Brand Essence and Sonic Marketing: Lessons from Becky Wixon and Bryan Biniak on Marketing / And 

Season six of Marketing / And is in full swing, and AMA CEO and host Bennie F. Johnson continues to ask a question that cuts to the core of the profession:

“What advice would you give to marketers?”

In this episode, Bennie sits down with Becky Wixon and Bryan Biniak of Balance the Mix, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing inclusive, fair music solutions that drive both business and social impact. Their conversation explores brand essence, sonic identity, and the need to think “audio-first.” But the deeper message is this: inclusion isn’t a post-production fix. It must be built in from the start—beginning with the creative brief.

What Does Your Brand Sound Like?

Becky, a musician and marketer who studied sonic branding, defines it as the translation of brand essence into sound. If your brand has a visual identity, typography, a logo, and a tone of voice, she asks: what would it sound like?

That question is more urgent than many realize. Today, 86% of global advertising includes music, yet only 3% of that music is produced by women. This gap persists even as women make up more than half the global population and now hold a significant share of Fortune 500 CMO and agency leadership roles.

Music is not filler. It shapes memory, emotion, and brand recall. If sound carries your brand essence, then who creates that sound matters.

Who Makes the Work Shapes the Work

For Becky, intentionality begins with a simple truth:

“Who makes the work shapes the work.”

That principle applies across every dimension of marketing—who directs, produces, writes, and composes. If brands want to connect authentically with audiences, those audiences should be reflected behind the scenes.

She points to Unilever as an example of operationalizing inclusion. The company contractually requires diversity both in front of and behind the camera. Balance the Mix, in turn, delivers at least 35% diverse composers across gender, disability, race, sexuality, and other identity markers. That level of specificity moves inclusion from aspiration to accountability.

The Creative Brief as Blueprint

Bryan builds on this by reframing the creative brief itself:

“Your creative brief is a blueprint… not just for your music, but all of your creative talent.”

Too often, inclusion becomes a late-stage casting decision. Bryan argues it should be embedded at the brief stage. When marketers intentionally specify who they want creating the work—on both sides of the camera and in the studio—they create the conditions for more 

resonant, effective campaigns.

Intentional casting behind the scenes drives stronger outcomes on screen, and in sound.

The ROI of Inclusion

Bryan also makes the business case clear. Data on the “return on inclusion” shows that diverse creative teams drive stronger brand performance, higher engagement, and increased revenue. Inclusion is not simply a moral imperative; it is a growth strategy.

And marketers hold significant influence in this ecosystem.

As Becky notes, brands can serve as launchpads—sometimes lifelines—for underrepresented artists overlooked by traditional industry structures. Artists bring not just sound, but community, culture, and built-in audiences. As Bryan adds, “Music is more than what you hear, and musicians are more than what they create—they’re marketers, performers, and creatives who contribute far more than a sound file.”

The takeaway from Balance the Mix is clear: if brand essence lives in every touchpoint, it must live in sound. And if inclusion matters, it cannot be retrofitted. It must be written into the blueprint.

Listen to the full conversation with Becky Wixon and Bryan Biniak on Marketing / And.

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Marketing / And explores life through a marketing lens, diving into the moments where creativity, purpose, and culture intersect. Each episode introduces you to visionaries whose stories you might not know yet—but absolutely should. Because at its best, marketing isn’t just about selling something. It’s about shaping stories, shifting perspectives, and inspiring what comes next.