Audio Branding 101: Tap into your brand’s musical DNA

Your Brick-and-mortar shops are your customers’ window into your world. Every gesture counts, and today’s fast-paced customers expect a fully curated journey. Music programming that leverages your brand’s DNA, Values, Ethos, Market Position, and Customer Experience ties everything together.   

Branding is about defining and framing the brand story to give value to its product;  Audio Branding is about communicating that brand story through music. Music is a powerful tool to wield because it taps into emotion and accurately expresses the highly unique aspects of the brand story; this sets any brand apart and gives it a competitive advantage. 

Audio Branding by Activaire maps 5 brand “touchpoints” to music we identify as the brand’s: DNA, Values, Ethos, Market Position, and Customer Experience. 

1. The DNA is the how and why the brand came to be. Once we can see the arc of a story by understanding a brand’s roots, we can reference cultural movements and musical scenes that correspond with the brand’s timeline. 
2. Brand Values express the personality of the brand. We can start identifying the aesthetic impressions (light, fun, intense, moody, etc.) Values are typically highly descriptive and become the foundation of the recipe for a signature music program because they can easily describe the vibe of music (light, fun, intense, moody, etc.)
3. The ETHOS is the brand’s purpose which is its “reason to believe.” We curate music that communicates the emotional side. We dive into the cultural associations and messaging of the artists. Why do people care about the brand? What are we sharing about ourselves when collaging pieces of the brand into our personal stories?
4. Market Position is how the brand competes in the marketplace; since Music also has a market position, we can precisely pinpoint the brand’s target position by playing the right music. We can align music by era, genre, and relevance. Who is the target customer, and what is their demographic? Is this an aspirational luxury brand or a mid-market utilitarian service? Is this song going to be a huge hit, or has it already peaked?
5. The Customer Experience is the living, breathing experience of the brand, where planning becomes a reality at the store level. This is also where the music is heard! Understanding the brand’s goals for the customer experience is crucial so that music only adds dimension to the experience. Does the brand want a vibrant and energized experience or a soothing and lush environment? Music brings a brand story beyond visual planning into real-time by adding tempo, dimension, and real-world relevance. In other words, music “animates” the brand story.