Music to my ears

How sound effects our everyday wellbeing has been of recent interest, with health researchers and city governments looking not just at reducing the negative impact of noise pollution, but tailoring sound to benefit health.1 Similarly, in the realm of retail, sound can form impactful part of a customer’s brand experience and is an often-overlooked touchpoint for retailers. An act as simple as playing music in-store can be beneficial, with 86% of Australian shoppers finding it enhances their shopping experience.2 But sound can do so much more, through the concept of sonic branding. More than just a catchy jingle or theme song, sonic branding sets the goal of creating a tangible effect through the purposeful use of sound.3

Why should retailers use sonic branding?

Chiefly, sonic branding aims to communicate a brand’s image in an instant. It encapsulates the brand’s personality and illustrates what it stands for. The sound of the brand becomes ingrained in its image, contributing significantly to brand recognition.4 Sonic branding has been found to have other important effects for retailers. Sound can be an effective brand trigger, functioning as stimuli to evoke memories of brand experiences in customers, building on and strengthening their brand loyalty.5 The emotional and sensual stimulation that music provides is a further medium through which sonic branding functions. Tailored music, congruent with brand image and self-identity, can foster emotional ties not just between the brand and the consumer, but also between consumers in the wider brand community.6 Crucially though, sonic branding needs to be approached holistically, and purposefully designed to resonate with the brand’s core values and purpose. Attempting to shoehorn in an existing piece of popular music, especially without due consideration of its meaning, may come off as inauthentic and insincere.

Who is already using sonic branding?

In February this year, Mastercard launched a new sonic brand built around a distinct and memorable melody. Intentionally composed to be flexible, the melody is incorporated into a range of Mastercard’s audio assets- from EFTPOS payment acceptance alerts, to music scores for advertising, or even the hold music from customer service.7 With the increasing popularity of audio mediums through streaming music, podcasting, and smart speaker/home-assistant use, establishing a unique and representative sonic brand and identity is now important for retailers.

  1. Roberts, A. (2018). Source.
  2. Mood Media. (2017). Source.
  3. Beckerman, J., & Gray, Tyler, contributor. (2014). The sonic boom : How sound transforms the way we think, feel, and buy.
  4. Clara Gustafsson. (2015). Sonic branding: A consumer-oriented literature review. Journal of Brand Management, 22(1), 20-37.
  5. Fulberg, P. (2003) Using sonic branding in the retail environment – An easy and effective way to create consumer brand loyalty while enhancing the in-store experience. Journal of Consumer Behaviour 3(2): 193–198.
  6. Murphy, L., Shermann, A. and Moscardo, G. (2013) Building brands with music: Australian cases. In: P. Tschmuck, P.L. Pearce and S. Campell (eds.) Music Business and the Experience Economy: The Australian Case. Berlin, Germany: Springer, pp. 153–174.
  7. Mastercard. (2019). Source.