“That’s sort of how we, like, when we started the agency, then we started with just the two of us, and my role alongside Jared was everything. We did everything. And then as we expanded and grew, like, we realized, actually, like, not only my partner at the agency, but I am the chief listening officer. It starts with listening, and everything flows from there. And I think that one thing that makes our agency unique is I’ve worked with every other agency, like when we worked as creators, and we were getting hired. So you see the uniqueness of, and I’ll actually even say too, like, the power of listening, and I think that’s something that, again, going back to what I say is, I can say that, like, Jodi, I see you, or I can say, Jodi, like, I see you. And there is a massive difference. And when we can take our brands, our business, or the people that we work with and say, like, I really see you, then we start creating content, including brand music.” – Matt Borck This episode’s guest is a partner, Chief Listening Officer, and co-founder of The One Group Agency. Driven by a deep curiosity about human behavior, he believes that companies must put their audiences first, speaking with them rather than shouting at them. Using empathy and deep listening to find the human truths buried beneath standard data, he helps organizations transition marketing teams from basic internal request departments into true strategic business partners. His name is Matt Borck, and if you’re tired of chasing empty metrics and want to build genuine, profitable relationships, Matt’s perspective shows that it all starts with listening. And if you like what you hear and you want to support this podcast, there are a bunch of ways to do that at audiobrandingpodcast.com, including subscribing to the YouTube channel, the newsletter, writing a review, or buying me a coffee. Because this takes a lot of coffee. Thanks so much. (00:00) – The Importance of Listening Our conversation starts with Matt’s earliest memories of music, and how much the power of sound influenced him as a child. “As a kid,” he recalls, “I always felt music that’s just… even now, even as I say it, like, I get shivers. I. When I would hear something, I felt it, and I felt what my nervous system was doing.” He shares more about his journey from music to marketing, and how his role as the One Group Agency’s chief listening officer evolved. “Great listeners don’t say they’re great listeners,” he adds. “Usually people tell you you’re a great listener. But one of the things it taught me so much about is how to truly be present, how to make [and] save space, how to truly listen.” (13:18) – From Music to Marketing Our conversation turns to Matt’s approach to harnessing the emotional power of sound in branding to build a sense of trust with listeners. “That’s where I would get to know as best as I can and choose something that also doesn’t feel out of place with the content that we’ve created,” he explains, “but it makes you feel something. If I can instantly put you at ease, I believe that you’ll be prepared for the rest of what we’ve got.” We discuss his work on a new study that focuses on music, community, and culture, and how he reaches beyond his own perspective to connect with his audience. “If I’m sent something to review from the agency,” he explains, “and, all of a sudden, I review it, and it doesn’t do anything for me, that’s actually a good thing… It takes me a little bit more to get into because it’s not my natural style, but if I want to honor the target audience, I’ve got to get over myself.” (26:22) – AI and the Future of Voice As the first half of our discussion wraps up, Matt talks about his two daughters and the role of music in their lives, and he illustrates a point about AI’s uncanny perfection with a story about U2’s concerts after they went big. “They were trying to figure out a way to get that [early] connection back,” he says. “And so they staged things like little screw-ups in their set or like an amp breaking, where they had to replace an amp. But what it did was it made them human again.” We talk about AI’s role in sound and audio branding, and the subtle imperfections that help set human performances apart. “We can train [AI] to do things like that,” he explains, “but it’s not the same, where, even the breath that you took, like, there are different breathing patterns that we all do as human beings.” Episode Summary Matt discusses how deep listening shapes marketing strategies.Matt explains his transition from musician to marketing expert.Discussion on the impact of AI in voiceover and sound branding. Tune in for next week’s episode as we continue discussing AI’s role in sonic branding, Matt’s latest musical and marketing projects, and his approach to building an authentic brand strategy. 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
