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 mean, you know how it was with Michael. And when I heard that phrase, it was just… He saved my life. Like, what? He just sung a song, right? Like, but, you know, take probably one of my favorites, ‘Man in the Mirror.’ Man, it still gets me. So, just from an experience standpoint, […]
“I’m blown away by it. So, when I close my eyes and I listen to these things, and I hear those textures and I understand the footsteps coming from afar and getting closer and, you know, like, this stuff matters. Like, it paints the picture [so] that I don’t even have to have my eyes […]
“I don’t know if you can see it, [but] that’s an octopus. Yeah, on my upper arm. If you’re not watching this, the audio version is, there’s sunlight coming through and it’s dappling across this octopus. I’m a scuba diver. I really did believe, when I was young, that I was going to be a […]
“I think there’s nothing that truly resonates across all of your senses like sound does. If I’m watching something gorgeous, it’s a feast for my eyes, and it starts and ends there. But if I’m listening to something, it’s the one thing that can truly always be in your brain presence — always bringing things […]
“I love the use of AI voices or synthetic voices for people who might, you know, they’re embarrassed. I’ve worked with engineers my whole career, and sometimes, like, it’s not that they don’t want to tell their story or break something out there, but maybe they just don’t have the self-confidence or they were made […]
“That’s a big thing that I always like to try to put together in the shows — creating the sense of space, where we are taking that audience somewhere. And sonically, what does that sound like? I like having a lot of detail on, okay, this space, i.e. this portion of the episode. It’s like, […]