December 20, 2022 • 11 mins
What does a black T-shirt sound like? Or should it sound like anything at all? This episode brought up so many interesting questions with no right or wrong answers.
This episode was a re-boot from an article with the same name that I wrote back in 2020.
Thanks to Charles Balderston and Jerremy Laesser for their great conversation and thought provoking insights. Thank you also to Free Clip sounds for the sprinkling of flavor here and there.
The experimental sound of a black t-shirt and other “sound effects” was pieced together by Dreamr Productions.
---
For more on sound in marketing, sign up for the Sound In Marketing Newsletter http://eepurl.com/gDxl6b.
For further inquiries, email Jeanna at mailto:jeanna@dreamrproductions.com
The Sound In Marketing Podcast is produced by Dreamr Productions and hosted, written, and edited by Jeanna Isham. It is available on all the major podcast channels here https://pod.link/1467112373.
Let’s make this world of sound more intriguing, more unique, and more on brand.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannaisham/
https://twitter.com/Jeanna_Isham
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
Welcometo the Sound In Marketing podcast.
I'm your host, Jeanna Isham
Owner and founder of Dreamr Productionsand Sound in Marketing Learning.
I create, consult and educate individualsand brands
on the power of sound in marketing.
In this season of the Sound
Marketing Podcast, we'll be focusingon the thoughts and theories and musings
(00:26):
that I formed over my years of experiencein sonic branding and sound marketing.
If the content in these episodesinspire actionable ideas
for your company,don't hesitate to give me a call.
This is what I do. This is what I know.
I make it sound on purpose.
Now on to the show.
This episode we'll be discussing
(00:47):
what does a black t shirt sound like?
So here's the question.
How do we describe a black t shirtwith only sound advertising?
We can
describe a black t shirtin a lot of different ways.
It can be described by texture, hueand color, style, to name just a few.
(01:08):
But what if we were to describewhat it sounds like?
What is sound advertising?
I worked with a companycalled AdSonica for about a year,
and they had strategicallyaligned themselves
with a very unique opportunitywithin ecommerce,
where finding a productsound is now a viable option.
AdSonica is a sonic marketing tool
(01:29):
that allows you to embed audiointo an image file.
It's patentedtechnology allows for a no coding option
that then compressesthose media deliverables
into a formatted package, ready for uploadto any of the major
advertising third partiessuch as Google, Facebook and LinkedIn.
The technology
(01:49):
is groundbreaking and holdsa plethora of potential
for advertising options,one of which being e-commerce.
AdSonica, has specifically becamean official app
in the BigCommerce marketplacea few years back.
So how can we optimize sound through
an e-commerce storefront?
Remember when you were on target.comlast week and you were searching
(02:12):
for a black t shirt?
So you searched black t shirt.From the picture alone
No plain blackt shirt is particularly astounding.
A t shirt is a t shirt is a t shirt.
There are just so many anglesyou can photograph before there's nothing
left to show, but add text to that
you have something more comparable.
(02:33):
This one is cotton, as opposed to this onebeing made of polyester.
This one has a crewneckand this one has a V-neck.
One is more of a true blackand another is more of a gray black
one has a four star reviewwith 100 reviews,
while another has a threeand a half star review with 40 reviews.
With the example of AdSonica technology,
(02:53):
you can take it a step furtherthrough the carousel post option.
You can embed sounds
within the images to depict that productspecifications better.
You can put anything in there.
For example, the text in the description,put to voice,
background music, sounds, etc.
so that the shopper
can go about their businesswhile learning about the product.
(03:13):
Aurally.
Sound is a much less intrusivemarketing tool
that does not interruptthe consumer's day to day.
It's taking messaging beyond wordsand to a heightened level of engagement.
In 2020, I had a really fun dialog
online with some colleaguesabout this exact example.
What does a black t shirt sound like?
(03:33):
Here's what transpired.
What does a black t shirt sound like?
Maybe a lowfrequency sine wave around 100Hz.
I suppose itwould depend on the texture of the fabric.
I think the rougher the texture,the more harmonics would be present.
(03:59):
I agree with low sine waves,
and I'd add in overtones with a lowpulsing.
Black is strong and confident,but laid back from my thoughts in my head.
The texturedefinitely would play into this too.
Cotton would be more neutral and calm,while corduroy.
(04:25):
Would have more edgeand be a bit more aggressive.
So maybe a black leather jacketcould sound like an electric guitar,
run through an orange amp,or some sort of distortion pedal.
Now, listening to this outside of thoughtconversations,
I tend to think that a sound for oneindividual product may be too much.
(04:49):
What do you think?
