Sonic branding is a rapidly evolving field shaping the future of brand expression and customer engagement.
Reiner Erlings, Executive Director of Sonic Branding at Landor and amp explores three key considerations brands should be aware of when approaching a new sonic strategy.
Ranging from the importance of a multi-sensory branding approach and cultural authenticity to the role of AI, brands must consider these aspects when considering sound.
A multi-sensory approach
In the quest for robust brand building, a multi-sensory approach is key when building out brand strategy.
Sonic branding, once considered a nice-to-have set of assets, has become an absolute must-have for brands in their marketing mix. Now a core branding component, sonic strategy is a key component to building a strong brand.
Sonic branding works hand in hand with other brand expressions, particularly visual ones.
Multi-sensory branding is becoming the new norm; numerous studies have shown that if you take something visual and add an audio component, the sum is far greater than its parts.
Mastercard’s Sonic Research Study shows that 78 per cent of consumers prefer a sonic confirmation sound at checkout when shopping through digital and in-store channels.
According to continued Mastercard research, sonic at checkout led to a 3.4 times stronger consumer assurance around safety, trust, and acceptance.
Sonic brand cues improve the likelihood of brand attention by over 8 times, making sound the most effective brand asset according to IPSOS research (see the graph below).
When building brand equity, brand awareness, and brand retention, sonic should be combined with other sense-shifting assets to bolster brands in a sea of similarity.
Power of AI in sonic branding
AI continues to be a hot topic in the wider ad world and the sonic branding sector. Two specific applications are becoming increasingly interesting: testing audio assets and generating AI music.
AI allows users to test the effect of audio on brand engagement and audience retention, enabling expert tweaks and customised audio for specific purposes.
Platforms like Sonic Hub allow users to test assets in pre-market conditions and predict their impact on campaigns.
Generative AI music, while still in its early stages, promises to revolutionise audio just as it did in the visual asset landscape. However, the legalities and copyright issues surrounding generative AI-based music are complex.
Maintaining cultural relevance and authenticity
Cultural relevance and authenticity remain key considerations for global brands attempting to appear internationally across markets.
Sonic branding can help assuage these cultural issues for brands with flexible assets designed to perform regionally while driving global awareness.
Brands with global reach need to tailor their audio experience for each market to appeal to the local culture and audience.
For example, in the MENA region, brands strive to maintain a cultural link to their heritage while appealing to a global audience.
This connection can be achieved by working with regional and local artists to ensure the brand music appeals locally and resonates regionally.
This approach allows brands to stand out from the clutter and clearly position themselves, ensuring they don’t sound like they could be based anywhere else.
The future of the sonic branding sector remains bright given these exciting developments.
Brands looking to lead in their industries should invest in a symphony of sounds, sonic assets, and a sonic strategy to resonate with audiences and consumers worldwide.
By Reiner Erlings, Executive Director of Sonic Branding, Landor and amp
