Czech, Portuguese or Turkish… all of the 13 languages have an individual, customized Kärcher AI voice. Whether the battery needs to be charged or the cleaning process has been successfully completed – all relevant information is transmitted clearly via Native AI Voice. In order to achieve the best possible audio quality, all voices were specially optimized in the Masterington studio to the specifications of the small built-in speaker in the Kärcher robot.

“We are delighted to have successfully launched this innovative project together with Kärcher! It is probably one of the most ambitious AI voice projects in the high-end brand sector at the moment. I am particularly fascinated by the quality of the AI voices, which was unimaginable just a few months ago and which almost turn the RCV 3 and RCV 5 into small, likeable personalities. It was also exciting to evaluate in which situations speech is helpful and in which a sound or silence might communicate the message better.”
– Prof. Florian Käppler, CEO sound inventor

The RCV appliances are outstanding cleaning talents that impress with an increased level of user-friendliness!

P.S. The appliances in the RCV range are in the process of learning even more languages – and with the RCF 3 mopping robot, another model with the new voice technology was launched in November 2023.

What started at the end of 2018 with the development of a Telekom Sound DNA, the relaunch of the sound logo and the development of some UX sounds has evolved over the past years into an all-encompassing acoustic identity and a unique acoustic Telekom Experience. Over several years, projects were implemented at a wide variety of contact points such as communication, products, events, rooms, apps, animations, etc., and the acoustic Telekom Experience was successively expanded.

Andreas Graf, CEO of S12, commented on the award as follows: “We are very honored and extremely happy to receive the ‘Best of the Best Award’ at Red Dot for our work on the Telekom Sound Identity. This is a confirmation of our innovative approach and our pursuit of creative excellence. We are proud of our partnership with Telekom and look forward to continuing our sonic journey.”

And (almost) everyone knows it: the Telekom Sound and the Magenta timbre. A sound branding benchmark case that underscores the importance of sound in modern brand management.

The Red Dot Award is regarded worldwide as one of the most prestigious seals of approval for outstanding design and creative achievements. The “Best of the Best Award” is only given to projects that stand out for their exceptional quality and innovative approach.

Telekom Senior Brand Manager Christian Hammerschmidt:
“We are very pleased that the Red Dot Award recognizes and honors the continuous development of our distinctive audio identity. With S12 / Klangerfinder, we successfully create experiences in which our brand is audible. After all, it is precisely the immediate effect of sound on people that helps to make brands tangible, easy to recognize and remember, and to bind people to them emotionally.”

In the DACH region, we actively support Soundtrack Your Brand as a premium partner. To provide an acoustically appealing environment for our renowned hospitality customers, including hotels of the Hilton Group, Radisson, Curio Hotels and the excellent Waldorf Astoria from Berlin.

Thanks to this integration, installation and holistic implementation, our partners/customers benefit from over 83 million songs and playlists tailored to market demographics, through which we create a unique and coherent hotel atmosphere in various areas, from the bar to the restaurant to the spa. And we do this while respecting all copyrights and licenses that need to be observed when dealing with chart music and the like.

You can find the entire article at:
https://lnkd.in/eAm6Y6pN

Those aged between 18 and 25 have a new place to go at the Stadtsparkasse head office on Berliner Allee that is much more than just a bank branch. The “smoney-hub” offers coffee and snacks, events, “money hacks” (tips on how to handle money) and, of course, financial advice from the Stadtsparkasse.

You won’t find any bank advisors in suits and ties there. From now on, this extraordinary place will be complemented atmospherically with instrumental sounds. Through our music service Soundtrack Your Brand.

Smoney employees create this atmosphere themselves. Through a music selection from over 40 million music titles. According to the brand identity and factors such as time of day and their specific target group.

They are supported by the Soundtrack AI, which consistently develops this music every month.

The right music must not be missing in this concept! That’s why we have been equipping each of the hotels with individual soundtracks for several years. The 25hours Sound DANN tracks are combined with music of local heroes from Paris, Vienna, Berlin etc..

