While brands must show up sonically in the most accessible touchpoints for consumers, that does not mean that brands should sound like prototypical versions of those given touchpoints. For example, if every time someone walked into a bank a “cha-ching” sound played, no individual brands would become connected to that sound. Instead, the sound would serve as an indication that someone has entered a bank. This is why finding a sonic identity that matches your specific brand identity, and not an entire industry, is crucial.

In recent years, the advertising world has witnessed a shift in focus from visual-centric branding strategies to a more balanced approach that incorporates the power of sound. Not long ago, the emphasis was heavily skewed. According to a study in 2018 from WARC, a staggering 86% of advertisers had formal visual-branding guidelines, and only 17% of brands had audio-specific branding guidelines¹. This disparity highlighted an underutilized avenue that brands could use to connect with audiences on a deeper, more immersive level.

Look at the logos above. Do they appear similar? Good eye! They are all the same with different text below. Just Eat, Takeaway.com, Lieferando, Grubhub and Menulog all exist under the same parent company – Just Eat Takeaway. As a result, they share many branding aspects, including visual and sonic assets. Name alterations occur for each, but for the most part, they are the same. 

Marketers might want to consider unmuting their brands’ logos. Since many TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube users scroll with sound on, and brands are licensing music or even creating custom songs reminiscent of jingles to add sound to their posts. Now, a study from sonic branding agency amp finds that syncing audio with the visuals in a logo could produce better results than simply adding music.

Advertisers are increasingly learning that it’s not exclusively a visual world — and that consumers can also associate positive, enduring experiences with the right sound. Sometimes that even means higher rates of recall, even when brand images aren’t present.

The Best Audio Brands report, a yearly index from amp, was recently published to give brands insight into the sounds they use and sounds they don’t.

Welcome to the sixth annual Best Audio Brands report! The index is the only comprehensive global ranking of brand sound usage. With the expansion of consumer touchpoints, sound has shifted from an afterthought to a key consideration for brands looking to round out their multi-sensory consumer experience.

Roastbrief delves deep into the world of sonic branding with an insightful interview featuring Michele Arnese, the visionary Founder and Global CEO of amp.

Björn Thorleifsson is Head of Research & Insights at amp sound branding. This Q&A feature touches on sonic branding and everything related to the sonic research he leads at amp.

Sonic logos have become a larger part of advertising in the past year, according to sonic branding agency Amp Sound Branding's just-released Best Audio Brands report.

This year’s Best Audio Brands 2022 (BAB) report, produced by the world’s leading sonic branding agency amp, reveals that the power of music in marketing is being recognized by an increasing number of brands.

Mastercard has again taken out the top spot in the fourth and expanded edition of amp’s Best Audio Brands Index. This year’s edition has been extended from 100 to 250 brands and used more than 10,000 data points to measure the use and efficiency of sonic branding across different industries.

We are fellow sonic branding enthusiasts with a big passion for sound research. Björn is a Consumer Behaviorist with a background in sound engineering and psychology. In this episode, Björn and I discuss AMP’s report, “Best Audio Brands 2020 Rankings”, their findings, and best practice.