This text is taken from the prelude of the Audio Branding Academy Yearbook 2009/2010 which just came out yesterday (31/5/10):
“The Audio Branding Academy was founded by Cornelius Ringe, Kai Bronner and Rainer Hirt in Hamburg in February 2009. It is the first independent institution for acoustic brand communication. The Audio Branding Academy is a unique competence center for intersection points of brands, sound and environment and combines a forum, think tank, expert network and education. It hosts the annual Audio Branding Congress and regularly organizes workshops on various audio branding related topics. One of the main aims of the Audio Branding Academy and its Congress is to establish audio branding as a self-evident discipline in practice and to promote an intentional and responsible use of acoustic stimuli within brand communication.
The first Audio Branding Congress 2009 took place on November 14th in the conference rooms of the “Dialogue in the Dark” located in the famous old warehouse district (Speicherstadt) of Hamburg, Germany. Dialogue in the Dark is an exhibition where visitors, which are accompanied by blind members of staff, can enter a world of total darkness. Scents, temperatures, winds and sounds create non-visual experiences, which are discovered by passing through various scenarios such as a park, a city centre or a bar.
For the first time, audio branding experts from all over the world met to discuss latest trends and exchange information about this new emerging discipline of audio branding. Attendees came from countries
like Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Finland, UK, USA and even Brazil. Internationally acclaimed experts from practice and science like the British musicologist Prof. Dr. Adrian North (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh), the composer of the Intel audio logo, Walter Werzowa from Hollywood or expert for neuromarketing Dr. Hans-Georg Häusel presented new insights, innovative approaches, proven methods of audio branding and best practice cases.
This yearbook contains articles about the Audio Branding Congress 2009 and its given presentations. Moreover, participants of the panel discussion describe their experiences in the audio branding industry and highlight certain aspects that are of particular importance. Additionally, the Audio Branding Academy Yearbook includes an international directory of audio branding suppliers.”
I personally haven’t read the book yet (it just came out yesterday). However, I was a the conference last year and I am sure it’s worth reading. Anyone who is interested in more information about the book can get it here (free download from the first part of the book).
Karlheinz
More information about the Audio Branding Academy (by the way, thanks to Kai Bronner, Rainer Hirt and Cornelius Ringe for all the great work behind the scene!!) :
Sound Branding Blog 