A lot of revenue can be made from molecules in the air that sometimes burst faster, sometimes slower onto our eardrums. For example? "A brief press of the start button, followed by a dull hum with subtle undertones. It's clear to hear that the finest mechanics are at work here, loudly but refined. A gentle touch of the accelerator pedal and the engine barks out a hoarse, almost relieved bark. Once it has reached a moderate cruising speed, the ride is accompanied by a rich, satisfied hum. The propulsion only ends at 330 km/h. The sound corresponds correspondingly triumphantly with the speed. Deceleration and downshifting allow the acoustic storm to subside at some point. The "Sound of Performance" of the Audi R8 V10 is described here poetically, as is usually only the case with good wines: an acoustic statement against slowness. "The power, the acceleration, the technology of a sports car must not only be felt. You also have to be able to hear it," says the brochure.
Car brands are masters of soundsHow to compose an unmistakable symphony from the intake noises of the engine and the muzzle sound at the exhaust has very little to do with pure mechanics. The target sound is developed in acoustics laboratories, which means, for example, that you can hear a Harley before you see it. It works the same way with Porsche and Ferrari. The sportiness of a vehicle is measured, among other things, by the deliberate increase in the noise level when accelerating.A lot of attention is also paid to other sounds: the engagement of switches, the operation of control knobs and window lifters, and the sound of the turn signals produced by a small loudspeaker ticking in time with the light bulb. The warm, rich sound of the door slamming finally wants to say: All is well that ends well. Check mark on it. That's a wrap.
Multisensory is stronger than monosensoryAt the World Press Photo Exhibition in Amsterdam last year, a coffee-table book was presented for the first time whose photos tell a story in two senses: The fates of people from all parts of the world were not only presented visually; rather, voices, noises and music sounded out from invisible loudspeakers on the inside of the paper in an unparalleled variety of sounds.This little masterstroke, the so-called T-Book (T stands for sound) was developed at the Institute for Print and Media Technology at Chemnitz University of Technology. It gives each image a new sensitive dimension: amazement, anger, joy, fear, sadness, as the case may be. In this way, participation occurs in a much more intense way than when you just look at a picture.Why is that? Cerebrally, the multi-sensory message is preferred to the single-sensory one. If the same message reaches our brain in parallel via several senses, this creates a neuronal explosion of effect. "Buy me!" the neurons fire wildly. And every time we then use or use a sound-supported product, the anchoring in the brain is reinforced.
The acoustic corporate designIt is well known that every company needs a visual corporate design. But there is still a huge gap in acoustic corporate design. Yet a unique sound world can be created for every brand. It is laid down in a sound manual. Here are the elements that go with it:
- The voice (timbre and tonality, like this: "Volkswagen. The car").
- The sound logo (Like the "Heartbeat" from Audi or the "Wave" from Intel)
- The function (signal announcing, for example, the start of the day's news).
- The leitmotif (as in James Bond films, DSDS or the crime scene)
- The music style (It must fit well with the brand and also support it)
- The atmosphere (Like when the violins sound in a love movie).
Audio branding is extremely valuable in times when every break is used to play with a tablet or smartphone. When we hear "Diba-diba-du," ING-DiBa Bank comes to mind, even if we don't see the commercial at all. And when we hear "Yippie-ya-ya" from Hornbach, we immediately think of our next home improvement project.Don'ts and Dos with online soundsSound is omnipresent on the Internet. But far too often, people only think about what is technically feasible, without thinking about the user. Suddenly, a screeching video goes off without warning. Or a product is promoted in an endless loop with an overloud voice. Nerve-wracking seconds can pass before you find the source of the noise and turn it off. However, web stores could learn a lot from the feedback processes that car manufacturers have created. A gentle woof could signal to me that the goods have actually landed in the shopping cart, a soft pling could confirm my entries for the shipping address and credit card number, and a little whoop could cheer with me when I've clicked the buy now button. "Thank you. And enjoy it," a friendly voice might finally say.Onliners learn very quickly. In real time and live, they can test what has the best effect on the user, and thus also optimize product sounds within a very short time. They are immensely open to digital innovations and for that reason alone are usually miles ahead of offline users.The acoustics and the DigitalAcoustics offers a lot of potential to resourceful founders. For example, rather than an established hearing aid manufacturer, a startup called Bragi has redefined the classic hearing aid via crowdfunding and added it to the wearables category: a smart earphone called The Dash. With it, you can listen to music completely wirelessly, measure your pulse, count your steps and, because it's waterproof, even swim.Outside sounds are played in, which protects against dicey situations on the road. Connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, it can also be used to make phone calls and access the Internet. It is controlled by tapping or head movements. Among other things, this is extremely practical when you want or need to have both hands free. Overall, sound engineers will have their work cut out for them in the future, because many of the sensors that connect devices and machines need sound patterns. From now on, this will involve much more than clicks and clacks or beeps and pings. Every robot needs bio-sounds when it is at work. And every device needs its own sound to distinguish itself from others.
Anne M. Schüller is a management thinker, keynote speaker, multiple award-winning bestselling author and business coach. With a degree in business administration, she is considered Europe's leading expert on touchpoint management and customer-focused business management. She is one of the most sought-after speakers in the German-speaking world. In 2015, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the German Speakers Association. Her clientele includes the elite of German, Swiss and Austrian business. Her Touchpoint Institute trains certified touchpoint managers. Further information:
www.anneschueller.de and
www.touchpoint-management.de
