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TOP TIPS FOR IMPLEMENTINGAUDIO BRANDING

Dan Lafferty,Director of Voiceand Music atPHMG, givessome top tips forimplementingaudio branding

Visual branding isa core elementof the marketingmix for opticians,often spending a

large amount of budget on making their business lookas professional as possible.

How it sounds is equally as important yet is far tooinfrequently harnessed by businesses. This could be dueto the common misconception that audio branding isonly for global organisations with a large amount ofmoney at their disposal. However, this isn’t the case. Byfar the largest usage is via the telephone – and thisconcerns companies of all sizes, especially opticianbusinesses where the phone is still a key tool inconverting leads to sales.

When it comes to implementing an appropriate audiobrand, the practice is very similar to when developinga visual brand.

1. A UNIQUE SOUND Each business wants to have a unique sellingproposition in their marketplace and having adistinctive audio brand would help to reflect this.Invariably, a visual brand is used to depict anidiosyncratic identity, which takes into account thedesired company image and values, yet organisationsfrequently adopt a ubiquitous approach to their audiobranding by using an existing music track or a randomvoice.

Appropriate attention should be paid to what is beingheard in order to convey the individual personality ofthe company. Creating voice and music unique to thebusiness will help distinguish them from the competition

and help build a long-lasting brand identity amongcustomers and prospects. As well, customer servicelevels can also be boosted. A study of 1,000 Britishconsumers discovered the majority of respondents feltmore valued if they heard bespoke voice and musicwhile on hold.

2. MUSIC TO A CUSTOMER’S EARSCommercial music comes with emotional baggage.Most people can probably name a song that irritatesthem while a different song perhaps holds goodmemories. Many businesses will simply choose apopular song thinking it will engage the listener yethow a customer responds depends on their previousexperience of the track. If their feelings are negative, itcould prove detrimental by prompting caller hang-ups.Instead, you should look at the business attributes andarticulate them musically through elements such asinstrumentation and tempo.

3. FINDING YOUR VOICESimilar to music, there are a number of differentelements to take into account when choosing thevoice of your business. Should it be masculine orfeminine? Old or young? Accent or receivepronunciation? Ultimately, it depends on the imageyour organisation wants to portray. A masculine voiceis seen as authoritative and distinguished, ideal for acompany wanting to provide a subconsciousreassurance that customers are in safe hands. On theother hand, a feminine voice is deemed soft andsoothing so it is particularly appropriate wherebusinesses need to provide a calm welcome. In termsof age, an older age profile enables a company toconvey dependability while a younger voice suggestsvibrancy and enthusiasm.

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Association of British Dispensing Opticians

If your business caters to a local demographic, anaccent can also help connect with a customer onan emotional level. This helps provide a sense ofreassurance and could potentially be thedifference in whether a customer chooses yourorganisation over another.

4. REFRESH AND ENGAGE If a customer hears the same messages each timethey call a business, they will suffer the fatigue ofbeing fed the same information repeatedly in thesame manner and they will simply switch off. By changing the messages on a regular basis, it notonly keeps customers up-to-date with new businessservices and current offers, but also helps to boostengagement and hold their attention.

Find out more here: http://homepage.phmg.com/

For further information visit www.abdo.org.uk/business-hub/ Page 2

TOP TIPS FOR IMPLEMENTINGAUDIO BRANDING