These Are The World's Best Sonic Brands
Sonic brands are becoming increasingly a thing and amp's Best Audio Brands just hit inboxes to prove it. The winner? McDonald's. People are clearly 'loving it'. Perhaps the data explains why Mastercard just spent $15 million on a new jingle, sorry, 'sonic brand'. Here is the ranking:
AMP's top sonic brands (1-10) Source: AMP
The data isn't just about recognisability but also ROI, in fact, the top performing audio brands have failed to develop a truly comprehensive approach to sonic branding it appears. Both McDonald's and Intel (#3) failed to score highly when it came to return on audio investment (efficiency). So what does it take to have a killer sonic brand that also delivers?
I asked Michele Arnese, Founder & Global CEO, amp, just that and also delve behind the data and what it means for big and small companies. Overall? The future, it seems, is not going to be easy for either but dedication will pay off. Download the full report here.
PA: What do most people miss when it comes to sound?
MA: Most brands fail to think about sound and voice as an integral part of their brand’s identity, which are powerful tools to create an emotional and personal connection with customers. Moreover, a short-term tactical approach will not drive long-term equity. Brands need to create reusable sonic assets that drive recognition at all touchpoints without neglecting the customer experience. This is only possible through a sonic branding strategy based on a unique Sound DNA and the creation of authentic music, sounds, and voices.
Unfortunately, many of today’s leading brands still opt for a tactical licensing strategy, whereby they “rent” pop songs to soundtrack their campaigns. As a result, they are being associated with culture, instead of driving it.
The other mistake many make is to take a cautious approach to creating a sonic brand, resulting in something we call “corporate sound”. It’s owned, but it’s not unique or memorable and will fail to connect with consumers.
The future is about authenticity and committing to a unique and owned sonic identity and strategy will pay huge dividends.
PA: What should the average SME business be thinking about when it comes to sound?
MA: For smaller businesses some communication channels are more important than others and the budget often allows only for certain channels to be considered. Nevertheless, their approach to sonic branding should be as strategic as larger businesses.
Once the brand has defined how it should sound and created a sound DNA, the development of specific sound elements (sound logo, soundscapes, music for audio-visual productions, etc.) can be planned according to budget, timeframe and the most important touchpoints.
Average small businesses can follow a vertical approach, moving from the sound DNA directly to the touchpoint with the highest reach and impact.
PA: And large businesses?
MA: Large businesses should aim to create a sonic ecosystem. They will require a greater number of sonic assets than small companies, so they can be both flexible across all touchpoints, and remain recognisable. This allows the brand to maintain a high level of authenticity, whilst appealing to different markets and consumer groups.
PA: What surprised you about the rankings? Who isn’t where you’d/the public would expect them to be?
MA: Harley Davidson: Harley Davidson has a strong visual identity, which is why its lack of audio identity is so surprising. Even though the genre of music being used in their communication fits well with the brand, the quality of the audio being used is surprisingly poor. The lack of extensive sound assets (which results in very low recall and recognition) also contributes to their low score in the ranking.
Visa: It may come as a surprise to see Visa in the lower third of the ranking, particularly as they have just been praised as innovative for introducing a payment sound. However, the lack of strategy around other sonic assets, coupled with poor quality music (typically stock music) helps explain their low score.
Heineken: As a result of relying on licensing pop music – and therefore “renting” the cultural associations – Heineken has failed to build brand equity through audio.
Here are the next 40 (download the report for the rest):
