If marketers are interested in a strong brand identity, they have to deal with all facets of branding and all sensory impressions of brand perception. The days when corporate identity meant only the visual appearance of a brand are over. Brand managers have long been aware that brands address their target groups through several senses. And just as corporate colors and fonts are not changed on a daily basis, sounds should not be used arbitrarily. Clearly defined sound principles are just as much a part of the branding toolbox as CD guidelines. In times of podcasts and voice-based services like Alexa and Siri, we increasingly experience brands without visual context. Brands must then rely on their auditory expression and sonic recognition.

Audio branding has a long-term effect. The best-known sound logos are the ones that are used most anxiously. Audi and Telekom have been using their sound logos for over 20 years. A sound that is discarded after two years was a bad investment because it hardly had a chance to establish itself on the market. In addition, a brand sound must be used consistently and consistently across all channels and auditory applications so that it can be associated with a brand. A sound that is learned and fits the brand creates trust with the target group. It gives them security and creates clear orientation in the jungle of advertising messages.
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Brands need to examine which customer touchpoints they are sonically perceived as having and which channels are those through which they primarily reach their customers. Accordingly, these channels shape customer perception the most. For one company, this may be a telephone hotline, for another the social media channel, and for yet another, the radio spot.

There are two parameters in sound design: the compositional level and the tonality level. In composition, we can tell stories - for example, of "growth," through an ascending sequence of notes. At the tonality level, we can choose instruments and timbres. Synthesizers can express modernity and innovation, classical instruments give the impression of high culture, value and down-to-earthness.
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Companies like Siemens Healthineers have recognized the value of sound in brand communication: From the sonic design of events with stage trailers and break soundscapes to the music in social media clips and UX sounds on medical devices - all sounds at Siemens Healthineers follow clear sound principles and result in a coherent sound universe that is clearly recognizable. Trust plays a particularly important role in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Building authentic, credible brands is essential for success. A consistently applied sound, developed in harmony with the brand personality, can make a major contribution here and increase brand value immensely. Healthcare and pharmaceutical brands are rarely love brands. They are often associated with unpleasant moments and illnesses. The challenge of striking the "right tone" here is great. Audio branding agencies should not let "business as usual" prevail here. Findings from science and research on the topics ofwell-being and stress reduction, in conjunction with sound should be incorporated into the work here.