Recently, we renovated our kitchen, and part of the fun was buying all new appliances.
We chose Maytag because of the industrial design and the fact that they’re made in America. But one of the most pleasant discoveries we made when we started using our appliances is how they talk to us…well, sing to us…actually, more like R2D2 to us.
If our refrigerator door is ajar, we get a singsongy reminder to close it.
When our food is zapped, the microwave lets us know with a little ditty.
And when our clothes are dry, we hear a merry melody coming from the laundry room.
Sure, there are the usual beeps and boops as you press buttons. But it’s clear that Maytag thought long and hard about how to leverage the power of sound as part of their brand experience. It’s fun. It’s interactive. It’s even endearing.
If you have a product that interfaces with humans, listen. Because sound can help bring your interspecies communications to life. Audio branding can be functional. But at its best, it can be a signature element that differentiates you from the noisy competition. What’s your product sound like when it starts up and shuts down? How can you change up interface sounds to make them your own? How do you bring sound to functions that never had sound before? How can you please the ear in unexpected and unusual ways?
You carefully control your product’s design, color, functionality, and GUI. Now listen to your brand. And make some sound decisions.
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