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© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany 2018
Claudia Linnhoff-Popien, Ralf Schneider and Michael Zaddach (eds.)Digital Marketplaces Unleashedhttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-49275-8_20
20. The Last Step Remains Analogue…
Joachim Kistner1
(1)Sonus GmbH, Baden-Baden, Germany
Joachim Kistner
Email: [email protected]
20.1 What Is the Status Quo of Multimedia in Open Spaces?
The availability of networks with great data volumes and the increasing usage of smart devices for information and communication offer new possibilities to approach customers. They can be reached through personalized hardware (mobile phone, tablet) or public devices (digital‐signage displays).
Hence, it is possible to selectively target people or certain groups in public spaces. Until now this form of communication is mainly done through purely visual content. Personalized messages can’t be distributed acoustically in public spaces without harming ones privacy. Therefor, the possibility to approach people acoustically within the boundaries of their privacy zone is not yet given.
The deliberate application of sound and acoustic communication is a promising addition in the dialogue of brands. Nevertheless, it has mostly been neglected due to the missing expertise regarding acoustics in public spaces.
In certain cases efforts have been made to change this situation. Brand rooms of automotive companies (Audi) and fashion stores (Abercrombie and Fitch) already apply sound in a consequent and active manner at the Point of Sale, in order to emotionally charge their brands [1] and to improve the atmosphere of the store. Steering and usage of these applications is currently limited to local systems.
The increasing availability of networks with great data volumes allows for new applications like “ambient‐sensitive” installations. The Internet of Things constitutes the prerequisite to collect data through sensors, which measure location specific parameters like climate, temperature and sounds of the environment. These sensors are able to collect information as BIGDATA through the Internet and analyze them. If needed the generated data can be used for dynamic real time steering of atmospheric conditions in the room, including acoustic elements for advisory, communication and retail spaces.
The implementation of these sensors demands, besides networks and data processing know how, also a specific expertise regarding the acoustic layout of rooms and the principles of the impact of sounds on humans.
20.2 How Do We Hear?
The ear is never asleep and is always ready to analyze offered contents and translate them into immediate reactions. All acoustic events are on the one hand perceived through hearing and but also the body. In this context our ear works as sensor. Mainly the dynamics of air pressure in the low and high frequency areas are perceived. Evolutionary determined, the ear has the greatest sensitivity for frequencies of human speech, as this is the most dominant communication channel. But also the human body is able to feel acoustic events with very low frequencies but high intensities as waves and vibrancies. Consequently we can hear through sensoric and tactile perceptions.
20.3 How Do We Process Acoustic Events?
At first, collected information is neutrally forwarded to two different brain areas. The process of differentiating happens through the absolute volume of the sound varying between the perception threshold and the pain threshold, and the dynamic of the sound (the difference in volume between the experienced sound relative the loudness of the environment).
The brain stem, responsible for essential life functions and instincts, evaluates acoustic impressions immediately according to the sound dynamics (difference in sound volume). This (archaic) component is responsible for the direct, not reflected, unanalyzed reaction and leads to the release of hormones like noradrenalin and endorphin. The process happens instantly and can’t be humanly influenced. In a way, our body is powerless regarding the reaction on acoustic events. We can’t quit the hormonal reaction or deliberately influence it. Our brain gets information about acoustic events through the limbic system. It recognizes, analyses and processes the structure, as well as the content of the acoustic signal.
Recognition effects, associations and impressions emerge, which lead to differing emotional states. This process only takes a couple of milliseconds and after the successful analyses and resulting findings a “controlled” reaction of our organism happens.
The consequences of these two differing processes can be displayed through the following examples of the drippy water‐tap at night and the burst of a balloon:
Regarding their perception, both acoustic events have something in common: an immediate, impulsive and intensive change in the loudness of the environment. This leads, despite the completely different volume of the sound, to an uncontrollable startling condition due to the spontaneous initiated release of hormones as archaic relict of our brain. In this case a warning parameter for the immediate escape (escape, protection) …
The reaction to steady and uniform acoustic events with only slight changes does occur in a completely different manner. The human hearing sense reacts in this case with slow, diminishing sensitivity. This process resembles a protection function of our body through a gradually familiarization to avoid damages of our hearing sense.
