In marketing, few tools are as powerful yet subtly nuanced as holiday sound. Seasonal audio has become a sophisticated strategic weapon in brand arsenals, transforming how consumers experience and connect with advertising during the most wonderful time of the year. In fact, recent insights from Audacy, show that holiday-themed audio in ads can increase purchase intent and brand recall by 26%.
Why are the holidays such a special time to use audio to make an impact for brands?
The Emotional Alchemy of Holiday Sound
Holiday audio is more than just jingling bells and festive tunes. It’s a complex psychological mechanism that taps into our deepest emotional reservoirs. A well-crafted ad creates an entire sensory experience that transports listeners to memories of warmth, connection, and celebration.
Neurological and psychology research reveals why holiday audio is so potent. Our brains are uniquely wired to process musical stimuli differently from other sensory inputs.
There are a few psychological triggers at play here:
- Nostalgia Activation: Familiar sounds instantly transport listeners to cherished memories. By evoking nostalgia through music and audio, ads can contribute to a sense of well-being and happiness, associating those positive feelings with the brand.
- Emotional Priming: Holiday music creates a positive psychological state and taps into positive emotions, creating a strong bond between brand and listener.
- Cultural and Social Connection: Audio becomes a bridge between brand and consumer experience. Holiday music often evokes memories of social gatherings, loved ones, traditions, and belonging, which can align with messages of togetherness and sharing during the season.
Each of these plays a role in the ultimate goal: increased engagement, where positive emotions increase receptiveness to the message and make ads more memorable, more likely to spur action.
The most successful campaigns understand that holiday audio is about more than selling products—it’s about celebrating shared human experiences and connecting with consumers on a deeper level.
Seasonal Storytelling via Sound
Effective seasonal audio includes common components like warm, empathetic vocal tones and subtle sound effects that suggest comfort and celebration, in addition to familiar holiday musical motifs. But how do you translate this into a winning strategy for your brand?
- Contextualize for Your Brand: You know you need more than a “Jingle Bells” track to make an ad “holiday.” Consider your brand identity as you decide what audio may work best: a luxury car or jewelry brand may use a classic orchestral version of a holiday piece, while a toy brand may want to opt for a whimsical, upbeat jingle. It’s your brand voice, for the season.
- Know Your Audience: Use music that resonates with your target demographic. Gen Z might respond better to contemporary holiday pop remixes, while Baby Boomers might connect with classic tunes that were popular while they were younger. A niche interest group may really jive with specific styles or current artists. Know what cultural touchpoints during the holiday season matter and tailor accordingly.
- Craft a Sonic Logo: You might even develop a short, distinctive sound that becomes associated with your brand’s holiday campaign. Think of the Intel chime or the Netflex opening sound, but with a festive twist!
- Tell a Story: This is the most important part. Weave your brand message into a compelling holiday narrative. Use sound effects to paint a picture (a crackling fireplace, children laughing), choose tracks to evoke those psychological triggers around emotion, connection and tradition, and use a voiceover to tell a heartwarming story that connects to your product, brand or service.
The Power of Addressable Holiday Audio
Even if you build amazing creative for your holiday campaign, you need to get it in front of the right people. The evolution of digital audio has transformed holiday advertising from a broad-stroke approach to a precision instrument of cultural and demographic targeting.
Programmatic, addressable audio offers the unprecedented ability to connect with specific audiences through sound, at scale. Sophisticated targeting and even Curation can ensure you find and reach the right people with your holiday campaigns. At Consumable, we’ve established a lineup of data partnerships that we leverage for layers of intel to make this work particularly well.
For seasonal ads, think about targeting or Curation based on:
- Cultural groups, celebration types, and cultural moments relevant during the holidays
- Demographics like age, sex, family status and composition, life stages, income levels, etc.
- Shopping behaviors – related to products
- Location-based targeting that can be broad or highly-specific (rural vs urban, specific DMAs, geo-fencing and proximity targeting)
- Online activity and web behavior, cross-platform activity
- Listening preferences, genres, and formats, even cross-platform audio
- Industry, role, or vertical for B2B
This approach ensures that your holiday audio ads are heard by those most likely to be receptive to your message, maximizing your campaign’s impact and ROI.
The Future of Holiday Sound
As technology and digital audio continue to evolve, we are excited about the prospect of even more advanced and future-forward approaches to holiday audio advertising. The opportunity lies in using precise technology tools to create increasingly authentic, emotionally resonant experiences, and working with the right audio partners to make sure those experiences reach the right people, with the right scale.
Key Takeaways for Brands
- Prioritize emotional authenticity
- Understand your specific audience
- Design high quality sound experiences
- Tell stories, don’t just sell products
- Use targeting and insights to reach the right people
Holiday audio in advertising is a delicate art form—part psychology, part musical craft, part technology and innovation. When executed well, it transforms a simple advertisement into memorable moments of connection.
In a world increasingly dominated by visual noise, sound remains our most direct path to emotion. And during the holidays, that path leads straight to the heart of consumer engagement.
