HSS -Appropriate Audio for Effective Networks
26 July 2004
By Faye Wakefield
aka staff
Audio used with screen networks has been proved to capture people's attention and draw them to the screens - but it can also irritate customers and staff alike. No surprise therefore, that CAN operators are searching for the perfect solution : appropriate audio without the irritation factor.
Museum visitors receive pinpoint audio with Hypersonic Sound
How appropriate audio is for a particular network is a subjective matter and depends on a number of factors such as the type of venue, visitors' purpose in coming to the site, dwell time, and screen content.
Audio has been demonstrated to be an asset to in-store TV networks. For example, Peter Jones' department store in Sloane Square, London, experienced 40% sales uplift within the electrical department, when they used the FeONIC Whispering Window system for a 3-week temporary network..
On the other hand, other experiences have demonstrated that unsuitable or inappropriate audio can be more damaging than no sound at all. For example the Camelot Lotto network were aware that audio has been shown to increase sales of their products; but were also aware that many staff were turning off the audio used to accompany their screen messages, complaining of irritating repetition. Camelot are therefore currently investigating more appropriate solutions
The recent network trial at The Mall shopping centre Epsom, UK, demonstrated that calming background music positively lifted the appeal of the screen network in hall tests - whereas the original soundtrack of short, spiky sounds with high repetition levels provoked negative impressions amongst viewers
This report takes a closer look at the techniques and methods used in a variety of screen networks to find the happy combination of effective and attractive audio. In situations where audio is not appropriate or not permitted, networks are challenged to find other techniques to enhance the visual and turn the lack of audio into an asset.
Hypersonic Sound, pushing technological boundaries
Hypersonic Sound (HSS) is the brainchild of veteran self-taught engineer and inventor Woody Norris, who has invented numerous audio gadgets across his illustrious 4-decade career. His 'ideal solution' has been in the making for the past 10 years.
The HSS system can be applied in conjunction with audio only systems, or in support of screen networks. Safeway Grocery Stores in the USA use the HSS system in conjunction with their in-store network, with the objective of drawing people's attention to the screens.
The feature of the technology is that the audio stream can be pinpointed so precisely that there is virtually no overspill of sound; one person standing next to another will not be able to hear what they can. A variety of sounds can be emitted including music, rain forest noises, or the opening of a can of cola.
HSS claim to be on the point of engagement with some major brands and have units in trial at McDonald's currently. Sony has signed up to distribute the units in Europe. Gateway is considering including the technology in its televisions, and General Dynamics is installing the system in the public address systems of U.S. Navy ships.
The system has been dubbed an advertisers' dream solution for out of home networks - but could equally be considered an invasion of privacy, even boarding on the Minority Report experience. The film Minority Report, includes a scene where Tom Cruise enters a shopping centre and is addressed directly by name by a presenter on an in-store network screen who advises him on products he should buy. At the moment retailers, staff and audiences seem to be happy with HSS. It's future lies in the hands of the users ie retailers and advertisers, who have to be careful not to cross the line and irritate target customers.
Innovative audio technology
HSS works by generating a very narrow laser like beam of ultrasound waves, with a frequency of 20 000Hz, which is at the upper limit of what the human ear can detect. What enables the sound to be so precisely directed is the distortion of the sound waves as they travel through the air. This is the mechanism that generates the audible sound and breaks the ultrasound waves into lower frequency, enabling them to travel along a straight narrow path.
The motion sensitive emitters beam the audio signal into a defined area which can be as small as a few square ft or as large as tens of square ft.
In-store use of HSS
Safeway Grocery Store in the USA target sound to a defined rectangle of some 14 ft by 3 ft in the check out lanes, which equates to the size of 4-5 shopping trolleys
Harbour Digital Services Group, one of the largest digital signage and narrowcasting companies in the US, introduced HSS to its Safeway installation to complement the in-store TV network. Harbour considers the solution to be 'best in class' for this environment. </b.Jeff Dahlstrom Vice President at Harbour Digital Services Group, comments "Many in-store TV projects have been killed in the past due to poorly used audio, but this solution isolates its listener, cuts through 'pink noise' and doesn't conflict with other sound systems." He adds that the effectiveness of audio is similar to broadcast TV : "If the sound is on mute the visuals are not as effective"
Staff Approval
To measure the effectiveness of the HSS system a number of studies have been conducted including focus groups, which produced a generally positive reaction to the network, with participants describing it as "non-intrusive" and "more effective to the retailer as a whole". Results have not yet been published, but it is known that staff expressed a high approval level of the audio service
The technology is being developed further, with plans to make the units smaller, the sound crisper, and emitter cheaper. Currently one unit is around $1000, but with a target price point of less than $100 per unit which will make the systems much more accessible to a wider client base. |
