Audio branding: Have you found your sound?
What does your brand sound like?
When it comes to building a brand, most companies focus on the visual. They worry about what their brand looks like — the logo and colours they use, and even the marketing materials that they produce. However, great #Branding isn’t just about what your customers can see.
There’s a powerful connection between sound and memory. It’s the same connection that forces your brain to replay a catchy jingle in your head over and over — for weeks at a time.
As one of the human species’ most evocative senses, sounds can change how we feel, remind us of something important, and even convince us to act. With #AudioBranding companies can tap into the power of sound for themselves and start to connect with their audience on a brand-new level.
According to the Harvard Business Review, the right sounds can positively differentiate a brand by creating customer preference, improving recall, and building trust.
The question is, how do you get started with audio branding?
Tune in and let’s find out…
Tuning into your brand identity: Defining audio branding
While audio branding is still a largely underappreciated aspect of creating a business identity, it’s more common than you think.
In fact, #AudioBranding is everywhere.
Audio branding exists in the melodies that play when you set up your Mac or Windows computer. It’s the unique notes that you hear when you start playing your favourite television shows or tuning into a familiar podcast. Any sound a business can use to prompt action or generate emotional resonance is an example of audio branding.
For most companies, their most recognisable brand asset is their logo. However, visual identity can only take you so far. You still need someone to choose to look at your logo and take in your images if you want to make an impact. Sound is pervasive throughout life whether we like it or not. It gives you a way to reach out to your clients, even when they’re not paying attention, and gradually build a sense of affinity.
How to create an audio branding strategy
Audio branding has been around for decades. In fact, the first jingle was launched somewhere around 1926. However, audio branding is beginning to see a resurgence in popularity, thanks to the emergence of things like smart speakers, audio search, and even podcast content. As busy consumers turn to audio to help them make decisions, find the products they need, and even conduct purchases, brands are beginning to take a more strategic approach to sound.
So, how do you create your own audio branding strategy? First up, remember that there’s more to audio branding than choosing a jingle. Every sound that plays during a customer interaction with your brand is an element of audio branding. Whether it’s the music you play in a physical store, the theme song you write for your podcast, or the sound your device makes — you need a consistent approach to audio branding. Once you understand that, follow these 3 steps:
1. Know your customers
As usual, the best way to ensure you make the right impact on the right audience is to figure out who you’re selling to. Look at your target market and ask yourself what kind of sounds will appeal most to them. For instance, a young customer looking for fun will be drawn in by a very different type of #Audio than a professional B2B buyer seeking security.
Consider:
—The age of your average customer.
—What kind of brands they like the sound of already.
—What they’re looking for from you.
2. Choose the emotion you want to convey
One of the reasons that having an #AudioBrand is so effective is that it’s highly emotional. Sounds make us think and feel a certain way. While some sonic signatures are romantic and seductive, others are fun and carefree.
Think about how you want your customers to feel when they interact with your brand. You can conduct a competitor analysis during this stage to get an insight into the experiences other companies in your niche create with their own audio branding. Do you want to be dramatic and exciting? Gentle and welcoming? Fun and family-friendly? Make sure your audio matches your brand identity.
3. Make sure your voice is consistent
Finally, your brand voice is a critical part of your identity. The way you sound to the world is an important part of what makes you unique. While you can convey aspects of your voice through your content marketing and visual media, you’ll also need to make sure that your tone shines through in your audio branding too.
Consider what kind of sounds will best represent you based on the image you’ve already started to create. When choosing people who will speak for your brand, make sure you select people who share your voice, and the perception you want to create for your company.
Time to tune up your branding strategy?
The benefits of audio branding speak for themselves. With the right #SoundBranding, you can inspire your customers, help to improve their perception of you, and even strengthen brand recall. However, most companies still consider their audio branding strategy as nothing more than an afterthought.
The truth is that your audio can be just as important as any other part of your strategy when it comes to building your identity. According to one study conducted into the “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle — made famous by McDonald’s — the sonic signature made people feel more positively about the fast-food chain. After hearing the sound, people were 9% more likely to say they felt “happy” about McDonald’s.
Ultimately, audio branding isn’t just a great way to get people to remember your business; it’s also a fantastic way to improve the way they feel about your company too. As it becomes increasingly difficult to get the loyalty of your target audience, audio branding could be one way to get ahead of the curve.
To learn more about finding your sound, check out our guide to audio branding, complete with examples, tips, and expert advice.
Isn’t it about time you added more volume to your brand strategy?
