Best AUDIO BRANDS - www.bestaudiobrands.com 2020 - amp sound branding
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
_best AUDIO BRANDS 2020 www.bestaudiobrands.com
_WELCOME TO BEST AUDIO
BRANDS 2020: the first worldwide
ranking of Sonic Identities
_THIS IS THE DECADE OF AUDIO. Driven by To ensure our Best Audio Brands Ranking 2020 is
the internet of things, Sonic Branding is deve- as comprehensive in scope and analysis as possible,
loping extensively. As the proliferation of smart we partnered again with two key players in media
speakers and other screenless smart devices con- and brand communication: Storyclash, who provided
tinues to grow and audible content such as pod- insights on social media trends in real-time and
casts is on the rise, consumer relationships with Veritonic, an AI-based audio effectiveness testing
brands are increasingly shaped by sonic experien- company. Who are the top performers 2020? What are
ces. How are brands taking advantage of sound and the best audio strategies? And what can we learn
music for a consistent brand experience across a about the changes from 2019 to 2020? On behalf of
multitude of touchpoints? This is the question we amp, we wish you an enjoyable read.
asked ourselves and set out to answer with Best
Audio Brands. Sincerely yours,
As in 2019, for our 2020 study we have objectively
and comprehensively evaluated audio brands based MICHELE ARNESE
Global CEO, Creative & Strategy Director
on measured KPI‘s and estimated Return-on-Invest-
ment. Just like visual branding, Sonic Identities ULI REESE
require strategic thinking and investment. Partner, Global CMO
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _02
_THE IDEA BEHIND
THIS RANKING and the
team of experts who created it
_FOR DECADES, TV COMMERCIALS U.S. weekly podcast listeners averaged
WERE BELIEVED to be the perfect seven podcasts per week2.
format to create a bond between custo- Research supports, that younger con-
mers and brands. According to this sumers engage more with brands that
line of thought, the earlier a brand carefully consider their Sonic Identi-
reached the customers through its ty and over 70 percent of young adults
visual identity, the stronger the bond believe that they develop a better
was. Although TV continues to be a key understanding of a brand’s personality
medium, recent studies show that con- through how the brand utilizes music9.
sumption of other forms of electronic Today, as we move away from screens and
and especially audible media continue linear television viewing and inter-
to increase. In the U.S. alone, adults active voice technologies becoming a
35-49 spend more time per day on smart- bigger part of daily life, brand visu-
phones than any other age group. Adults al identities are getting less attention
18-34 spend over half of their daily from consumers. To establish
media usage with digital media. Half brand recognition, it is
of all adults stream audio through therefore more important than
their smartphones each week and 28% of ever for brands to think
U.S. households own a smart speaker8. about how they sound.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _03_THE WORK IS
THE RESULT of an
interdisciplinary team
In our Best Audio Brands 2020 ranking we see an in-
dicator that strong brands that have been using their
Sonic Logos for years, if not decades, are starting
to use them less consistently. This begs the question:
Why? Having only one Sonic Asset such as a Sonic Logo
is not a strategy anymore that fits the rapidly chan-
ging landscape of digital and physical touchpoints.
Brands need a holistic Sonic Identity that is both
recognizable and adaptable across the entire customer
experience and journey. Looking at Best Audio Brands
2020 it is clear that brands that have embraced a
holistic Sonic Identity are indisputably reaping the
benefits that come with it.
Sincerely yours,
BJORN THORLEIFSSON
Senior Strategist (Team Lead)
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _04_OUR PARTNERS
_STORYCLASH is a social media _VERITONIC is the audio effectiveness company. Being the first analytics
monitoring solution. Brands, agencies platform built to quantify the value of sound, Veritonic scores and bench-
and publishers monitor their brand marks audio creative to produce fast, robust evidence around the sonic brand
and competitors, track their owned elements, voices, music and scripts that influence audiences the most. As a
and earned media and find content result, the world’s leading audio platforms, brands and others leverage the
trends as well as influencers with most memorable, persuasive audio -- in everything from podcasts to streaming/
Storyclash. Everything in real-time. radio ads -- to cultivate deeper relationships with customers through sound.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _05_TABLE OF CONTENTS
_ABOUT THIS REPORT 07
_WHY SONIC BRANDING enhances business performance 10
_WHY EFFECTIVE AUDIO STRATEGIES depend on the creation of a Sonic DNA 12
_BEST AUDIO BRANDS system and methodology 15
_100 BEST AUDIO BRANDS 18
_CONCLUSION 28
_GLOSSARY & REFERENCES 29
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _06_ABOUT
THIS REPORT
_TREND INSIGHTS
_IN 2019, WE INTRODUCED THE BEST AUDIO BRANDS
RANKING to gain a better understanding of how brands are
using sound. The ranking is designed to identify strong and
weak audio performers, determine missed strategic opportuni-
ties and provide actionable solutions to boost a brand‘s
audio value and Return on Investment.
