1. What we do Case studiesThe Sound Agency What we doCase StudiesContact usContact us The Sound Agency Ltd 2013To enable media, open in Adobe Reader

2. What we doWhat we do Sound: Powerful yet nonconscious effects Super additivity Case studiesThe Sound Agency Julian Treasure BrandSound expressions Generative soundscapes Ambifier AlchemizerContact us The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 3. What we doSoundContent Sound systemPowerful yet non-conscious effectsNoise sources AcousticsThe Pyramid of SoundSound affects people in four ways.Case studiesPhysiological All our internal rhythms, including heart beat, breathing, hormone secretions and even brain waves, are affected by sound through a process called entrainment. Psychological Sound changes our feelings, moods, psychological states and thus our very perception of reality. Music is very powerful in this, though not unique - for example birdsong makes us feel secure.SoundFlow Our unique SoundFlow model (below), based on the latest pschoacoustic science, underpins all our work, allowing us to harness the power of sound effectively and accurately. Time Pitch DriversDensityCognitive Our ability to think is greatly affected by the sound around us. Productivity is slashed by as much as two thirds in noisy offices.Contact usBehavioural At the simplest level, we move away from unpleasant sound and towards pleasant sound. This makes correctly designed sound crucial in commercial spaces such as shops and restaurants. Many retailers are losing up to 25% of their potential sales by inflicting soundscapes that are accidental, incongruous and hostile. These effects are powerful yet mainly happen without peple being conscious of the process at all. Often there are several processes in play at once. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014Texture Dynamics FunctionFiltersEnvironment People Brand / Values Physiological PsychologicalOutcomesCognitive BehaviouralTo enable media, open in Adobe Reader 4. What we doAuditory contributions to multisensory perception typically take place without people being consciously aware that what they are hearing is influencing their overall product experience.Case studiesSuper additivity Spence and Zampini, 2006Oxford Universitys Professor Charles Spence has been researching the cumulative effects of combining two or more senses, either in congruous fashion (pointing in the same direction) or incongruous (contradicting one another). His groundbreaking methods are experimental and experiential. In the lab, sponsored by major brands, he has experimented with various combinations of visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory and olfactory stimuli. Regarding sound, Spence has found that congruent sound increases the power of visual communication by 1107%, while incongruent sound reduced it by 86%.Contact usIn other words, sound can change the impact of visual communication by an entire order of magnitude, up or down! Spence calls this kind of effect super additivity. It means that the effect of aligning senses is not linear. In this domain, 1 + 1 does not equal 2: the effect of adding congruent sound to vision can add up to more than 10. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 5. What we doThe Sound Agency Case studiesThe Sound Agency is the worlds leading BrandSound consultancy, uniquely combining knowledge and understanding of marketing, communication and the effects of sounds on human beings. The Sound Agency optimises BrandSound. We help our clients to make sound thats congruent and consistent, whether in marketing communication, at point of sale, on the telephone or in soundscapes in shops, showrooms, receptions, offices and other branded spaces. We are the worlds first full-service business sound consultancy, based on a unique, proprietary model of the ways in which sound affects human beings.Consultancy Audits, plans, guidelines, training and workshops help clients integrate the power of sound into their branding and marketing communication. Creative Design, composition, recording, production, compilation and editing of sound, includingplaylists, composed or licensed music, Sonic Logos, voices, synced soundtracks, and our speciality, generative soundscapes for spaces. Delivery Our Ambifier multi-site delivery system is unique. Its robust and cost-effective local decoder boxes can play recorded sound, or generate ever-changing soundscapes all controlled by our powerful but simple web-accessible software.Contact us The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 6. What we doJulian Treasure Case studiesWith almost 30 years of experience in marketing, business, music and sound, Julian is the worlds leading authority on the use of sound in business and the effect of sound on human beings.Julian Treasure is chairman of The Sound Agency, the innovative London-based business sound consultancy. He is also author of the book Sound Business, the first map of the exciting new territory of applied sound for business, and he has been widely