This includes individualisation by zone (lobby, restaurant, bar, sauna etc.) as well as adaptation to moods and time of day or night.

Even the founder & CEO Christoph Hoffmann is involved in the curation. Through his Spotify playlists, he can help shape the music programmes in real time through our Spotify-backed service. By the way, we show how this works in our last post.

With tasty drinks and good music from Scandinavia, all those interested in sustainable fashion can experience the new collection up close in the stores in Munich, Bochum and Ludwigsburg.

Advantages:
▪️ high degree of freedom for your own MA
▪️ simple control with all end devices

This digital music experience service from our portfolio can be heard and experienced in all 25hours hotels, bars and restaurants worldwide. In addition, there are all zones of the Bikini Hotel Mallorca, all hotels of the Curio collection by Hilton on Sardinia and the Waldorf Astoria in Berlin.

S12 extends the Japanese designer’s first big hit with an individual sound concept at the POS.

From now on, this sound can be experienced in over 120 Wolford stores worldwide – pull up to the bumper!

And it was precisely in this context that the editorial team around Nikolai Henn from RTL Aktuell visited us last week to hear our opinion on the topic of AI in music production. AI-generated pieces of music were played to us and we were asked to judge their quality in terms of production, arrangement and sound. The question was: “Is an AI superior to a human music producer and will AI-generated music be heard on the radio in the future?

You can watch the interview and the whole article on the subject of AI at the following link:
https://bit.ly/3J2TdCx

In a nutshell: we see a lot of potential in AI-based / generated music, but the productions cannot compete technically and emotionally with those of professional musicians. Nevertheless, there will be one or the other application area in the future and even today, because we already rely on text-to-speech AI providers for voice overs and hotline announcements.

In this area, too, we already work hand in hand with artificial intelligence software and benefit from the enormous analytical power of the new technologies together with our customers and partners.

So where do the concrete added values lie?
▪️ AI enables music and sound to be evaluated, categorised and ultimately curated on a new level.
▪️ The success factor “uniformity” is objectified
▪️ The use of AI saves time and costs in the long run.

But now we finally come to the carnival! We did not miss the chance to analyse and compare some popular songs with regard to their character. With a plausible result that nevertheless underlines the power of AI. What do they all have in common? Major key, male voices, pop as the main genre, happy as the mood and a high energy level.

More updates on the development of the technology will follow here as always – stay tuned!

This is exactly the challenge that a range of AI-powered voice synthesis software addresses! The concept is simple at its core: the software uses artificial intelligence to generate a human voice that can be used as a defined brand voice for dubbing any type of text via text-to-speech.

This voice technology is a highly exciting solution for audio branding use that brings several advantages:
▪️ Cost efficiency through lower royalty fees or no royalty costs for dubbings.
▪️ The elimination of studio fees
▪️ Time savings and speed
▪️ Continuous availability

A strategic conceptual development of the brand voice with the appropriate AI can be sensibly integrated into the overall acoustic and multisensory strategy of a brand!

This also includes a suitable producer library that provides composers and editors with a versatile selection of sounds (complete titles, individual tracks, …) and presets (openers, separators, …)!

The benefit?
100% on brand with high quality standards, fast processes in dubbing, flexible adaptations and sustainable cost savings.

By using this Red Dot Award-winning innovation – made by S12 and Klangerfinder GmbH & Co KG – Kärcher was able to target its diversified target group at over 100 different global touchpoints. Watch the video for more insights.

We are relaxed about this development and are happy about new possibilities and optimised processes through AI.
Why? Tones, sounds, melodies and entire sound DNAs for successful brands are not, in our eyes, a product that can live on pure data and information feeding.

To create a brand acoustically, human know-how is required on a strategic, artistic and emotional level. A deep understanding of how the brand works, how it evolves and the dynamic behaviour of the core target groups. All this expertise has to be combined with the visions and objectives of our clients in order to create unique experiences.

To do this, we can make targeted use of the power of the artificial intelligence tools we use every day. For example, in the curation of music playlists, in the brand value matching of brand sound productions or in the use and implementation of brand and service voices.

