Interview with a Strawberry
by Lydia Jensen
Advertisers have appealed to our sense of hearing for years when presenting food in commercials through multimedia such as TV., radio and in some countries in Europe the captive audience is reached at the cinema where 10 to 15 minutes of commercials precede the featured movie.
Some years ago, at the risk of disclosing my vintage, the producers of Folgers' Coffee and Mrs. Olson, who purportedly was Scandinavian, appealed to our sense of hearing by perking coffee at a most appealing rhythm. Mrs. Olson always had the coffee ready for visitors; it was a perking welcome for all. For years I thought that Folgers' Coffee was good because it was European. Likewise, Rice Crispies had a most successful number of years selling a cereal that "snapped, crackled and popped." In Europe Marabou chocolate appeals to our sense of hearing through non- verbal communication such as "Mmmnn." One of the most appealing commercials in the summer time is the sound of coke cascading, fizzing and swishing melodiously over ice to fill up a tall glass. And so the list goes on.
The sound of food is appealing and can be an unconscious factor in our choice of products. Food elicits a particular sound when we bite into it. A strawberry should be plump, juicy and ripe when we bite into it, a carrot
should crunch and chips should sound "crisp." A good sausage should snap when we bite into it. Even the sound of the package plays a roll in our choice of products. My dog always comes running when I open a package of chips, because the bag rustles and crackles and sometimes it is darn difficult to open the ruddy bag quietly. By the time I have opened the bag of chips everyone in the house knows I have been hiding the snacks again. It is the advertisers intent to create product awareness through whatever method possible, and sound is a predominant factor.
An effective technique in sales promotion through sound is its appeal to our sense of safety. When a mother opens a jar of baby food, it is important to her that she hears that safe "snap or click" when she opens the jar. It tells her that the jar was sealed and that the contents are safe for her child to eat. For some products, such as cereals, it is a sign of quality control when the product is crunchy and crispy. In Africa we used to buy soft crackers which seemed
revolting until we put them in the oven to dry them out and return the crispy sound and flavor. The taste was the same, they just sounded "crispy." Likewise, soft potato chips probably taste just fine, but they do not sound right. When you open a can of beer and the tab just comes off without a "click" our first reaction is that it is flat. When pulling the cork from a bottle of wine, it must pop, or we check the cork to see if there is anything wrong before we taste the wine. One form of quality control by the consumer is through sound.
Sound expectation of food is important, as it stimulates our other sense such as sight, taste and smell. We sometimes forget that the "sound of food" is important in our every-day lives and food served at home. Have you ever thought about salad that talks to us? What if the salad looked good but the lettuce was limp, the cucumbers were soft and the tomatoes mushy? How would we react? The vegetables may look fine, taste fine and smell right, but the sound does not fit, therefore, we think it does not taste good. When the strawberries first came on the market last spring, I bought some which looked large, red and plump. What a shock when I bit into the strawberry and it sounded like I was biting into a crisp, juicy apple! It was not at all what I had expected.
While our expectations may remain the same as far as food is concerned, as long as we are conscious of the marketing techniques and strategies advertisers use to entice us to purchase certain products, we can become
better consumers. Sound of food is perhaps one of the senses which has not been developed to its full potential. So, Consumers be informed, be alert and beware! Enjoy your next shopping trip to the supermarket as a more informed consumer.