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The Sonic Boom
How Sound Transforms the Way We Think, Feel, and Buy
1 of 1 copy available
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
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
October 21, 2014 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780544230361
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780544230361
- File size: 2185 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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November 1, 2014
Composer Beckerman and Gray (The Hit Charade) give readers both a primer on how to better use their ears and a glimpse into how companies apply sound to entice customers and to create a more fulfilling experience of their products. The title of the book refers to what the authors call a "boom moment"--something that happens in our brains that causes certain sounds to evoke memories, feelings, and expectations. The text is full of examples of how marketers employ sound to produce these moments (the sizzle of Chili's fajitas, the reverberation of a Mac starting up), thereby distinguishing and enhancing their brand. The authors also detail the creative process behind matching sound and music to a product. Similar in style to Jonah Berger's Contagious: Why Things Catch On and Chip Heath and Dan Heath's Made To Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, the authors use a combination of real-world examples and explanations of the science behind them to underscore the influential power of sound. VERDICT A fast and provocative read that will appeal to a wide, general audience, especially those interested in the psychology of marketing.--Sara Holder, McGill Univ. Libs., Montreal
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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August 25, 2014
In this informative book, sonic branding strategist Beckerman with Gray explore how businesses can use “the power of sound” to shape customers’ moods and judgments. The book’s strength lies in the specificity of its examples: the restaurant chain Chili’s triggered Americans’ hunger by amping up the sizzle of fajitas; Disney creates “fake quiet”—a soundscape of birds and forest sounds—to help people feel they are somewhere magical. Because sounds drive emotions, Beckerman encourages readers to be intentional (and, of course, using the buzz word of the day, “strategic”) about their “sonic branding.” Even small companies can make low-cost sonic decisions, like being thoughtful about what overhead music they play and considering the noise their shop’s front door makes, that will potentially improve their bottom line. This book is directly aimed at corporations, fund-raisers, and party planners, but shoppers, donors, and partygoers should also read it to learn about how their decisions are being affected by the soundscapes in which they are immersed.
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