Influencing Branding Through Sound: A Conversation with Howard Lim - Part 1

“For example, like, even commercials, there’s that one commercial for the Indian casinos. And my wife loves the song, and she knows it’s actually a singer that’s produced it. And she always thinks about that casino, you know, she doesn’t gamble, but every time she hears that song, it goes back to that feeling like, oh yeah, it’s about the good time. It’s about, you know, gambling, right? So now we’re moving to association. So, the sound has a lot of association to, um, that, to that ‘expectation’ or the actual experience itself.” – Howard Lim   This episode’s guest is an award-winning business and brand architect who designs businesses from the inside out. He’s a disruptive innovator who shifts paradigms, and his boutique, full-service firm, How Creative, partners with business owners worldwide to develop and execute world-class, leading businesses and authentic brands. He’s been a highly sought-after speaker, author, and organization advisor for over thirty-five years, and he’s represented everyone from emerging entrepreneurs to established Fortune 100 companies, including Apple, Disney, Paramount, Xerox, Oracle, Cirque du Soleil, Mattel, AT&T, and HP. His contributions have added billions to clients’ profits while increasing both brand value and company equity. His name is Howard Lim, and in this discussion, we’ll be getting his perspective on how the large companies he’s worked with are using sound for better brand recognition and to make deeper connections with their potential clients. We’ll also find out where he thinks companies could take this into the future. Things are changing fast these days, so keep listening so you can learn what you can do to keep ahead of the game. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts.   (0:00:01) - Influencing Branding Through Sonic Sound The first half of our conversation starts as Howard shares what a childhood crush and a memorable Bob Dylan song taught him about the power of sound. “Every time I heard that song it put me back in that space and that time and that exact location,” he says. “So music has definitely influenced my experiences and my memories.” Our discussion turns to his recent work with retailers in creating the right soundscape, and he tells us more about the subtle, almost subliminal, impressions that sound can make on shoppers. “A lot of people confuse marketing, for example, with branding, and marketing is much more tactical,” Howard explains. “It happens on a subconscious level. They might not think that they’re ready for it, but believe me, it’s happening to them. They’re just unaware of it.” (0:15:24) - Challenges With Dialogue in Surround Sound We talk about the recent trend toward over-mixing audio in cinema, and Howard points out the trouble with relying too much on Foley effects and post-production. “They didn’t figure to, like, edit a certain part of the dialogue,” he notes, “so some of it gets static and it’s like, why is it staticky? Obviously, someone didn’t work on that part of the dialogue, that segment of the dialogue, and you can really hear the difference.” He does share one experience with sound...