Kai Clarke

The Power of Everyday Sounds

March 11, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Advertising principally engages only one sense: sight. Hearing, the author of the best seller, Buyology, argues, can be equally as powerful, though advertisers rarely capitalize on it. How would you rate the opportunities as well as the limitations in using everyday sounds as a marketing tool?      [more...]

Mr Lindstrom, especially in his observations, is unfortunately off track. Advertisers have been using sounds to appeal to their target markets for over 100 years. Television, the largest advertising revenue source, uses extensive sounds as part of its appeal. The sound of frying eggs or the pfishhhh, as a bottle of beer is uncorked, have long sold products. For many, these are just as important as the pictures they describe or share. Turn off the sound to any commercial and see how poor it becomes without the sound, Mr. Lindstrom! Add to this the advertising appeal of radio, and more recently the Internet, and we have a majority of products that derive their revenues from sound in one way or another. Welcome to the 21st century, Mr. Lindstrom.