Music activates many of the same reward and pleasure centers in the brain as love does. Neuroscientific research shows that music people enjoy triggers dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens—the brain’s “reward center” involved in pleasures associated with love, food, sex, and drugs. Given music’s power, a logical question is why aren’t more brands using it to surgically cut through noise as trusted curators: Enablers of musical discovery, excavating and amplifying sonic DNA?
The short answer, commitment. Many brands chase quick wins. Music-driven cultural strategies can take months to years to authentically embed. Risk is another significant reason brands are hesitant to fully embrace music as a cultural connector. Authenticity poses the first challenge. Music is deeply personal and tied to identity, so a misaligned partnerships or contrived playlist can feel fake, and erode trust. Cultural nuance presents another hurdle. Brands excavating sonic DNA must engage with real communities rather than impose an external narrative. This again, requires patience and can be resource-intensive. But the challenge is not as limiting or daunting as it seems. Brands can develop core musical elements that adapt contextually while maintaining brand coherence, much like how recognizable melodies translate across cultures while keeping their essence intact. The lack of control is far more unsettling for internal stakeholders. Unlike logos or slogans, music, especially when tied to local scenes, has emergent, unpredictable qualities that resist traditional management approaches. What resonates in one city or culture might not scale, making it hard for multinational brands that relish create once and share everywhere.
Despite these challenges, investing authentically in music presents benefits that outlast quick wins. Shared sonic experiences can anchor identity by aligning chords and community, amplifying place-based pride. As trusted curators, brands can foster discovery, introducing audiences to new sounds, artists, genres or experiences. Still risks overshadow the rewards, and nowhere is this more evident than with service firms.
Service firms have all but abstained from melodic brand signatures owing to these perceived risks. The fear of undermining professionalism, and their obsession with rational credibility and tradition is on constant rotation. They squabble about legacy and seriousness, presenting as neutral and interchangeable commodities: blaring gray nothingness. In the process, the jumping opportunity of service as a lifestyle signal with emotional and cultural cache is missed.
Imagine a law firm that communicates aspiration and confidence through a carefully crafted, genre-defining soundtrack, instead of echoing staid authority. Elevating a lawyer on retainer to a wise and prudent "flex” as much as it is pragmatic practice. Music can instantly elevate the perceived distinctiveness and depth of a service firm, making the experience feel curated rather than transactional. This isn’t about background tunes in the lobby, but about embracing a sonic identity that captures the personality and values of both the firm and its clientele. Brands like TIAA surprised audiences by collaborating with hip-hop artists to communicate financial accessibility and literacy, reaching new, younger clients who responded positively when a seemingly dull service felt vibrant and culturally relevant. More recently Cash App have mirrored a somewhat similar effort to reach younger and underserved audiences.
To unlock this potential, service brands must first understand their audience. Conduct deep audience research to identify not just demographic profiles, but core psychographics: What music, moods, and cultural signals resonate with actual and aspirational clients? Are they cosmopolitan, nostalgic, adventurous, or quietly resilient? Each persona aligns with a different musical palette. Service firms should then collaborate with musicians, curators, or even clients to develop playlists, branded anthems, or music-led events that reflect their unique culture. These sonic signatures, shared via waiting room playlists, social media drops, co-branded events, or music partnerships, turn service into something to “show off,” not just use.
Crucially, the goal isn’t more noise. The goal is deeper meaning. Steering away from deaf loudness toward resonance with those who identify with the firm’s distinctive sounds and ethos. It’s about using music to form a lifestyle around service, creating a community that finds pride in affiliation, and ensuring the firm is recognizable through culture, not just credentials. To be recognizable through culture rather than just credentials, means constructing a sonic identity that’s executed consistently across all “ear points,” from phone hold music and office soundscapes to social content and branded playlists. Think of this as developing an aural “signature” that is unique, aspirational, and attractive to both existing and new clients. But an aural signature requires more than marketing execution. It demands cultural change within the organization itself. There must be buy in at the all levels for the sonic identity to be understand and embodied else it becomes a veneer rather than a cultural value: A lived experience everyone from receptionist to partner can speak to.
But the music doesn’t end with curation. Foster genuine community through musical events where the music is the connective tissue, not a performative afterthought. Make room for active audience participation, such as letting clients influence playlists or revealing the story behind sonic choices on platforms and channels. Measure engagement and sentiment to refine the musical footprint and adapt authentically as tastes evolve. Pause. Take a moment and imagine the story value from concept through composition and consumption.