Written by Colleen Fahey, Managing Director, US
Sound is everywhere. And yet most brands treat it as an afterthought, background filler while the real brand work happens visually. That’s a missed opportunity, because decades of research tell us something clear: sound doesn’t just accompany human experience. It shapes it.
At Sixième Son, understanding how sound affects human behaviour isn’t a side interest. It’s the foundation of everything we build.
What the science has known for a long time
During WWII, when productivity needs were high, an influential study was run in the U.K. called Music While You Work. The researchers found that carefully chosen music played in factories during morning and afternoon periods helped increase productivity by 12.5-15 percent.
The study made strong claims about the effects of music on the factory workers.
- It boosted the tired worker
- Acted as a mental tonic
- Reduced boredom
- Increased happiness
- Minimized conversation
- Relieved nervous strain
- Reduced absenteeism
Fast forward to today and many people believe listening to music while working helps them get more done and be more efficient.
People incorporate music into their workdays for various reasons. Some listen to fill a sound void and set a cadence as they’re doing mindless tasks or “busy work,” while others listen to get their creative juices flowing. Beyond helping set the pace, there are mainly two ways that music can be beneficial in the workplace: 1) it helps us concentrate better, and 2) it boosts our mood and therefore helps us carry on with whatever mundane task we might be doing.
Why this matters for brand experience
The research on sound and productivity translates directly to brand experience, and this is where things get interesting for marketers.
Sound doesn’t just affect how efficiently we work. It affects how long we stay somewhere, how much we spend, how safe we feel, and how we remember a brand afterwards. Tempo influences pace, slower music makes people linger longer in a store and spend more. Volume affects perceived quality; louder environments feel more energetic, quieter ones more premium. Familiarity creates trust, a sound we recognise feels like a brand we know.
From a branding point of view, music in shared spaces can serve to remind clients, visitors, suppliers and employees of the company’s aspirations and values, through thoughtfully designed playlists and short variations of branded music woven among the chosen tracks.
This is why the most effective sonic branding isn’t just a logo played at the end of an ad. It’s a complete sonic ecosystem, designed for every touchpoint where your brand and a human being meet.
Discover 8 sonic branding examples you know without realizing
Designing sound for your brand’s spaces
Common areas like parking lots, entrances, waiting areas, and break rooms are audio branding opportunities. During the WWII era, researchers found that what worked in factories was familiar dance music without lyrics, with some variety supplied by “novelty bands” and theater orchestras. They recommended against using employee suggestions.
Today, we’d want to vary the musical energy by daypart and even by work zone. We’d infuse categories of music that support the brand personality. And we’d probably agree that voice-forward music should be avoided and that employee suggestions, while well-intentioned, can have a divisive effect on the team.
The difference between a playlist and a sonic strategy is intentionality. A playlist fills the silence. A sonic identity uses sound to communicate who you are, consistently, across every space where your brand lives.
What your brand sounds like right now
Take a moment to think about the sonic environment you’re creating, whether intentionally or not:
- What music plays when someone enters your space?
- What sounds accompany your digital interactions?
- Does the audio atmosphere of your brand’s spaces match your visual identity and values?
If the answer is “I’m not sure” or “we’ve never really thought about it”, that’s exactly where the conversation starts.