featured in the worlds media, including TIME Magazine, The Economist, The Times, UK national TV and radio, and many international trade and business magazines. He is a long-time musician, an international platform speaker on sound, and is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors, the City of London guild for marketing. His four TED talks about sound have been viewed by an estimated four million people.Contact usJulian formerly founded, grew and sold leading UK contract publisher TPD Group, during which time he was chairman of the Association of Publishing Agencies, a director of the Periodical Publishers Association, chairman of PPAinteractive and chairman of the UK governments Digital Content Forum. In 2002 he received the PPA Chairmans Award for services to the UK magazine publishing industry. His client experience includes major projects for Microsoft, Apple, Orange, Lexus, RAC and ITV, as well as the clients of The Sound Agency. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 7. What we doBrandSound Guidelines Case studiesOur proprietary BrandSound model distinguishes eight expressions of a brand in sound. Our skill is to ensure that they all act in harmony, making full use of super additivity and giving the brands we work for maximum competitive advantage.Telephone Voice We consult on call centres and IVR systems, and train staff to achieve quality and consistency.Sonic Logo We create powerful and memorable audio mnemonics.Product Sound We assess, design and measure the sound of products, as well as sounds closely associated with products.Advertising Sound We consult on strategy and content to ensure consistency across campaigns. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014Branded Audio We create podcasts and other audio content to add value to brands.Brand Music We create and/ or license psychoacoustically optimal, stunning music for advertising, events and spaces.Contact usBrand Voice We define, record and train so that all the voices representing a brand are harmonious.Soundscapes We create and deliver beautiful, appropriate and effective soundscapes for public spaces such as shops and offices, using generative sound via our own Ambifier delivery system.To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 8. What we doGenerative soundscapes Case studiesMusic is expensive, fickle and hard to brand. And yet retail sound must be designed because research shows that the benefits are potentially huge in increased sales and improved customer experience.Soundscape Showreel Click here to hear samples of some the scientifically designed generative soundscapes that we have crafted for clients across the globe.The solution is generative sound. Performed live by computer according to algorithms that we design for precise psycho-psychological outcomes, generative soundscapes are relatively association-free; being ever-changing, they dont bore staff or customers with repetition. They can be unique to the brand if custommade, and they are optimally effective because they are designed using our SoundFlow model. Generative soundscapes may emulate natural or urban soundscapes, or simulate musical styles; they are typically played at ambient levels, operating at subconscious level rather than being foreground sound. They may combine recorded clips and purely generated melodies, harmonies or sounds.Contact usOur generative soundscape design service comprises design, creation (including all required recording, editing, production, programming and testing) and installation. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 9. What we do TMCase studiesOur Ambifier generative sound system Is high quality, cost-effective, flexible and simple to install and operate The Ambifier is the worlds first commercial generative sound system. Played live rather than recorded, generative soundscapes flow endlessly and do not repeat themselves. We design them scientifically to create appropriate, effective ambiences that are often used to increase dwell time or productivity, or to reduce stress and fatigue.Contact usThe Ambifier system is the state of the art in delivering flexible, high quality sound of any kind into multiple locations. It uniquely creates stunning generative soundscapes and of course if required it can also play music playlists just like a traditional system. