The Sonic Influence for Engaging Content
This edition of Outside In is an accidental topic discovery. But now that we look at it, it is a completely logical post focused on building Engaging Content. In the last 2-3 weeks, Outside In caught up on the Language (Speak) and Visual (See) Influences for creating impactful Content
The Language Influence: https://outsideinlens.substack.com/p/the-language-influence-for-engaging
The Visual Influence: https://outsideinlens.substack.com/p/the-visual-influence-for-engaging
And, out-of-blue there was a news item that alerted me towards a 3rd important one – The Sonic (Hear) Influence! See below…
Global IT Giant Infosys recently launched its unique ‘Sonic’ Brand Identity
Sonic identities have become increasingly popular in consumer marketing. The B2B giant follows in the footsteps of consumer counterparts like Mastercard, Marriott Bonvoy and Singapore Airlines in hoping a sonic identity can lead to brand differentiation and recall. With more than 300,000 people across 56 countries and a global client base, Infosys has the classic B2B challenge of having to make itself memorable to a plethora of stakeholders. And in the world of digital services and consulting, that isn’t as straightforward as it might be for an FMCG brand that can let the tangibility and feel of its product do the talking
Sonic brand signatures do help with exactly that and can help stakeholders connect with a business at a much deeper level by evoking emotions and memories that strengthen brand recollection. Infosys’ sonic brand identity, the auditory equivalent of its blue visual identity and logo, will be a strategic brand asset and will serve to reinforce the company’s core identity and brand purpose
Check the full Infosys Sonic Identity here at:
Read more at: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/09/11/why-infosys-believes-sonic-branding-hits-all-the-right-notes-b2b-marketers
While the above corporate update was a trigger and the previous Outside In were in sync with the content theme, you might ask for specifics on the ‘Sonic Influence for Engaging Content’. That is the plan for this post… Let’s see what we can discover…
Research – The Effect of Background Music on Ad Processing
According to this research paper, experimental results suggest that message reception is influenced by the interplay of two musical properties: attention-gaining value and music-message congruency. Increasing audience attention to music enhances message reception when the music evokes message-congruent (versus incongruent) thoughts.
There were suggestions that music influenced listeners mainly through their feelings – that may transfer to a product when they are used in an advertisement. Or, by creating moods that enhance product evaluations and facilitate message acceptance. The study proposed to illuminate the ambiguity surrounding recall effects of music by introducing a contingency variable: music-message congruency. Music-message congruency referred to the congruency of meanings communicated non-verbally by music and verbally by ad copy
Attention-gaining background music is hypothesized to enhance recall of brands and messages when the meanings conveyed by music and message are congruent, and interfere with ad processing when music and message convey dissimilar meanings
Music is multi-dimensional and the study explored 2 properties of music that can exert an interactive influence on ad processing
1) Music's Attention-Gaining Value
The first musical property that can influence message reception is "attention-gaining value," which refers to the activation or arousal potential of musical sound. Music's ability to engage a listener's attention can stem from objective traits, such as speed and loudness, or subjective traits, such as surprising-ness and interesting-ness. Slow, soft music should have a low attention-gaining value, whereas fast, loud music can be expected to activate higher levels of attention
In an advertising context, music may contribute to message reception by attracting and holding attention. According to one view, attention-getting music should attract attention to an ad, thereby enhancing message reception. A paradox arises, however, in that listeners sometimes attend to the music so closely that the message is not processed. In these cases, music is a distractor that inhibits message reception and processing
Whether attention-gaining music enhances or distracts from processing may therefore depend on the consistency of meaning conveyed by the music and verbal message
2) Music-Message Congruency
Numerous sources suggest that purely instrumental music can convey very specific meanings that are widely shared across listeners. Another study suggests that most listeners, regardless of musical training, could interpret accurately the intended meanings of unfamiliar musical compositions. And yet another study demonstrated that untrained and expert listeners share remarkably similar perceptions of the aesthetic expressiveness of classical music performances
Music can communicate meanings in two distinct ways. First, musical pieces occasionally convey literal meanings by imitating concrete sounds (e.g., bird calls, traffic noises). Second, music has a special ability to convey images, thoughts, and feelings more abstractly as well
The Study Model
The impact of increasing the attention-gaining value of background music is expected to interact with music-message congruency in the following way: Increasing audience attention to message-congruent music will reinforce retention of the message because similar content is being communicated through both spoken words and music- evoked thoughts. However, increasing audience attention to music that evokes message-incongruent thoughts will not enhance message retention, and may actually impede it by distracting the audience from processing the content of the spoken message
Subjects were given a disguised cover story. The purpose of the study was described as "to assess the viability of a new media format” for the college market. Test ads were created by voicing copy over music. Copy and music were matched/mismatched to operationalize high/low congruency. Executional attributes such as du ration, announcer's voice, recording quality, and loudness were held constant
Subjects were asked to recall that one of the ads (dummy) was heard twice, at the beginning and end of the broadcast, and the other ad (target) was heard only once. Attention was drawn to the target ad by stating "the following questions concern the ad you heard only once”
Results
They examined the proposition that ad recall and recognition are enhanced by attention-gaining background music that communicates message-congruent meanings. This proposition received fairly consistent, but no uniform, empirical support. The interaction between music-message congruency and music's attention-gaining value was of the predicted shape and statistically significant on all memorability measures for brand recall, message recall and message recognition
The researchers suggested two tentative implications of their findings for the use of music in advertising. First, the findings suggest that advertisers should consider the use of music in relation to their communication goals. In cases in which brand awareness and knowledge are primary objectives, the design or selection of music should be approached with extreme caution to avoid music that may inhibit consumers' reception of message and brand name
Second, if an advertiser uses music, it should be pretested for its ability to generate attention and for congruency of music- and message-generated thoughts, images, and feelings. Tentatively, their results would seem to suggest the selection of highly attention-gaining, highly congruent music over other categories of music
Check the Full Paper here at: The Effect of Background Music on Ad Processing – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272580790_The_Effect_of_Background_Music_on_Ad_Processing_A_Contingency_Explanation
Best Practices for creating the Right Sonic Influence
Spotify has reported that 75% of 18-24-year-olds say music helps them feel more connected to a brand. Harnessing the power of sonic branding has never been more crucial in the modern marketing world.
