Music and advertising are intrinsically linked. In fact, since the late 1920s, music has been a fundamental part of advertising and brand messaging. The 1926 debut of the first-ever jingle—for Wheatles—started a trend that has continued to the present day.
Businesses are aware of advertising music's influence on consumers and the role it plays in enhancing brand messaging and shaping consumer attitudes and associations towards products and brands. By combining natural instinct and science, music holds a few hidden abilities that can deeply impact a consumer’s way of thinking.
That’s because music is scientifically linked to memory. As a result, there are 5 ways music enhances brand messaging.
1. Music and Sound Tell the Brand Story
If a picture paints a thousand words, music and sound paint a million. And music and sound are remembered 10 to 100 times faster than visuals are, so using them in brand messaging enables marketers to tell a more memorable brand story. A perfect example of that would be the Skyrizi commercials, the music for which is custom composed and incorporates the Skyrizi sonic logo, which is often sung as “Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh” at the end of the commercial.
Another great example of music’s ability to tell the brand story is the recent Applebee’s “Date Night” commercial featuring Walker Hayes' hit song "Fancy Like."
Whether the audience for a product is paying attention or not, music and sound also deliver cues to them that signal importance, whether dramatically or subtly.
2. Music and Sound Evoke Emotion
Music has the ability to evoke a range of emotions, from happy to melancholy to exuberance to grief. The trick is to choose music that fits what the brand stands for. It’s not about choosing music you like—it’s about carefully selecting music that fits the brand.
If the brand has a sonic logo, we recommend using custom-composed music into which the sonic logo can be woven. Again, think Skyrizi. The sonic logo and the custom-composed music both exude the joy that comes with having clear skin. It’s a pretty perfect pairing.
3. Music and Sound Inspire Action
Marketers know that their advertising and brand messaging efforts must always take the consumer through the AIDA consumer behavior model: Attention, Interest, Decision, Action.
You’ll notice that action is the last step in the sequence and only happens after interest spawns the decision to buy. In other words, the advertising and brand messaging convince the consumer that this is the brand to buy. In marketing terms, that’s called “demand generation.”
But the consumer must still take action in the form of initiating a purchase transaction, whether that’s in a brick-and-mortar place or online.
4. Music and Sound Sell the Experience
Consumers need to be inspired to talk positively to others about a brand. Research shows that 72% of consumers will tell six other people about a good experience.
That experience must begin with their first exposure to the brand. Like meeting someone for the first time, the initial exposure to the brand must leave a lasting, positive impression on the consumer.
Nothing has greater power to do that than music and sound, both of which set the tone for the audience and “sell” the experience the brand wants to deliver.
5. Music and Sound Are Symbols for the Brand
Music and sound must be symbolic of the brand; they must become synonymous with it. The music, sound, sonic logo and other audio elements must mesh with the target audience’s culture, which is a byproduct of demographic, psychographic and geographic variables (a topic we will cover in a future blog post).
That’s why must time and consideration must go into developing an audio brand strategy that incorporates a sonic logo, music, sound and audio elements that are a fit for the brand and its audience.
For more information about sonic branding and the application of sound and music in brand messaging and customer experience, visit our sonic branding page or email us at info@chromeorangemedia.com.