Immediately before looking at the combination of the flashing lines and suppressed object, the study participants heard one of three things: the word for the suppressed object ("pumpkin," when the object was a pumpkin), the word for a different object ("kangaroo," when the object was actually a pumpkin), or just static. When the word they heard matched the object that was being wiped out by the visual noise, the subjects were more likely to indeed see the object than in cases where the wrong word or no word at all was paired with the image.
"In the case of vision, what we consciously perceive seems to be deeply shaped by our knowledge and expectations."
Does it?
Music is emotion.
Music moves the human spirit. No one is immune to its magic, no culture can do without it. From the throat singing of Tuvan Nomads to the soprano of Maria Callas, music induces a broad spectrum of feelings from happiness to triumph, longing and many others. So music is just a feeling, an ethereal whim, not measurable and certainly not a science?
Wrong!
For centuries, psychologists, brain researchers, mathematicians and musicologists have dug deeper into the phenomenon. Turns out, music is a lot more than just a feeling.
Music is science.
An increasing number of studies are focusing on a scientific approach to sound and its application in the field of marketing. Research shows that more than 90% of audio-visual commercials use music to support the advertising effect.
But why is that? Scientists believe that, similar to language, music has the capability to transport a specific meaning, which, through associative linking, can be transferred to a brand or its product.
Sound is power.
Of the four senses, hearing is the one that is processed fastest by the brain. Once a sound wave reaches your ear, your brain can recognize it in just 0.05 seconds. That’s ten times faster than the blink of an eye.
So sound has the power to get into your head before any of the other senses, thereby becoming the basis of your perception. This process happens subconsciously.
We see what we hear.
Alred Hitchcock famously stated that,
"thirty-three percent of the effect of 'Psycho' was due to the music."
To prove how sound shapes your visual experience, here’s a little experiment:
One beautiful beach; four different soundtracks.
We start with just waves and seagulls.
Now we’re on a happy vacation.
Suddenly the beach is a lonely island.
With shark infested waters!
We see the same scene, but each time we perceive it differently. The music gives a completely new meaning to an otherwise identical picture. The same principle can be applied to a brand.
We want what we hear.
Another experiment:
North, Hargreaves and McKendrick tested the influence of sound on shopping behaviour by installing a sound system in a wine shop.
Over a 2 week period, French and German music was played on alternate days above a display of French and German wines. French music led to French wines outselling German ones by 77%, whereas German music led to the opposite.
When asked while leaving the shop, the customers were unaware of the effects of music on their product choices.
Brand Fit.
Simply using any old music in advertising isn’t a guarantee for effective results. The right sound for the right campaign should stimulate positive associations towards the product and its perceived importance to the consumer.
Responsible for this association is the so called 'priming process' (North/Lorraine), in which the introduction of one stimulus (music) creates an association to another stimulus (product).
It’s got to be perfect!
Scientifically speaking, there are three criteria though which the suitability of music in advertising can be measured:
1. If it matches the product
2. Its suitability to the content of a campaign (e.g. visuals & narration and possible product sounds)
3. Its relevance to the target audience
If all three criteria are met, this is called a "perfect fit." Our goal is to create this "perfect fit" for every brand looking to enhance their positive product association through the auditive senses.
Conceptual.
We approach every project conceptually. We research and make sure we understand the client’s core components. From the brand and its target group to market and social environment, we cover all the bases. We aim to match your and our ambitions of creating a unique and inspiring sound experience.
Audio.
We compose and arrange, cast and curate. We produce for all formats at the highest technical level. From telephone loop to TVC, soundlogo to installation, we cover multiple touchpoints. We have ample experience implementing on location. Our studios are in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich.
Design.
We constantly develop to provide further tools to assure acoustic recognition.
A thorough casting of a Brand Voice is an important factor to improve identification with a brand. Unique utility sounds advance brand recognition in a very haptic way.
All these elements are essential for the fast growing markets of Audio Shopping, Voice Recognition, Smart Speakers and Navigation Systems.
Silence is a rhythm too.
We’ve only just begun: BLUT Conceptual Audio Design believes that sound branding will become even more important in the future, i.e. Sound Designs for electric cars and other battery-run sustainable devices.