Establishing a strong brand identity is marketing 101. After all, the way that customers perceive, recognise and emotionally connect with your offering will be the making (or breaking) of your brand. But while you’ve likely deliberated over your visuals, messaging, tone and values, how much attention have you paid to your sonic branding? If the answer is not a lot, then you’re missing a trick.
Audio is one of the most effective mediums to foster brand recognition – just think of McDonald’s ‘I’m lovin’ it’ jingle, or the two-note leitmotif powering Netflix sonic branding. It acts a shortcut for mood and tone, because – as we music lovers know – music can say so much more than words ever could.
In this blog we run through the benefits of sonic branding and offer up some suggestions to help you elevate your brand.
What Are the Different Types of Sonic Branding?
Sonic branding is about much more than just a jingle – though there’s no denying the power of Justin Timberlake’s work with McDonald’s. Here are some of the different components of sonic branding:
- An audio logo – AKA the aforementioned jingle or/ short sound sequence. Think of McDonald’s ‘I’m lovin’ it’ jingle, Apple’s sonic branding – which is the soft, one-note mnemonic – or Intel’s “bong”.
- Branded music – This is original music commissioned to align with the brand’s identity. One brilliant example of this is Coca-Cola’s sonic branding. After all, what would their Christmas campaign be without the iconic ‘Holidays are coming” theme tune.
- Soundscapes – These are the background sounds you might hear in stores, experiences or apps, and help to create an immersive experience for customers. A good example of these are the dynamic beats you might hear in a running app.
- Voice – If you’re using voiceovers in your branding, the tone, accent and style of the spoken words should be tailored to your message, almost as an extension of your brand guidelines.
What Are the Benefits of Sonic Branding?
Just how effective is sonic branding, you might wonder? Well, one of the big benefits of using sonic branding is that music and sound transcends language. That means you can create the right mood on a global scale, without the worry the tone might be lost in translation.
Like visual branding, sonic branding is another avenue for you to differentiate your brand, creating the mood Sonic branding also offers flexibility: with audio you can tailor your branding to specific platforms, be that social media or TV and radio. Perhaps most importantly, by using sonic branding you can create emotional connections to your brand, and prompt memory activation.
What Is the Psychology of Sonic Branding?
The link between music and memory is long-established. But what is the psychology behind it?
Memory can be divided into implicit and explicit memories, the former being our unconscious, automatic memories and the latter being memories conditional on recall. Psychology Today explain:
“Implicit memory can be formed by passively listening to background music. We may even develop a preference for certain music pieces simply because they have been repeatedly played in the background. This psychological phenomenon is known as the mere exposure effect… Implicit memory is a form of classical conditioning. An event, an emotion, and a song get connected through implicit memory.”
Therefore, simply through exposure to your sonic identity you can build brand recall that endures, deepening customer loyalty. Another argument for sonic branding is the speed at which sounds are processed within the brain. According to research, “certain sounds can trigger specific neural pathways, leading to a flood of associated feelings and recollections. This phenomenon explains why a simple jingle can evoke thoughts of a brand or product, sometimes years after the initial exposure.”
Our Music
The downside of commissioning music is that it can be both complicated and eye-wateringly expensive. At Audio Network, we can help take the creative and financial pain out of sonic branding, offering custom music solutions. With more than 250,000 original tracks, plus stems and cutdowns on selected tracks, we have a huge selection of fully-licensed music available for your sonic branding needs.
Even better, we make it easy to find the right song or sound. Use our advanced search and filter results by style, mood, genre, bpm, key, instrumentation and more. Plus, we now offer AI-assisted search, allowing you to search by keyword, prompt, scene description or link. To find out more about AI-powered search, check out our dedicated blog. You can also check out our playlists for inspiration, which include compilations of new releases and trending music.
Or we can search on your behalf. Simply send us your brief, and our dedicated music team can find the best solution for your sonic identity. We understand just how important consistent and strategic sonic branding is, so be sure to get in touch for all your sync licensing needs.
More More More!
So now you know all about the importance of sonic branding, why not read more of our industry deep-dives, which cover everything from the best McDonald’s and Coca-Cola ads, to selecting the right music for your brand, plus comprehensive guides to music licensing and music for production. Want to find music for Instagram or TikTok? We’ve got blogs on those too.
Download Your Perfect Soundtrack
At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!
