In the Clubhouse: The Power of Digital Audio For Customer Engagement - Part 1

“I mean there’s a foundation that needs to be put into place. You don’t just say I want this, I want that, you know send me this, send me that. And then you have the people that are very sophisticated and they want like crazy experiences within their marketing and their advertising. So it’s kind of like two ends of the spectrum. You’ve got the people that know so much and wanna take advantage of every new technology. And then you’ve got the people that didn’t even want a sound logo and now they’re behind the times a bit. And they want to get caught up and they want to get caught up today. And I think that it’s that balance to show them that it’s a very iterative process.” -- Audrey Arbeeny

As some of you know, I host regular weekly Clubhouse rooms on Wednesdays at 2 PM Eastern Time. We talk about all sorts of things related to sound, including voiceovers, public speaking, podcasting, music, audio branding, voice AI, sound in social media, and especially digital audio. If you’d like to drop by, you can check out the schedule for my House, The Power of Sound, to see what’s coming up. We recently had a fascinating discussion (and everyone here knew that the room was being recorded so I do have permission) called The Power of Digital Audio, where talked about what digital audio means, how it’s reshaping our online lives, and how AI fits into the voiceover industry.

My fellow panelists in this episode are WitLingo founder and CEO Ahmed Bouzid, podcaster and Dreamr Productions founder Jeanna Isham, sound branding professor and Audiobrain founder Audrey Arbeeny, and audio alchemist and sonic strategy director Steve Keller. We start things off by getting to the heart of what we mean by “digital audio” and talk about the marketing push into podcasting and social audio spaces, how digital audio hardware from smart speakers to custom vehicle soundscapes are changing the role of sound in our lives, and how the role of machine learning can be as subtle as speeding up recording sessions or as dramatic as creating whole new voices from scratch.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit www.audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available. And if you’re getting some value from listening, feel free to spread that around and share it with a friend, along with leaving an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

Hearing the Authenticity

As we start the Clubhouse chat, Ahmed introduces himself and tells us how he defines digital audio. “For example, podcasting that you can listen to from your desktop or from your mobile smartphone,” he explains. “I think, that would be an example of digital audio.” We talk about how digital audio can foster a greater sense of connection and listener engagement than traditional audio and mass media. “When you hear that, you can hear their enthusiasm. You can hear their authenticity.”

Talking to the Companies

Jeanna introduces herself next, and we talk about how COVID helped change the way people relate to sound in a way that, for Jeanna, seems oddly familiar. “We actually went back to an original idea,” she says. “going back to having just that radio in our kitchen or in the living room and everybody would gather around and listen to the radio. So it’s kind of like, in my opinion, it’s a full circle thing.” She tells us about her podcast Sound in Marketing, and how it’s focusing now on the business side of audio branding. “I’m speaking to companies that actually are implementing it,” she explains. “I’ve done a lot of peer suggestions, peer conversations, but now I’m actually talking to the companies.”

Blending Sound Science and Art

We then hear from Steve, who explains the nuts and bolts of being a sonic strategy director: “The easiest way I’ve come up with it to describe my job is that I’m blending sound science with sound art to help our clients make sound decisions.” We talk about how digital audio is changing the sonic landscape, particularly when it comes to next-generation vehicles. “You’ll see automobiles becoming spaces,” Steve tells us, “not just for transportation, but spaces for entertainment, spaces to work in, even spaces for health and wellness. And there’s a huge audio component that’s a part of that.”

Leveraging Voice and Sound

Up next is Audrey, and she tells us how she’s helping companies that are behind the audio branding curve as well as the ones trying to stay ahead of it. “I notice one thing is that they are paying more attention and they are doing more in their advertising,” she notes, “like they’re reviewing the voices more and they’re getting a little bit more educated on what the right persona is” Audrey describes the process of tailoring a long-term sonic branding strategy suited for each client’s unique needs. “We have to really see what’s going to be right for them,” she explains. “Where their touch points are, where they’re hitting their consumer, that we can really leverage voice and sound.”

Episode Summary

What is digital audio and how has it changed sonic branding
Ahmed’s work with using social audio to form authentic connections
How Jeanna’s seen audio evolve throughout and after the COVID pandemic
Steve’s work with the metaverse and the future of digital audio
How Audrey’s helping companies develop a viable sonic strategy

Next week the chat continues as we take questions about how voice artists can utilize the latest AI breakthroughs, practical advice for businesses looking to take the first step into audio branding, and how advertisers are having to work harder than ever to connect with their customers.

Connect with the Panelists

WitLingo Website: https://witlingo.com/digitalaudio/

Connect with Ahmed Bouzid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmedbouzid

Follow Ahmed Bouzid on Twitter: https://twitter.com/didou/

Dreamr Productions Website: https://www.dreamrproductions.com/

Follow Jeanna Isham on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamrProductions/

Connect with Jeanna Isham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannaisham/

Follow Jeanna Isham on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jeanna_Isham

Audiobrain Website: https://www.audiobrain.com/

Connect with Audrey Arbeeny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-arbeeny-9b62761

Follow Audrey Arbeeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/audiobrain_ny

SXM Media Website: https://www.sxmmedia.com/