TikTok key to sonic branding with Gen Z

US brands are failing to connect effectively with Gen Z in their sonic branding efforts, new research suggests. According to SoundOut, the sonic branding and testing agency, sonic logos of leading brands are 60% less likely to be recognised by Gen Z than older demographics.

Why it matters

Gen Z is no more or less likely than older generations to register a brand’s sonic identity, but that’s assuming they hear it at all. SoundOut suggests that sonic logos are not so much failing to register with Gen Z as failing to register in the right place – TikTok. 

The agency notes that Home Depot saw its sonic identity randomly go viral on TikTok in 2019, but without any brand association. A successful TikTok campaign in 2022, however, enabled Home Depot to ‘reappropriate’ this sonic identity and, consequently, to register double-digit increased attribution with Gen Z (14%) against 7% for the over 25s. 

The research 

The study measured the increase in sonic branding attribution for over 135 major US brands between 2021 and 2023, drawing on the findings from over 150,000 consumer studies. Attribution measures the ability of a consumer to name the correct brand from exposure to the sonic logo alone. SoundOut compared the results from the perspective of Gen Z respondents (those born between 1997 and 2015) to those over the age of 25.

Key findings

• Looking at the 50 brands that have increased attribution the most across all age groups between 2021 and 2023, the average increase in brand attribution is just 6% for Gen Z, compared to 15% for those over 25 years old. 
• For all 108 brands that have had a sonic identity for over two years, the overall average attribution for Gen Z has increased by just 2%, with many brands registering decreased recognition and attribution over the period.
• Among the best performing new sonic logos released during the past two years, a similar pattern emerges: average attribution for Gen Z was 14%, yet for the over 25s it was 21%.

Key quote

“The TikTok algorithm hugely boosts posts that feature trending music, resulting in far greater exposure for brands at marginal additional cost. If the sonic logo is also incorporated, brands have a far higher chance of building attribution with Gen Z” – Grace Hammond, SoundOut Co-Founder.

Sourced from SoundOut
^{[Image: Lala Azizli on Unsplash]}