Audio branding is one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of advertising and marketing, but it's also one of the most important. Sound plays a vital role in shaping our lives: our brains are conditioned to respond to sound and music on a subconscious level. These podcasts explore how audio branding uses that innate connection for advertising and marketing, and the opportunities it creates to forge a more lasting, personal connection with your audience.
Sound has been a part of advertising for as long as advertising itself has existed, from street slogans in Victorian England that are recited today as nursery rhymes to television jingles that many of us still know by heart. But audio branding has undergone a revolution over the past few years, evolving from straightforward pitches into musical logos and subtle soundscapes that guide the listener’s impressions while reinforcing a brand’s identity.
The advertising industry in particular has been transformed by social media, and the enormous new audience and global reach it represents. From viral videos and licensed music to streaming shows and smart devices, we take a look at how online life has opened up entirely new directions when it comes to audio advertising and branding.
Branding isn’t just about advertising, though. Audio branding encompasses the listener’s whole experience with a brand from start to finish, with points of contact that range from traditional advertising and social media to apps and IVR sounds. Throughout these episodes, we talk about how every touchpoint, no matter how short or seemingly minor, is an opportunity to instill a sense of consistency and brand recognition, and how to make the most of them.
Advertising and marketing have come a long way over the past century, from storefronts and brand logos to radio jingles and television ads. As we move forward into the twenty-first century, digital media and audio-first industries like Spotify and Clubhouse are making audio advertising and marketing strategies more relevant than ever before. New approaches are constantly emerging, and these podcasts can help explore and navigate the changing landscape of audio branding.
“I knew a guy who had been quiet, mild-mannered; you would never have thought that he would listen to death metal all the time. And it was, I mean, this thrashy, really, really violent music. He explained the reason he did it, that he liked it, was because he was deeply abused as a kid. […]
“They loved what I did. They put it on the ad, and they reported back to me six months from then that the ad had over-performed, that it had helped them get more than half a million dollars in revenue. And they had gone from near zero brand visibility in that market to almost top […]
“And it’s also a progression, right, that you don’t know why that progression did it for you. Like, there is a moment in this one song by Manchester Orchestra where they hit this C [note], and I, the first time I listened to it, just ugly cried, and I had no idea what they were […]
“That’s sort of how we, like, when we started the agency, then we started with just the two of us, and my role alongside Jared was everything. We did everything. And then as we expanded and grew, like, we realized, actually, like, not only my partner at the agency, but I am the chief listening […]
“I would say they really need to not position themselves as a recording studio or a music studio, but to position themselves as a sonic branding agency and to understand that the first, most important part of the process is understanding the brand that you’re working with. If you’re coming into the industry as a […]
“You know, the Dr. Pepper jingle, a year ago, there was that jingle. So I’m not going to make any claims that the jingle itself isn’t great. It’s a great jingle. And I do think if you analyze it, there are a lot of ways you can dissect it to actually properly represent Dr. Pepper. […]