Ultimately, the technology supports us with an incredible depth of data and we perfect it with experience, know-how and empathy!

On this note, a special thanks to our partners and clients for their trust and productive workflows and collaborations. Of course, we are just as grateful that you are part of our journey. Keep it up!

And we’ve only just begun. But for now, we wish you a Happy New Year! Have a good one!
Your S12 Team

Once an hour from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Christmas-like backdrop is brought to life and a perfectly coordinated sound and light show is created around the “Sparkling Tree” for visitors to the airport. A great event that is automatically programmed via the audio technology concept designed by us and played out in TOP sound quality. This special event rounds off our cooperation with Zurich Airport for the year 2022 in a festive way and makes us want to do more in 2023!

On behalf of the entire S12 team, we wish you a wonderful pre-Christmas period and a peaceful 4th Advent!

It’s great to see a growing community on our channels at the end of the year. Look forward to more exciting content on the topic of sound in the coming year!

If you have already been to one of the two stores or are planning a visit, please pay attention to the noise. What you hear here is our work.

We at S12 are happy to be part of the project with the Store Sound by S12 and congratulate the team around Rouven Angermann on a successful opening!

Link to article: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hallhuber_the-new-hallhuber-shopping-experience-activity-7004387185516851201-h6hT?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

1. Headphones on
2. Sound on
3. And go!

Licence Free Music has become an exciting tool to give your brand more identity. If you want to get to know more innovative mechanics with which your brand can be experienced acoustically, then stay tuned!

In the past, Licence Free Music was boring, not competitive in terms of quality and had a bad image. But things have changed in this segment in recent years, so that this music is now on par with Contemporary Chart Music and has significant advantages for brands in a direct comparison:

• Cost savings due to the elimination of fees from collecting societies (e.g. GEMA).
• Low administrative effort and uncomplicated licensing models.
• If required, provision of individual tracks for more complex areas of use at special brand touchpoints.

Stay tuned if you want to learn more about the topic! Tomorrow you can expect a little taste of how Licence Free Music can sound nowadays.

Have we piqued your interest? We offer 360° sound for your brand! Let’s Talk!

The two programs “Vitalize” and “Relax” change the multisensory settings for 3 minutes. These include:

• Light
• Air conditioning
• Seat heating/seat ventilation
• Massage
• Scenting
• and Sound

We at S12 are pleased to be responsible for the sound in all relevant vehicle classes within this pioneering InCar Experience project!

For this year’s Telekom international TVC Christmas campaign, we reinterpreted the sound logo and adapted it to the emotional mood of the campaign. For this, we picked up the emotional world and the message of the story and adapted the Sound Logo we revised in 2019 for the first time.

You can experience the result at the end of the very successful film – enjoy!

Many thanks to Christian Hammerschmidt, Alexander Engelhardt and Ulrich Klenke for your trust in our long-term collaboration and the first step towards more flexibility of your Telekom Sound logo.

Link to the video: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/s12-gmbh_howareyou-teamtelekom-wewillnotstop-activity-6996467614940078082-GF2b?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

The FC Bayern family meets on the seven floors of the FC Bayern World at Marienplatz. A modern, innovative retail concept with an experience character for fans and followers in dialogue with culinary art and the hotel industry. The FC Bayern Store Sound internalizes this philosophy and makes the experience-oriented and innovative character of the FC Bayern world audible.

With various sound modules and a suitable daily program, we have created a perfectly tailored sound for the flagship store. The sound of the training grounds, stadiums and city streets meets songs by international indie and underground artists in the FC Bayern Stores.

The German Design Award is the international premium award from the German Design Council. Its goal: to discover, present and award unique design trends. Every year, therefore, top-class submissions from product and communication design are honored, all of which are groundbreaking in their own way in the international design landscape.

A flexible brand score with different song modules, a melody that is instantly recognizable and a recurring sound logo. So, we sound different everywhere but always just like congstar. On TV, Online, Events or in our service lines. The congstar sound branding consists of the sound DNA and brand sound elements. The sound DNA is based on the unique brand melody and the sound tonality.