Sound events with language contents are again processed differently. Even in cases of foreign or unclear language fragments the brain tries to convert and establish a sense full context, without a deliberate order. Compared to “looking away”, “not listening” is almost impossible. Trying to ignore sounds demands high concentration efforts. Therefor, irrelevant information in the surrounding of communication spaces (office, retail, advisory) is experienced as highly annoying and disturbing.
Nevertheless, unpleasant sound and speaking can be covered by nice, monotonous acoustic events. Through these “Markers” not only discretion, but also an improvement of the atmosphere of the room can be achieved.
From these findings, the basic rules for acoustic design of rooms with good conditions for communication – and selling‐processes – can be derived.
20.4 Room Acoustics
Insufficient acoustic conditions in advisory – and sales situations in the surrounding of valuable products and services are experienced as huge annoyance, from the personnel and customers. Research of Dr. Meis, Hörzentrum Oldenburg and Dr. Schlittmeier [2, 3] from the year 2010, shows a correlation of the experienced disturbance intensity through different sources and inappropriate acoustics conditions of the room.
A pleasant acoustic surrounding does not imply, that the optimal value for background noises should be zero. This accounts analogous for the conditions of light, temperature and humidity. For communication, retails and advisory spaces the following qualitative room conditions should be pursued: Assurances of adjusted room acoustics to room size,
geometry, division and furnishing with acoustic appropriate materials of the room limiting space
Assurance of sufficient discretion between the specific relevant areas
Avoidance of the “waiting room” effect
20.5 Acoustic Irradiation
The application of background acoustics is an established practice for the further improvement of the atmosphere of the room. Usually, target group specific music is played in the entire space. Although this might be an effective practice for a young target group in case of a minimum quality level, for the segment of high value services, products and advisory situations it is controversially discussed and can be counterproductive.
The ability of association, often leads to an immediate connection of the played music program to a certain experience in life, which can result in an entirely different emotional evaluations of the customers. While one might start to dance to the played music and is enthusiastic to buy a product, another associates the same music with a very sad event and leaves the store. Neither represents a good foundation for a concentrated and intensive advisory conversation with the employees of the store.
Therefore, the usage of recognizable music titles and artists needs to be seen with great cautions. An alternative measure, to positively influence the acoustical quality of rooms has already been established in the 1950’s: “functional music”. Adjusted to the hour of the day, suitable rhythms are used, which in spectral inconspicuous, unrecognizable compositions establish a homogenous sound landscape. This is a measure, which is still applied in many department stores and office buildings.
Still, many suppliers and users unfortunately work with the easiest technologies and low quality contents, which lead to a generally negative evaluation of acoustic measures and actions by employees and customers [4]. “Departmentstore radio” and “elevator music” are the generally known synonyms, which describe a bad atmospheric quality.
Today, due to the available products for room‐ and electroacoustic and the knowledge about the applicability and relevance, acoustic applications of high quality are possible. They increasingly become an important element in the creation of high quality rooms for information and retail.
20.6 What Do We Want to Hear, What Are We Supposed to Hear?
Besides the usage of state of the art technologies, new approaches regarding the sound content have been established in order to create acoustically active rooms.
For leading companies “Sound Design” is an essential tool of brand communication. Sound is increasingly becoming an element of multi sensoric brand communication. The creation of content has become a crucial component in the process improving the atmospheric quality of brand rooms not only through the profane play of music, but also to integrate further functions in the played contents, which lead to an improvement of the room atmosphere, acoustic discretion and help to convey brand values [1, 5]. Influencing and guiding the customer journey is one of the added values, which a high quality sound installation can provide.
Since many years, audio designer and composer create sounds together for different applications and investigate the reactions of these measures on their customers. The composed contents can be played through loudspeaker technologies, which can be integrated in the room almost invisibly.
Today, highly efficient loudspeaker technologies can be integrated into walls and ceiling to work optically and acoustically inconspicuously. Sounds can be distributed broad and evenly or highly focused. Therefor, even in very small rooms, different acoustic information can be played at the same time without disturbing each other.
