When I joined Publicis in 2000, I traveled the world to meet with Publicis agencies and their clients to dive into the core of their brand communication and to discover new ways of thinking about marketing. Much of our work centered on finding a common brand essence that would be understood globally, but could be interpreted relevantly at a regional level. I found that our agencies’ approach to expressing their clients’ brands was predominately visual, and that our use of music tended to be more campaign-oriented, not brand-oriented. Music was often chosen as a final consideration, not planned from the start. It wasn’t seen as a key element of a brand content strategy but, rather, as a somewhat insignificant aspect of a campaign.
It wasn’t until late 2011, when a friend invited me to attend the Audio Branding Congress, that my eyes — and ears — were opened to the power and potential of audio branding. I felt as if I had discovered a deeper way of connecting with an audience through a sense that was as old as the human race.Continue Reading