More information: https://www.s12.de/en/2020/06/01/you-want-it-you-get-it-new-brand-sound-for-congstar/

Red Dot stands for belonging to the best in design and business. Once a year, agencies, designers and companies from all over the globe are invited to take part in the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design. All of the entries are assessed by the Red Dot Jury in line with the guiding principle “In search of good design and creativity”.

In 1999, Deutsche Telekom became a pioneer in audio branding with the introduction of its sound logo. For the 20th anniversary, S12 and Klangerfinder have made the Sound Logo fit for the future. The melody is using the newly developed Telekom timbre and forms the basis for the future 360 ​​degree audio experience of Telekom. The new sound world currently also includes extensive functional sounds, which are used in several apps and the smart speaker. The basis of all functional sounds is the well-known Sound Logo melody as well.

More information: https://www.s12.de/en/2019/10/01/a-new-sound-world-for-telekom-on-its-20th-birthday/

The new Telekom Sound identity was strategically derived and initially includes the new Telekom Sound logo and the new Telekom UX sounds for a wide variety of applications. Further Telekom sound branding elements are currently being developed. More information: https://bit.ly/30WWLQh

For the 20th anniversary, S12 and Klangerfinder have made the Telekom sound logo “ready for the future”. The result is a completely new Telekom sound identity based on the well-known sound logo. More information: https://bit.ly/30WWLQh

In the first episode of the podcast, Formula One racecar driver Nico Rosberg and Charité doctor Dr. Olga Geisel discuss the topic “screen time”:

https://soundcloud.com/digitalageorg/digital-age-podcast-episode-1

The Telekom Sound Identity, which was further developed in close partnership between Deutsche Telekom and the two agencies S12 and Klangerfinder, won the Red Dot Award 2020 in the Sound Design category!

Red Dot stands for belonging to the best in design and business. Once a year, agencies, designers and companies from all over the globe are invited to take part in the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design. All of the entries are assessed by the Red Dot Jury in line with the guiding principle “In search of good design and creativity”.

Update September: Music + Sound Awards 2020 (MASA) finalist for the new Telekom Sound Identity

In addition to the International Sound Award, S12 and Klangerfinder were also a finalist at Music + Sound Award 2020 in the category: Best Sound Design in Branding!

Update August: International Sound Awards 2020 for the new Telekom Sound Identity

The International Sound Award 2020 for audio branding for the new Telekom sound branding goes to S12 and Klangerfinder

A new sound world for Telekom

Over 60 percent of people living in Europe associate the Telekom Sound Logo with the brand. The new development, for the 20th birthday of Telekom sound branding, was nominated for the International Sound Award. In the “audio branding” category, the Telekom Sound Logo prevailed over the competition and won the sound award 2020. S12 was jointly responsible for the new development with Klangerfinder.

Telekom has been a pioneer in audio branding for many years. Today the melody of five tones or rather the audio logo, is known throughout Europe. For the 20th anniversary, S12 and Klangerfinder have made the Sound Logo fit for the future. The tone sequence from 1999 remains unchanged and forms the core of the new sound identity. The modernized Telekom Sound Logo was rearranged using the newly developed “magenta tone color”. Functional sounds in the new timbre were developed from the core of the brand and the Sound Logo melody, including for the Telekom apps, the smart speaker and other digital applications. In this way, Telekom is expanding its sound identity and deepening the intuitive customer experience in the digital world.

On the basis of a comprehensive market research study, clear goals could be defined and achieved. Sound codes were developed from the implicit values, which among other things form the basis for the new Telekom sound.

Client: Deutsche Telekom AG
Agencies: S12 GmbH, Klangerfinder GmbH & Co KG

https://soundcloud.com/electronic-beats-radio/eb-radio-presents-guy-j

http://www.electronicbeats.net/radio/eb-radio-presents-guyj/

Hypnotic Tech House and Ambient elements constitute his distinctive sound. The producer and DJ from Tel Aviv has been a Live Act at Festivals like Global Gathering and Tomorrowland and is currently touring through Europe, USA and South America.