ALL ABOUT SONIC IDENTITY

Develop your audio brand identity with PHMG

We’re market leaders in audio advertising and growing businesses with the use of smart sound advertising strategies. If you’re looking to create a brand identity using audio and to leverage that to make your business more revenue, then get in touch today for a free consultation.

  • Stand out in a world of lookalike brands
  • Create deep, meaningful connections with your audiences
  • Elevate your professional image
  • Grow revenue through additional sales

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PHMG are the sonic branding specialists

PHMG have a wealth of experience in building out an audio branding strategy that delivers distinctive sounds. These sounds will resonate with your audience and encourage revenue generating activities. We’ve delivered audio marketing to some of the largest and most well-known brands in the world — you’ll have heard what we do without even realising it.

What is sonic branding?

Sonic branding is the use of sound to create a unique brand audio identity. Sonic branding can be used in advertising, marketing, and customer service. Sonic branding can create a strong emotional connection with customers and help to differentiate a brand from its competitors, such as between the Apple start up sound, and Brian Eno’s Windows 95 sound.

Sonic branding is most frequently used by big businesses to create a unique brand identity, but it isn’t restricted solely to conglomerates – smaller businesses can use sonic branding too. It can help set the tone for the company and can be used to create a memorable experience for customers. By creating an audio identity, companies can improve their overall listening experience and create a more cohesive brand. Your audio identity can consist of specific notes, pieces of music, specific voices, voice characteristics and more.

This type of branding can be used by any kind of business because it does not matter how big or small your business is. The reason why sonic branding has become so popular is because it is an effective way of creating a strong brand identity.

 

 

What is the purpose of brand audio identity?

One of the primary purposes is to create an instant association between a brand and its products or services. When someone hears a particular audio logo, they immediately think of that company. Think the McDonald’s whistle, or even the roar of the MGM lion before a film begins. This can be extremely beneficial for businesses as it helps to build trust and credibility with consumers.

Another key purpose of sonic identities is to create a unique sonic branding strategy that sets a company apart from its competitors. By having a distinguishable sound and implementing it appropriately, it can help customers remember your brand and make it easier to stand out in a crowded market.

 

 

mcdonalds-sign

ALL ABOUT SONIC IDENTITY

The basics

What is a sound/audio logo?

Sound logos use creative sound effects, music and/or vocals to create an engaging sound that is instantly identifiable by customers as the logo of a specific brand. Audio logos can be used for everything from website design and marketing materials to product packaging, app notifications, company names – even theme songs! By utilising a sonic logo, you can create a unique brand identity that will help you stand out from the competition. In some instances, it can simply be a piece of music that a user identifies as specifically about a product or brand – McDonald’s famous ‘I’m lovin’ it’ jingle, for example, is immediately recognisable and synonymous with the brand.

The use of sound in advertising

Even in video advertising, sound makes up the most important aspect, these days we’re all bombarded with visual content while we scroll through our devices and social media. Sound allows you to cut through to your audience that has become desensitised to standard ads. TikTok, for example, discovered that people are 73% more likely to stop scrolling to watch a clip if it includes audio.

How sonic branding is used

Sonic branding can be used across a range of platforms from just audio to ads with both visual and audio elements. You’ll come across the audio variants on the radio, on streaming platforms, on public address systems in train stations or shopping centres, and on the telephone when calling any brand. Your sonic branding can also be present on any film or TV ads, web or company videos, and on social media platforms, because you’ll want consistent sounds across all your touchpoints to have the best impact on consumers. You’ll want to use the same voice, the same audio logos and sounds to give your audience that brand recognition and immediate trust.

The future of brand audio identity

As more and more of your potential customers are consuming audio content, with the average American listening to 16 hours and 14 minutes of audio media per week in 2021. and the world is moving towards a smart internet where tech is communicated via voice and responds with sound., like the smart speakers now found in many homes across the world. Creating a brand audio identity and leveraging it early while it’s still new tech will allow your business to steal a march on competitors and grow.

