Audio identity is a standout

Audio identity is the sound or sounds consumers associate more or less spontaneously with a brand

SACEM, the French-based Society of authors, composers and publishers of music, carried out a survey which showed that while 99% of brands had a visual identity, only 20% had an audio identity. This was a somewhat surprising result, especially when one realises that some 70% of consumers consider that an audio identity improves the brand image and that 60% consider that audio communication makes the brand and its products easier to remember than visual communication.

Here are 3 tips from Friendly Agence to help you come up with successful audio communication:

Talk about your brand and not music

An advertiser, even though they might not have any real knowledge of music or how it is used, will only too often veto certain bits of music or get the agency to stick to a given pattern. This is a temptation the advertiser must resist, because the most important thing is identifying what they are setting out to achieve, their target, their positioning and their values, to mention just a few. It’s up to the audio design agency to turn these aspects into their musical equivalent, starting off by benchmarking the competition to see what kind of sound background is being used in the sector. The agency will also examine the brand’s current and historical audio signatures and carry out the background work.

Give meaning and consistency to your audio identity

An audio identity has to be created to match the brand’s communication objectives and will leverage the brand’s positioning to showcase its products’ qualities. However, a brand will only stand out if the audio identity moves out of the realm of consensus and has more than a touch of boldness about it.

If the words, tune and sound background are consistent with these elements, they will result in stronger brand identity and better consumer awareness.

Vary your audio identity over time

Musical tastes change along with consumer tastes, a brand’s positioning alters with time and communication tools and channels are constantly on the move. It stands to reason, then, that the audio identity also has to move with the times, The DIM underwear and sock company, for example, understood this and its audio identity is ranked by AtooMedia’s BIMM barometer as being the most recognisable, but with the lowest saturation rate. Although on the surface the brand’s jingle hasn’t changed for decades, DIMM regularly changes the underlying tones, tempos and musical styles to match its products