Sound as strategy, not seasoning

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Too often, audio gets treated like a garnish — something added in the final stages of a campaign. But as ilā Kamalagharan points out, "Sonic branding is architecture. It's cultural memory. It's embodied. It's psychological." Sound isn't just about the music behind a video — it's part of how we feel, remember, and connect.

Bomo Piri echoed all of this, and shared just how Native Instruments is embedding sound into its brand DNA as part of their actual rebranding: "We started early on to think about voice. "About tone. About identity. The result?" How we communicate matters more than only visuals. "A brand experience feels resonant, human, and intentional, whether you're using an app, a product, or a video.

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The power of sonic memory

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We all know the feeling: a memory or emotion can instantly spark from a single sound. Think about the Netflix" ta-dum "or even when someone opens up a Coke as it fizzes. These aren't just audio cues — they're emotional shortcuts.

As ilā explained, "One of the things we work on a lot is sound identity. Thinking about the used frequency, the pitch, the tone — is it sharp, is it soft, is it kind? Sound can shift how people feel." Even subtle choices, such as how a voice assistant greets you, can alter the emotional tone of an experience.

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Research, resonance, and responsibility

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Creating a sound strategy that resonates is not about trend-chasing. It is all about the act of literal listening right now. As Bomo stressed, "When you're doing sound and voice, you're literally in someone's ears," this being such an intimate space. Brands need to approach it with both due care and thorough research. Context also requires a person's thorough understanding. Whether it's using tools like Brandwatch to understand what people are saying or running in-market audio tests, every sound decision should be grounded in audience insight.

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Start listening earlier

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If there's one thing both ilā and Bomo agreed on, it's this: brands need to bring sound into the process earlier. Much earlier. "Don't leave it to the end of your campaign or your UX design sprint," said Bomo. "Think about how sound supports your story from the start."

Because when done right, sound doesn't just complement a brand — it becomes an integral part of how people recognize, remember, and form an emotional connection with it.

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Watch the sound webinar to discover how brands create deeper connections through audio.

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