As an account & project manager specialised in sonic branding, I have noticed that lots of conversations and online articles focus heavily on sonic logos – which, if done right, are very powerful assets – but there’s little information on what other exciting possibilities the world of sound has to offer.
Starting with the basics, what is sonic branding?
Simply put, sonic branding is the strategic use of music and sound across touchpoints to enhance a brand’s experience. It has been around for decades but started booming a few years ago with an increasing number of brands investing into sound and music to reinforce their identity and brand equity. As we know, sound is a fantastic way to connect emotionally with people as well as creating recall by enhancing memory processes, and is a resource still underutilised by marketeers, as highlighted in the IPSOS study ‘The Power of You‘ (2020).
One of the most well-known type of audio assets is the sonic logo or ‘jingle’, a 2-3 second mnemonic condensing the identity of a brand into a catchy melody. A gold-standard example is the McDonalds sonic logo. It has built such strong association with the brand that whether it’s whistled or sung (…including by Minions, if anyone remembers), people recognise it instantly. What makes it so successful? It represents the spirit of McDonalds, is catchy, anyone can hum it and has been used consistently for years.
As seen (and heard) above, a sonic logo on its own works great, especially if 1) used consistently and 2) developed following careful analysis to ensure a great brand fit and distinctiveness in the competitive landscape.
The keyword is flexibility
As part of the sonic branding process, many brands decide to craft longer pieces of music representing their identity in sound. What are the benefits? It enables them to build a sound system around it and have more flexibility. Colgate is a good example – based on their sonic logo and long-form track (called here ‘sonic DNA track’), they also own a series of adaptations of the track fitting various moods and content types.
Sonic branding is not just about branded assets, it can also develop into an overarching music strategy. This can inform the composition of bespoke music for a specific campaign, but also help to make the right choice when picking a library track or licensing a commercial song. Maintaining flexibility but making sure everything is on brand!
In some cases, music strategy and sonic branding can even support the choice of artist partnerships – think about JustEat and their acclaimed collaborations with Snoop Dog and Katy Perry.
Sonic as part of the solution
Finally, sonic branding can open up new avenues to solve challenges.
For instance, accessibility needs to be a priority for organisations. Branded and functional audio cues are be a great way to develop a more intuitive product experience, making it usable by more people while cultivating a sound & brand association. Apple does it really well: their Apple Pay transaction sound is not only pleasing to hear, but confirms that the payment went through. The sound of the laptop primes the user for a positive experience and confirms that it’s starting up. Beyond music, the assistant Siri and voice control features make it easier for people to navigate both their phone and the world., even if they are visually impaired. These sounds make the products more accessible and also enable creativity when communicating with the audience – listen below.
Sound has so much potential and we’re only scratching the surface. In future articles, I will write about how it can help brands to connect with Gen Z, communicate with audiences across territories… but that’s for another time. Thanks for reading!
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