Audio branding is to sound what a graphic logo is to your visual communication. Because of its high added value, these techniques are becoming an increasingly important part of a company’s marketing strategy. And with good reason… In their quest to constantly improve the customer experience, sound communication represents a serious asset.
Understanding sound communication
It activates a sensory channel, particularly linked to the emotions and memory of prospects. Initially present in the B2C industry, this marketing resource is increasingly appealing to B2B brands looking for renewal. Follow us to understand the meaning of good sound branding, but also its applications and its importance in becoming more visible. You’ll discover how it can put your brand in the spotlight!
Audio branding: the sound that makes all the difference
The audio equivalent of a graphic logo, your audio brand asserts your identity while engaging the emotions of your consumers. Most of the time, it consists of a very short succession of notes (melody, percussion, sound effects, voice-over) that materialise your presence almost instantly. Thanks to this sound signature, your professional world or your structure is revealed to your users from the outset.
As well as being brief (generally between 4 and 6 seconds), effective audio branding must have another quality. It must be universal, so that it can be used across all the brand’s media. So, in an audio branding campaign, the sound logo is the central element, the one that sets the tone for designing a more global sound charter. It is on the basis of its architecture that the brand can engage in coherent communication with its prospects in contexts as varied as radio or TV spots, promotional films, corporate events, etc.
From B2C to B2B: more widespread use of sound resources
In the early days of sound branding, it was mainly B2C companies that relied on the powers of sound to create a stronger connection with their users.
There are many examples of brands that have become iconic, thanks in particular to their work with music and sound. For example, HBO’s famous crackle before its programmes are broadcast or, more recently, Netflix’s “Toudoum”, which marks the entrance to a world of quality fiction. These are all examples of sound’s ability to make an institution all the more memorable because it is easy to identify.
However, in the age of the digital economy, the paradigm for all commercial transactions has changed, requiring a closer relationship between brands and users. While traditional marketing often focuses on the product rather than the customer experience, another type of communication is now gaining ground. Companies are now focusing their attention on the customer and the benefits they derive from an offer, rather than on the product or service itself.
The growing appeal of sound branding to companies in the B2B industry
Against this backdrop, more and more B2B brands are initiating audio communication campaigns to engage in a more personal relationship with their customers. Among the pioneers of sound branding in B2B, some companies have stood out for their sense of innovation. Cisco, for example, uses a few soft, energetic synthesiser notes to convey an image of high technology and reliability to its customers.
Another example is Microsoft, which made no mistake in entrusting Brian Eno with its sound jingle for the start-up of Windows 95. In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, the composer describes how he was commissioned to produce music that was “inspiring, universal, optimistic, futuristic, sentimental […] all in just 3.25 seconds”. A delicate exercise that Eno likens to the creation of a “tiny jewel”.
The importance of a successful audio brand
If so many brands have decided to invest in sound marketing, it’s because of the benefits of effective audio branding, which makes it possible to :
1. Make it easier to remember your brand
Thanks to these few notes created in keeping with the spirit of your brand, your audience recognises you straight away. They integrate your messages and your identity in a lasting way.
2. Conveying the uniqueness of your company
Your sound logo makes it easier for you to stand out from the crowd. Sound that is relevant to your brand is in fact the shortest and most effective way of sharing your story with all your prospects.
3. Connect with your prospects through emotions
This is where the power of music and sound lies. By forging an emotional bond with your audience, they allow you to create an imaginary world around your brand. The power of sound lies in gently evoking your professional world and its values, in an immersive and personalised dialogue.
4. Stimulate user engagement with your brand
High-quality sound branding often guarantees that your prospects will engage with your brand in a different way. By awakening their emotions, it encourages their support, loyalty and positive word-of-mouth about your offer.
5. Amplify the reach of your brand
Based on a coherent sound charter, your audio brand can now be reproduced and adapted to a multitude of communication media. In other words, it helps you to extend the reach of your messages to your customers.
However, in order to guarantee the success of your approach, a period of study is necessary. You need to start thinking about your values and your messages in order to arrive at an overall vision of your brand identity.
The contours of your sound branding
In the process of researching and defining your uniqueness, there are a number of stages that will help your teams to choose the best sound, in particular :
By studying your brand DNA
At this stage, the most important thing is to lay all the cards on the table. Using your in-house resources or in collaboration with sound branding specialists, you carry out a complete audit of your brand to get closer to its ideal soundscape.
In search of your sound colour
Once the audit has been carried out, our sound experts will help you find the most faithful translation of your brand DNA. Working alongside you, they will define the rhythm, musical colour and tone associated with your brand – in short, the sound signature that will make it unique.
By defining a coherent sound ecosystem
By creating a coherent audio system that can be used on different communication media, you increase your chances of creating a lasting sound identity.
So you want to raise your company’s profile and build a loyal audience?
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Would you like to develop your brand’s musical identity? Contact usSee also inspiring videos for your sound branding:
