11-11-2025
It’s 7 a.m. and the runner at the crosswalk is dialed into her podcast when a pickup accelerates, drowning the sound of her podcast for a bit. Inside the truck, the driver thrills to the feeling that comes with the engine’s roar. Inside the grand Victorians lining the street, a whisper quiet vacuum docks, a woman clicks close her tube of lipstick, and a dishwasher cycles so quietly that a man forgets it’s running and opens it to load his breakfast bowl.
Across today’s markets, brands invest heavily in the sensory design of products to shape consumer experience. Yet a subtle yet powerful cue — sound — has been largely overlooked as a status signal until now. In a recent multi-method study, the Daniels School’s Wooyong Jo, Michael Lowe (Georgia Tech), Morgan K. Ward (Emory University), and Kathleen D. Vohs (University of Minnesota) reveal that product sound design is not just a matter of aesthetics or engineering — it's an actionable lever for brand positioning, luxury perception and effective audience targeting.
Every product emits sounds, whether intentionally designed or as byproducts of operation. The research shows that consumers interpret product sound volume as a signal of social status, aligning with either dominance (overt, loud signals) or prestige (subtle, quiet cues). This provides a direct pathway for marketers to craft sensory cues that reinforce brand messages and signal luxury or power.
“Our findings suggest that people’s underlying status orientation shapes their preference for product volume,” says Jo, an assistant professor of marketing at the Daniels School. “Consumers drawn to dominance-oriented products may want to signal they are the kind of people who emphasize power and boldness. Whereas the people who are drawn to more quiet products may be signaling that they are the people who put more emphasis on refinement and sophistication aligned with prestige.”
“Every single product has its own target market. Each market is a subset of the entire population,” says Jo. “Managers need to better understand the target group where their product is the most appealing.” It’s not a uniform relationship; rather, it’s nuanced.
Since product sound serves as an auditory brand badge, the findings indicate that companies should leverage identity cues. Use sound intentionally in campaign messaging — loud for brands playing up strength and excitement, whisper quiet for brands evoking refinement and discernment.
Note the behavior signaling that draws consumers to a product. Beyond product features, messaging that acknowledges the consumer's own status motives (power, sophistication, expertise) can deepen audience engagement and validate purchase decisions. Emphasizing how a product’s sound positions the owner within their peer group — whether as a leader, expert or connoisseur — adds psychological value.
The research has actionable implications for any industry where product sound is controllable:
No sound will please every ear, so stop aiming for bland uniformity. Instead, use sound as a competitive differentiator: engineer products to match the status aspirations of your target segment, and back up quiet with visible cues of prestige. The future of status signaling in marketing is multi-sensory — and the next luxury cue might just be how little your product says.
