Sound systems perfectly stage products and brands

Sales aids that stimulate the senses of customers are becoming more and more important. Visual marketing alone is no longer enough. Nothing should be left to chance, even when it comes to music. After all, a professional music concept doesn’t just improve the brand experience, it also increases the time customers spend in front of the shop window or in the store.

Store designers often think only visually, which is why retail store sound systems are rather neglected during the planning process despite the fact that the right music complements the brand identity and creates a specific brand atmosphere together with the store design. The prerequisite is that store design and the sound system harmonize and loudspeakers are mounted inconspicuously.

The store window is the key to a customer’s decision to enter a store. That’s why the Feonic Company has specifically designed a technology that transforms store windows into a single speaker surface to make music audible right in front of the store. Big and bulky loudspeakers are a thing of the past because the trademarked “Whispering Window“ technology features compact micro-vibration audio drives that are mounted on the inside surface of the display window.

"The way that Feonic creates sound is very different from the traditional electro-mechanical actuators and speaker based systems that you will have come across in the past. Instead of using a moving coil and magnet we use a really powerful smart material to deliver a micro-vibration of around 20 microns (half a human hair) to deliver a bandwidth of 80Hz - 20KHz when driving a resonant panel – i.e. a window.  A traditional actuator or speaker would require a vibration of over 2000microns to achieve the same result at 80Hz", explains Brian Smith, Design Director at Feonic Limited.

According to Smith, retailers are among the most creative users. Whether it’s live events, lectures, small concerts or spontaneous pop-up gigs – through window communication stores have been staged to great effect.

According to a study by RMS – Instore Research International, the use of Whispering Windows boosts the attractiveness and interaction with the store window by 56 percent. Smith explains: "'Glancers' (i.e. less than 2 seconds of interaction) increased by 58 percent and 'Stoppers and Lookers' (i.e. more than 3 seconds of interaction) increased by 49 percent. Footfall and sales increase consistently by 40 – 50 percent in the first week of a campaign. These statistics have been repeated by our customers regularly in different regions of the world."

The music that plays on the sales floor does not only need to match the product but also needs to fit the target audience. These days, a background music concept goes far beyond easy listening music. Shopping is meant to be an experience. That’s why sales areas and products, for instance, can be systematically reinforced with a Sound Shower.