#stevekeller

Just days after The Buntin Group lobby was christened with the new metal-letter mantra, Everything Speaks, we were treated to an innovative Lunch & Learn hosted by Steve Keller of iV Audio. The very timely topic was “Now Hear This: The Business of Audio Branding.”

Audio branding? Hmm, interesting idea. But what is it? Well, think in terms of an audio logo. A signature sound associated with a particular brand. For example, Intel’s audio ringout.  Or McDonald’s I’m Lovin’ It close. And, of course, NBC’s famous three-note chime. Got the picture? Or sound?

“Every sound that touches a brand has the potential to define it. Audio branding is a discipline designed to harness the power of sound, engaging consumers and driving emotional connections along the way,” claims CEO Steve Keller, who is personally introducing the business of audio branding to Music City and beyond. iV and iV2 in Frankfurt, Germany are a creative community of audio and marketing professionals, focused on providing strategic audio branding for a range of global agencies and brands.

Steve also explained the idea of audio landscaping to the group at The Buntin Group. Directional audio messages aimed, quite literally, at passing consumers in retail environs. For example, ceiling speakers that are motion activated to alert grocery store shoppers of specials on bananas. We always thought of that as “guerrilla marketing.”