Audio Branding: Brands, Sound and Communication

Audio branding - also known as sound branding or sonic branding - describes brand communication through sound, using brand sound elements like an audio logo, a brand song, or a brand voice. So far, time and money have been spent mostly on visual branding. Sound hasn't been heavily treated as a brand element that needs to be designed. The emergence of new media and devices with built-in audio delivery - such as podcasts, audiobooks, and smartphones - expands the opportunities for audio branding. This also increases the risks of causing noise pollution and a sonic mess. Consequently, the use of sound in brand communication demands careful attention. The articles in this book deal with functions of sound, the basics and principles of brand communication and audio branding, multi-sensory aspects of brand communication, and legal matters concerning soundmarks. In case studies on projects with international brands, leading experts provide insight into what audio branding actually means in practice. This compilation is based on the German publication Audio-Branding, that was released in 2007.