To ensure that the Best Audio Brands ranking includes the most
useful selection of brands, for 2020 amp has again focused on
the top 100 brands as chosen by Interbrand in its influential
best global brands ranking. In this way, we hope to
add another essential layer to the understanding.
The Best Audio Brands 2020 study shows significant
differences in the performance of a number of brands
versus 2019, including previous top performers.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _07_WE ANALYZED BRAND CONTENT
published over the course of 2019
_SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE USE OF opportunity to create memorable sonic mnemonics
SONIC LOGOS. Brands who have a Sonic Logo even for short form video content. Silent
used it in an average of 32.5% of the material videos and the decreased or inconsistent use
they put on-air, while in 2019 the Sonic of Sonic Logos are, in most cases, the reason
Logo was used in 56% of the material. This why some brands dropped down the ranking this
current trend shows that just a Sonic Logo year. Sonic Logos, as valuable Sonic Assets,
is not enough for building brand equity, and contribute to one of the pillars we consider
brands also recognize this. The decrease is for our evaluation: Customer Trust.
further supported by the fact that often the Customer Trust increases with consistent use of
Sonic Logo, the sound and music used for video Sonic Logos over time and decreases with less
content don’t align and create an audible dis- usage. For most brands, there was also no audi-
connect – which could be solved by leveraging ble compensation for this missing Sonic Asset.
custom tracks and compositions.
_ VOICE HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY
_BRANDS DECREASED the amount of stock IMPORTANT SONIC ASSET. We found consis-
music in their videos: 58% stock in 2019 down tent use of voice and voice technologies across
to 47% stock in 2020. Apple, Google and Amazon. Therefore, we can
safely say that voice contributes in connecting
_INCREASE IN THE USE OF VIDEOS WIT- a consumer with a brand because it creates inti-
HOUT MUSIC. With the advent of digital macy and trust. In fact, the 2020 U.S. Top Brand
6-10 sec short story formats we have seen an Intimacy Ranking has shown that the-
increase of silent videos: 4% in 2019 and 11% se three brands (Amazon, Apple and
in 2020. Silent videos are a missed strategic Google) rank within the Top 15 thanks
opportunity for brands to build recall, trust to their use of voice. Amazon, Apple
and other relevant attributes that contribu- and Google ranked first, third and
te to brand awareness. Sonic should provide an fifteenth respectively 7.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _08The Best Audio Brands report is built on methods
of evaluation and leverages a solid set of
research tools to establish the annual ranking.
_OUR APPROACH:
_ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EVALUATION. The key pillar of the
Working alongside our partner, Veritonic, we
measured the emotional impact, uniqueness and Best Audio Brands Ranking
memorability of audio assets. Veritonic uses
machine learning and listening to help brands
assess the effectiveness of their audio assets,
drawing on real-world consumer responses to
provide analysis on emotional response, recall
and purchase intent.
_EXPERT PANELS. We conducted in-depth panel _SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING AND ANALYSIS.
interviews with experts in the field, including We partnered with the social media monitoring
amp employees, respected composers and experien- company Storyclash to measure brand engagement
ced audio researchers. These experts evaluated online, including views, fan/brand interactions,
audio assets based on qualities such as brand subscriptions and number of followers.
fit, uniqueness, flexibility and memorability. Our findings revealed that, despite the industry
“noise” around audio, even the best performing
_EXTENSIVE DESK RESEARCH. Drawing on global brands have yet to employ a truly ho-
amp’s collective expertise, we analyzed brand listic, and efficient, Sonic Branding strategy.
content published over the course of 2019. This With sonic set to be an increasingly important
consisted of expert analysis of audio assets asset for brands to engage with consumers, this
used across digital channels, television, is the time to develop and implement these
products and customer service lines, among strategies. This ranking aims to fill in the
others. The analysis also considered how much existing knowledge gaps around Sonic Branding
owned, custom, licensed and stock music was and provide the top-tier audio benchmark
used, as well as how well established these and for brand leaders to measure themselves
other Sonic Assets were (the “history factor”). against.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _09_WHY SONIC BRAND ING
enhances business performance
_THE IMPORTANCE OF STRONG as an equal and essential aspect of the most powerful tools in a brand’s
BRANDS AND BRANDING IN brand. Sound and music have a far more arsenal. Not only does it build an
ENHANCING THE PERFORMANCE direct influence over our subconscious, emotional connection with consumers,
OF COMPANIES has been understood decisionmaking mind. sound is also able to significantly
for the better part of a hundred years. Today, we can hear brands and expect shape the customer experience,
Today brand performance is universally to hear them more and more. Smart building brand loyalty, recall and
recognized as intrinsically linked to speakers, apps and digital service trust over time and by repetition.
