Sonic branding internships

The Music, Mind and Brain research group in the Department of Psychology has partnered with Amp Sound Branding to launch a paid graduate internship scheme, providing recent alumni with the opportunity to learn practical skills and receive insight into how the organisation helps transform clients’ brands through sound marketing. The partnership will also open up job opportunities in the worlds of tech, music and marketing, and generate new music psychology research for industry.

Based in Munich, Amp is one of the world’s leading agencies for sonic branding – a rapidly growing branch of marketing that uses sounds and music to build a brand’s identity. The award-winning organisation has worked with some of the biggest companies globally, including Mastercard, Mercedes-Benz, The Kraft Heinz Company and Unilever.

The six-month internship will be open to alumni from MSc Music, Mind and Brain. Amp will also be collaborating with academics and current students on the Masters to initiate joint research projects, with potential for research findings to result in real-world impact that shapes Amp’s work with clients while providing an impressive addition to students’ CVs.

Goldsmiths alumnus Bjorn Thorleifsson (MSc Consumer Behaviour, 2016) is Amp’s Head of Strategy and Research. He said: “The creation of music and emotional connection have always been intertwined, so to have access to the next generation of people examining this field with fresh ideas and opinions is critical for business growth at Amp.”

The company has already welcomed two Goldsmiths graduates as interns in the Strategy and Research department – Ellen Murphy and Ceren Ayyildiz. Bjorn will be working closely with new interns to collaborate on projects and make sure they are getting the most out of the hands-on internships.

Professor Daniel Müllensiefen, Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths and Co-Director of the MSc, worked alongside Amp to initiate the agreement. He said: “It’s essential that students and graduates gain real-life experience in the area that they are specialising in and learning about. Music and psychology are gaining traction within marketing and branding strategies, so this is a great opportunity for graduates of Goldsmiths to receive insight from a sonic branding agency like Amp.”