Much of our time as a sonic branding company is taken up with telling businesses they need to be heard. Most business owners and marketers visualize brands using logos, colours, and marketing materials. Remembering that a company is more than just its appearance is important. The goal of sonic branding is to ensure that your organization is heard as well as seen.
As soon as we hear or think of famous examples, our ears and minds immediately jump to them. These are so famous that they don't even need to see their logo. You've already heard them. Marketers dream of songs, melodies, and sound moments that nudge us to remember and feel something.
Despite the challenges in distilling your brand into a few notes, it ultimately pays off. As with any other aspect of your brand, your sonic logo can be instantly recognizable. Furthermore, it allows you to reach customers who are barely paying attention.
The sonic brief: getting it right
In most cases, writing a sonic branding brief is new territory for marketers, and if you're unfamiliar with the language of sound, it can be daunting.
The sheer abundance of channels where your brand can be heard further complicates a "one-sound-fits-all" approach.
Learning from our voices
Think about yourself and take off your brand hat for a moment. Our spoken voices can teach us a lot about sonic branding.
Every time you use your voice, you're subconsciously and consciously shaping the image you want to project to the world and how you want to be perceived. As with any brand developing a sonic identity, this is a similar process.
It has a lot of power. Consider calling someone you've never met before. You can form a mental image of the person within seconds, including their appearance and whether or not you like them.
It only takes seconds for a sonic brand to influence an audience's sentiments and purchase behaviour. 20% of young adults are more likely to choose and buy a brand or product with a sonic identity, according to a recent study.
Communicating value and purpose
A sonic brand can communicate your values and purpose more emotionally because it resonates with your customers emotionally. Your clients can better understand complex ideas when music is emotive. As a company, your sonic logo or audio identity can express what you stand for and give your audience a better sense of what you stand for.
The power of sound
Many scenarios and illustrations illustrate how sound has many facets. For example, a message's effectiveness and audience reaction are influenced by tone and timbre.
In a work conference call, would you speak to an elderly relative the same way you would to a colleague?
If you are abroad and can't understand the language, can you still understand the feeling of a conversation by its tone?
We can learn a lot from these voice analogies - as human beings. For example, we require a variety of sounds to communicate the right message to the right people.
Every brand everywhere wants a sonic brand right now.
You shouldn't assume that one solution will work for everyone
Your favourite gym workout tune would probably be less effective on a candlelit dinner for two. It wouldn't be easy to get pumped for a big day at work if you fell asleep listening to the narrator of a podcast. Consider how multifaceted and diverse your sonic brand should be.
Don't let your taste get in the way.
Sound is subjective. We all have an opinion about it. So be sure to keep the brand's best interests in mind. Companies that conduct sonic testing can help brands understand what sounds resonate with consumers.
Whatever your sonic branding strategy, it's important not to lose sight of your vision. Whether you create a jingle or just want a basic sound like 'Intel Inside,' it's important not to lose focus. It takes time for an iconic sound to resonate with an audience, and creating an iconic sound takes time.
