WPP-backed sound branding company amp has launched "Sonic Hub," a solution designed to help brands create "immersive Super Sonic experiences" for their customers.

Functional music is on the verge of revolutionizing the way we think about music and its relationship to our bodies. Emerging technology promises to transform music into a form of medicine that can be customized to meet individual patient needs.

Using audio to cement a marketing message is as old, at least, as the jingle itself. But in an era when every touchpoint is a marketing opportunity and sound is everywhere, the idea of having a signature sound has been cranked up to 11.

Advertising, communications, technology, and commerce holding company WPP has acquired sonic branding agency amp sound branding.

Younger individuals in the Gen-Alpha and Gen-Z populations have now, unwillingly, taken part in a social experiment where their formative years of socialization involved making friends through a screen. Although most activities have resumed, habits take time to change.

Generative AI tools, an established name and rising client demand behind acquisition, explain agency bosses. Sonic branding has become an increasingly noisy prospect for marketers in recent years. But for many brands, it’s a peripheral channel. And when economic circumstances push marketers towards budgetary caution, experimental work tends to get culled.

To strengthen its experiential branding offer, WPP has acquired sonic branding business Amp, which will join its design consultancy Landor & Fitch.

Revolving Door Roundup is an ongoing series tracking moves at agencies around the world. The first week of Q2 is kicking off with hires, promotions, and board additions at some of the largest, most rapidly growing agencies around the world.

Easter, like Christmas, has taken on more commercial importance for many years as a sales and marketing opportunity for the global chocolate industry. Fortunately for many chocolate brands, the expectations of Easter aren’t substantially different from the moods and styles of their typical messaging.. Why should this matter for brand marketers and CMOs when considering this Catholic holiday?

A strong audio identity is more than just a catchy jingle at the end of an ad. It involves audio that can be watermarked into the brand experience. For example, Philadelphia, the Kraft Heinz cream cheese,  has a specific audio element for what it sounds like when you spread its cream cheese on a bagel to bring that sensory experience to life in audio. 

As more brands gravitate to audio advertising, best practices for audio creative are needed to help advertisers optimize their campaigns and keep clients happy, industry experts say. Without benchmarks, the worry is a brand will come to audio for the first time, run an ineffective campaign or use creative that doesn’t align with the target audience and conclude that audio is not scalable.

Cody Clark is a Nashville-based multi-industry veteran with extensive experience in the audio and branding sectors. With a proven track record and skills that span creative management to songwriting and sonic brand building, his past work includes musical endeavours for BMW, Peloton, Target, Maybelline, National Geographic, Aerie, US Department of Health, NBC, ABC, HBO, Lions Gate Films, Paramount Pictures, Facebook, and many additional brands.

Execs at ad agencies that specialize in audio say the channel’s efficiency is helping drive an uptick in business for their shops in what may be the start of an audio-first advertising approach for some brands.

Michele Arnese is the founder of the leading Sonic Branding Agency amp. His team has developed audio brands for clients such as Mercedes-Benz, Mastercard, BMW, UniCredit, and more. We discussed how to build audio brands, sonic identity, and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

Having now been celebrating the transformative power of brand strategy and design across the continent for the past 14 years, Transform magazine is once again delighted to announce the winners of Transform Awards Europe.

In this episode of The Sonic Truth, Founder and CEO of AMP, Michele Arnese, joins Veritonic’s Kristin Charron to discuss sonic DNA for brands. What it is, how it’s created, and why it’s an indispensable marketing vehicle for brands of all sizes.

March is Women's History Month, and the women at amp believe that it starts with great sonic. Our Research & Insights Consultant Hannah Cahill analyzed several brands like H&M and Procter & Gamble, for Gillette Venus, on how they target women through music in their commercials. But what is the sound of an inspiring and memorable women’s ad? Does it all sound empowering, or is it a stereotype?

How does a brand become linked to sound, how does an audio agency help create and sell the emotional experience of music back to a brand? This episode will explain and unpack the magic of marketing and music and hopefully leave you inspired about the many possible applications and experiences that sonic branding can bring to your marketing mix.

Today, 10 years later, sonic branding is rapidly expanding. Based in Munich, Thorleifsson is now amp’s Head of Strategy & Research. If the sound of insurance sounds a little dry, spend a few minutes with Thorleifsson. We admit we were a little skeptical ourselves. Then we took a trip into his mind.

Super Bowl advertisers got in on the noise too, whether through jingles, sonic logos, artist partnerships, or iconic songs from the past. As brands seem to increasingly prioritize sound as part of their marketing strategies, a few themes emerged during this year’s game, where several brands used sonic logos in their commercials.