Why sonic branding strengthens your brand identity
Sonic branding, what exactly is it? And to what extent is it interesting for your brand or campaign? In this blog we will tell you more about why sonic branding is the perfect addition to your marketing strategy.
We'll start with a few examples that are probably familiar to you. When we say Hornbach, you say "Kamma-ya ya-yippie-yippie-yee" and have the corresponding tune in your head. If you want to watch a series on Netflix, the sound logo immediately catches your attention. If you think of smoked sausage, you will hear the recognizable winter harmonica from the Unox commercials. There are plenty more examples of sound logos, jingles and tunes that you immediately associate with a brand. In that case we are talking about sonic branding, the translation of a brand into sound.
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When creating a corporate identity or developing a campaign concept, we often think in visual elaborations: logos, fonts, use of color and perhaps a photography style. But have you ever thought about how your brand might sound? In the world of marketing, sonic branding has become an essential part of your brand identity. Research shows that your brand is better recognized when an expression is displayed in conjunction with recognizable sound, such as music or a sound logo. Developing a unique sound that fits your brand or campaign is a strategy to build a connection with your target audience and create certain associations about your brand. You add emotion to your brand or campaign, putting it in the long-term memory of your target audience. By using sonic branding, you improve your brand's recognition and leave a lasting impression with your target audience.
"While less frequently used, audio assets are on average more effective than some visual assets, which suggests brands can take the opportunity of audio to improve the branded attention of their video creative over time."
Royalty-free music versus sonic branding
Chances are, audio is not immediately top of mind when you think of a new video or campaign for your product or service. People often turn to stock websites with royalty-free music. Chances are, however, that this music has already been used, which means that your brand does not stand out from the competition.
And did you know that for every new production you pay rights to use a stock audio track? That makes sense, of course, but isn't really future-proof for your brand identity when you consider that anyone can use that music. With custom-made music, you don't have to deal with licensing fees, we are more flexible in the production process and you strengthen your brand identity.
How does this work for your brand or campaign?
Audio and the role audio plays in the film, animation or campaign we develop for you is a topic we like to discuss early in the process. Maybe you already have a good idea of what values fit your brand and if not, we'll start talking about your brand identity and will use archetypes to figure out what your brand stands for. These brand values are the basic ingredients for the audio designer to create a distinctive, unique sound that reflects the attributes of your brand well. This is a creative process with a healthy mix of feeling and musical knowledge. We develop an efficient audio track that can be divided into different lengths, so that you have enough tracks to use for not only your video ads, but also for content on your social media channels or maybe even a TV or radio commercial.
Of course, if you want to be recognized, it is also important that you be heard. And you do that by making your message and your identity known on as many platforms as possible. By deploying multichannel marketing you are where your target audience is in order to generate sufficient reach with your brand.
Emla - Plakken, Prikken, Klaar
We recently developed a radio commercial for Emla's numbing patch. The radio commercial is the latest addition to Emla's Plakken, Prikken, Klaar campaign. By using custom made audio, we are flexible in getting the message across correctly. The rhythm of the slogan provided a good start for a recognizable, musical payoff. The melody and voice-over blend well together and the entire track fits seamlessly with the lighthearted, upbeat and accessible branding we developed for Emla.
To recap:
- Sonic branding can be deployed at both the brand level and campaign level;
- It contributes to recognition, strengthens your brand identity and is future-proof;
- Custom made audio offers more creative freedom than stock music;
- You don't have to deal with complicated licensing and can use the tracks for different channels;
- Want to create recognition? Go for a unique sound and deploy multichannel marketing.
We no longer see sonic branding as an optional addition to your brand identity, but as an essential ingredient of your positioning and corporate identity in order to connect with your target audience and distinguish yourself as a brand with an even stronger identity. Wondering what your brand or campaign could sound like? Let us know, because we would love to tell you more about it.