriate backdrop and enhances the environment for Westpac customers.”

The final step from Westpac’s perspective is ensuring that the songwriters and recording artists who create the music they play, are paid for the use of their work. “We have no objection to paying a public performance license fee to OneMusic. Playing music has a value to us and we appreciate that we need to pay music creators for the use of their work — and we’re happy to do this,” says Kathryn Lee.

“It’s important for businesses to be clear about how they use music and which type of OneMusic licence they need for their particular activities. With the new single music licence that was introduced at the end of last year, this whole process has become much easier to understand and it’s also easier to manage from year to year.”

Music can work hard for any business and Westpac, with expert help from Eyemagnet, know how to use it in just the right way.