business performance. When we think of interfaces increasingly determine our Moving towards a future where screens
brands, we think of logos, products, experience of brands as good, bad, will not always be the most pre-
advertising and digital services. But memorable or forgettable. In this valent medium, brands will find that
the power of brands is also conscious- environment, brands need a coherent a coherent audio strategy, which
ly and subconsciously driven by the mu- Sonic Brand Identity. A clear brand compliments their visual,
sic and sounds we associate with them. purpose and authenticity are also social and cultural equity,
This has always been important - acade- important elements that influence how is essential to establishing
mic studies show that brand engagement well a brand engages with consumers. or maintaining their compe-
is far stronger when audio is treated In this sense, sound is one of the titive advantage.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _10_AMP HAS FOCUSED ON THE
TOP 100 BRANDS as chosen by
Interbrand in its influential
Best Global Brands Ranking 2020
_BUT WHAT DOES A GREAT BRAND SOUND
LIKE AND HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE IT? To fill
this knowledge gap, we’ve analyzed the perfor-
mance of the world’s top brands to create a bench-
mark for Sonic Branding globally. amp’s Best Audio
Brands ranking provides insights into the world’s
best audio branding examples and identifies
where the opportunities for improvement are. Our
analysis embraces the full spectrum of audible
touchpoints brands can employ: from music used in
audio-visual productions to sound in phy-
sical brand spaces and voice interactions
through smart devices.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _011
_11_WHY EFFECTIVE AUDIO
STRATEGIES depend on the
creation of a Sonic DNA
_WHEN BRANDS CONSISTENTLY APPEAL journey. However, thinking strategically about awareness across a limited number of TV or
TO MORE THAN ONE SENSE, BRAND Sonic Branding is a relatively new concept. radio advertising placements. These are the
LOYALTY INCREASES. Before diving into There are many terms that relate to the so called jingles or shorter melodies we are
the ranking, it is important to first provide discipline: Sonic Branding, audio branding, all familiar with, used to enhance memorabi-
an overview of the history and craft involved audio mnemonic, acoustic branding, Sonic lity in the era of broadcast media.
in Sonic Branding. Identity system, and others. All of these Brands have also experimented with “corpo-
Sonic Branding uses sound strategically to connect to the same idea creating an audio rate Sonic Identities”, using a set of static
shape brand experiences and communication. experience that will complement the visual audio elements or single melodies, designed
Simply put, a Sonic Identity is the acoustic identity and enhance brand engagement. to achieve instant recognition. However, this
equivalent of a visual identity, something To date, many brands have approached the single melody approach falls short of achie-
that all brands invest in without question. creation of Sonic Assets on a short-term or ving meaningful results in a world dominated
As such, a Sonic DNA takes into account the tactical basis without exploring the oppor- by multi-channel media and a vast range of
brand values, tone of voice (personality) tunities and rationale for a strategic social and service-technology platforms all
and overall purpose to form a connected Sonic approach. It is worth noting that sound has vying for our attention. In such a complex and
Brand Identity. the unique ability to break through the challenging environment, a far more
Investment in Sonic Branding should be fo- clutter and evoke emotions beyond the means comprehensive approach is needed to
cused on the long-term objective of growing of visual communication. keep pace with technology and cus-
and building assets that can be used flexi- In the past, Sonic Branding was a synonym tomer experience developments and
bly across all touchpoints along the customer for the Sonic Logo that used to drive brand help build sustainable brand equity.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _12_THE SECRET OF A GOOD
SONIC IDENTITY LIES IN THE
COMBINATION of creative
flexibility and brand recognition
_CREATING A BRAND SONIC DNA. touchpoints, from soundtracks to ap-
At amp, we are convinced that an plication sounds. Derivative elements
integrated and flexible approach are also created on-demand, in line
to Sonic Branding is key to tangible with the brand’s objectives and needs
success and a strong Return on for specific customer experiences.
Investment. Imagine a piece of music that is
We have developed a tried and tested used in many different ways, not
approach to creating a truly multi- just edited in length, but broken
faceted Sonic DNA. This strategy down into its components and recom-
employs Sonic Watermarking to genera- posed to suit all scenarios of the
te brand recall, while simultaneous- brand experience. This approach
ly providing the creative freedom to creates both unity and
write and produce authentic branded diversity. A powerful, con-
audio assets. By continuously deri- sistent, holistic sonic
ving Sonic Assets from a unique So- experience flexes and flows
nic DNA, the brand’s core Sonic Iden- wherever people hear and
tity is reflected across all audible encounter it.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _13_IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 60 YEARS SINCE WE HEARD THE
FIRST JAMES BOND SOUNDTRACK, but it still feels just
as fresh and identifiable with each new interpretation
_LONGEVITY AND FLEXIBILITY.
