Snippets of sound are ubiquitous. We hear them daily on television, radio, the Internet. But what moves a snippet of sound beyond the ordinary to one that’s really cool? And how can you create sound bites that stand out from the crowd?
Here are three factors, all of which must be present for greatness.
First, a piece of sound should grab your attention instantly.
It should be a statement that, when we hear it, we immediately recognize that it stands out from all the things being said around it. It jumps out of the speaker’s mouth and hits us “on the head.” Often listening to it, we will recognize that it will be a key point of the talk or interview.
Second, it must be memorable.
That’s not just for a few minutes, not just for the duration of the talk, but for days, weeks, and months afterward. Many of the most powerful sound bites last for decades. While most of a conversation, speech, media interview, or press conference is lost within hours (well, seconds) of hearing it, the sound lives on. And with him, the subject of initial communication.
One reason the sound fragment is remembered is that it is repeated frequently. This is certainly the case with radio and television news. But it also happens in conversations when we repeat it to others, or just think it ourselves.
While catchy and memorable are two keys to a good piece of sound, a third element is needed for greatness. And that element is:
Third, it must produce the desired result.
Sometimes that outcome is longer-term and more general in nature (that is, less measurable).
From President Franklin D. Roosevelt “We have nothing to fear except fear itself. ” it’s an example. Said by Roosevelt during his first inaugural address, that sound lifted the American people during the Great Depression.
In other cases the result is much more immediate and specific.
Defense attorney Johnnie Cochran’s evidence presentation to the jury during the soccer great OJ Simpson’s murder trial included this snippet of sound: “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” The glove he was referring to did not fit Simpson, and the jury acquitted him.
So if you want to create great sound bites, make sure they grab attention, are memorable, and get results.
