Paper Title
Sonic Branding of Luxury Fashion Houses and Consumer Perception

Abstract
In this era of growing technological advancements and the constant innovation of new products and services in the market, consumers are being overloaded with several brands, offering similar services and prices. Product differentiation is becoming increasingly difficult with brands using similar mediums and methods of branding. Additionally, branding agencies have exhausted the usage of visual branding elements such as texts, colors, and logos. An emerging field in the sphere of branding is that of sonic branding, which is gradually gaining popularity, but is not gaining it fast enough. Even though a handful of brands are inculcating sonic elements into their strategic plan, there has not been enough research conducted on the topic. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between sonic logos and luxury fashion houses, and consumer perception of the same. The study investigates the influence of 4 different sonic logos on consumer perception in terms of brand recall and association between the brand in question and the audio. The questionnaire was designed in accordance to three focal variables being the beat, instrument, and consumer perception of the luxury brand. The sonic logos were designed by combining the sounds of a saxophone and flute with fast and slow beats. The authors conduct experiments to test the hypotheses of the relationship between the sonic logo and consumer perceptions. The findings demonstrate that sonic logos not only influence brand recall for luxury fashion brands, but also help brands to strengthen one’s own identity in the market. With the help of two way ANOVA testing, it was found that the beat and instrument used in the audio, individually as well as the interaction of the two variables, have a statistically significant bearing in the manner in which consumers perceive luxury fashion brands and its brand recall value. The study consolidates data points related to the pros and cons of using sonic logos and provides readers and researchers with a holistic understanding of it. Further, it examines the methods by which brands across different segments have put audio to use for their benefit, and provides other brand owners with a deeper understanding of how to do the same.The results on the benefits of sonic branding for luxury fashion brands coupled with the type of audio that suits their personality would be a stepping stone for luxury brands looking to gravitate towards using audio for marketing purposes. Lastly, the study will also serve as a reliable source of literature for branding agencies by aiding in the process of composing sonic logos, keeping the beat and instrument used, in mind. Keywords - Sonic Branding, Sonic Logo, Brand Recall, Brand Identify, Music in Marketing