The soundtrack of… Oak + Fort
An ambitious Canadian fashion retailer wanted to keep the music consistent at every location with minimal effort from their IT team. Here's how Soundtrack helped.
Who they are
Founded in Vancouver in 2010, Oak + Fort designs womenswear, menswear, accessories and home goods that are stylish and sophisticated yet minimal and unfussy — and at an accessible price point, made for all. Today, the brand has more than 30 boutiques in the United States and Canada, with plans to expand even further.
What they needed
Oak + Fort wanted to keep the music in every store aligned with the brand's aesthetic and creative direction. With dozens of locations and multiple teams on the ground, it was crucial to prevent staff from improvising playlists and drifting off-brand. For the IT and marketing teams, that meant finding a music solution that offered both control, so they could ensure consistency across all locations, and flexibility, to allow them to create and update playlists that adapted to the flow of the day.
How Soundtrack helped
With Soundtrack, Oak + Fort was able to set up a system that simplified music control, while empowering the marketing team to manage the music directly.
The marketing team would curate playlists for different times of day and varying levels of foot traffic, sharing them easily with stores. Managers would give feedback on songs and styles, allowing the marketing team to then finetune playlists and ensure that both staffers and customers enjoyed the in-store experience.
Thanks to Soundtrack’s intuitive app and dashboard, Oak + Fort’s marketing team was up to speed and managing music in no time — without heavy support from IT.
"At a glance, we can see which of our stores are following the creative direction from our marketing department and remaining on-brand," says IT Manager Devon Aubert. "It frees up our IT staff to focus on other projects."
The result
Whether you're in Chicago, Toronto or Burnaby, British Columbia, the soundtrack of the Oak + Fort experience is always cohesive and on-brand. The music reflects the company’s sophisticated yet approachable vibe, and shifts in tone to support everything from high-traffic weekends to quieter weekdays.
"We're creating a fun and lively atmosphere," Aubert adds, "one that reflects well with the brand and the changing traffic in stores."
Find your soundtrack
With Soundtrack, Oak + Fort took control of its brand sound across its 30-plus locations, creating a consistent, on-brand experience for both staff and customers. Try Soundtrack free for 14 days and see how it can work for your business.
