Best Audio Brands 2022: Sonic branding agency Amp reveals the power of music for marketing
This year’s Best Audio Brands 2022 (BAB) report, produced by sonic branding agency amp, reveals that the power of music in marketing is being recognised by an increasing number of brands.
With the explosion of audio-only platforms such as podcasts, social-audio and music sharing services such as TikTok, digital retail and the advent of the Metaverse, many brands are now seeking ways to drive brand recognition and memorability through sound across a multitude of different touchpoints.
Amp’s fourth annual index of the world’s Best Audio Brands has this year been expanded to capture the ever-increasing number of brands that are using sound strategically.
The index has expanded from 100 to 250 of the world’s leading brands to provide a more objective and data-centric overview of audio branding, ranking brands in terms of overall sonic branding strategy and use of sound and music across brand touchpoints.
Sonic strategy is proving to be an increasingly crucial factor in brand investment.
75% of the top 25 brands analysed in this year’s Best Audio Brands report utilise a sonic logo, with an increasing number of them sharing their efforts across digital channels.
Brand value and sonic strategy performance
For the first time in the history of sonic branding research, amp set out to investigate the relationship between sonic strategy and brand value.
A positive correlation was found between companies who invest in the creation of sonic strategies and brand value, with the Technology and Electronics sectors displaying the strongest correlation.
This can be seen through brands like Apple and Nintendo,
both of which reap the benefits of a robust 360-degree sonic strategy
through their exploitation of numerous touchpoints across highly
immersive user experiences. Creating emotional connection through sound
allows for increased recognition, loyalty and memorability, explaining
their hold on the sector and their continued status as some of the
best performing brands in the world when it comes to sound.
Figure 2: Scatter Plot showing the relationship between Best Audio Brand Index Score and Brand Value (measured in billion US dollars) for brands in the Technology Sector (Blue) and the Electronics Sector (yellow)
Flexibility in design, and AI sound innovation will be key for the sonic branding industry
A systematic approach to marrying the worlds of sound and design has become more important than ever in both communicating and establishing brand identity.
Detail and flexibility within the process allows for the extrapolation and cultural application of future brand pivots, as well as introductions to new mediums like the metaverse and virtual worlds.
Key Best Audio Brands Facts 2022
This year Mastercard, Shell and Apple all managed to retain their top five status, while we saw newcomers Audi and Philips enter.
Together the Technology and Electronics sectors lead the top 25 and the sector that saw the most positive change between years was Business Services with a 12.88-point increase in BAB index score. The sector that saw the biggest drop between years was Apparel.
With nearly 95% of all global Mastercard audio-visual content featuring its sonic identity, and the continued expansion of its transaction sound at over 200 million+ digital and physical retail points, the Financial Services titan takes our top spot for the third year in a row with its elegantly holistic approach to sonic strategy.
Michele Arnese, global CEO, amp commented: “Acceleration of sound and voice in digital storytelling over the past year has allowed more brands to see the benefit of building a holistic sonic strategy. We have worked hard to evolve our ranking to include more brands and industries for 2022 and would like to congratulate this year’s leaders in their ability to recognise and implement an effective audio strategy, building consumer connections and brand recognisability”.
Björn Thorleifsson, head of strategy and research, amp added: “It’s promising to see that brands are headed in the right direction with strategic use of sound, however, many brands still have a long journey ahead. Quite a few brands have yet to employ a holistic strategy even given this year’s increase in sonic logo usage across BAB’s top 25 brands. As more online noise is generated, we expect to see increased investment from brands in sonic branding and owned music to stand out in the digital crowd”.
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