Is Your Brand Leveraging the Power of Music? (Part 1)
In today’s fast-paced, competitive market, music is a vital tool that can significantly enhance how brands connect with their audiences.
Brands can use a combination of custom compositions, licensed tracks from artists, and stock music to create memorable interactions. A well-crafted brand anthem serves as a sonic signature, while effective music curation can tailor sound experiences that align with the brand’s identity.
As sound becomes an essential element in storytelling, brands that strategically leverage music can capture attention and enhance engagement, making their messages resonate on a deeper emotional level.
Throughout the series of posts, I’ll explore the various ways brands can effectively use music to amplify their presence and create impactful interactions with their audience.
Custom Vs. Licensed Music
Music uniquely influences the emotional and psychological impact of your content, enhancing the message you’re delivering.
Whether it’s custom-made, licensed from an artist, or stock music, the right soundtrack supports your story, captures attention, and increases engagement. Music has the power to evoke emotions, set the mood, and create lasting impressions—whether you’re aiming for excitement, calm, tension, or inspiration.
It also helps with brand recognition, allowing audiences to connect a sound with your brand, building a stronger connection.
Additionally, music adds rhythm and flow, shaping how people experience visuals, from videos to commercials or in-store environments.
In a competitive market, choosing the right music helps your project stand out, ensuring your message is not only heard but also felt.
Custom Music
*Best for long-term branding, exclusive sound identity, or high-profile campaigns where full creative control and ownership are needed
When to Choose It:
- Brand Identity: If the brand wants music that is completely aligned with their identity and needs something unique, custom-made music is the best option. It allows for total creative control and a sound that reflects their brand values.
- Sonic Branding: When creating a signature sound for the brand, custom-made music ensures that no other brand will have the same audio identity.
- Campaign-Specific Needs: If the campaign is high-stakes (e.g., a global brand campaign, product launch, or TV commercial), custom music can be tailored to match the exact mood, tone, and message.
Benefits:
- Complete ownership over the music.
- Flexibility to adapt the music for different mediums and purposes.
- High emotional and brand alignment.
Considerations:
- More expensive and time-consuming than other options.
- Best suited for brands looking for a long-term sonic identity or high-impact campaigns.
Examples I Love:
- The original score for Hennessy VS. Major works hand-in-hand with the powerful visuals and sound design. Soft strings gradually build up during Major Taylor’s race, with bold brass and drums highlighting his victories. The music ends on a quiet, reflective note, reinforcing Hennessy’s “Never Stop. Never Settle.” tagline.
- Mercedes-Benz’s cover of “Sunny” by Cruel Youth blends nostalgia and modern vibes, aligning with the brand’s luxury and innovation. Originally a 1966 hit by Bobby Hebb, the upbeat feel of the song is reimagined by Cruel Youth in a darker, edgier style. This fresh take balances familiar warmth with a sleek, high-tech appeal, complementing Mercedes’ sophisticated branding.
Licensed Music (Artist)
*Perfect for creating a cultural or emotional impact but it’s often costly and may offer less creative control
When to Choose It:
- Cultural or Emotional Connection: If the brand wants to connect with a specific cultural moment, fanbase, or tap into an artist’s audience, licensing a popular song or track from an artist can create an immediate emotional impact.
- Brand Alignment with Artist: When the artist’s values, persona, or genre strongly align with the brand, licensing music can build a cultural partnership that resonates deeply with the audience.
- Campaigns with Celebrity Involvement: If the campaign involves celebrities, using their licensed music can create authenticity and alignment with their brand image.
Benefits:
- Immediate brand recognition and emotional impact if the artist is well-known.
- Strong cultural relevance if the artist resonates with the target audience.
- Potential for co-branding opportunities with the artist’s fanbase.
Considerations:
- Licensing fees can be expensive, especially for well-known songs or artists.
- Limited control over the music’s use (e.g., may not be able to adapt it across different platforms or campaigns).
Example I Love:
- Ruelle, known for her dark, cinematic pop, had her track “Where We Come Alive” featured in the Lincoln Aviator ad, complementing its sleek and luxurious imagery. The timing of the ad’s release with Ruelle’s song was intentional, part of a trend where luxury car brands use music from emerging artists to create emotional connections. This shows how music can enhance the brand message without overshadowing the product.
Stock Music
*Ideal for quick, low-cost projects or when the music is secondary to the message. It’s flexible and inexpensive but lacks exclusivity
When to Choose It:
- Budget Constraints: Stock music is a great choice for smaller brands or campaigns with limited budgets. It offers a vast library of tracks at a lower cost.
- Quick Turnaround: When the project timeline is tight and there isn’t enough time to create custom music, stock music provides an immediate solution.
- Low-Stakes Projects: For internal videos, social media content, or one-off campaigns, where the music isn’t integral to brand identity, stock music works well.
Benefits:
- Affordable and readily available.
- Quick and easy to use for a variety of projects.
- Wide variety of genres and moods to choose from.
Considerations:
- Non-exclusive, so other brands may use the same track, which could dilute the brand’s uniqueness.
- Limited flexibility in matching the brand’s specific tone or messaging.
Example I Love:
- Squarespace’s “All You Need to Launch” campaign shows how well-curated stock music can still create a professional feel. The ads feature different businesses, with music tailored to match each. For the culinary empire, the music is energetic and dynamic, capturing the vibe of a busy kitchen. For the meditation school, the music is serene and calm, using soft strings and chimes to evoke peace and mindfulness.
Brand Anthem (Sonic DNA)
*Ideal for brands seeking long-term auditory recognition, consistent emotional connection, and a signature sound that resonates across all marketing touchpoints
Brand Anthem (or Sonic DNA) is a longer, branded piece of music that embodies the essence of a brand. It should reflect the brand’s values and positioning while being distinct and in harmony with the visual identity.
This unique sonic asset should be used consistently across all touchpoints to create a cohesive brand experience.
Sonic DNA can also be understood as a collection of musical components—chord progressions, melodies, a sound palette, and specific textures or vocal elements—that form the brand’s signature sound. Over time, these musical elements help listeners instantly recognize the brand.
Sonic DNA can also be adapted to different musical styles to fit various contexts while maintaining its core identity. It should include essential musical components that allow for creative adaptations, while always keeping its distinctive, recognizable qualities tied to the brand.
When to Choose It:
- Unified Brand Identity: A brand anthem is ideal when the brand seeks a cohesive, iconic sound across all touchpoints, building a strong emotional connection by consistently reflecting the brand’s values and personality.
- Long-Term Recognition: For brands aiming to create lasting equity, a brand anthem can become the core of the brand’s Sonic DNA, growing into an instantly recognizable asset.
- Global and High-Visibility Campaigns: A brand anthem suits major campaigns that require consistency, memorability, and emotional impact, such as global launches, high-stakes TV commercials, or long-term strategies.
Benefits:
- A brand anthem serves as a sonic anchor, providing a consistent auditory presence across channels (TV, online, radio, in-store) and reinforcing brand identity through repeated exposure.
- An effective anthem evokes strong emotions, building deeper connections with the audience and fostering trust and loyalty over time.
- Brand anthems can be remixed or adapted for various campaigns, regions, or cultural contexts, allowing flexibility while preserving the core identity.
Considerations:
- Creating a brand anthem requires substantial creative input, time, and investment, aligning with the brand’s long-term strategy.
- The anthem must resonate with the target audience and align with the brand’s cultural and emotional positioning, often needing testing to ensure it meets expectations.
- A brand anthem should be timeless yet adaptable to evolving trends. Brands should consider how often to refresh it to keep it relevant while maintaining its core essence.
Example I Love:
- In 2018, HSBC refreshed its visual identity with an updated logo and bold use of its red hexagon. In 2019, they introduced their first sonic identity, composed by electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, based on the tagline “Together we thrive.” Jarre created seven versions of the core melody for different settings, including online, in-app, bank branches, events, ads, flights, and airports. One version is even used as on-hold music.
Music Curation
*Ideal for brands looking to create specific moods, atmospheres, or emotional connections, whether in physical locations or digital spaces
Music curation, along with sound system setup and acoustic design, plays a crucial role in shaping the atmosphere of physical spaces.
Sound impacts how we feel, how we perceive our surroundings, and can even affect how long we stay or how much we engage with a space.
