What does your brand actually sound like?
All brands make sound. The question is how much intention have we put into the crafting of it and how does that affect the customer experience. When a potential client visits your website or any other environment to make a purchase or decision, what do they hear?
A brand’s voice is not just a few seconds of sound that is often recognized as a jingle. Sound branding is a strategic approach to the auditory experience within the context of a brand. Creating a single “jingle” does not create a strategy across different channels, but at best, it can be a cornerstone of such a strategy.
Every brand has different touchpoints where people’s ears encounter the brand. It could be a podcast, radio advertisement, or even the music in the office waiting room. But why is brand sound important to marketers and how does it help achieve better results?
Senses, Subconscious, and Message Perception
According to marketing guru Robert Passikoff, the decision-making process, engagement, and loyalty to a brand account for 70% of the emotional impact. A study conducted by the Institute of the Practitioners of Advertising found that emotional messages had a greater impact on the success of advertising campaigns than rational messages. Emotional messages were even twice as effective: Campaigns with emotional messages were successful on average 34%, compared to rational messages, which were only 16%.
People experience messages through their senses at different levels. We can do this consciously, subconsciously, and emotionally. However, each sense interprets the received messages differently. For example, with the sense of sight, we are usually very conscious. We know exactly what we are looking at and what we are focusing on.
Why is the use of sound in branding such a powerful tool?
Compared to other senses, a large part of the sounds we hear greatly influences us subconsciously, not to mention the emotional impact. Therefore, sound is an especially powerful tool for marketers.
However, Martin Lindström’s book “Brand Sense” states that Fortune 500 companies spend 86% of their marketing budget on visual tools. In a previous blog post, it was mentioned that brand impact can be increased by 1100% by adding sound, for example, to a video advertisement. The more senses we touch, the greater impact we can create with our messages.
Sound has the ability to evoke emotional states and leave memorable impressions. Therefore, it is important to carefully, consistently, and strategically shape your brand’s voice.
8 Ways to Enhance Your Brand’s Voice:
1. Define your brand’s personality: Before you can shape your brand’s sound, you need to clearly define its personality. Is it fun and energetic or rather serious and knowledgeable? This significantly influences the type of sound you want to use.
2. Create Sound Signature: A sound signature is a unique sound directly associated with your brand. It can be a short melody, tone, or other auditory element. A sound signature can be a powerful way to create brand recognition and memorability.
3. Choose appropriate music: Music is a strong emotional tool that can enhance the impact of your brand’s message. Choose music that aligns with your brand’s personality and resonates with your target audience. We can create a tailored sound experience for advertisements, videos, or even in-store environments.
4. Use brand voice accents: A voice accent or voice actor can give your brand a unique sound. Choose a voice actor whose voice matches your brand’s personality and message. A voice accent can be particularly effective in radio advertisements or videos.
5. Create sound effects: Sound effects can give your brand a distinctive sound and memorability. For example, a brand can use sound effects when loading their website, in social media posts, or in other digital materials.
6. Consistency across platforms: Ensure that your brand’s voice is consistent across different platforms. Whether it’s your website, social media, advertisements, or even physical spaces, make sure your brand’s sound is unified everywhere.
7. Tailor sound to your target audience: Explore your target audience’s preferences and habits when it comes to sound. By using sound that resonates with your target audience, you increase brand affinity and impact.
8. Test and adapt: Don’t be afraid to test different sound elements and adapt based on feedback. Experimentation helps you find the perfect sound that tells your brand’s story and connects with your audience.
In summary, brand sound is an important part of brand identity and marketing strategy. Well-crafted sound helps create an emotional connection with the target audience, strengthens brand impact, and delivers a memorable experience. By using various elements such as sound signature, music, voice accents, and sound effects, you can give your brand a unique sound that stands out from competitors.
Brand Sound is Estonia’s first audio branding agency, partnering in the development and implementation of sound branding design and strategies. Contact us with your inquiries at info@brandsound.ee
Ikevald and Maksim