Is your brand making enough noise? Probably not, that’s unless you have already embraced the unique power of sound, or ‘Sonic Branding’ as it’s commonly called.
And the ROI stats are pretty impressive…
For this F&f special post we’d like to welcome George and Luke from Hear Me Out who have a thing or so to say about the power and importance of sonic branding – and how it’s the missing link to recognition and recall for many brands. Sounding out is standing out.
The Challenge of Standing Out.
In the crowded marketplace of today, brand recognition isn’t just a goal—it’s essential for survival. Every brand competes for the same fleeting 2 seconds of consumer attention, doom scrolling through social media or blankly staring at the train wall.
Brands reach for the usual toolkit: logos, color schemes, memorable taglines – but even these traditional tools can struggle to cut through the noise.
This is where sound steps in, offering a tool that goes beyond sight, capturing attention in a way that’s both emotional and deeply memorable.
Studies show it takes about seven encounters with a visual logo before people truly remember it. But add sound into the equation, and it only takes three listens for a brand’s sound to stick. Why is this? Because sound taps into emotion, memory, and feeling in a way that’s far more immediate. It has the power to create connections instantly.
Sound brings something extraordinary to brand identity: it’s an experience. Experience is being increasingly explored within marketing and branding yet most brands aren’t considering sound.
Budget restraints?
Lack of awareness?
Simply missed the radar?
It’s never too late, or too early, to add sound to a brand’s assets.
Let’s think of the most powerful scenes in your favourite movie; without the music, the scene would feel incomplete, lacking the emotional weight that sound delivers.
This is exactly what sound does for a brand.
By creating an emotional layer that visuals alone cannot offer, sound reinforces brand recall and establishes loyalty. Without being front of mind, brands won’t make the sale.
For example, research by TikTok has shown that content paired with sound is eight times more memorable on platforms than soundless content. EIGHT TIMES! (TikTok)
One of our favourite recent examples is Pot Noodle, they went around the houses trying to find the perfect sound for their campaign and eventually realised that the perfect use of sound would be that of someone slurping a Pot Noodle…….for 12 straight seconds! The is proof that sound in its many forms is the powerful tool, not just music in the traditional sense.
Key Insights: An underutilised and often unexplored Tool.
1. Consistency Drives Trust and Recall
Just as a stable logo or tagline helps build brand recognition, a consistent sonic identity solidifies a brand’s presence in customers’ minds. Switching up your brand sound too often sends mixed messages, just like frequently changing a logo or visual style. Imagine if Mastercard switched their colours every time they released a new activation or initiative. It would weaken the brand recall, which would lead to diluted trust. On the other hand, an identifiable and reliable sound helps consumers know what to expect, making them more likely to remember—and even seek out—your brand.
2. Cost Efficiency through Custom Sounds
One significant but often overlooked advantage of investing in a custom sonic identity is the long-term cost savings. Licensed music is typically restricted by campaign or time limitations, requiring re-licensing fees, which add up fast. Not to mention the $44m lawsuit against Gymshark for incorrect use of music and the minefield this opens up for brands.
With a custom sound identity, however, you have a reusable asset that saves on licensing costs and ensures consistency across all platforms and touchpoints. Plus, without the worry of competitors using the same music, your sound stays unique and instantly recognisable.
It’s also worth sharing that AdWeek proved there is a +24% higher return on investment compared to Ads without their own sound elements.
3. Emotional Engagement and Audience Connection
Sound creates a direct line to our emotions. It can evoke nostalgia, joy, energy, and comfort—often all at once.
This emotional power is invaluable in building brand loyalty. Research from Nielsen has shown that 63% of people feel brands with a consistent sound identity are more trustworthy.
Professor Adrian North from Leicester University discovered that 96% of consumers are likely to recall a business if it uses brand congruent music
Consumers favor brands that resonate emotionally, and incorporating sound that reflects your audience’s values and preferences creates a stronger, more lasting connection.
So when we talk about unlocking value, brands that overlook sound miss out on its ability to create emotional memories, build recall, and drive engagement.
Sound is a tool that has the power to increase revenue and add long term equity to a brand. Not because it’s music and it’s fun and we all love it (although that’s a great bi-product), but because of its unique power to access emotion in a way nothing else can.
The consumer journey is increasingly about experiences, and sound makes these experiences richer, more immersive, and more likely to be remembered.
Hear Me Out is the creative music agency redefining brand identity through sound. From bespoke Sonic Logos to full-blown sonic branding, we craft unforgettable audio experiences that stick.
angle for enhancing customer experience in media. Credit London Filmed
With a track record of revolutionizing soundscapes for brands like Tesco, Sky Bingo, and Robinsons, we blend big-league expertise with a no-nonsense approach. Whether you’re an indie brand or an industry giant, we’ll translate your unique vibe into music that strikes a chord—fast, affordable, and always on point.
Ready to be heard? Let’s make some noise!
https://www.hearmeoutmusic.co/
Our lead image
Loving Elvis is an Amazon Prime documentary exploring Elvis Presley’s lasting legacy through the eyes of his fans. With over 200 million global subscribers, Amazon Prime helped the film become one of the top-streamed music documentaries upon its release.
Hear Me Out created the TV/Film composition.
The link below will take you to the full ‘Loving Elvis’ Amazon Prime video
courtesy of Here Me Out :
https://www.hearmeoutmusic.co/work/amazon-loving-elvis
