Amplifying the sensations generated by a product through sound: the Ircam amplify challenge

‍Using sound to convey the emotion created by a fragrance

The world of perfume, in particular, is taking a keen interest in Ircam amplify's work: at a time when every major player in the sector is seeking to develop its online sales, how can potential buyers be made to discover the fragrance, so that they feel an emotion comparable to the one they will feel when they smell the perfume? To find out, Ircam amplify conducted a study for IFF, a world leader in fragrance creation.

To achieve this, Ircam amplify asked a panel of users to test two versions of the same e-commerce site , featuring four perfumes from the Viktor & Rolf brand. One version of the site offered a "translation" of each product's sound identity, while the other was content with a classic presentation of the products, with no associated sound.

Result: among participants who tested the "with sound" version, 74% heard it, and among them 53% liked it. Above all, the study shows that an appreciated sound strongly increases purchase intention: for example, 68% of users who appreciated the sound said they would potentially buy Infrared perfume, compared to 29% of those who didn't hear the perfume sound. Purchase intentions are 3 times higher when a product has a sound identity!

This very spicy and sensual fragrance was the one whose sound transcription was judged the most pleasant, and most tempting to buy, by all study participants. Last but not least, the presence of sound enabled consumers to accurately describe the fragrance's emotions, as if they had smelled it.

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The sound of chocolate, or rather "tasting" chocolate through sound

To extend the experience to new playgrounds, Ircam amplify has entered into another partnership, this time with Hugo & Victor, the signature brand of chocolatier Hugues Pouget. The aim: to create the sound of chocolate, a soundtrack to the emotions generated by the taste of chocolate when tasted. Two of the brand's emblematic chocolates were chosen for this innovative experiment: a specific sound was created to convey the taste of the classic "mendiant", and another for the Kombawa leaf ganache, one of Hugo & Victor's specialties.

This experience was experienced live by the 500 participants in the Forum and Soirée pour les Pouvoirs du Son, organized by Ircam amplify on April 6, 2023. The chocolatier will implement sound on its e.commerce site for the "beggar" so that the general public can also experience it. Beyond the potential impact on sales, this is a way for the brand to distinguish itself, promote its creations in a new way, and above all affirm the values of innovation carried by Hugo & Victor.

Today, we're working on an increasing number of projects in a wide variety of sectors, all of which have been won over by our innovative approach," explains Nathalie Birocheau, Managing Director of Ircam amplify. These experiments, and this study, show the potential of sound as a tool to support purchasing in a wide variety of markets: it can transcribe all the emotions provided by the other four senses. From food to textiles, from travel to cosmetics, all sectors can potentially make use of its immense evocative potential, and imagine new uses, in physical locations or online".

"I was immediately seduced by the idea of letting chocolate be heard, and convinced by the expertise of the Ircam Amplify teams," confides Hugues Pouget. Hugues Pouget. "Indeed, I'd like everyone to be able to benefit from this listening experience, which offers a highly poetic sensory experience. The music has been thought through empirically, telling the story of each recipe with astonishing relevance. In our business, we regularly extol the importance of awakening all the senses for a perfect tasting experience. This is now possible."

Ircam amplify has a unique advantage when it comes to assisting companies with their sound identity projects: mastery of the entire sound design value chain, and sound creation based on a genuine scientific methodology. Named SpeaK©, this unique methodology was developed by the "Perception et Design Sonore" Sciences et Techniques de la Musique et du son laboratory (Ircam, CNRS, Sorbonne University, French Ministry of Culture).

Another strong point of Ircam amplify is its multidisciplinary teams, unique in the world for their quality and diversity. In addition to specialists in cutting-edge audio technologies, they include designers and specialists in various disciplines: sound design, user experience, psychoacoustics, multisensoriality... all benefit from the invaluable expertise of the 100 researchers at Ircam-Centre Pompidou, home to the largest audio laboratory in France.

"This unique positioning enables us to carry out a large number of projects with the retail, automotive and connected object worlds. We want to be the keystone for bringing the best of French audio innovation into all these industries, and into the daily lives of consumers around the world." Nathalie Birocheau, CEO Ircam Amplify

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About Hugo & Victor

Hugues Pouget founded the Hugo & Victor patisserie in 2010, where he favors seasonal flavors and fruits, enabling him to create authentic, fresh desserts and chocolates that combine modernity and tradition. He bans additives and colorants, using only natural resources such as fruit and vegetable powders and spices to color his chocolates and macaroons. Today, the patisserie has a flagship boutique in Paris and a workshop in La-Celle-Saint-Cloud, as well as four addresses in Japan and South Korea.

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