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014The Player performs psycho-acoustically programmed, generative soundscapes live creating them locally in real time, ever changing and never repeating. Players can be standalone or, when connected to the web, each has its own IP address and can be addressed individually or as part of a definable zone or region. The box is small, robust and simple to connect. The Composer is a pro software application that allows sound designers, composers and programmers to create generative soundscapes, downloaded to the Player as patches including samples and instruction sets. The Server is a web-based control application that allows us to schedule soundscapes or playlists, changing timings or even content across any number of remote web-enabled sites at just 30 minutes notice. The secure Server is accessible from any web-enabled device.To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 10. What we doGet a whole new sound system - without getting a whole new sound system! Case studiesMany commercial spaces suffer from low quality sound systems with thin, distorted or downright nasty sound that undermines the brand and degrades the customer experience. Often these systems were installed purely for PAVA and have only later been used to play music or other sound, so they are simply not fit for purpose. Replacing the whole sound system is prohibitively expensive, so what can be done?We custom-configure and then install one Alchemizer device* in your existing system, and the sound is radically improved for a tiny fraction of the cost of replacement. Of course theres a lot more that goes on below the surface: we take one of your loudspeakers and carry out intensive and extensive bench testing on it, as well as analysing your space so that the custom algorithms we program into the Alchemizer produce the best possible effect.At last there is a solution. Our unique Alchemizer combines sophisticated leading-edge hardware with bespoke algorithms programmed by world experts.Contact us The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 11. What we doCase Studies Glasgow Airport Harrods Case studiesBP City of Lancaster Helm Bank Nokia Waldorf Astoria Syon Park Hotel Unibail RodamcoContact usSonae Sierra Capital Shopping Centres Marks & Spencer Fanta Bank Muscat The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 12. What we doGlasgow Airport soundscape Case studiesWith a gentle, ambient soundscape in the common parts of the airport, we improved the customer experience - and sales in the airports shops increased by 3-10%.The challenge Airports are stressful places. Tight deadlines, depersonalisation, encountering the unknown and unfamiliar... These and other factors create stress for most people who enter an airport. Our task was to reduce that stress by using sound. We had only a small number of PA loudspeakers to use, in common areas such as walkways and the departure lounge. The solution We designed a gentle, generative soundscape including birdsong by day and water by night, with uplifting, slow tempo musical elements. Birdsong creates feelings of security and wakefulness, and counteracts the sterile, mechanical feel of an airport. We played the sound on alternate days for three months, at a very ambient level - barely perceptible, and in many cases not consciously noticed by passengers.Contact usThe outcome Customers were almost universally positive, once they noticed the sound. (Only one disliked the sound as she thought a bird was trapped in the building.) We compared till receipts for sound on days against sound off days and found that sales in the shops in the airport rose by between 3% and 10%, depending on the shop; the largest rise of 10% was for the main duty-free shop owned by Heathrow Airport Holdings. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 13. What we doHarrods SOUNDSCAPE | AUDIT | CREATION Case studiesWe have contributed to the establishment of an extraordinary multi-sensory experience which ensures that Harrods remains one of the worlds true retail destinations in its own right. Harrods Toy Kingdom SoundscapesContact usHarrods Luxury Glassware Soundscape The Sound Agency Ltd 2014The challenge Harrods is a diverse and heterogenous soundscape, comprising seven floors of over 90 departments with more than 150 discrete spaces. There was no defined sound strategy: sound systems varied from room to room, many noise sources were present, and in many rooms staff were bringing in their own music to play on standalone CD players. The result was a patchwork of variable and often inappropriate sound. The solution Initially, we audited the entire store over five days, measuring, recording and critically assessing soundscapes in several hundred carefully chosen locations. From this data, we produced a comprehensive report, which highlighted every existing issue, described the action required to solve it, and also yielded a detailed Sound Strategy for the store. This defined 140 zones and gave detailed recommendations for dozens of playlists and generative soundscapes. The outcome The Sound Agencys work in The Toy Kingdom is a first for the retail landscape in terms of scope and creativity. Its launch was a great success, both externally via overwhelmingly positive media coverage and internally from endorsement at CEO level. We have successfully demonstrated the potential for well-designed sound in the retail environment as an alternative to generic music and contributed to the establishment of an extraordinary multi-sensory experience in the store. The Sound Agency beat stiff international competition to claim the 2012 Audio Branding Award for its work in Harrods Toy Kingdom.To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 