Last year we already introduced the
James Bond Sonic Identity: It has
been more than 60 years since we
heard the first James Bond sound-
track, but it still feels just as
fresh and identifiable with each
new interpretation. This is because _DESIGNING AN AUDIO way in which we interact with
the James Bond brand has invested EXPERIENCE. Often over- brands. In this environment,
heavily in its own Sonic Assets, looked, sound also plays an brands will need to identify
creating a core Sonic DNA and adap- important role in product and treat their audio blind
ting it to the zeitgeist with each design, considering its signi- spots, particularly when they
film. Brand recall, memorability ficant impact on the customer cannot compensate with their
and flexibility are powerful pro- experience and the immersive visual identity.
perties of this well-rounded Sonic customer experience it can For tomorrow’s consumer,
Identity. help create. audio is no longer a “nice
By taking this approach, the James This is particularly import- to have” but an essential
Bond brand has been able to ensure ant when today’s sophisticated brand asset. Sonic DNA-
that every dollar invested in au- interfaces allow for more flu- based Sonic Branding can help
dio, is a dollar invested in buil- id and meaningful interaction brands create a cohesive
ding brand equity. As a result, it between brand and consumer. We audio environment in which
has been able to successfully com- live in a world where techno- voice and music are powerful
municate the brand for decades and logy is increasingly integrated tools to drive the
scale the sonic brand across geo- into our daily lives, and voice customer experience
graphies and time. interfaces are changing the and engagement.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _14_BEST AUDIO
BRANDS system
and methodology
_THE BEST AUDIO BRANDS RANKING is speci-
fically designed to identify strong and weak audio
performers, determine any missed strategic oppor-
tunities and produce actionable solutions to boost
a brand’s sonic equity and Return on Investment.
Based on our experience, we have identified six key
pillars that comprise a Sonic Brand Identity. These
pillars cover different aspects of brand management:
From brand relationship quality, to consumer-based
brand equity and the brand experience. For data
acquisition and calculation of the KPI’s
we leveraged artificial intelligence-based
evaluation, expert panel analysis, exten-
sive desk research as well as social
media monitoring.
xxxxx: xxxxxxxx
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _15_CONSISTENCY, UNIQUENESS AND FLEXIBILITY of
audio brand assets are essential factors for
a successful Sonic Branding strategy
_CUSTOMER TRUST _CUSTOMER BELONGING _CUSTOMER RECOGNITION
Trust = Consistency + Time. The con- Stock music does not incentivize Consistent and unique Sonic Assets
sistent use of recognizable Sonic consumers to bond with a brand. are essential if you want your brand
Assets builds trust and ensures a Uniqueness, authenticity and rele- to be recognized across all audible
connected brand experience across all vance do. When a brand has a Sonic touchpoints. This means going beyond
audible touchpoints. A Sonic Identity contributes Identity with these three traits, and uses recurring a static “Sonic Logo”, and instead leveraging core
to brand equity by building strong emotional rela- Sonic Assets created by real musicians, it’s much Sonic Assets from a bespoke Sonic DNA. These core
tionships, which in turn drive long-term customer easier for consumers to connect with a brand on a elements can be used across several environments to
loyalty and value. deeper level and feel a sense of belonging with the create a holistic and consistent Sonic Identity; from
For each brand’s Customer Trust score we analyzed brand community. soundtracks to advertisements, product sounds to
the consistent use of high-quality Sonic Assets. In order to assign a Customer Belonging score to hold-music for customer hotlines.
For this, we researched the use of owned music and each brand in the ranking, we evaluated the quantity Our Customer Recognition score was developed based on
Sonic Assets, how long these assets had been used of stock music used (which has a negative impact), the quantity of owned music and the num-
by the brand and the consistency of use of the the uniqueness of the Sonic Assets used at different ber of Sonic Assets each brand possessed,
assets across multiple touchpoints and markets. touchpoints, the overall brand fit of the sonic and the number of Sonic Assets actually used
the quality of customer engagement across social and the uniqueness and memorability of the
channels. sound employed at different touchpoints.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _16_A PERFECT AUDIO BRAND SCORES HIGHLY
ACROSS ALL PILLARS by using dedicated
audio brand assets derived from a
bespoke SONIC DNA
_RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI)
The final, sixth pillar, is Return on
Investment. What does a brand gain for
_CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT _CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE the money spent on audio assets? Can a
This pillar takes into account how To create an excellent customer shift in strategy streamline spending,
customers react to and interact with
360° experience across all audible touch- whilst boosting brand equity?
the brand. Strong interactions on points, brands must ensure they are We estimated the ROI (efficiency) of every dollar
digital media and the use of high- producing audio assets of high spent on music and sound for audio-visual content
quality authentic music and sound quality. If the brand gets this right, on digital and TV. This is then measured against our
that reaches the relevant target groups and suits audio is able to impact customers on a profound benchmark of a brand that owns their Sonic Identity
the current trends is key. emotional level boosting long-term brand equity and and uses unique and reusable Sonic Assets strategi-
Our Customer Engagement score was based on the consideration on the path to purchase. cally across all audible touchpoints.
number of video interactions and views on social In order to assign a Customer Experience score to In order to create a Return on Investment ranking,
media, the overall quality of sound and music used each brand in the ranking, we assessed: the con- we drew on social media monitoring, extensive desk
and the quantity of stock music used (which had sistency of Sonic Assets used across different touch- research as well as our inside knowledge regarding
a negative impact). points and markets, the flexibility of those assets music production costs. A perfect audio brand scores
to different use cases, the amount of custom and highly across all pillars by using dedicated
licensed music used, as well as the overall quality audio brand assets derived from a bespoke
of the sound and music used. Sonic DNA.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _17_100 BEST
AUDIO BRANDS
_THE 2020 RANKING:
a new Top 10
and key insights
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _18_100 BEST AUDIO BRANDS
_PLEASE FIND THE RANKING OF THE
100 BEST AUDIO BRANDS, sorted by their
audio brand ranking score.
