The past twelve months have been nothing short of monumental for those working, creating, and consulting in the audio space. An afterthought no longer, brands are realizing the power of sound and its vital role in the design process. amp created the Best Audio Brands index in 2019 to analyze brand sound usage from a data-centric, holistic point of view. Half a decade later, the amp team has devised a new AI-fueled brand-facing tech product, Sonic Hub®, to help generate data and facilitate sonic insights. Combined with extensive desk research, social media monitoring, and sonic strategy analysis, these Sonic Hub insights – specifically delivered from Sonic Radar®, one of the three tools of the suite – have led to amp’s most comprehensive report to date. Designed to highlight and showcase the brands who are most effectively harnessing the power of audio in their external communications, Best Audio Brands 2023 spotlights the sonic performance of 250 brands spanning all sectors.
“We hope you enjoy our sonic survey on the state of strategic sound usage, influenced by megatrends like artificial intelligence, in the ever-evolving brand space. Super Sonic starts with a deep understanding of sector-wide audio trends paired with actionable and digestible insights written with branding and marketing teams in mind.”
– Michele Arnese, amp Founder and Global CEO
-Uli Reese, amp Global CMO
Download Best Audio Brands 2023
The Ranking and Sonic Sector Champions
Top to bottom, brands are experiencing a sonic renaissance and have been investing in sound at a greater rate than ever before. This year’s analysis of over 10,000 data points revealed that many brands have already started their sonic journey. Sonic Logo utilization was a good indicator of sonic success; 92% of brands in the Best Audio Brands top 25 ranking utilized one consistently. Further analysis revealed that 4 brands used their sonic logo in 100% of their content this year, a 300% increase from the 2022 ranking.
Sonic giant Mastercard has taken home the top slot in our main rankings, defending the #1 position with an ever-expanding holistic sonic strategy, and Shell has been crowned amp’s most sonically efficient brand of the year. “Best Newcomer” honors are awarded to Aviva, TikTok, and Lieferando for their inspired sonic strategy, and amp’s “Biggest Leaps” category saw Zurich, Wells Fargo, H&M, and Ford scale the rankings over 100 slots each from 2022.
Best Audio Brands 2023 also features a new set of sector focused rankings, with 8 industries analyzed and spotlighted. The Transportation, Insurance, Food Delivery, Telecommunications, Energy, Business Consulting, CPG Beauty & Care, and CPG Food industries were analyzed with amp’s discerning sonic lens and even more data insights. Out of these selected segments, the Insurance, and CPG Beauty & Care sectors scored the highest, with owned branded music and standout performances from Aviva and Old Spice respectively.
Sonic Trends, Adaptability, Cultural Learnings, and AI Music in the Sonic Sphere
The past 12 months have revealed the vast importance of flexibility and consistency when it comes to sound for brands. amp’s annual Best Audio Brands index is designed to focus on 1 year and provide a sonic status update despite any heritage or legacy brands may boast. Brand flexibility and elasticity are key when navigating the modern marketing and advertising landscape. Auditory inclusivity is on the rise with brands tailoring their approach to consumers via smart speakers and in-home devices. Brands following this approach performed better in the Best Audio Brands 2023 rankings, scoring at both targeting and converting customers. Growing consumer touchpoints will see successful brands explore new avenues to drive home memorability and recall in previously uncharted territories. These new touchpoints have seen brands license music and appeal to consumers across a wide variety of cultures, however, no amount of licensing can replicate the effectiveness of a holistic sonic identity. Brands will have the opportunity to drive culture with owned sound, instead of following trends.
Audio creatives have found themselves in a unique position in 2023, as described by Best Audio Brands guest editorial feature author, Audacy. Once a best-kept secret in the media landscape, audio, specifically custom content paired with holistic strategy, has emerged as the leader in driving customer conversion and purchase intent. Custom content is becoming more accessible thanks to AI music, as described by Tuney Co-Founder, CEO, and Best Audio Brands guest, Antony Demekhin. Establishing a harmonic relationship between creativity and tech will be vastly important in the continued development and expansion of the sonic branding field. High quality AI music is already impacting the industry, becoming a staple in sonic branding due to its ability to facilitate content production at scale. amp’s Sonic Hub Ecosystem has already accelerated this process, specifically with the Sonic Space tool, which combines human made brand melodies with generative AI to produce owned, pre-licensed branded content. Additional information surrounding these tools can be found within the report, alongside a 3-part study revealing the impact of amp’s AI tools on the sonic branding process.
Best Audio Brands 2023 LinkedIn Live Featuring Special Guest, Shell
Those looking for further insights from amp’s Best Audio Brands 2023 are invited to join for a very special LinkedIn Live with amp Founder and Global CEO, Michele Arnese, amp Head of Research & Insights, Bjorn Thorleifsson, and Dean Aragón, CEO & Vice Chairman of Shell. They will be discussing the crucial role of sound in the branding space as well as Shell’s sonic success, which saw the brand top amp’s energy and audio efficiency charts. Paired with additional insights from amp’s Best Audio Brands 2023, the discussion date is soon to be announced.
Best Audio Brands 2023 Assets
Best Audio Brands 2023 (Download Full Report)
Best Audio Brands 2023 (Download Fact Sheet)
Best Audio Brands 2023 (Download Assets & Graphics)
amp sound branding (Download Company Press Kit)
If you would like to speak with a member of the amp Leadership Team or discuss press opportunities, please contact:
Chris Bergin
PR Manager
chrisbergin@ampcontact.com
