How can sound marketing impact your brand?

Definition and principles of sound marketing

Sound marketing is an effective strategic tool for attracting new consumers and encouraging them to buy. This approach exploits the emotional potential of sound, offering companies a unique opportunity to stand out from the crowd. It enables brands to reinforce their identity, enrich the customer experience and boost sales performance. In this guide, we'll help you to better understand how sound marketing works, what its benefits are and how to implement a sound strategy.

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Sound marketing is proving to be an essential element in the development of a global corporate strategy. It influences consumer perception and experience, offering a more powerful impact than visuals alone. Just like the other senses, hearing is capable of conveying sensations. Sound marketing uses sound to impact customer behavior by arousing certain emotions. According to a study carried out by LSA Etude for Mood Media and Sacem, 70% of consumers say that music enhances a company's image. It is therefore an effective seduction and communication tool. To consolidate its DNA and assert its positioning, a company doesn't hesitate to invest in the creation of a visual charter, a logo or even furniture for its premises. Sound marketing, on the other hand, is often overlooked. Yet it enables brands to strengthen their relationship with the public and convey their values and history. By having a unique sound identity, a company uses a universal language to generate an emotional response and become unforgettable with consumers.

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Why is sound a key element in marketing?

Sound captures attention and elicits immediate emotional responses. It has an influence on the buying atmosphere and, thanks to it, consumers have a better perception of quality.

They are more likely to remember a company and feel connected to it if the sound experience matches the company's image.

In advertising campaigns, sound marketing has the power to awaken emotions and memories. As a result, advertising messages are more powerful and effective.

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How does sound marketing influence the customer experience?

Sound marketing is an indispensable tool for companies wishing to surpass the limits of text and video. It is used at every stage of the customer experience, from brand discovery to the use of the product purchased.

The customer experience refers to all the emotions felt by the consumer at the time of a purchase, before, during and after. The more positive these emotions are, the better the quality of the experience.

Sound marketing creates emotion, excitement and interest among customers. As a result, they are happier and more relaxed, which leads them to consume more.

This strategic lever reinforces corporate identity. Beyond the reassuring and attractive atmosphere it helps to create, it is a key factor in brand memorability.

With a distinctive jingle or signature sound, the establishment is engraved in the consumer's memory. In addition, characteristic sounds, such as the slamming of a car door, contribute to the perception of product quality and reliability.

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The different sound marketing techniques

There are several techniques for developing an effective sound marketing strategy:

• Sound identity: This method involves creating a unique signature, a set of sounds reflecting the company's history and values. This identity is designed to guarantee immediate recognition, similar to a visual logo.

• Soundscape: This strategy involves a customized selection of music and sounds to create an engaging atmosphere. This encourages purchase and loyalty at points of sale or during events.

• Music: The music chosen for advertisements or commercial spaces can evoke emotions or communicate values specific to the company.

• Organic object sounds: Organic object sounds, such as the characteristic sound of a car door, can emphasize a superior quality or a special feature of the product.

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The benefits of sound marketing for business

Just like a visual communication strategy, sound marketing is an essential element for companies. The aim? Reinforce company awareness, improve the customer experience and boost sales.

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How can sound marketing boost brand awareness?

Sound marketing can reinforce a company's image by generating emotions and arousing the senses. Some distinctive melodies are capable of making you think of a brand without even seeing it.

The best-known example is probably the SNCF's sound identity. With all the competition out there, it's vital for a company to stand out from the crowd with a unique sound identity.

Just like a logo, this sound signature becomes a means of making its presence felt through every communication channel.

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The importance of sound marketing for the sound experience

The customer experience can be considerably enriched with a good sound marketing strategy. Imagine entering a store where the soundscape has been designed to transport you.

This subtly influences your desire to buy, inviting you to prolong your visit and making you unconsciously appreciate the brand even more.

And on the Internet? Music and sound accompany users throughout their browsing, making their experience not only unique, but also much more personal.

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Impact of sound marketing on sales

Sound marketing boosts a company's sales.

The Viktor & Rolf study, on theinfluence of sound on online perfumebuying behavior, reveals that the addition of specific sound elements can seriously increase consumer desire to buy.

The results of this study show that the purchase rate rises by 38% in France and 40% in the United States when background music is present.

The panel's feedback was unanimous:

"The experience was interesting and made me want to buy this product."

"I particularly liked the audio experience, which allows the fragrance to be represented emotionally. An interesting feature!"

