Sound Of Kiez

Müller, Meier, Schneider - for years they have been the undisputed leaders of the list of the most common surnames in Germany. Combined with the most common first names (google says: Ursula/Karin/Helga or Peter/Michael/Thomas), you can probably find a match for every second German in their circle of acquaintances and relatives. Name duplications are not uncommon, but the Peter Schneiders, Thomas Müllers and Karin Meiers of this world - at least the ones I know - take them in their stride. The IT systems of large companies, where many people work, sometimes with the same name, come up with creative solutions for assigning e-mail addresses such as Karin.Mueller2 or Karin.Ka.Mueller. The word "namesake", on the other hand, is reminiscent of family; it sounds cozy to be called the same as someone else. We feel connected somehow. So when I found out about "The Sound of Work" project shortly after starting my blog, it made me curious about other people's thoughts on what rhythm and sound mean in working life.

...and when Alexander Wodrich mentions the name of his agency, it's easy to get talking anyway. The topic of sound is his terrain. The agency whydo birdswhich he founded a few years ago, takes its name from a line in a Carpenters song from the 70s, which continues with "...suddenly appear" rather than "...sing" (as I initially added inwardly). "We really liked the open question. On the other hand, we like the fact that each bird species is perfectly differentiated from another by its plumage. So each species has a very unique corporate design. The song of each bird species is also unique. Birds have a corporate sound, so to speak." As specialists for audio branding why do birds supports companies and institutions that need more than just a logo. Germany has known that modern brand architecture also includes sounds at least since the soundtrack of a magenta "T". A sound logo should not be longer than 3 seconds, Alex explains to me, some people still call it a "jingle".

„The Sound of Work“

We are meeting to talk about a project that why do birds carried out for the Federal Employment Agency in 2016. The BA actually gave the project the internal title "The Sound of Work" and formulated the initial question as to what work sounds like in Germany. Not just like that. But rather to improve its own image among the agency's customers - from school students to older employees - and to embed a modern soundscape in the agency's services. The soundtracked face of the Federal Employment Agency is also intended to encourage customers to move forward, whether they are starting a career, continuing their education or finding new opportunities out of unemployment. From the voice of the telephone computer to the music behind the career information videos, for which you no longer have to go to the BIZ: They wanted to sound friendlier, modern and helpful, definitely not official and heavy-handed.

Why do you actually need a sound logo, I ask Alex. "It's not so much just about the logo. We believe that brands should care about their auditory expression as much as their visual expression.With audio branding, you translate a brand personality into sound, giving a brand its own distinctive sonic identity. Since we perceive our environment with all our senses, brands are increasingly trying to strategically stage themselves via multiple sensory channels."

Creative agencies translate corporate strategies into customer-friendly language. Why do birds translates these strategies into sound.

In addition to the fact that we know each other professionally, Alexander Wodrich is also a neighbor in my Kiez, as Berliners, including newcomers, call the area around his own street. To approach the question of BA, he went for a walk and asked around the neighborhood, in the stores, workshops, cafés and offices: what does your everyday working life actually sound like? The camera with him, the recording device in his pocket. It was the first time he himself had looked at the working world of others in this way and understood the extent to which work itself sets the rhythm and pace. "It gives people structure and stability. If you don't have a job, you don't have a vacation, for example. Work is a good thing - we often forget that." This structure was to be brought to life in sound in the film clips and scenes he captured.

By digitizing and sorting the rhythms, highs and lows of the recorded impulses, swiping, clicking, scrolling, scanning, looping and typing, the result was what marketing experts call a "moodfilm", which condenses the captured sounds into a rhythm. A mood film that conveys an idea of the future work that the agency will do as a partner in the project and that goes beyond PowerPoint slides. And in this case, a fine little portrait of the working world in Prenzlauer Berg in 2016. The material could not be used publicly later; moodfilms are usually created without clarifying film rights, including those of the people filmed. Only minimal sequences are included in the version of the project published on YouTube, further edited by another agency. Nevertheless, the effort was worth it, says Alex. "The result is a beautiful cinematic document of different lifestyles that shows how passionately different people work on completely different things." He got to know the people in the neighborhood, with whom he otherwise only dealt as a customer, in a different way; and nice conversations also arose beyond the film. The clip therefore retains a special place in the archive of why do birds.

Mind you: if you are like why do birds is involved in pitches in the normal agency business, i.e. tenders for advertising budgets from larger companies, a mood film like this is a - usually also financial - personal effort. A chic letter of application, so to speak, combined with a strategic idea that is presented to the client. The prospect of the next pitch in turn sets the pace for the marketing agency, and once the concept and presentation have been submitted, the wait for acceptance begins. Like other agencies, why do birds pitches regularly; the risk of rejection is always part of the process.

We continue to talk about the presence of preconceived sounds wherever we are dealing with the products of large organizations. It is interesting to note that it is mostly female voices that are offered to our ears in hotlines and waiting loops. With Alex's own namesake, who is currently conquering living rooms as a round can, another female voice has crept into the sound repertoire of households. She could be the next one whose territory is being worked on by marketing specialists. So far, the manufacturer has deliberately not allowed the integration of external sounds. But who is to say that we will always hear Alexa's glowing blue, unyielding softness when we order hotel rooms, corporate tickets or train tickets? Perhaps a company that sells tickets, cab reservations or hotel rooms would like to be that voice itself at some point, to be recognized and: liked?

The next time I take a walk through the neighbourhood, I perceive the sounds differently and am delighted to recognize scenes from the film. For me, the sounds of the working world in the Kiez are the sounds of my current home. Even if not all of the protagonists from 2016 still work here; Berlin is changing too quickly, even in our few streets. Let's see what it sounds like here in a few more years. Oh, so now you'd like to see the movie too? Uh yes, mmh, see above, rights and all that: unfortunately not possible! But: come and have a coffee here and listen to it live. Sounds good?

‍MonikaDanner