schuh + Startle.
A one-stop schuh shop solution.
About schuh.
UK retail brand schuh have been shaking up footwear for decades. After launching their first store in 1981, they’re now a household name with over 130 stores across the UK, Ireland and Germany.
Houston, we have a…
schuh had an existing partner that handled all of their music and digital signage, but the two weren’t a match made in heaven. They also had a particular problem with reliability of the hardware and the level of support available. Staff and customers often commented that schuh’s existing music felt “tired” and “one dimensional”, which was far from the reality of this otherwise vibrant brand.
This is how we do it
Startle’s living, talking, human algorithm, James, strutted onto stage and mapped out a stronger, more cohesive set of themed playlists throughout the year that matched the high energy of stores and kept staff entertained and involved.
Schuh were keen to keep music at a moderate tempo of 90-120 BPM, full of major keys, bright sparkly synths and upbeat vocals, imbued with the key themes of celebration, positivity and classic dance-floor hits.
It’s a guaranteed gimmee with Startle that all clients get ultra-reliable hardware with the Startle Player; a palm-sized PC that’s future-proof and runs from the cloud, while our unrivalled, industry-leading SLA's gave schuh proactive (rock) around-the-clock monitoring and resolution to all of their wants and needs from our support team.
...James, strutted onto stage and mapped out a stronger, more cohesive set of themed playlists throughout the year that matched the high energy of stores and kept staff entertained...
The sound.
We proposed 4 blended playlists that showcased emerging artists as well as more commercial beats. After all, schuh are known for being all-embracing and forward-thinking.
Mellow - Low-key beats, soft synths and a slower pace provide the perfect backdrop for a relaxed and uncomplicated shopping experience.
Discover - schuh's trademark energy kicks in with a mixtape of new, undiscovered UK and International rising stars.
Certified - Radio-hits and playlist favourites gave listeners a familiarity whilst retaining schuh's youthful, edgy and charismatic allure.
Throwback - Maximum throwback party vibes courtesy of old-favourites, nostalgic hits and songs that define the younger you.
In addition to schuh’s core playlists, we love supporting them by curating music for special events and key calendar dates such as Black History Month, Pride and International Women’s Day.
Vibe
Upbeat, Positive, Dancefloor
Average tempo
90 - 120 BPM
Genres
Alternative Pop, House
Example artists
Charlotte Adigéry, SG Lewis, Joji, BENEE, KAYTRANADA, Amber Mark, Peggy Gou
Look at me now.
Startle’s fully integrated, one-stop-shop solution was also designed to work around schuh’s complex signage requirements - multiple screens, located in various positions within stores, in a mixture of portrait and landscape orientation.
Our cloud-based, user-friendly platform gave schuh the tools to manage music and signage content from one place, meaning they could easily schedule and display independent content to all the different screens.
It was vital that the music was integrated with other in-store sensory elements too, such as the lighting. For example, the ‘Mellow’ playlist was specifically formulated to coincide with schuh’s autism hour, when lights are dimmed and the music volume is reduced to be more sensitive to those with social anxiety issues.
Our relationship with schuh is already 7 years strong, and they’re keen to try out new and exciting advances in in-store technology, so here’s to another 5 years and beyond!
Startle have consistently been a great support to our stores. From their content management, music profiling and technical support, Startle have enabled us to create a seamless shopping atmosphere across our full store estate.
Marketing Manager
Heard enough?
Get in touch to start playing your customers the kind of background music that creates those hair-tingling moments.
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