Sonic branding agency amp recently released the fourth edition of its magazine, amplify, titled The Sound of Banking & FinTech. This edition explores, among other things, how the metaverse and virtual experiences will become increasingly important to brands’ sound branding strategies, within the financial sector but across other industries as well.
Sound is also key to engaging younger consumers, who are very much attuned to audio entertainment and experiences, whether it’s music, podcasts, etc.
XLIVE caught up with and Bjorn Thorleifsson, amp's Head of Strategy & Research to dig into how brands can and should be thinking about experimenting with sonic branding in the new metaverse frontier.
XLIVE: Do you view the metaverse as an essential audio branding play, particularly when it comes to engaging with younger generations?
Bjorn Thorleifsson: I wouldn’t say it is essential for brands to be thinking about how they sound currently in the metaverse. I would encourage brand managers to experiment and explore what they can do in the metaverse and see how sonic identities can amplify brands in the metaverse. For this to work, it is essential for brands to start thinking more strategically about how they sound in general and how that translates to multiple audible touchpoints, from smart speakers, to call centers, YouTube videos, TikTok, or commercials. If a brand has a sonic identity, the brand managers, CMO, and other stakeholders need to ask themselves if their identity is flexible enough to work across all the different touchpoints and if it is futureproofed enough to work for the metaverse or other audible touchpoints we have yet to foresee.
XL: How should brands be thinking about expanding their sonic branding to metaverse environments — how is the approach different from more traditional, real-world touchpoints?
BT: In our experience at amp there are three things that are especially important for brands to consider when exploring how brands can utilize sound in the metaverse.
1. How are consumers interacting with brands in the metaverse?
Mark Zuckerberg and Meta want you to think of the metaverse as an “embodied internet where you’re in the experience, not just looking at it”. A sonic identity in the metaverse will be essential for giving users a more immersive experience, which in turn will help retain engagement for both the brand and Meta.Brands have traditionally been overly reliant on strong visual elements, however, those days are behind us. We are moving towards screenless interactions via the metaverse and smart speakers. Currently, interacting with brands online involves typing on your screen or navigating menus. In the metaverse, people will want to be able to talk to brands, not just write to them. Therefore, for the metaverse to be truly immersive brands need to think about having a branded voice as a part of their sonic identity. Having a unique branded voice will allow brands to stand out from competitors in any virtual world and can be a direct link to the physical world.
2. Brands need to ask themselves if sound is enhancing the overall experience.
While the idea of creating dynamic, immersive experiences is exciting, brands must carefully consider and design how they will be heard in these audio-rich environments. Retailers with a solid sonic strategy can leverage their existing strategy to connect digital and physical brand experiences, allowing brands to naturally expand between the real and virtual worlds. In order to accomplish this successfully, marketers must have a strong idea of how their brand should sound, what genres they should use, and what emotions they want to evoke in the listener. Marketers need to be aware that this might require them to think about the distinctions in experiences between various domains or even users. If brands have a rich and flexible sonic identity that can be transformed into any genre, mood, or tonality, they can even customize what each user is hearing depending on each user’s preference while still building sonic brand equity.
3. The sound added needs to be immersive and of high quality.
Cinema owners have known for quite a long time that audio quality is more important than the video quality in their theaters. Most of us can confirm this based on our own experience. When we are streaming a film with a bad internet connection the video might become pixelated, but our brains can fill in the blanks and we can still follow the story. On the other hand, if the audio quality goes down people will eventually turn off the video and read a book instead.This will also be the case in the metaverse. The graphics of most, if not all “metaverse” platforms are not equal to triple-A video games released nowadays, however, users won't care if they are still able to fully immerse themselves. If the sound quality is bad or not immersive the audio quickly bursts our little bubble of immersion, making the entire experience null and void.
XL: Along similar lines, what opportunities does the metaverse open up for sonic branding that may not have been possible before?
BT: The concept of the metaverse is still relatively new and not yet fully understood, so it's difficult to say exactly what opportunities it may open up for sonic branding. However, some potential opportunities could include the ability to create immersive and interactive virtual experiences that incorporate the brand's sonic elements in unique and engaging ways. The metaverse could also potentially be used as a platform for hosting virtual events or experiences that showcase the brand's sonic identity to a global audience. This may be through soundscapes in Roblox like Nikeland, or through collaborations with pop stars in Fortnite, potentially performing unique versions of brand sonic identities. Additionally, the ability to track and analyze user engagement with the brand's sonic elements in the virtual space could provide valuable insights for refining and improving the brand's sonic branding strategy.
XL: Are you seeing any trends in terms of types of brands/sectors that are exploring the metaverse?
BT: Brands everywhere from Atari (which is bringing classic games to life inside the metaverse) to Louis Vuitton, Pepsi, and Mastercard are exploring the possibilities that the metaverse has to offer.
In early 2022, Disney appointed an executive to oversee its metaverse strategy. This might be expected, however, what may surprise you is that a company like JPMorgan opened a lounge in the blockchain-based Decentraland. With the economy in turmoil, the best bet for many brands to engage with potential new customers in a cost-effective way is to explore the metaverse and experiment within.
XL: How do you envision brands leveraging audio in this medium in the future?
BT: The potential opportunities for sonic branding in the metaverse are vast and varied. The metaverse is a virtual space that can be designed and customized in many different ways; this is the time for experimentation. The key for brands will be to find creative and effective ways to integrate their sonic branding into the virtual experience in a way that resonates with users and enhances their overall experience in the metaverse.