the science behind our emotional response

So it is Valentine’s Day.  In thinking about what to write today I had to reflect on an NPR broadcast I heard on the way home last night about the science behind Grammy Award winner Adele’s amazing music.  It turns out that researchers have examined how the hit “Someone Like You” evokes an emotional response that keeps us wanting more.

The story introduced me to a musical device called an appoggiatura — from the Italian word “to lean” – a note that creates a slight dissonant sound with the main melody.  Psychologist Martin Guhn explains why it works: “This generates tension in the listener.  When the notes return to the anticipated melody, the tension resolves, and it feels good.”  Listen to her song…the appoggiatura can be easily heard when Adele sings the word “you” in the chorus.

John Sloboda, a professor of music psychology at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, says that little vocal dip on the word “you” is the key to triggering an emotional response in a listener.  The Wall Street Journal even  wrote about the appoggiaturas in Adele’s song.

While I’m not qualified to debate the science of that type of musical trigger, the NPR story did get me to think about the role of music in powerful story telling.  Whether by design or by accident, Adele’s music taps a deep emotional response… and it earned her 6 Grammy Awards.

So as you’re enjoying this holiday which is ALL about our emotions, think about how our emotional responses are heightened by music in the movies we watch or the advertising we see.  Think of how flat most television commercials would be without a compelling soundtrack.  Are you using music to help you tell your story?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

super bowl and social media

This morning I noticed a story from MediaPost that took a look at HootSuite’s analysis of Sunday’s Super Bowl through the lense of social media success.  With marketers focusing more and more on the intersection between TV watching and social media activity, there are insights to be gained by reveiwing which Super Bowl advertisers did the best job engaging with fans before, during, and after the big game. 

HootSuite analyzed 105 ads ranking brands according to their use of social media channels and trending data. The end result?  Take a look at this infographic on the top 20 brands based on their real-time, and after-game social media engagement.

One of the statistics that stood out was that the Super Bowl generated 12.2 million comments on social media.  You can read more about their findings on HootSuite’s blog found here.

The biggest takeaway for me was that 88% of ads made NO reference to social media – missing out on social media’s full potential.  What were they thinking?!

By the way, you may also want to look at MediaPost’s summary.  If you don’t follow them regularly, you should!