Audio identity in branding and brand communication strategy: a systematic review of the literature on audio branding

Abstract

Brand creation and management has undergone a substantial change in recent years as a result of new communication strategies, adaptation to the digital transmedia paradigm, and interaction with consumers. The use of an audio identity as a variable in this architecture and its inclusion in the different points of contact with consumers has generated a growing interest in audio branding. This article responds to the need to establish a conceptual basis and the state of the art in order to advance in the in-depth study of the discipline through a systematic review of the literature. This review was carried out in the Web of Science databases for the 2011–2020 period. After the initial filtering, a total of 36 articles were analysed and divided into four areas of relevance: phonetics in brand names, audiovisual advertising and branding, local city or country branding, and political branding.