"Something sensual, something deep".

"Being able to listen to the sound of a perfume: very original, and it sets this perfume apart from others."

"I heard the sound before I read the perfume description, and it's easy to understand its smell and feel, just by listening."

These observations, confirmed by other research, highlight how important it is to develop the right sound strategy to convert consumer interest into actual sales.

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Implement a sound marketing strategy

To implement a successful sound marketing strategy, there are a number of important steps to follow.

It is essential to select, create and integrate coherent sound content, and to associate it with all the brand's communication channels.

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Key steps in implementing a sound marketing strategy

There are five steps to an effective sound marketing strategy:  

1. Brand sound audit:

Start by examining the existing sound elements associated with your brand. This diagnosis includes analyzing the sounds and music used, as well as sound consistency across various channels (advertising, TV, social networks, points of sale).

This initial stage identifies the strengths and areas for improvement of your audio presence.

2. Defining the brand's sound territory :

Use the Speak method to define your brand's sonic territory, specifying its history, values and target audience.

This approach aims to establish a solid foundation for your sound identity, ensuring its alignment with the desired brand image.

3. The creation of a coherent sound identity:

Develop a sound identity consistent with the results obtained with the Speak method. This includes designing sound signatures, jingles and background music that will be directly associated with your brand.

4. Validation through psychoacoustic studies :

Make sure that the sounds you choose match the perceptions of your target audience with psychoacoustic studies. These analyses confirm that the sound elements elicit the expected emotions and reactions.

5. Flexible sound formats :

Guarantee the availability of your sound elements in a variety of formats and durations. This adaptability is essential for a consistent user experience across all touchpoints.

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How can you integrate sound marketing into your marketing strategy?

To integrate sound marketing into your marketing strategy, you need to take a holistic view that includes different aspects of your brand's communication.

• In your advertising: Use stand-out sound elements to boost your brand's identity. Whether it's a catchy jingle or a melody of your own, it can really help your brand stick in people's minds and forge an emotional bond with your audience.

• In your videos: Whether you're promoting, informing or communicating internally, make sure your signature sound is present. This will not only unify your communication on all fronts, but also support your brand message.

• In your points of sale: There's nothing like a tailor-made sound atmosphere to make the in-store experience a unique one. The right music or sound effects can really transform the space and encourage your customers to take their time and, why not, buy more.

• With your physical products: Think about incorporating sounds that represent you in the use of your products. It could be the little "beep" of a device turning on, or the characteristic sound of a specific function. The idea is that these sounds should be pleasant to the ear and convey the spirit of your brand.

• On your website: Sound marketing can enrich the experience of your website visitors. From clicks to background music activated at selected moments, every sonic detail can help make navigation more intuitive and enjoyable.

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Examples of successful sound marketing

Some brands have mastered the art of sound marketing. Recognizable by their jingles or well-known auditory slogans, they have risen to the challenge.

At Sound Experience, we've helped a number of companies implement their sound marketing strategy. Here are just a few examples of our achievements:

• Viktor & Rolf : In collaborating with Viktor & Rolf, we sought to give their fragrance a signature sound that would transform every purchase into a rich sensory experience.

This approach has clearly shown how sound marketing can boost sales in the luxury world.

Creating this intense emotional connection with consumers has not only enriched their experience, but also encouraged the act of buying.

• L'Oréal: By teaming up with L'Oréal, we gave birth to"Le Visionnaire", a genuine sound marketing strategy designed to unleash the creativity of their teams.

This sound universe not only enhances the working environment, but also strengthens the bond between the brand, its employees and its customers.

This approach highlights the essential role played by sound identity, both inside and outside the company, in promoting a lively and inspiring workspace.

• Renault: We designed an auditory signature for Renault to promote the sale of its future vehicles.

This sound marketing strategy aims to create a consistent experience that reflects the brand's innovative spirit and the superior quality of its car models.

• Musée national de la Marine: With the Musée national de la Marine, we opted for a sound signature that invites visitors to extend their journey beyond the museum walls.

To achieve this, we built an unforgettable and unique auditory strategy. This sound identity enriches the visitor experience, with a resonance that extends beyond the physical space of the museum.

• IFF : To define IFF's spirit of innovation and creation, we created the song"World of scents".

In creating this jingle, we used the Speak method to reflect the fundamental principles of IFF: humanity, transparency and harmony, dynamism and modernity, and cultural diversity.

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