Music has always been a conductor of emotions. It has the power to change the way we feel: ease the sad moments and accentuate the happy ones. Music influences our mood and changes our perception.
2020 was a stunning reminder of the true power of audio. As the pandemic hit, audio in general – and music more specifically – became a constant companion and a global connector. As people were locked in their own homes, brands started adopting audio in all its formats to connect and engage with their audience, in a more personal way.Today’s world has become visually cluttered. We sit in front of our screens for hours, scroll on our phones throughout the day, and have become visually numb; that makes it hard to capture the people’s attention. For brands, audio can cut the noise and make them stand out.
“When the right brand gets together with the right music, it’s perfect harmony.“
The sonic identity of a brand is now as important as its visual identity. In fact, according to a YouGov study, 33% of young adults prefer brands with a sonic identity.” says Georges ‘Josh’ Rouhana, Anghami Studios Lead.
Sabine Oneissy, Anghami’s Ad Product Manager says “At Anghami, we always try to marry data with creativity to deliver sounds that resonate with the brand’s target audience. Being the pioneer music streaming platform in the region for more than 9 years now, we’ve got the insights, we’ve got the content and we’ve got the tools and we stitch them all to support brands build their sonic strategies which drive results across the business funnel.”
“The beauty of audio is that it delivers the message all while giving your brain enough space to wonder. It unlocks a world of creativity that cannot be seen.”
So, what should brands keep in mind while building their audio strategy?
- Think Identity: If your brand was a person, what would they sound like? How would they talk? What would they say and how would they say it?
- Think Moments: People use music to run faster, get through breakups, revisit their favourite memories etc… Identify which moments are relevant to your brand – using data – and produce sounds that matter.
- Think Audio: It is a unique medium that comes in many different forms. Don’t just adapt your display & video strategy. Think audio first to make your brand stand out, and unlock its full potential.
“At Anghami, content sits at the heart of what we do, and specifically with audio. With the rise of Covid, we’ve brought Anghami Studios to life, which offers brands the access to create musical content; whether it’s audio ads, songs, music videos, podcasts, concerts and more. Audio offers a powerful format of storytelling for brands.” says Josh.
Audio is paving the way for a new advertising era – where creativity is not only seen – but also heard & felt. With a data driven creativity approach brands will be able to deliver new multi-sensory experiences that will take them places.
Anghami Studios launches
Anghami Studios, the new production unit for MENA music-streaming service Anghami, has been launched to convey brand identity through a sound-based concept, where brands will be able to boost awareness, increase reachability and connect genuinely with their users.
Anghami Studios provides smooth accessibility to brands through a streamlined process from production to roll-out and distribution. Its mission serves not only brands but also local talent, increasing their streaming exposure and reachability. Local emerging talent is shaping a community that gives art meaning and brand relevance.
With more than 10 million branded song streams, Anghami Studios has given a handful of clients an opportunity to improve ad recall by 42 per cent and increase favourability by 53 per cent. These clients include Pepsi, TENA, MAF, Galaxy, Rani Float, Shield Me and Muse.