Defining the components of brand audio identity

Just like a visual identity would use aspects like colour and shapes to create an emotional response with your customers, audio components of the identity will do the same thing. Instead of visual aids, a brand audio identity is recognised with voice, music, sonic logos, or even things like app notification chimes. You just need to leverage it to encourage customer interaction.

 

The two most important parts of a good sonic branding strategy  

Sound

The way your business is represented via sound will depend on numerous factors. If you’re disruptive and in tech, you’ll want a louder and more upbeat track. If you’re in a more traditional space, then a more soothing noise would be a better representation of your brand.

Consistency

As your audience starts to learn and respond to your brand, ensure you keep as much of it as consistent as possible to instil recall to your branding. Make yourself known.

 

 

The power of music & voice

It’s not just short pieces of audio that can make a sonic brand – long form songs and even voices can form part of the audio identity of a business. In fact, voice and music can sometimes be crucial factors to the effectiveness of your audio branding. Whilst many companies have a successful (and rather short) collection of notes to identify them, others utilise music and voice, as seen below.

 

 

Examples of brand audio identity & sonic branding

Some of the most famous brand audio identities are things like the theme song of a popular TV shows or jingles on the radio/on festive adverts. Truly successful sonic branding sees music and voice become entirely synonymous with a brand or product. Some of the most famous examples include:

  • The spirited, operatic theme of the UEFA Champion’s League
  • The immediately recognisable voice of legendary documentarian David Attenborough
  • The sing-song ‘AutoGlass repair, AutoGlass replace’ jingle, replicated by the company in multiple languages across the globe
  • Disney’s orchestral “When You Wish Upon A Star” theme that appears in most Disneyland adverts, before movies and more
  • Goldfish’s iconic “The snack that smiles back” which combines music and spoken word with backing singers, and despite having evolved is still instantly recognisable

 

 

 

Tips for using sonic branding and building a brand audio identity

Commit to it

Once you’ve decided on your identity commit to it as if you do keep chopping and changing your audience won’t fall in love with your identity over time.

Tailor it to your audience

Choosing a jingle/sound/theme that will resonate with them will make it much more successful. Our experts will work alongside you to use data and industry insights into what your target market will love.

Cross platform suitability

If you’re taking the time to develop an identity make sure you can consistently use it across as many platforms as you exist on.

How to promote using sonic branding

There are many different ways that you can use sonic branding to create a brand experience for your business. Some examples include:

  • Using your sonic branding to advertise your products
  • Using rich media (such as a video or a sound effect when a page is clicked on) to create an enjoyable on-site experience that encourages people to stay on longer, and engage with your content more
  • Using music to sell your services by enabling your customers to recall your brand easily, and foster good feelings within them
  • Using the time people spend queuing or holding on your phone call system to market your business by cross promoting additional products and services, drawing attention to your company history and so on
  • Using music to create a positive atmosphere and set the mood in your business’s physical locations for your customers as well as your employees
  • Using sonic branding to promote your products or services

PHMG can be with your company every step of the way during the creative process to build an effective brand audio identity and set you on the way for sonic branding success.

 

 

ALL ABOUT SONIC IDENTITY

FAQs

Why is audio branding important?

With audio branding, companies can tap into the inherent power of sound to establish affinity with their target audience. Sound helps you to reach your customers on a brand-new level – untouched by images or text.

How do businesses use audio?

Sound can be used to market your brand, drive sales and connect with customers. Sound is a direct avenue to a customer’s emotions and can lead to increased brand recognition.

What is an audio strategy?

An audio strategy is how you choose to weave audio into your content marketing plan.

Where can I use sonic branding?

As more and more of your potential customers are consuming audio content, with the average American listening to 16 hours and 14 minutes of audio media per week in 2021. and the world is moving towards a smart internet where tech is communicated via voice and responds with sound., like the smart speakers now found in many homes across the world. Creating a brand audio identity and leveraging it early while it’s still new tech will allow your business to steal a march on competitors and grow.