AUDIO BRAND RANKING SCORE
AUDIO BRAND EFFICIENCY
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _19_OF THE 100 BRANDS COVERED IN THE 2020 RANKING, only 19% can be
said to be using sound effectively and even among the top-performing
audio brands there is significant scope for improvement 1
1
An effective use of sound creates brand equity. The equity is being calculated by taking into account the % of owned music, the use of Sonic Logos and the years a brand has
been building up equity. As the overall usage of Sonic Logos has been dropping it is understandable that this number has been dropping as well.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _20_Insights
_BEST AUDIO BRANDS,
Top 5 Performers: Mastercard,
Shell, Apple, touchpoints. Apple, Google and Amazon, part thanks to Mastercard’s chief
on the other hand, have earned their marketing and communications officer
Google & Amazon The Best Audio Brands 2020 ranking spot at the top due to the strength of Raja Rajamannar aggressively embracing
confirms this prediction with some their product sounds and use of brand Sonic Branding as an integral element of
dramatic changes at the top. Only Shell voice. They rely heavily on expensive the brands sensory marketing strategy.
is still among the top five brands licensing of tracks, leveraging pop All these brands still have a long
_THE TOP FIVE PERFORMERS from last year. McDonald’s, Disney, culture to support their communication. way to go, with Mastercard only achie-
In Best Audio Brands 2019 we noted: Intel and Coca-Cola have had to make Credit is due where credit is deserved: ving an average index score of 56/100.
“If the top scoring brands of 2019 way for Mastercard, Apple, Google and it is great to see how quickly Mas- It will be interesting to see if other
do not adapt quickly to the digital Amazon at the top. tercard has embraced a holistic Sonic brands follow in Mastercard’s footsteps
environment in which people live The top five performers - Mastercard, Identity and managed to implement it and embrace a holistic Sonic Identity
their lives by creating a flexible, Shell, Apple, Google and Amazon - across a variety of touchpoints. as quickly. Mastercard shows us:
owned set of core audio assets placed high in the ranking due to two Mastercard with its consistent use of a consistent use of all available Sonic
(a Sonic DNA), they may find other distinct strategies. Mastercard and its Sonic Identity is the high jumper Assets, the development of new assets
nimbler brands moving up the ranking Shell have embraced a holistic Sonic of 2020 going from ranking 72nd in 2019 based on the Sonic DNA builds trust
in their place.” Identity that is consistent across all to the first place in 2020. In no small and influences the ranking positively.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _21_Insights
_TOP 5 Strategy Performers:
Shell, Mastercard,
Intel, Siemens, Sony
_WITH THE RISE OF SMART petitive landscape. Think of the supporting our claim that using a
SPEAKERS and the use of vast number of options people single Sonic Logo across new ser-
audio search, how will brands have online in sectors such as vice media and new audible touch-
position themselves best and how technology, FMCG, media, enter- points may not be as effective as
will they facilitate customer tainment, and telecommunication. recent studies have proven1.
transactions? Will brands be able Even brands such as Intel and Other brands, such as Mastercard
to leverage a halo of trust McDonald’s, which have establis- and Shell, will face a similar
established through long-term hed strong recognition and rein- challenge. While Shell has
exposure to consumers? forced trust through Sonic Bran- invested in a robust audio bran-
Consistent use of Sonic Assets ding, will need to adapt their ding strategy, comprising of
builds trust, which is half the audio strategy to embrace the several assets, the brand must
battle when it comes to driving changing digital landscape we all ensure it sounds authentic if it
long-term customer value in an live in. Brands are using their is to build customer trust in
increasingly fragmented, com- Sonic Logos less consistently, the long term.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _22_Insights
_MOST EFFICIENT BRANDS
in the Top 25
_WITHIN THE RANKING, there storytelling, touchpoints and use AUDIO BRAND RANKING SCORE
AUDIO BRAND EFFICIENCY
are several brands (such as Siemens, cases along the customer journey, to
Mastercard and Shell) that have deliver the most relevant customer
embraced a holistic sonic strategy experience and increase or sustain
to various degrees. They own audio customer trust. A sonic strategy
assets that work well together, re- revolving around a single asset such
sulting in a higher efficiency score. as a Sonic Logo is not flexible
What is perplexing is that we see a enough to be used across the multi-
drop in efficiency year over year. tude of different touchpoints.