However, the
point I'm trying to makeis this- sound advertising
doesn't just have to be specs and stats,it can actually be more creative.
When you think of itoutside of words and copy.
Imagine, if you will, this scenario.
Keep in mind this is all speculative, as
I don't believe it's an option just yet.
(05:11):
You are a new e-commerce boutique brand.
No one has seen you yetother than your homepage,
but now you have this optionof turning your images into image
audio files and uploading them in a waythat a smart speaker or a screenless
shopping experiencedevice could speak your product.
Alexa, take me to Stan’s Fans.
(05:32):
Would this give you an edge
or at least an equal opportunity alongsidea brand like target
If you had a space in thevoice first technology world?
what if you were to
discover that space before target does?
Again, this is not possible yet,as far as I know.
But what if it were?
I truly believe it will be.That it's just a matter of time.
(05:54):
So if you are a forward thinkerand you want to get into the voice
search space and v-commerce,
sound advertisingmight be something to explore further.
But at the same time,you don't want to add
to the noise of informationbeing presented.
Is the sound functional?
Or is it just noise?
The questionwe need to ask when talking about
(06:14):
this is what is the function of thatsound?
Is it useful?
Is it adding to it?
Or are we just doing itbecause we want to reinforce the argument
that sound is important?
To me, that is the foundationof all sound on devices.
It has to serve a function,otherwise it's just adding to the noise.
As a product sounddesigner, the first thing I think about is
(06:34):
do we need the sound
and why? Is there a function?
Is there a utility in sonic branding?
The utility is buildingbrand equity and trust.
I worry about the futureof virtual reality in virtual spaces,
in virtual places, because now you have100% attention from the user's ears.
They can't close them.
You know, you can close your eyeseven in virtual reality.
(06:57):
But the user is going to be bombardedby sounds. Using sound
more granularly in products like the blackT-shirt example might not be the utility
that users actually need. When you adda sound for a particular T-shirt.
That's not scalable.
What does a user actually need?
(07:17):
How much is too muchand what is going to overstimulate?
And how can we help people to better
absorbtheir experience in these virtual places?
We need sonic peace.
People need to have a gentle soundscapeto really
experiencethe world that they've chosen to get into.
Voice first.
(07:37):
Technology creates a unique opportunityto market differently.
And seeing as post-Covid is different.
It's massively important for companiessuch as e-commerce
to pay attentionto what voice and sound has to offer.
With brick and mortar functioningin a much different way than pre 2020.
Those that have goods to sellneed to be seen.
(07:59):
However, site isn't the all endsall of shopping nowadays.
Before Covid, smart speakersand smart technology
was just starting to see a rise.
I can tell you from an insider perspectivethat amidst Covid,
it has boomed forwardat an exponential rate.
What was alreadypredicted to be the technology to watch
has accelerated all expectationsand companies are not just watching,
(08:24):
but implementing said technologyinto their advertising.
But like my friends said earlier,
we need to be mindful of the soundswe are making.
What purpose does it serve?
Because sometimes silence is golden.
Take this opportunity to heart,but don't turn it into more noise.
(08:44):
If you do,then I think you've missed the point.
Everything is fighting for sonic attention
that we've lost the abilityto hear deeply into our world.
And frankly,that's one of our superpowers.
Our ability to hear and discernbetween all these different things.
We can hear things that we can't even see.
You can tap on a door and you can tellwhat that door is made of.
(09:05):
You know, that's pretty amazing.
I think it's really importantthat we get our soundscape back
and we become ahigh fidelity society again.
We are becoming more and more a screenless society.
We're doing things.
We're having conversations.
Our hands are full with kidsand their schoolwork
and our work and making dinner.
(09:25):
All we want is a lousy t shirt.
Why can't we just say, Alexa,find me a medium black t shirt
and have the robotdo the culling, suggesting and ordering.
We as people are creatures of habit,but we also allow for changes.
Give us something to add to our routinethat is relevant
and we can adopt and adapt quickly.
Sounds can be learnedin the example of the black t shirt.
(09:48):
Tones could be memorized, guiding them,giving them the utility that they need
to help them figure outwhich black t shirt they want to buy.
With the technology now available.
The sky truly is the limit right now.
There is so much space for creativityand discovery in sound advertising
that we can't possibly rationalize itall right now.
(10:09):
But we can dream and we can experiment.
Sound and marketing is changingand evolving in real time.
Are you listening?
Thanks to Charles Balderston and JerremyLoesser for their great conversation.
More behind the scenes
sound bites from themwill be popping up later on in the season.
For sure.
Thank you.
