What is the sound of your brand? Could A.I. replace marketeers? Is sustainability the new branding trend? How essential has customer experience become?
On May 4th, 2023, the first SKINN TALKS were a unique occasion to explore those interrogations. And to get insightful answers from the four speakers.
The power of sound
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end”. This quote by John Lennon opened Cedric Engels’ keynote at SKINN and could be the perfect summary of what has been a buoyant event full of inspirational exchanges. Sound designer, musician, and Sonhouse co-founder Cedric Engels is one of the leading voices in sonic branding. He took us through a fascinating acoustic journey, demonstrating how sound identity is much more than a jingle and how it can speak to our deepest emotions.
From the instant recognition of the first notes of the James Bond theme to the iconic sounds of Apple computers – designed by Jim Reekes – his advocacy for a holistic conception of sonic branding left the audience speechless. As Mozart once said: “The music is not in the notes but in the silence between them”. Cedric proved him right.
Raising awareness
Jumping back to the 80’s, and to the golden age of the first home computers, sustainability specialist Katelijne Van Loo referred to another great mind, the scientist Carl Sagan who testified before the American congress to alert its representative of the danger of climate change… in 1985!
Underlining the blindness of our forefathers, Katelijne strongly called for a renewed awareness on this topic. As humanity faces a dire ecological crisis, she demonstrated how it can be turned into opportunities and how, according to her, companies have the power to inspire positive change. A celebration of branding as a sustainable drive, and a plead for purpose opposed to shallow greenwashing.
Human nature
The growing popularity of artificial intelligence supported tools – notably ChatGPT – has caused a turmoil in the creative world lately. Will the machines replace us? Marieke Bremer, Brand Consultant at SKINN, shed some light on that question – and reassured us, the answer is no. A.I.’s ability to process huge amounts of data is an extraordinary support for creative minds, she said.
It can help build the elements of a strategy and to define some of its aspects. But it fails to connect on an emotional level and to make associations based on feelings or cultural specificities. In other words, it lacks authenticity. This is why Marieke sees it as a formidable object that yet needs to be directed by a human brain, whose uniqueness and disruptive character are adding up to what she refers to as a ‘je ne sais quoi’. That irreplaceable little spark of pure unbounded creativity called making mistakes.
Building memories
Co-founder and director of November Five, Vincent Pauwels took us back to one of the bases of branding, the customer experience. What makes a memorable experience? And why is it the most precious thing a brand can create for its clients? Again, humanity was at the centre of the answer, as was the idea of making shifts, to go from product benefit to customer benefit, and from customer needs to customer motivations.
Advocating the value of strong memories, Vincent Pauwels even suggested the possibility of making digital solutions more engaging by reducing their effortless aspect (you need more than a swipe to get a result…) and by involving the customer more deeply. Everybody loves a self-quick scan when one does his errands, but a brand might benefit more from the special conversational moment that can only exist when there’s an actual person at the register. Meaningful and human, could that be the future of branding?
The second edition of SKINN TALKS will take place on June 15 in Amsterdam.
This event will feature a great lineup of speakers. Registration for the event will be opening soon, so stay tuned to secure your spot.
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