“When I do see really powerful sonic branding, it’s impressive. It stands out, you know? There was one I looked at, it was a luxury airline, or it was a luxury-like experience, I want to say. They sold, like, really specific vacations to remote parts of the world that were really luxury experiences and really interesting, and they had a really cohesive sonic branding that wasn’t music. It was just an intentional sound design approach where they had a lot of the sounds of the place, and they really focused on a sense of place. So when it was in Japan, it would be the sound of that water bamboo thing, you know, really magnified. And then the sound of an old wooden gate closing, and then the sound of someone folding a paper crane, like really delicate, beautifully recorded sounds that they would shape into the commercial. And so that wasn’t music, but every single ad had the same kind of vibe of this really intentional, beautiful sound design that evoked a sense of place. And that was just so cool. And so, when I see something like that, I’m like, ‘That’s what you can do. Why are you doing random samples when you could have a really nice effect and memorable impression?’" – Caitlyn Trevor This episode is the second half of my chat with sonic UX researcher Caitlyn Trevor as we discuss how culture can dramatically change UX impressions, the value of sound in strengthening brand, and her “Sound Effects” series on LinkedIn, exploring the link between sound and behavior. As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that. (00:00) – Making the Most of a Sonic Impression The second half of our conversation begins with Caitlyn’s findings when it comes to improving on-hold UX phone design, including her discovery that less is more when it comes to automated voice updates and commercials. “You’re like, ‘Oh, thank God,’" she recalls from her research results, “But if it’s just, ‘We want to tell you about our special new…’ You’re like, ‘Oh.’ And so it was a stress thing for them every time they heard a voice, they thought, ‘Oh, someone’s answering.’ And then when it was a commercial, they were extra annoyed by the commercial.” We talk about some other sound design elements that defy common sense, such as research showing that fire alarms aren’t very well attuned to the human brain. “I found that the typical fire alarm is not the most effective,” she tells us. “You know, this kind of house alarm, like, it’s at around 3,000 Hz, really high-pitched. This is not great. A lower-pitched one around, I think it was 500 Hz, is actually more effective at waking people up.” (15:00) – How Sound Changes the Customer Experience Caitlyn tells us more about the unexpected results of research into our relationship with sound, including our smartphones. “When you turn off notifications completely,” she notes, “you actually check your phone more than if you leave them on because you have this like, fear of missing out… People who had their phones on mute picked up their phones 48 more times per day and spent 52 extra minutes on their phones.” We talk about what that research means for audio branding and making a positive customer impression, and we discuss the powerful, often-overlooked impact of sonic logos. “There’s an IPSO study as well,” Caitlyn recalls, “that wasn’t actually about sonic branding specifically, but the results were really flattering for sonic branding. It was something like if you have a sonic logo, it increases brand recall by, I think it was like 96%. It was really crazy.” (21:40) – The Future of Audio Branding Our conversation comes to a close as Caitlyn shares her thoughts on the power of sound and what her research has shown about its impact on the human mind. “I think sometimes, you know, sound is such an afterthought,” she explains, “and people don’t remember that it actually has a really big impact on the experience. I think that’s becoming a bit clearer with people caring more about neurodivergence and sound sensitivity.” She tells listeners how they can get in touch, and adds her advice on how brands can make the strongest and most consistent sonic impression on their customer base. “The more time you spend with stimuli,” she notes, “whatever it is, a song, a picture, the longer you look at it, hear it, the more you like it. So when you’re doing ratings of emotion or, I don’t know, familiarity, likability, that’s going to affect it. But, you know, we know this, and somehow we don’t use it sometimes.” Episode Summary Caitlin discusses the impact of sonic branding on client relationships.The impact of sound on brand perception, ratings, and customer loyalty.How Caitlin’s research is redefining audio branding and marketing. Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast: Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/ Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/ Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!) Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest! https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/ Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/ Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
