Advertisers
have appealed to our sense of hearing for years when presenting food in
commercials through multimedia such as TV., radio and in some
countries in Europe the captive audience is reached at the cinema where
10 to 15 minutes of commercials precede the featured movie.
Some years ago, at the risk of disclosing my vintage, the producers
of Folgers' Coffee and Mrs. Olson, who purportedly was Scandinavian,
appealed to our sense of hearing by perking coffee at a most
appealing rhythm. Mrs. Olson always had the coffee ready for
visitors; it was a perking welcome for all. For years I thought that Folgers'
Coffee was good because it was European. Likewise, Rice Crispies had
a most successful number of years selling a cereal that
"snapped, crackled and popped." In Europe Marabou chocolate
appeals to our sense of hearing through non- verbal communication
such as "Mmmnn." One of the most appealing commercials in
the summer time is the sound of coke cascading, fizzing and swishing
melodiously over ice to fill up a tall glass. And so the list goes
on.
The sound of food is appealing and can be an unconscious factor in our
choice of products. Food elicits a particular sound when we bite into it.
A strawberry should be plump, juicy and ripe when we bite into it, a
carrot should crunch and chips should sound "crisp." A good sausage
should snap when we bite into it. Even the sound of the package plays a
roll in our choice of products. My dog always comes running when I open a
package of chips, because the bag rustles and crackles and sometimes it is
darn difficult to open the ruddy bag quietly. By the time I have opened
the bag of chips everyone in the house knows I have been hiding the snacks
again. It is the advertisers intent to create product awareness through
whatever method possible, and sound is a predominant factor.
An effective technique in sales promotion through sound is its appeal to
our sense of safety. When a mother opens a jar of baby food, it is
important to her that she hears that safe "snap or click" when she opens the
jar. It tells her that
the jar was sealed and that the contents are safe for her child to
eat.
For some products, such as cereals, it is a sign of quality control when the
product is crunchy and crispy. In Africa we used to buy soft crackers
which seemed revolting until we put them in the oven to dry them out and return the
crispy sound and flavor. The taste was the same, they just sounded
"crispy." Likewise, soft potato chips probably taste just
fine, but they do not sound right. When you open a can of beer and the tab
just comes off without a "click" our first reaction is that it is
flat. When pulling the cork from a bottle of wine, it must pop, or we check
the cork to see if there is anything wrong before we taste the wine.
One form of quality control by the consumer is through sound.
Sound expectation of food is important, as it stimulates our other sense
such as sight, taste and smell. We sometimes forget that the "sound of
food" is important in our every-day lives and food served at home.
Have you ever thought about salad that talks to us? What if the salad
looked good but the lettuce was limp, the cucumbers were soft and the
tomatoes mushy? How would we react? The vegetables may look fine, taste
fine and smell right, but the sound does not fit, therefore, we think
it does not taste good. When the strawberries first came on the market last
spring, I bought some which looked large, red and plump. What a shock
when I bit into the strawberry and it sounded like I was biting into a
crisp, juicy apple! It was not at all what I had expected.
While our expectations may remain the same as far as food is concerned, as
long as we are conscious of the marketing techniques and strategies
advertisers use to entice us to purchase certain products, we can
become better consumers. Sound of food is perhaps one of the senses which has
not been developed to its full potential. So, Consumers be informed, be
alert and beware! Enjoy your next shopping trip to the supermarket as a more
informed consumer.
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