Music curators craft carefully tailored soundscapes that create immersive and memorable experiences. They design soundtracks that captivate customers, distinguish brands, and enhance environments.
Whether for retail spaces, hotels, restaurants, events, or fashion shows, their expertise lies in curating personalized music and playlists that align with the brand and elevate the setting.
When to Choose It:
- Enhancing Brand Atmosphere: Ideal for brands wanting to create a specific ambiance in physical spaces (stores, restaurants) or digital environments (apps, websites). Curated music helps set the tone, shaping how customers perceive the brand.
- Strengthening Emotional Connection: When the goal is to evoke particular emotions, music curation allows precise track selection that aligns with the desired experience, deepening audience connection.
- Consistency Across Touchpoints: Music curation provides a consistent auditory experience across platforms and locations, reinforcing brand identity seamlessly.
Benefits:
- Curated music creates a unique auditory experience that reflects the brand’s values and culture, immersing the audience in the brand’s world.
- Playlists can be updated for new campaigns, seasons, or brand shifts, keeping the music experience fresh and aligned with the brand’s evolution.
- Music influences customer behavior and mood; well-curated playlists can enhance connection, increase dwell time, and even impact purchasing.
Considerations:
- Curated music must authentically reflect the brand’s identity, tone, and values to resonate with the audience.
- Effective curation requires expertise in both music and brand strategy to craft a cohesive, emotionally resonant sound.
- Understanding the audience’s demographic and cultural preferences is crucial to selecting tracks that enhance their experience and avoid alienation.
Examples I Love:
- Music plays a major role in Balenciaga’s brand experience. Their music platform offers a 360-degree experience with custom playlists, limited-edition merchandise, exclusive content, and interactive campaigns. Creative director Demna Gvasalia selects global artists who contribute through collaborations, original compositions, and product tie-ins. The platform also archives soundtracks from runway shows and events. Each show has its own original score, which is either streamed or played in the space, and playlists are updated with every collection. Balenciaga’s fitting rooms feature music curated by Demna during the design process. Their latest clothing line, featuring NFC chips, allows customers to scan the garment to unlock exclusive music only accessible via a special link, marking a step forward in connected clothing with digital product passports. To explore further, check out They Did What: Balenciaga.
- Music curation is a key part of Glossier’s in-store experience, with playlists that match the brand’s fresh, modern, and playful identity. The music includes indie, R&B, and pop, creating a feel-good atmosphere that appeals to millennial and Gen Z customers. It reflects Glossier’s values of inclusivity and empowerment, fitting with its beauty and lifestyle image. The playlists go well with the store’s minimalist design and pastel colors, creating a relaxing, upbeat vibe. The music also keeps up with current trends, matching the tastes of Glossier’s audience. By blending sound, design, and color, Glossier creates a personal and engaging space where customers can connect with the brand. To explore further, check out They Did What: Glossier.
- Music curation is at the heart of the Hotel Costes experience, with carefully curated playlists that create a chic and intimate atmosphere. Featuring a mix of lounge, downtempo, and house music, the sound perfectly complements the hotel’s luxurious, stylish ambiance. Curated by renowned DJs, the playlists are regularly updated and have become so iconic that Hotel Costes releases its own series of compilation albums, allowing guests to take a piece of the experience home. The music enhances the mood in every space—the bar, restaurant, lounge, and even the courtyard—creating a relaxing and elegant vibe that invites guests to stay and enjoy the moment. The carefully selected soundscape has become as much a part of the hotel’s identity as its design and service. To explore further, check out They Did What: Hotel Costes.
Whether through custom compositions that reflect your brand’s identity, licensed music that taps into familiarity and emotional resonance, or a brand anthem that becomes your brand’s signature sound, leveraging music strategically helps create memorable, lasting connections.
By thoughtfully curating the right sounds for your audience and environment, your brand can stand out, evoke emotion, and build deeper relationships with customers.
If you’re curious about taking your brand’s sound to the next level, be sure to check out Part Two.
I’ll dive into branded artist partnerships, cultural collaborations, and the role of AI-generated music, exploring how these strategies can amplify your brand’s reach and cultural relevance.