One of the reasons for this is a Brands that commission owned music
sharp drop in the use of Sonic Logos, and adaptable Sonic Assets are
with brands that use a Sonic Logo in investing money in their long-term
their content dropping from 56% last audio identity, instead of simply
year down to 32.5% today. Pioneers renting one. The more owned assets
in the use of Sonic Logos such as a brand uses, the more adaptable and
Intel and McDonald‘s decreased their efficient their Sonic Identity be-
usage from 95% to 50% (Intel) and 95% comes. This is because they are able
to 44% (McDonald‘s). to customize their assets to diffe-
In order to ensure long-term effective- rent touchpoints more easily, while
ness, brands must be able to adapt remaining recognizable no matter
their Sonic Assets to a variety of the context.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _23_Insights
NEWCOMERS UNDERDOGS
_Interbrand NEWCOMERS
and UNDERDOGS
_INTERBRANDS LATEST NEWCOMERS of Johnnie Walker, Sprite and Subaru. Out
AND UNDERDOGS. When we started with of the three new brands that entered the
the first Best Audio Brands study in 2019, ranking, LinkedIn scored highest in Best
we drew from Interbrand’s highly respected Audio Brands, ranking at number 56.
Best Global Brands Index, which we felt Out of the three brands, that unfortunately
provided a recognizable and credible did not make it into this ranking, Sprite
selection of brands to study from an audio scores the highest and would have ended up
perspective. ranking in 39th place, which is an im-
This year Dell, LinkedIn and Uber made provement from last year´s ranking at the
their way into the ranking at the expense 52nd spot.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _24_Insights
BUSINESS
LUXURY SECTOR
SERVICES SECTOR
_SIMILARITY OF BRAND SCORE
within sectors: Luxury
and Business Services
_WHEN LOOKING AT DIFFERENT industry group ranks between places 18 to 49. This
sectors within the ranking, it is evident shows that brands within the same sector
that brands within certain sectors score have very similar sonic strategy. Mastercard
similarly. For example, the brands within and AXA are exceptions as they are among
the Business Services Sector rank at the the top performing brands while the 10
bottom of the index from places 82 to 99. other brands within their sectors rank from
The Luxury Sector, on the other hand, as a places 58 to 91.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _25_Insights
_BRANDS OF BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020
focus on Storytelling & Emotions
_THE AFFECT-AS-INFORMATION HYPO- the trigger of these emotions. However,
THESIS POSTULATES that the judgments it is not the genre or style of music
an individual makes are based on their that triggers emotion: It is the different
emotions3. The fastest way to have an elements within the music that evoke dif-
emotional impact on consumers is through ferent feelings. For example, syncopation,
sound. Humans can hear faster than they that is when a note anticipates a beat,
can see, taste, smell, or feel. Once a creates surprise and excitement in the
sound wave reaches your ear, your brain can human brain6.
recognize it in just 0.05 seconds5. That is This mistake in the approach to the emo-
ten times faster than the blink of an eye. tional connection can be found in the wide
We humans are not rational beings, we are majority of all existing sonic strategies.
influenced by our emotions. Many brands The question is not “does hip-hop fit to
focus on storytelling to engage with con- the brand”, but rather “how does the brand
sumers on an emotional level. The Best sound in the hip-hop musical domain”.
Audio Brands 2020 report found that one To gain the best results in storytelling,
musical style was pervasive throughout brands have to be fully aware of the
many different brands and types of videos: impact of music on the human brain: It
Emotional Piano-String-Ensembles. is not only the hearing that is influenced
Brands are aware of the fact that sound by sound; Sound also affects all other
contributes to affect-generation and bias human senses. That is why it
and use Emotional Piano-String-Ensembles is more important than ever for
to evoke feelings like grief, empathy brands to invest in sound and
and caring. This lets assume that many focus on a proper Sonic Branding
brands consider this musical style to be strategy.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _26_Insights
_100 YEARS OF HARIBO:
over 57 years of sonic trust
_FOUNDED IN 1920, HARIBO butor to the success of the brand prise that in a survey conducted
IS CELEBRATING ITS 100TH is the famous HARIBO jingle. by the German TV channel Kabel
BIRTHDAY this year. Starting We believe that trust is built Eins, the HARIBO slogan was consi-
with the dancing bear in 1922 over time and the brand HARIBO is dered the most famous advertising
and introducing the iconic GOLD- a good example of this. Using its slogan in Germany10. This is thanks
BEARS a few years later, HARIBO’s recognizable HARIBO advertising to its well-known jingle, that
products are known all over the slogan “HARIBO macht Kinder froh” has helped children and grown-ups
world. (“HARIBO makes children happy”) sing and remember the words for
Since 2003, HARIBO has been listed since 1935 consistently, it is no over 50 years.