14. What we doBP soundscape Case studiesOur birdsong-based soundscapes in BPs five star bathrooms have had a major impact on customer satisfaction ratings of service stations.The challenge BP found from customer research that its service station bathrooms were the source of great dissatisfaction, doing great damage to the overall customer experience. The solution The company wanted to trial a new concept: five-star bathrooms, including improved cleanliness, pleasing decor with large colourful nature pictures - and a relevant soundscape. We worked with the global brand marketing and innovation team and created a generative soundscape of psychoacoustically adapted birdsong, designed to elicit feelings of open space, security, alertness and a connection with nature. We delivered the soundscape with Ambifier decoders using Flash cards to store the audio.Contact usThe outcome Trials in Austria, Spain and the UK showed that customer satisfaction in the test sites leapt by 50%, from 6 out of 10 to 9 out of 10. People were coming out of the bathrooms smiling. Birdsong was specifically mentioned by a significant number of interviewees as a factor in their enjoyable experience. BP records this trial as their most successful customer brand experience experiment ever. Five star bathrooms (including the birdsong soundscape) are now rolling out across Europe. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 15. What we doCity of Lancaster soundscape Case studiesThe Sound Agency has brought the relaxing sounds of nature and calming music to the City of Lancaster in California.The City of Lancaster case studyThe challenge The citys Mayor R Rex Parris became interested in The Sound Agencys approach of designing generative soundscapes to produce defined psycho-physiological effects. Mayor Parris saw the opportunity to improve wellbeing and lower crime rates by installing a relaxing soundscape for walkers along Lancasters half mile pedestrian precinct, recently renamed BLVD. The solution The soundscape includes birdsong to produce a feeling of security, gentle water to evoke purity and serenity, and music at half the speed of the typical human heartbeat to entrain people down to a slower pace of movement. The soundscape plays for five hours on weekdays from 9 to 11 am and then again from 1 to 4 pm from more than 70 loudspeakers mounted on poles above BLVDs central parking spaces or hidden inside small green covers among plants along the sidewalk.Contact usThe outcome Media interest has been intense both in the USA and worldwide, with the installation being covered in the press, radio and on prime time TV. Reaction from the citizens of Lancaster has been very positive. I love it. I really do. I wish I could get (the soundtrack) in my store, said Lisa Ballentine, owner of a formalwear shop, while the sheriffs Captain has reported that crime rates have improved since the soundscapes installation. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 16. What we doHelm Bank audit | guidelines | soundscape Case studiesHelm Bank in Colombia has created the worlds first integrated multisensory brand, including every expression of BrandSound.The challenge Colombian banking is very traditional. Banco de Crdito was the most prestigious banking group in the country. With a bold move into retail banking, it rebranded to become Helm, with a worldleading multisensory programme that delivers its brand in all five senses. A bank has many sonic touchpoints. Our task was to create a framework that would make them all consistent with the new brand, and with one another, as well as with the other sensory brand elements, such as fragrance and taste.Contact usThe solution We visited existing branches and the call centre, interviewed senior staff, absorbed everything we could about the old and new brands, and using this data and our SoundMap and SoundFlow tools, we created a complete set of BrandSound Guidelines. We then used those to create a BrandSuite, a Sonic Logo, an on-brand music playlist for offices, two generative retail soundscapes, music on hold, a feature sound delivered via hypersonic speakers in each branch, plus a voice training programme and consultancy on IVR and websound. The outcome The banks top team are delighted with the Guidelines, and with all the sonic expressions of the brand. Helms two test branches went live in August 2009 with superb receptions from staff, customers and even competitors. Customer satisfaction increased from 64% to 90% and new business in the treated branches has almost doubled. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 17. What we doNokia audit / guidelines Case studiesThe worlds leading communications company knows that sound is at the heart of its brand. We are helping to define that sound.The challenge Nokia has one of the strongest sonic assets in the world: across the globe, Nokiatune is played roughly 20,000 times every second. However the global brand team realise that, as the whole brand is in fact centred on sound, a static sonic logo is not enough to rely on for the future. Our tasks were to assess Nokias sonic strengths and weaknesses, and to create a strategy for releasing the full power of sound for the brand.Contact usThe solution We carried out a competitive BrandSound audit covering Nokia and 15 other major global brands. The results showed both strengths and weaknesses, identifying both opportunities and threats. With these results we were able to create BrandSound guidelines for Nokia, and then to deliver detailed Brand Voice definitions and recorded examples, going from the description of the default Brand Voice to the correct pronunciation of Nokia and how to balance local creativity with global consistency. The outcome Nokia can now move forward with clarity and direction. Senior management have now bought into the importance of audio branding and further implementation projects are in the pipeline. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 18. What we doWaldorf Astoria Syon Park Hotel INSTALLATION Case studiesWe created unique historical sound effects, triggered to produce an enchanting experience in sound for guests.The challenge The Waldorf Astoria Syon Park is a brand new five star luxury hotel, built in one of the most historic locations around London, at Syon Park, ancestral home of the Duke of Northumberland. The hotel wanted to give guests something unique that would connect them with the rich and varied history of the site. The solution We wrote and recorded a set of over 100 playlets, each performed by actors with full sound effects, each bringing alive a fragments of sound that might have been heard during the centuries of historic events at Syon Park but none more than a few seconds long. These soundbites are triggered by motion sensors as guests enter either of two corridors, and are delivered by hypersonic loudspeakers, so that they sound as if they are coming from the air right next to ones ears.Contact usThe outcome The guests have been delighted by the intriguing effects. Staff are fully briefed to answer queries and engage in the conversation that ensues. The hotel has a truly unique connection with the past, making a memorable talking point and loyalty generator for the brand. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 19. What we doUnibail Rodamco Consultancy Case studiesWe are working with Europes leading retail property company to create a thorough sound experience in the largest mall in the Nordics.The challenge Unibail-Rodamco is Europes leading retail property company, with a portfolio of 29.3 billion. The company prioritises customer experience as a means to add value and increases revenues. Together with the UR Lab & Concept Studio we are working on the flagship project Mall of Scandinavia in Stockholm to create sound environments that will produce a fantastic customer experience, contributing positively to dwell time, footfall and sales. The solution We carried out an off-plan audit and a workshop for the Mall of Scandinavia team and are producing BrandSound guidelines and a Sound Action Plan for the mall. We are also providing BrandSound consultancy and working alongside the project management team, architects and interior designers until and after completion so as to maximise benefits.Contact usThe outcome We are working closely with the team to incorporate the findings and recommendations as the projects develops. Upon completion, the largest mall in the Nordics will become a reference in designed sound and delight shoppers. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 20. What we doSonae Sierra audits | guidelines Case studiesWe travelled Iberia, auditing a wide variety of shopping centres for Europes leading prestige mall owner and operator.The challenge Sonae Sierra owns or runs many of Europes leading shopping centres. The company is committed to excellent customer experience, and to maximising return for its investors. Its management became aware of our work and wanted to assess how sound was affecting both of these factors. The solution We audited nine of Sonae Sierras malls, from vast urban destinations to more rural centres. We were able to derive some powerful general lessons, as well as many quick wins and specific actions, that will improve both customer experience and return. We derived guidelines for the flagship Colombo mall, and presented our findings and the guidelines to the companys senior management team.Contact usThe outcome The company is now integrating the lessons learned and the guidelines. Many of the actions have already been implemented, and the business plans to roll out the new approach to sound to the whole estate in the years to come. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 21. What we doIntu Properties soundscape Case studiesWe have installed a test soundscape in Intu Watford for this leading UK mall operator.The challenge Intu is one of the UKs leading mall operators and owners. With a portfolio of around 7 billion including household names such as Lakeside, Arndale, Metrocentre and the Trafford Centre, the company has weathered the recession well and is committed to improving customer experience to maximise footfall and dwell time. Commercial Director Trevor Pereira contacted us to carry out a retail soundscape trial. The solution We audited Intu Watford, then carried out our BrandSound workshop for the management team there. Out of that work came a full sound strategy for the centre, including three playlists and a generative soundscape, plus an upgrade to the centres sound system.Contact usThe outcome Customer and staff feedback has been very overwhelmingly positive and were now into a long research phase to establish return on investment. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 22. What we doMarks & Spencer acoustic treatment Case studiesWe transformed the experience of being in a Caf Revive from cacophonous to a pleasing and refreshing ambience. Treated ceiling and walls showing custom absorbersThe challenge M&S was receiving complaints from its customers about the noise levels in its Caf Revives, which at the time of our engagement had just started to be rolled out across the estate. M&S wanted to know if these were justified, and if so what could be done. The solution We audited five Caf Revives and found that noise levels were around double what we would recommend due to the design using almost exclusively hard materials, which were creating high reverberation times. We produced a full report with recommended treatments. We installed three different acoustic treatments in a trial site and assessed the effect of each. We then arrived at a recommended standard mix and installed this in five more cafs.Contact usThe outcome The treated cafs were transformed into pleasant spaces with optimal acoustics - living up to their name at last. As a result of our work, M&S built the recommended treatment mix into its specifications for all new build Caf Revives. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 23. What we doFanta BrandSound communication Case studiesOne of the worlds biggest FMCG brands realised that it needed to align all the senses in order to deliver the customer experience and the marketing effectiveness it required.The challenge Fanta is a global giant, operating in an increasingly competitive market. To stay ahead of its competition, the brand realised that traditional marketing was not enough: it needed to deploy congruent expressions in sound (and scent) in order to create super-additivity. The solution In partnership with BRAND sense Agency, we ran an intensive two-day sensory branding workshop at Fantas headquarters in Atlanta. Through a series of potent interactive exercises, we started to map the rich and exciting possibilities for the brand in sound, allowing us to produce a unique package that contained all the sensory expressions of the brand in physical form, making it easy to communicate the multisensory brand to and engage with key stakeholders, customers and employees.Contact usThe outcome We produced 150 copies of a PlayBox which contains sensory expressions of the brand. We created ideal sounds of Fanta, from sound effects to music, communicating the brands new direction to the extended brand team worldwide. Next steps are to create a suite of Fanta sounds for use in all TVCs, communication and websites, plus a sonic logo. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 24. What we doBank Muscat BrandSound Case studiesWe created soundscapes and a sonic logo for Bank Muscat that expressed its global aspirations while retaining a fierce pride in its culture.The challenge Bank Muscat wanted to improve and differentiate its customer experience in an increasingly competitive market, and at the same time express its revamped brand with a sonic logo that combined a global, accessible feel with clear roots in Omani culture, which is crucial to the banks identity. The solution We created a soundscape for branches based on a relaxing desert wadi, so that customers can enjoy the cool air conditioning with the luxurious sounds of water and gentle music. We also commissioned one of Omans leading popular musicians to create a sonic logo that delivers a global theme with traditional overtones while using both modern and traditional instruments.Contact usThe outcome The banks management are committed to rolling out the soothing soundscape into rural branches. The sonic logo will form part of all the banks advertising, as well as featuring in QMatic devices, ring tones etc. The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader 25. What we doContact us W www.the soundagency.com A 3000 Hillswood Drive, Hillswood Business Park, Chertsey, Surrey. KT16 0RSCase studiesJulian Treasure Chairman E julian.treasure@thesoundagency.com T +44 7973 442200tch Waour chairmans 4TEDtal ksEmiliano Ramos Business Development Manager E emiliano.ramos@thesoundagency.com T +44 20813 30177Download a free chapter of Julians book Sound BusinessContact us The Sound Agency Ltd 2014To enable media, open in Adobe Reader