1) Carve Out a Unique Sonic Signature in a Busy Market
Sonic branding is a secret weapon in forging a distinctive, memorable, and iconic brand that forges an emotional connection with a brand’s audience. It allows it to take their audience on an emotional journey, helping them understand the feelings the brand aims to evoke. By layering the brand with this auditory element, it can craft a resonating experience for its audience. In a world where information overload is the norm, owning a brand ‘sonic’ that leaves a lasting impression is crucial
2) Harmonize the Sonic and Visual Brand Identity
A brand’s sonic identity should work in harmony with its overall brand identity—it should enhance the brand's story, not compete with it. The sounds chosen should create an audio backdrop that complements the visual brand. For instance, if the brand operates in the health and wellness sector, it might consider using natural sounds like birds chirping or water flowing to create a serene, calming atmosphere. Conversely, a high-energy sports brand might opt for dynamic, fast-paced music and sound effects to create an energizing ambiance
3) Experiment and Create: Sonic branding is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Experiment with different combinations of sounds, tunes, and voice-overs to find what best fits your brand. Use a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) to mix and match different elements and craft a unique soundscape for the brand and its range of Products
4) Keep It Simple: A brand or a product’s sonic content should be straightforward and memorable. A short, catchy tune or sound – that is congruent with the nature of brand/product – is more likely to stick in your audience's memory than a complex or lengthy composition
For Additional Reading, check Spotify’s Sonic Best Practices for Digital Ads: https://ads.spotify.com/en-US/news-and-insights/sonic-science-audio-ad-best-practices/
Tips for Sonic Influence for Content Engagement
1) Research and compare your sound to Industry Sonic Standards
Differentiation is really important when building out branded sound. Brands should familiarize themselves with sector-wide sonic standards prior to launching an effective sonic identity. With players like Sonic Radar, brands can complete comprehensive research on key competitors’ sonic impact and tonality as well as track the brand’s own sonic strategy, sonic industry benchmarks, sonic logo usage, sonic mood preferences, and more
2) Test and plan your brand’s sonic impact prior to Global Implementation
Brand fit is not reserved for the visual branding world; sonic assets must align with brand identity, values, and overall attributes. This brand sonic fit must be achieved prior to implementation across markets to avoid wasted marketing investment. Synced sonic assets will contribute to increased consumer engagement, memorability, and purchase intent
According to a study from Audacy, consistent sonic branding boosts both purchase intent and ad recall in radio and podcast ads for brands. The same study also reveals that radio ads with sonic branding are perceived as +7% more trustworthy, +6% more likable, and +5% more empowering
3) Manage and expand your sound with the help of generative AI and secure “Sonic Repositories”
Brands with recognizable sonic identities can see an average 5% increase in their perceived value and a similar increase among consumers for purchase intent. With the help of generative AI, brands can ensure their sonic output contains their specific branded mnemonics.
The most important factor in achieving success when it comes to sonic branding is consistency. An example of this can be seen in TikTok, whose sonic logo appears at the end of all videos exported from the platform circa October 2022. This consistent implementation led to 70% recognition and 47% brand attribution with Gen-Z
Illustrations of Sonic Influence for delivering Engaging Content
For more examples of the sonic influence for content ‘connect’, check this Outside In post from earlier this year – Using Sonic Science to shape Emotion and Perception – Nudgestock 2023 – My Notes – Part-2: https://outsideinlens.substack.com/p/nudgestock-2023-my-notes-part-2
It covers detailed ‘Sonic’ Stories of Kelloggs Cheez-It Cheese Crackers & Mercedes Cars Pink Noise
In Conclusion
One of the key reasons brands are increasingly adopting distinct ‘Audio Content Pieces’ are as follows:
Storytelling – the medium is at its best when the story is compelling and relevant, which can have a dramatic effect on affinity and brand regard
Intimacy – a unique sonic piece is in the customer’s ears, their minds, and maybe their hearts. It’s an amazing privilege to be invited into this impactful space. Emotional connections can be forged that drive 1:1 relationships with potential and current customers
Recall – Spotify research (as part of the series noted above) reveals that digital audio is more engaging than radio, TV and social media
Low Barriers to Entry – cost continues to be extraordinarily low compared to most mediums which is one more compelling reason for brands to explore audio-driven brand storytelling
References and Sources
1) Infosys Sonic Branding: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/09/11/why-infosys-believes-sonic-branding-hits-all-the-right-notes-b2b-marketers
2) Research Gate/Journal of Marketing Paper: The Effect of Background Music on Ad Processing – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272580790_The_Effect_of_Background_Music_on_Ad_Processing_A_Contingency_Explanation
3) Sonic Branding Tips by Sonic Radar: https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2023/06/07/sonic-branding-simplified-top-3-tips-brands-create-super-sonic-experiences
4) Essential Sonic Guide: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/essential-guide-sonic-branding-housni-touhami-nnani/
5) Spotify’s Sonic Best Practices for Digital Ads: https://ads.spotify.com/en-US/news-and-insights/sonic-science-audio-ad-best-practices/
6) 10 Reasons Brands are embracing Branded Audio: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/winning-without-ads-10-reasons-brands-embracing-branded-liz-horowitz/