several times by “European Trusted surprise the brand has been ack- A good jingle evolves over time,
Brands” as the most trustworthy nowledged as the most trustworthy and so has HARIBO’s, but the
confectioner in the largest annual confectioner for consecutive years. classic earworm melody has remained
European consumer study4. The earliest use of its jingle a constant. We are excited to hear
HARIBO had some great campaigns that also includes the addition of how Germany’s most famous adver-
to encourage consumer bonding with “und Erwachsene ebenso” (“and adults tising jingle will sound in a
the brand, such as the cooperati- too”) we could find is from 1963. It century’s time, and whether it will
ve marketing campaign with German has since been translated into all continue to evolve,
airline TUIfly (where they repain- kinds of different languages. routed deep into the
ted two of their fleet to be With that kind of consistent use memory of children and
‘flying ambassadors’). Besides of brand assets such as slogans adults alike, on its
these campaigns, a main contri- and Sonic Assets, it is no sur- 200th birthday.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _27_CONCLUSION
_THE ANALYSIS PROVIDES A PICTURE OF how effective
brands are extending their audio presence
_THE 2020 BEST AUDIO BRANDS RANKING shows Brands such as Apple and Google that made the top
that while all brands are using sound and music, ten, have benefited from their dedicated product
their strategies are vastly different, if there are sounds and voice capabilities, although they fail
strategies in place at all. Developing a Sonic to exhibit a comprehensive Sonic Branding strategy
Branding strategy is definitely on the agenda for across all channels. The quick rise of Mastercard
the world’s leading brands, but they are yet to demonstrates that companies who want to harness the
determine concrete next steps. power of audio can do so relatively quickly by
One of the key findings is the significant decrease developing a holistic Sonic Identity, based on a
in the use of Sonic Logos, which are used almost Sonic DNA instead of using a single jingle or melody.
half as frequently as last year. This illustrates Those looking to improve their standing can draw
how important it is to rely on more than a single lessons from Mastercard and focus their efforts on
Sonic Asset. Pioneers in the use of Sonic Logos such developing a holistic sonic strategy. This would
as Intel, McDonald´s and Coca-Cola’s have benefited enable them to future-proof their Sonic Ecosystem and
PAST FUTURE
from them for the past decade but they aren’t being adapt it to new contexts and customer experiences,
used as consistently as they once were, as the media some of which we cannot even imagine today.
landscape shifts. We have already started working on the next Best Audio
As companies have to focus on an increasing number of Brands 2021 with data from 2020. We are looking for-
audible touchpoints, relying on a single Sonic Asset ward to seeing how brands that have created a holistic
is no longer fit for purpose. The sonic canvas is identity, such as Mastercard and Shell, will benefit
growing, and those using a single Sonic Asset will from the power of audio even further. We are certain
find they face a dwindling Return on Investment, as that the next Best Audio Brands ranking will
their assets are unable to adapt to new customer present even more surprises and interesting
interactions needs. news. Stay tuned!
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _28_GLOSSARY & References
_GLOSSARY _REFERENCES
1
_SONIC DNA®: the Sonic DNA a Sonic DNA into a custom piece benchmark of a brand that owns Bonde, A. & Hansen, A. (2013). Audio logo recognition,
reduced articulation and coding orientation: Rudiments of quan-
is the audible expression of a of musical content. In this way, their Sonic Identity and uses
titative research integrating branding theory, social semio-
brand. It sits at the core of each custom track created can unique and reusable Sound Assets tics and music psychology. Sound Effects: An Interdisciplinary
a brands Sonic Identity and is support or emphasize specific strategically across all audible Journal of Sound and Sound Experience. [online] Retrieved from:
storytelling, whilst ensuring touchpoints. https://www.soundeffects.dk/article/view/15644/13518.
the source of all brand specific
2
musical ingredients (brand melo- clear audible brand recognition. Edison Research (2019). The Podcast Consumer 2019.
_OWNED MUSIC: made for and [online] Retrieved from: http://www.edisonresearch.com/
dies, riffs, harmonies, voice _AUDIO BRAND RANKING owned by the brand, recognizable wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Edison-Research-Podcast-
and instruments). SCORE: this score is based across all touchpoints including Consumer-2019.pdfPodcast-Consumer-2019.pdf
3
_SONIC IDENTITY: the Sonic on five of the six pillars we elements of the Sonic DNA. Forgas, J.P. (1995). Mood and judgement: The affect infusion
Identity is the audible equiva- model (AIM). Psychological Bulletin. Vol. 117 (1), pp. 39-66.
defined for our Best Audio
_CUSTOM MUSIC: a piece of 4
lent to a visual identity. It is Brands methodology: Experience, Haribo (2020). History of HARIBO. [online] Retrieved
music exclusively composed for a from: https://www.haribo.com/enUS/about-us/history.html.
a holistic brand sound ecosystem Trust, Belonging, Recognition,
campaign or consumer experience. 5
Horowitz, S.S. (2013). The Universal Sense. New York:
guarantees a consistency, brand Engagement/Satisfaction. The
_LICENSED MUSIC: licensed Bloomsbury.
recall and maximum flexibility combined evaluation of these 6
Levitin, D.J. (2006). This Is Your Brain on Music. London:
music which is part of the world
across all sonic consumer touch- factors constitutes the final Penguin Books Ltd.
repertoire (non-exclusive). 7
points. score. Beyond any sonic brand MBLM (2020). Brand Intimacy Study 2020 USA. [online]
_SONIC ASSETS: audible assets assets, the score also takes _STOCK MUSIC: generic piece Retrieved from: https://mblm.com/lab/brandintimacy-study/.
