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Sennheiser Sponsor House Ear Institute Campaign

Assuring a bright future for healthy hearing is a must for audio professionals and casual listeners alike. The House Ear Institute's (www.hei.org) tireless research and educational outreach are making that goal a realistic one. And Sennheiser's sponsorship of HEI's new "It's How You Listen That Counts" campaign is helping to get the word out on safer listening to teens everywhere.

"This is a critical time. Teens are at a greater risk than ever in terms of hearing loss," says Marilee Potthoff, director of marketing for the House Ear Institute. "Sennheiser's support of HEI programs is valuable in helping us reach the young consumer audio market, and is bringing greater exposure to what is proving to be a very successful public education campaign."

HEI, a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing hearing science through research and education to improve quality of life, was established in 1946. Its Sound Partners(tm) hearing conservation program and scientific explorations of the auditory system have helped to provide crucial knowledge to members of the pro audio community and general public who are at a high risk for hearing loss.

"It's How You Listen That Counts" is a fun campaign that uses the humorous character 'Earbud' to inform teens about the dangers of noise-induced hearing loss, an irreversible affliction that accounts for 30% of all hearing loss in the population.

"Not only is Sennheiser donating funds, they're also a compelling product sponsor for our contest," Potthoff says. "Overall, the timing of 'It's How You Listen That Counts' is very good, especially in light of the heightened presence of MP3 players in the news. At HEI, we believe we need to be discussing MP3 players, as well as all of the other situations in a teen's typical environment that expose them to high decibels." Potthoff advises that people should be aware that MP3 players are only a risk factor if they set their volume levels above 85 decibels and don't limit their exposure time. A practical rule of thumb is that if you can't hear someone speaking to you at a normal conversation level while you are listening to an MP3 player or other device, it's likely that the volume is at an unsafe level for your hearing.

"We feel strongly as a non-profit scientific research facility that we have a responsibility to get the word out through our outreach programs like 'It's How You Listen That Counts,'" Potthoff continues. "The age of digital audio is fantastic. It's done amazing things in terms of the quality of sound, and as a result it's even easier to turn the volume up louder. There are many companies like Sennheiser that have a vested interest in the hearing health of their teen customers. Sennheiser's sponsorship of 'It's How You Listen That Counts' is helping to put our message in front of this important audience, and to show them that Sennheiser cares about their hearing health."

Response to the first instalment of the four-phase campaign has exceeded expectations. And the House Ear Institute is looking forward to continuing outreach with Sennheiser that could have a major impact on hearing. "If we can keep getting the word out, we'll prevent noise-induced hearing loss. And prevention is even more important than the cure," Potthoff concludes. Support from our corporate sponsors is crucial to our hearing conservation outreach efforts. We're thrilled that Sennheiser is on board with 'It's How You Listen That Counts'. They're a great company to work with, and we look forward to a long-term relationship."

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Sennheiser Sponsor House Ear Institute Campaign

29th March 2006

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