Who is this research for? Chief marketing officers, brand leaders, customer experience professionals, advertising executives, digital marketers, and anyone responsible for building stronger customer relationships in increasingly competitive markets.
Top Answer
As consumers become less loyal to individual brands, earning trust has become more challenging. New research suggests that strategically designed sonic branding, such as a distinctive sonic logo, may help brands create positive emotional responses that encourage trust and digital engagement. The findings also indicate that sonic branding may be particularly valuable for consumers who are less attached to specific brands or who readily switch between competing options. Rather than serving as simply another creative element, sound appears to be a strategic brand asset that can strengthen customer relationships across digital and physical touchpoints.
Executive Summary
Brand loyalty is becoming harder to earn. As a result, many organizations are searching for new ways to create meaningful customer connections that extend beyond visual identity. New research from Dr. Steven W. Kopp (Department of Marketing, Sam M. Walton College of Business), Dr. Elyria Kemp (University of New Orleans, Walton alumna), Dr. My (Myla) Bui (Loyola Marymount University, Walton alumna), and Dr. Xingyi Zhang (University of North Texas) explores whether sound can become an important part of that strategy.
The researchers examined sonic branding, the intentional use of distinctive sounds or short musical signatures that represent a brand across advertising, digital products, customer interactions, and other touchpoints. This creates a consistent audio identity designed to reinforce how customers recognize and experience a brand.
Across six experimental studies involving both established and fictional brands, the researchers found that sonic branding consistently generated more positive emotional responses than communications without a sonic logo. Those positive emotions were associated with greater willingness to engage with brands digitally and stronger perceptions of brand trust. People with lower brand attachment or stronger brand-agnostic tendencies often reported higher levels of trust when a sonic logo accompanied the brand. As organizations compete for attention in crowded digital environments, that insight could prove especially important.
The research suggests that sound deserves consideration alongside visual branding, messaging, and customer experience design. A thoughtfully developed sonic identity may help organizations create stronger emotional connections, reinforce trust, and deliver a more consistent brand experience across increasingly audio-enabled customer touchpoints.
Expert Insights: What Should Leaders Know About Sonic Branding?
Why are more consumers becoming brand agnostic, and what should marketers do differently because of it?
Dr. Steven W. Kopp notes: “The variety and accessibility of products now available to consumers has made it easier to try a competing brand. Online shopping has made price comparisons easier and star-rating reviews allow quality comparisons.
Add to that some disappointment with supply chain hiccups or perceptible changes to a consumer’s ‘favorite’ brand, and consumers will experiment with something else. That might be a better price, higher ratings, or a product more aligned with their needs in that exact moment. So it isn’t that today’s consumers aren’t ‘anti-loyal,’ but instead they are brand agnostic. They’re not convinced that there are differences among brands that are worth the price. They are loyal to what works for them and not necessarily who provides it. Someone might still like your brand, but at the moment of decision and purchase, they aren’t guided by the brand-loyalty obligation.”
As to what should marketers do: “More than half of shoppers switch products for a better price or promotion. So price sensitivity may override a consumer’s loyalty to a trusted brand.
However, if shoppers are willing to switch, they’re also willing to switch back, as long as brands give them a compelling reason or enjoyable shopping experience. All of a brand’s attributes, including any sonic elements, can serve as cues to remind consumers of that experience.”
→ Takeaway: Brand-agnostic consumers can switch both away from and back to a brand, making every element of the customer experience an opportunity to reinforce why the brand is worth choosing.
What separates an effective sonic branding strategy from simply adding music to advertising?
Dr. Steven W. Kopp explains: “In some instances, the results may be the same! We can probably think of songs that we associate with certain brands, and music in advertising can certainly influence brand recall. Sonic branding is intended to be more “compact” and consistently used across media. In our studies, the sonic elements of the brands were very brief and yet still impactful. I think of the sonic component much like the visual component of a brand: it is one instantaneous and portable impression of the brand that can serve as a reminder of the total product. Just like we would not want to change the visible character of a brand’s logo, we want maintain the consistent use of the sound that represents that brand.”
→ Takeaway: Treat sonic branding like visual branding: create a distinctive, consistent, and portable brand cue that customers can recognize across channels.
Where should organizations incorporate sonic branding throughout the customer experience to strengthen trust over time?
Dr. Steven W. Kopp notes: “The easy answer is ‘wherever the brand can be heard,’ but research about specific placements (for example, at the beginning of an ad or at the end) is still ongoing. One big difference between the sonic and visual brand elements is that sound is fleeting - we hear a sound and it’s gone. So it will be important to systematically incorporate that brand element where it is most effective.”
→ Takeaway: Use sonic branding systematically at customer touchpoints where sound can reinforce the brand, while testing which placements are most effective.
What mistakes do companies make when treating sound as a branding asset?
Dr. Steven W. Kopp explains: “Sound has always been used to identify branded products but the systematic experimentation and study of the effects are relatively new. So the first mistake is just ignoring the role that the sonic elements can play. The second mistake is not treating the sound component as important - maybe not as important as the visual elements, but it is necessary to consider the sounds associated with a brand as part of the bundle to be managed. A third omission on the part of managers may be the recognition that the sonic components of a brand may be thought of as intellectual property - they can be trademarked. If a sonic brand provides some way of differentiating a shopper’s experience or reaction to the product, it should be considered part of an overall package of intellectual property along with the visual elements.”
→ Takeaway: Manage sonic elements as strategic brand assets that can differentiate the customer experience and, when appropriate, become part of the company’s intellectual property portfolio.
Link to the Original Research
Published in European Journal of Marketing (2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sonic branding?
Sonic branding is the strategic use of sound to represent a brand's identity. While many companies use music in advertising, sonic branding goes further by creating a consistent audio identity that customers recognize across multiple interactions. This can include a short sonic logo, sounds used in mobile apps, confirmation tones, podcasts, videos, customer service experiences, and other digital or physical touchpoints.
How does sonic branding influence customer trust?
This research suggests that sonic branding may strengthen trust by creating positive emotional responses during customer interactions. While sound alone cannot create trust, a consistent and well-designed sonic identity may reinforce a brand's credibility and make customer interactions feel more familiar and cohesive over time.
What are brand-agnostic consumers?
Brand-agnostic consumers are people who do not feel strong loyalty to a particular brand. Instead, they are more likely to make purchasing decisions based on factors such as value, convenience, quality, innovation, or personal beliefs. Because they readily compare alternatives and switch brands when better options become available, they can be especially difficult for organizations to retain. This research suggests that sonic branding may help build trust with these consumers by creating stronger emotional connections during the customer experience.
Should every company invest in sonic branding?
Not necessarily. The research does not suggest that every organization needs a sonic logo or comprehensive sonic branding strategy. Instead, it indicates that sound can become a valuable strategic asset when it aligns with a company's broader brand identity and customer experience goals. Organizations with multiple customer touchpoints, strong digital engagement strategies, or growing audio experiences—such as podcasts, mobile apps, voice assistants, and video content—may benefit most from developing a consistent sonic identity.
How can marketers use sonic branding beyond advertising?
Sonic branding can be incorporated into app notifications, product interfaces, customer service interactions, retail environments, podcasts, online videos, live events, and voice-enabled technologies. Using consistent sounds across these touchpoints may help reinforce brand recognition while creating a more unified customer experience. The research suggests that thoughtfully integrating sound throughout the customer journey may strengthen engagement and trust over time.