(10:29):
Also to free clip sounds for thesprinkling of flavor here and there.
I also had a fun time creatingthe black T-shirt and leather jacket.
Sounds to illustrateare already colorful conversation.
For more on sound in marketing,check out SoundInMarketing.com,
where I listlots of my resources and sources.
I also have courses on sonic brandingand sound in marketing fundamentals.
(10:51):
Contact me directlyand I'll hook you up with a discount.
All links will be provided in the shownotes.
Let's make this world of soundmore intriguing, more unique, and
more and more on brand.
Welcometo the Sound In Marketing podcast.
I'm your host, Jeanna Isham
Owner and founder of Dreamr Productionsand Sound in Marketing Learning.
I create, consult and educate individualsand brands
on the power of sound in marketing.
In this season of the Sound
Marketing Podcast, we'll be focusingon the thoughts and theories and musings
(00:26):
that I formed over my years of experiencein sonic branding and sound marketing.
If the content in these episodesinspire actionable ideas
for your company,don't hesitate to give me a call.
This is what I do. This is what I know.
I make it sound on purpose.
Now on to the show.
This episode we'll be discussing
(00:47):
what does a black t shirt sound like?
So here's the question.
How do we describe a black t shirtwith only sound advertising?
We can
describe a black t shirtin a lot of different ways.
It can be described by texture, hueand color, style, to name just a few.
(01:08):
But what if we were to describewhat it sounds like?
What is sound advertising?
I worked with a companycalled AdSonica for about a year,
and they had strategicallyaligned themselves
with a very unique opportunitywithin ecommerce,
where finding a productsound is now a viable option.
AdSonica is a sonic marketing tool
(01:29):
that allows you to embed audiointo an image file.
It's patentedtechnology allows for a no coding option
that then compressesthose media deliverables
into a formatted package, ready for uploadto any of the major
advertising third partiessuch as Google, Facebook and LinkedIn.
The technology
(01:49):
is groundbreaking and holdsa plethora of potential
for advertising options,one of which being e-commerce.
AdSonica, has specifically becamean official app
in the BigCommerce marketplacea few years back.
So how can we optimize sound through
an e-commerce storefront?
Remember when you were on target.comlast week and you were searching
(02:12):
for a black t shirt?
So you searched black t shirt.From the picture alone
No plain blackt shirt is particularly astounding.
A t shirt is a t shirt is a t shirt.
There are just so many anglesyou can photograph before there's nothing
left to show, but add text to that
you have something more comparable.
(02:33):
This one is cotton, as opposed to this onebeing made of polyester.
This one has a crewneckand this one has a V-neck.
One is more of a true blackand another is more of a gray black
one has a four star reviewwith 100 reviews,
while another has a threeand a half star review with 40 reviews.
With the example of AdSonica technology,
(02:53):
you can take it a step furtherthrough the carousel post option.
You can embed sounds
within the images to depict that productspecifications better.
You can put anything in there.
For example, the text in the description,put to voice,
background music, sounds, etc.
so that the shopper
can go about their businesswhile learning about the product.
(03:13):
Aurally.
Sound is a much less intrusivemarketing tool
that does not interruptthe consumer's day to day.
It's taking messaging beyond wordsand to a heightened level of engagement.
In 2020, I had a really fun dialog
online with some colleaguesabout this exact example.
What does a black t shirt sound like?
(03:33):
Here's what transpired.
What does a black t shirt sound like?
Maybe a lowfrequency sine wave around 100Hz.
I suppose itwould depend on the texture of the fabric.
I think the rougher the texture,the more harmonics would be present.
(03:59):
I agree with low sine waves,
and I'd add in overtones with a lowpulsing.
Black is strong and confident,but laid back from my thoughts in my head.
The texturedefinitely would play into this too.
Cotton would be more neutral and calm,while corduroy.
(04:25):
Would have more edgeand be a bit more aggressive.
So maybe a black leather jacketcould sound like an electric guitar,
run through an orange amp,or some sort of distortion pedal.
Now, listening to this outside of thoughtconversations,
I tend to think that a sound for oneindividual product may be too much.
(04:49):
What do you think?
However, the
point I'm trying to makeis this- sound advertising
doesn't just have to be specs and stats,it can actually be more creative.
When you think of itoutside of words and copy.
Imagine, if you will, this scenario.
Keep in mind this is all speculative, as
I don't believe it's an option just yet.
(05:11):
You are a new e-commerce boutique brand.
No one has seen you yetother than your homepage,
but now you have this optionof turning your images into image
audio files and uploading them in a waythat a smart speaker or a screenless
shopping experiencedevice could speak your product.
