Marketing frequency and the Silent Whistle
The range of frequencies that can be heard by humans is from 20 to 15,000 Hz. Dogs can hear from 40 to 60,000, and cats from 55 to 79,000.
So what does marketing have to do with frequency? If you want to be heard and stand out from hundreds of messages that bombard our sensitive ears, then you’ve got to find a frequency where only your voice can be heard. Easier said than done.
Dogs are trained with “dog whistles” that generate sound at frequencies higher than what humans can hear. Dogs can then react without distraction. A perfect scenario for us marketers.
Imagine a “product whistle” where only your message can be heard. Imagine being able to neutralize the ambient noise of the competition and have target customers drool at the sound of your product.
In 1957, James Vicary claimed that briefly flashing the messages “Drink Coca-Cola” and “Hungry - Eat Popcorn” increased sales of Coke and popcorn by 18% and 58%, respectively. The claims and the research were a hoax.
There are myriad marketing tools at our disposal. Some fall into the category of a hoax, like claims that you can get a top Google ranking for a few hundred dollars. As the New York Lotto tagline goes, “All you need is a dollar and a dream.”
It is not one tool or another, or a high frequency that can only be heard by your clients that is going to grow your business. What is required is a well-balanced, well thought-out marketing strategy that will get you more hits and higher conversions - a process, not a set-it-and-forget-it approach. You can bet that just when you think you have the right frequency dialed in, someone or something is going to infiltrate it and create confusion with buyers.
Marketing can’t be put on autopilot, but it is very much like flying a plane where continuous minor adjustments enable the plane to stay the course. And, speaking of planes, here’s an example of sheer brilliance - dialing-in a frequency where only you can be heard often requires creative and different approach to what has been done before. Take something that is inherently boring, or scary, and put a smile on everyone’s face. Click HERE for a silent-whistle that is making a loud noise around the world.