Harmonizing Brand Experience: The Role of Sound in Shaping the Customer Brand Experience Journey

Introduction

As the marketing landscape of the modern age becomes more dynamic, the customer journey has become increasingly salient for brands and marketers around the world. There has been a shift in traditional marketing avenues from being dominated by isolated engagements and sporadic touchpoints to those that encompass a more holistic approach (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016). Modern brands place a high priority on understanding and guiding the entire arc of the customer's interaction with their products and services, from the infancy of awareness to the enduring advocacy behaviors of consumers’ post-purchase (Følstad & Kvale, 2018; Meyer & Schwager, 2007; Tueanrat et al., 2021).

Until recently, marketing strategies have primarily been guided by visual elements. However, sound has increasingly become an important sensory component (Gustafsson, 2015). Sounds evoke feelings like evocative melodies or nostalgic tunes (Bruner, 1990). Auditory elements possess the intrinsic ability to shape and enhance consumer perceptions, establishing themselves deeply in the minds of consumers. In the UK, this impact can be seen through a number of examples, including the iconic McDonald's 'I'm Lovin' It' jingle, which resonates with consumers across generations, and the distinctive soundscapes experienced in British Airways' commercials and in-flight announcements. Whether these audio cues are melodious notes that make up a captivating jingle or ambient background music that sets the mood for a brand's retail environment, they play an important role in shaping the brand's identity and perception.

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the intricate interplay between sound and experiential marketing, illustrating the impact of sound on the customer journey and the subsequent impact on brand experiences. We aim to reveal the rarely recognized significance of sound by analyzing how it can enhance customers' experience into something more comprehensive and memorable.