You are your ringtone - perhaps

Slingshot founder and self-confessed karaoke fan Annette Presley, above, chose Don'tcha by the Pussycat Dolls as her ringtone. Picture / The Aucklander.

Everywhere you go now you are surrounded by the sound of mobiles ringing - in the workplace, airport lounges, homes and on the street. Some ringtones are noxious, others are just plain boring, and some lift your spirits.

Mobile marketing companies probably want consumers to believe that ringtones say something about a person's personality.

But do they? Why do people choose a particular ringtone? Do they think it is as an important part of their identity as the clothes they wear?

The Herald went out and asked some of the heads of the technology industry which mobile ringtone they had picked and why it made them tick. We also chose a panel of judges, including our own esteemed music journalist Scott Kara, the University of Auckland's digital commerce senior lecturer Dr Robert Davis and business mentor Dr Grahame Craig, to pass judgment on those choices.

Annette Presley

Founder of internet service provider Slingshot: Don'tcha by The Pussycat Dolls

"I'm a really good one for losing phones so if I have one for three months I'm doing well. I do like to sing at karaoke bars - once they convince me to do it, there is no stopping me, so I guess that's why I like this ringtone. It brightens my day."

Kara: "And the winner is, Ms Presley. You don't get anywhere in this world by being modest, so you go girl. As the mighty Freddy Mercury was testament to, if you've got it, flaunt it. Can I recommend I Want To Break Free perhaps, Annette?"

Davis: "Annette's always on the stage. It is a big part of everything she does when she communicates to the market. Annette probably uses the ringtone as a way of indicating emotion. The above ringtone is probably like all the other ones she has - it puts her in the limelight, on the stage."

Craig: "For extroverts like Annette Presley, the 'what will others think of it?' factor will dominate."

Bob Smith

Chief executive of wireless internet provider Woosh: Powerboat sound

"I race powerboats, so mine is the sound of my powerboat going down the Waikato River. It gives me energy when I hear it. My son took the sound from a video of me racing and put it on the phone."

Kara: "It seems we have a Ronny Rev Head on our hands here, folks. As far as samples go though, a snippet of red-hot power boat engine may not be the first choice for hip-hop kingpin Kanye West, but Mr Smith's son could have a future in music production."

Davis: "I liked this story, a son who did something for his dad."

Craig: "The 'what does it do for me factor?' dominates. Bob gets energised by the sound of his boat engine."

Paul Johnston

Managing Director of Apple Computer distributor Renaissance: Fur Elise by Beethoven

"Most of the time it is on silent and vibrate, but is programmed for when my wife calls to play Fur Elise. I've always liked it; it's a nice little piano piece."

Kara: "Maybe he should break out and go for a ringtone along the lines of Private Dancer by Tina Turner or even, now here's a naughty wee hit, New Sensation by INXS. But his personalised ring for his wife is adorable."

Davis: "Paul is the classic filterer and uses the ringtone to filter who he needs to. In Asia, consumers allocate specific ringtones to family members - parents, for example - as it would be considered impolite not to take the call directly."

Craig: "Here, the 'what does the ringtone do for me?' factor dominates."

Helen Robinson

Newly appointed chief executive of Microsoft New Zealand: Fantasy ringtone

"It's a pre-programmed ring and sounds just like a normal ringtone. It's light and simple. I often have it on silent and vibrate. Usually I treat them [ringtones] like ads - they just wash over me, but if it is a heavy metal tune then that makes me squirm."

Kara: "She uses the Fantasy ringtone and says she finds heavy metal tunes noxious? That's rich. There are some beautiful moments in metal, like Metallica's Nothing Else Matters or Led Zep's Stairway To Heaven, but there is nothing beautiful about Fantasy. Just obnoxious. Your homework is to mix with a few more bogans."

Davis: "Helen sees the device as being purely functional and business-related. It's a little surprising coming from a senior executive who is in part responsible for the Xbox. Time to update."

Craig: "This is most definitely the introvert factor."

Shaun Davis

Managing director of music download site Digirama: Hung Up by Madonna

"That is my favourite ringtone at the moment. I add new ringtones quite a lot, as I need to change it often."

Kara: "This ringtone is pretty cool but Presley is still by far the best."

Davis: "Hung Up translates well into a ringtone. Warning: some don't.

Craig: "He likes the song and he wants it to tell something about himself to others."

Top choices

Telecom

1 I'm in Luv (Wit a Stripper), T-Pain featuring Mike Jones

2 Dani California, Red Hot Chilli Peppers

3 Hips Don't Lie, Shakira featuring Wycleaf Jean

4 So True, The Black Seeds

5 Pump It, Black Eyed Peas

Vodafone

1 Shake That, Eminem featuring Nate Dogg

2 Gimme That, Chris Brown

3 Touch It remix with Mary J Blige, Missy Elliot

4 I'm in Luv (Wit a Stripper)

5 Ms. New Booty, Bubba Sparxxx and Ying Yang Twins