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The Store Channel

The best way to feel a brand is to hear it.

By Mark Murray

As we’re all shopping (or perhaps “auditing”) stores filled with the sounds of the season, it’s a good time to talk sound. Believe me when I tell you - sound is the greatest missed opportunity in creating a branded shopping experience. If you doubt me, just imagine the sound of those Salvation Army bells above the hustle of shoppers and the occasional coins clanking in those red kettles. Feels good doesn’t it? I also smell chestnuts but that’s for a future post.

Since I’m in a holiday mood, I won’t drag out the research to suggest longer stays, bigger tickets and more frequent visits. It’s all there if you need it to get things started in your company. So don’t cry on Santa’s lap, I’m here to let you know there’s a painless solution. In fact, it just might be the most revealing journey into your brand to date. It was for me.

The first thing to realize when venturing into sonic branding is you’ve entered the world of buying an “original”.

Retail loves to issue purchase orders for items we competitively bid, understand and prototyped. For us, Talent Acquisition is Human Resources. In the world of sonic branding you’re actually “Acquiring Talent” - commissioning composers, musicians and the producers you’ve chosen to create the sound for your brand and shopping experience. It’s personal, emotional and you can’t help but develop a special relationship with the people that give your brand “voice”.

I was fortunate to find the person and company that was more than deserving of the challenge. Her name is Audrey Arbeeny and the company is Audiobrain. Well I say fortunate - it wasn’t a hard choice once you learn of their NBC Olympics Emmy™ and the host of blue chip clients that range from an X-Box 360 to a global cruise line.

Ms Arbeeny is demanding, uncompromising, persistent and totally consumed with the challenge of translating words on a page into the perfect melody, instrumentation and arrangements. It’s also what she demands of her team.

What she asks of you is a truly refined list of brand qualities, personality and tremendous detail on how you want the customer to feel as they move through your stores. It’s a great sense of collaboration. At the same time, it’s a constant comfort to know that it’s her responsibility (not yours) to determine what words like “savvy” and “inspiring” sound like.

Throughout the process you’re reminded of the difference between buying something and truly creating something. For me, it was therapeutic, exhausting and fulfilling at the same time. You also come to realize that a “retail channel” of top forty songs spanning decades or a techno dance mix is at best a sloppy interpretation of what sound can be in a shopper experience – essentially, what sound can do to make you as distinctive as you hope to be in the minds of your customers.

Here’s a quick tour to let you know how fast and easy the folks at Audiobrain make it:

1. Moodboards: Audiobrain producers and composers take you through a series of musical selections based on the specific brand attributes you provided. You’re asked to rank them. It’s like a day on the examining table with the Audiobrain team of doctors nodding, raising eyebrows and asking an occasional question.

2. Exlporatories: Soon after you’re presented several “exploratories” - 2 to 3 minutes each. Before hearing each exploratory Audrey reads an excruciatingly detail description of each instrument, phrase and it’s reference to your Moodboard selections. It’s nothing less than a ceremony and your first realization that “art” and “science” can live on more than a college diploma.

3. Versioning: Having selected a hero direction, we get into the time, space and feeling for each zone in the store. Now it’s time to let the fun begin. We determine timing, transitions and placement. In addition, they’re able to tackle the usual obstacles of overlapping spaces, staff repetition and a range of tastes based on shopper demography.

As you continue through the process, you can’t help but wonder why every retailer with a store and/or website doesn’t embark on sonic branding. The cost is small compared to visual merchandising and digital investments. The power of music and its effect on our emotions cannot be over-stated. And last but not least, you already have a sound system just waiting for something powerful to play.

So, at this time of giving I would suggest your stores, shoppers, staff and brand deserve it’s own sound for 2012? You can make a quick call to your music provider and see if they have a sonic branding group. Or, explore the handful of audio branding firms that work with environments (not a jingle company). But do it before Dean Martin sings White Christmas one more (please God no) time.

Happy Holidays.