The Internet of Things allows for new possibilities for the distribution and control of acoustic contents for sales‐ and advisory rooms. The connection of IT and Content‐Distribution enables the application of “ambience sensitive” room creation through the coupling of local sensors and BIGDATA information for the dynamic adjustment of contents in real time.
The following case studies describe, from an acoustical point of view, three different solution approaches. For different rooms sizes and customer needs, holistic solutions have been realized and reached the following results: Improvement of the atmosphere of the room through customized room acoustics and usage of active background sounds
Creation of situation specific incentives through passive media consumption or interactive influencing of available digital contents
Active support of marketing initiatives through the dynamic adjustment of room conditions
Case 1 (Medium Sized Room with Interactive Sound Irradiation)
Location: The customer information center of an internationally operating specialty chemicals producer in Frankfurt‐Hoechst (Fig. 20.1). In 2013, the first application of an interactive installation of this kind was realized. The usage scenario of 30m2 demanded the implementation of the following functions: Up to 4 single person or a small groups should be able to interactively use and consume digital contents, which are available through a touch wall, while images, graphs and videos are played simultaneously with corresponding sound. Further they should not disturb each other.
Fig. 20.1Frankfurt Hoechst, Consumer Information Center
The necessary sound installation was invisibly integrated in the room context, which is also responsible for the room’s acoustic conditioning. Through the combination of an appropriate room condition, integration of suitable acoustic products and an actively steered controlling technique, the desired scenario has been realized: the simultaneous interactive usage of digital contents in a small room without reciprocal disturbance.
Case 2: Personal Media Solution
Due to the availability of mobile communication devices and digital services, the supply of personalized, individual media contents in public spaces is possible at any time. Nevertheless, the “acoustically added value” of digital information demands the usage of earplugs, to consume personal contents discreetly without the disturbance of others. This application unfortunately leads to an acoustic isolation of the consumer. The response or perception of other acoustic signals is almost impossible. The demand for personalized information and discrete communication without personal isolation can be satisfied through the following solution:
A piece of furniture, which has the ability to play visual and acoustic contents discretely and focused. Via permanently installed or BYOD devices (tablet or smartphone) the visual content is offered and an integrated “acoustic shower” is responsible for the acoustic component (Fig. 20.2). The connection of the consumer to the environment remains. Brand messages or information can be communicated individually and focused without disturbing the surrounding environment.
Fig. 20.2Application of sound showers in a museum – www.soundbuoy.com
20.7 A Future Scenario
The retail space of a telecommunication products producer is located in premium positions of city centers. Next to services, also products are sold. The store is equipped with multi functional elements on walls and on the ceiling. These elements are invisible for the eye and stocked with several technologies: sensors, which record room data like lightness, temperature, noise of the environment and number of person in the store, and send this data to a data analytics service provider through an intelligent router.
Acoustics and sound technology, but also ambient light, are equally integrated into the room elements and get their steering orders through the same router. Next to the local sensoric data, central or local influences like weather, temperature and time are also taken in consideration as further parameters and used to steer the ambient situation of the retail space dynamically and almost in real time.
The customer enters the room and is greeted with a specific “sound logo” of the company. This sound logo is only hearable in the entrance space and does not represent a disturbance for other people in the room. The r
oom is divided in one or more function spaces, which are supported by a steady play of the brands sound landscape (brand sound). These brand sounds are differentiated for the different zones of the room though content and volume.
Sound landscapes are developed and composed by sound designers for the communication of brand values and aim to induce associations by the employees and customers, which correspond to the targets of the brand communication as well as the acoustic brand recognition. In connection with comfortable sound, adjusted room acoustics allow for a high quality atmosphere and can increase the length of stay of the customer.
Additionally integrated language covering contents lead to an improvement of the discretion in the advisory – and sales situation between employee and client and further allows for more intensive conversations. Product displays inform and entertain clients with targeted contents regarding the product features through focused sound techniques (sound shower/audio focus) in the immediate surrounding of the product, without acoustically disturbing other areas.
Through local steering systems this scenario can be adjusted automatically, according to the current surrounding environment. Simultaneously, the corporate headquarter also has the ability to control the contents in the store or in specific parts of it. Changes of the local or central environmental situation are used for a change in the room entertainment.
Example: A change in the weather condition around the store. It begins to rain.
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