8
into account product sounds of music pre-composed and Nielsen (2019). Total Audience Report Q1/2019. [online]
derived from the Sonic DNA, tailored
Retrieved from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.mediapost.com/
to the needs of a specific touch- and voice applications. pre-produced for a broad range
uploads/NielsenTotalAudienceReportQ12019.pdf#.
point or consumer experience (music of applications (non-exclusive). 9
_AUDIO BRAND EFFICIENCY: PHMG (2019).Study Shows That Music Proves Increasingly
tracks, sonic logo, UX/UI sounds, the estimated Return-on-Invest- _PRODUCT SOUND & VOICE: Crucial in Marketing. [online] Retrieved from:
https://www.bandt.com.au/new-study-shows-music-proves-in-
product sounds, voices, etc…). ment (ROI) of every dollar spent the use of sound and voice
creasingly-crucial-marketing/.
_SONIC WATERMARKING®: on music and sound for audio-vi- across products and services 10
Häusermann, T. (2019). Wenn Erwachsene mit Kinderstim-
Sonic Watermarking is the pro- sual content on digital channels to enhance or guide the user men sprechen. [online] Retrieved from: https://www.werbewoche.
cess that weaves in elements of and TV. Measured against our experience. ch/zu-guter-letzt/wenn-erwachsene-mit-kinderstimmen-sprechen.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _29_ABOUT AMP
_AMP IS THE WORLD’S
LEADING SONIC BRANDING
AGENCY, delivering holistic
sonic experiences for global
brands, building on its multi-
awarded Sonic DNA and Sonic
Watermarking approach. With
offices in Germany (Munich and
Berlin), USA (New York and San
Francisco) and Asia (Shanghai
and Singapore) amp supports
global clients in the finance,
automotive, consulting, FMCG
and tech industry in making
their brands be heard and
finding their voice.
MICHELE ARNESE ULI REESE VIJAY IYER BJORN THORLEIFSSON
Global CEO, Partner, Global CMO Head of U.S Senior Strategist
Creative & Strategy Director (Team Lead)
A heartfelt Thank you goes to the entire team behind the project for the great effort and the perseverance
in completing it. Special thanks also to Anselm Büchler, Jessica Reininger, Axel Steinmann, Andrea Rebecchi,
Sonja Azad Ochebalagh and Ossama Melaky.
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _30_CONTACT US
PRESS & MEDIA METHODOLOGY
Simpatico PR Ltd.
WeWork Aldwych House, amp gmbh _COPYRIGHT REGULATIONS APPLY WHEN USING MATERIAL FROM THIS
71-91 Aldwych, Sandstrasse 33
DOCUMENT AND WHEN USING THE SUPPLIED VIDEO OR AUDIO FILES.
Holborn, 80335,
The publication, distribution or other utilization of the presented ideas,
London, Munich
WC2B 4HN Germany texts, layouts, concepts, films or audio files owned by amp GmbH can not be
used without written permission by amp GmbH. This site contains copyrighted
Tel +44 (0) 20 7439 9275 Tel +49 (0) 89 23 23 89 90 material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by
the copyright owner. We believe this constitutes a “fair use” of any such
Kaylee Butler Irina Milojević
copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
Kaylee.Butler@simpaticopr.co.uk Office & Communication
Phone: +44 (0) 7761 801221 irinamilojevic@ampcontact.com If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your
own that go beyond “fair use”, you must obtain permission form the copyright
Yana Miladinova Bjorn Thorleifsson
Yana.Miladinova@simpaticopr.co.uk Senior Strategist (Team Lead) owner. SONIC DNA, SONIC WATERMARKING and BEST AUDIO BRANDS and their respec-
Phone: +44 (0) 7761 801228 bjornthorleifsson@ampcontact.com tive logos are trademarks of amp GmbH.
© 2020 amp GmbH | Sandstr. 33 | 80335 Munich | Germany
BEST AUDIO BRANDS 2020 _31www.ampsoundbranding.com
GERMANY SWITZERLAND ITALY USA SINGAPORE CHINA
Sandstr. 33 Seestr. 9 Viale Stelvio 45 88 University PL, FL 11 101a Telok Ayer Street Liaonning Road 244,
80335 Munich Villa Zinggeler 20159 Milan New York NY 10003 Singapore 068627 room 108
8035 Richterswil Hongkou
Zurich 747 Clementina ST 200080 Shanghai
San Francisco CA 94103You can also read