Alexa, take me to Stan’s Fans.
(05:32):
Would this give you an edge
or at least an equal opportunity alongsidea brand like target
If you had a space in thevoice first technology world?
what if you were to
discover that space before target does?
Again, this is not possible yet,as far as I know.
But what if it were?
I truly believe it will be.That it's just a matter of time.
(05:54):
So if you are a forward thinkerand you want to get into the voice
search space and v-commerce,
sound advertisingmight be something to explore further.
But at the same time,you don't want to add
to the noise of informationbeing presented.
Is the sound functional?
Or is it just noise?
The questionwe need to ask when talking about
(06:14):
this is what is the function of thatsound?
Is it useful?
Is it adding to it?
Or are we just doing itbecause we want to reinforce the argument
that sound is important?
To me, that is the foundationof all sound on devices.
It has to serve a function,otherwise it's just adding to the noise.
As a product sounddesigner, the first thing I think about is
(06:34):
do we need the sound
and why? Is there a function?
Is there a utility in sonic branding?
The utility is buildingbrand equity and trust.
I worry about the futureof virtual reality in virtual spaces,
in virtual places, because now you have100% attention from the user's ears.
They can't close them.
You know, you can close your eyeseven in virtual reality.
(06:57):
But the user is going to be bombardedby sounds. Using sound
more granularly in products like the blackT-shirt example might not be the utility
that users actually need. When you adda sound for a particular T-shirt.
That's not scalable.
What does a user actually need?
(07:17):
How much is too muchand what is going to overstimulate?
And how can we help people to better
absorbtheir experience in these virtual places?
We need sonic peace.
People need to have a gentle soundscapeto really
experiencethe world that they've chosen to get into.
Voice first.
(07:37):
Technology creates a unique opportunityto market differently.
And seeing as post-Covid is different.
It's massively important for companiessuch as e-commerce
to pay attentionto what voice and sound has to offer.
With brick and mortar functioningin a much different way than pre 2020.
Those that have goods to sellneed to be seen.
(07:59):
However, site isn't the all endsall of shopping nowadays.
Before Covid, smart speakersand smart technology
was just starting to see a rise.
I can tell you from an insider perspectivethat amidst Covid,
it has boomed forwardat an exponential rate.
What was alreadypredicted to be the technology to watch
has accelerated all expectationsand companies are not just watching,
(08:24):
but implementing said technologyinto their advertising.
But like my friends said earlier,
we need to be mindful of the soundswe are making.
What purpose does it serve?
Because sometimes silence is golden.
Take this opportunity to heart,but don't turn it into more noise.
(08:44):
If you do,then I think you've missed the point.
Everything is fighting for sonic attention
that we've lost the abilityto hear deeply into our world.
And frankly,that's one of our superpowers.
Our ability to hear and discernbetween all these different things.
We can hear things that we can't even see.
You can tap on a door and you can tellwhat that door is made of.
(09:05):
You know, that's pretty amazing.
I think it's really importantthat we get our soundscape back
and we become ahigh fidelity society again.
We are becoming more and more a screenless society.
We're doing things.
We're having conversations.
Our hands are full with kidsand their schoolwork
and our work and making dinner.
(09:25):
All we want is a lousy t shirt.
Why can't we just say, Alexa,find me a medium black t shirt
and have the robotdo the culling, suggesting and ordering.
We as people are creatures of habit,but we also allow for changes.
Give us something to add to our routinethat is relevant
and we can adopt and adapt quickly.
Sounds can be learnedin the example of the black t shirt.
(09:48):
Tones could be memorized, guiding them,giving them the utility that they need
to help them figure outwhich black t shirt they want to buy.
With the technology now available.
The sky truly is the limit right now.
There is so much space for creativityand discovery in sound advertising
that we can't possibly rationalize itall right now.
(10:09):
But we can dream and we can experiment.
Sound and marketing is changingand evolving in real time.
Are you listening?
Thanks to Charles Balderston and JerremyLoesser for their great conversation.
More behind the scenes
sound bites from themwill be popping up later on in the season.
For sure.
Thank you.
(10:29):
Also to free clip sounds for thesprinkling of flavor here and there.
I also had a fun time creatingthe black T-shirt and leather jacket.
Sounds to illustrateare already colorful conversation.
For more on sound in marketing,check out SoundInMarketing.com,
where I listlots of my resources and sources.
I also have courses on sonic brandingand sound in marketing fundamentals.
(10:51):
Contact me directlyand I'll hook you up with a discount.
All links will be provided in the shownotes.
Let's make this world of soundmore intriguing, more unique, and
more and more on brand.
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