The Sonic Boom

How Sound Transforms the Way We Think, Feel, and Buy

Joel Beckerman, Tyler Gray

• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9780544230361
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Marketing
• Index: Business

A fascinating study on the influence of sound—and how companies wrangle its power to affect our moods, our shopping habits, and our lives.
 
From movie scores and national anthems to cell-phone dings and squeaky shoes, sound and music impact how we perceive the stories, situations, and products we encounter every day. In The Sonic Boom, composer and strategic sound expert Joel Beckerman reveals sound's surprising power to influence our decisions, opinions, and actions in ways we might not even notice: discordant ambient noise can induce anxiety; ice cream truck jingles can bring you back to your childhood.
 
You don't need to be a musician or a composer to harness the power of sound. Companies, brands, and individuals can strategically use sound to get to the core of their mission, influence how they're perceived by their audiences, and gain a competitive edge. Whether you're a corporate giant connecting with millions of customers or a teacher connecting with one classroom of students, the key to an effective sonic strategy is the creation of "boom moments"—transcendent instants when sound connects with a listener's emotional core.
 
"Equal parts sociological study and business advice, using unique everyday examples—for instance, how the fate of the Chili's fajita empire rested on the sound of the sizzling platter, and how Disneyland approaches soundscapes for a fully immersive experience—to explain how sound effects our mood and shopping habits." — Entertainment Weekly
 
"Music defines us. Joel Beckerman knows. Let him tell you all about it." —Anthony Bourdain
 
" The Sonic Boom reveals the music and structured cacophony of everyday life." —Moby
 

Index

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Page numbers in italics refer to illustration and table.

A

ABC, 66, 105, 108, 118

Ableton Live music software, 88

“active listening,” 3

airline food, 45

alarm sound, 140–41

AM3D audio software company, 71–72

American Beauty (Grateful Dead), 110–11

American Beauty (movie) soundtrack, 93

anechoic chamber/effects, 73–74

Angelou, Maya, 64

Angry Birds, 72

anthems

description, 8, 97

importance, 65

jingles vs., 65

small business and, 99–100, 101

sonic logos and, 8–9, 65

See also AT&T anthem/sonic logo; Univision anthem/sonic logo

anthems (national)

Kosovo and, 109

lyric-less anthems, 109–10

significance of, 110, 115

Spain and, 109–10

“Star Spangled Banner, The,” 109

Apple

AT&T and, 85, 86, 95

Beatles and, 77

brand popularity, 92

missed opportunities, 82–83

See also Mac computer powering up; specific individuals

Arnell, Peter, 91

Arnold Worldwide ad agency, 78

Art of Digital Music, The (Battino and Richards), 88

Ash, Timothy Garton, 110

AT&T

customers’ dropped calls and, 85

mobile devices and, 85, 86, 95, 105

upgrading systems/infrastructure, 86

AT&T anthem/sonic logo

brand reputation and, 85, 86, 96, 105

company values and, 93–96

instruments used, 92, 96

perception within AT&T and, 86–87

process of creating, 89, 90, 91–98

recognition of, 100–101

ringtones and, 97–98

sound importance/story and, 88, 91–92

AT&T flagship innovation store

description, 49

soundtrack for entrance (Man Made Music), 49–50

ATM example, 162–63

authentic...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Introduction
• Night-Vision Goggles for Your Ears
• The Boom Moment
• Sonic Landscapes
• The Principles of Sonic Branding
• Rethinking Possibilities
• Amplifying Messages
• Scoring the Experience
• Creating Boom Moments Every Day
• Hearing Around Corners
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• Index
• About the Authors
• Footnotes