What's Stuck In your Head?

Have you caught yourself humming or singing a jingle to a company? Is a jingle the first thing that comes to mind when you hear a company mentioned? Well you’re not alone, 60% of consumers say that music used in marketing is more memorable than visuals.

Sonic logos are generally audio cues that accompany the brand’s logo. These cues can be a jingle or even just a simple sound – think Metro-Goldwyn Mayer’s lion roar at the beginning of a movie or Intel’s “bong.”

It’s no surprise that sonic logos are growing in popularity. With an ever-growing marketplace that is already crowded, a well-developed sonic logo is a great way to set you apart from competitors. Especially considering that over 100 million devices with Alexa have been sold (not to mention all the Google Home devices) which cutout the ability to capture the attention using visuals and audio sounds are the next logical step to cut through the clutter. Sound acts as that connector between the physical space and digital space created by your brand. It contributes to your identity and helps develop favorable preference, building of trust, and ultimately increases sales – if done correctly. 

So just how do you develop this unique sonic logo? Check out these ideas:

•       Be Original

Develop something catchy and unique, don’t blend in with the crowd or create a sound similar to another brand’s. Dealing with audio can be tricky, there are copyright/trademark laws to be aware of, if it sounds familiar keep making edits. You will spend more time but potentially save money in the long run. 

•         Take a Brand Inventory

Chances are you’ve thought about how you want to position your brand in the world. When you are thinking of what you want your sonic logo to be, consider what you want people to think of when they think of your brand. Who are you trying to target? What is your brand about? These are important questions to answer to successfully create a sonic logo that resonates and represents. 

•         Look for Auditory Clues

Do you already use audio clips in podcasts, videos, presentations, etc.? Maybe there is an existing commonality in sound to use as a jumping off point. You never know what content already created can serve as new inspiration! 

•          Partner with Professionals

When in doubt, turn to the professionals. Whether they’re a marketing firm that offers sonic/audio branding services or a company that solely focuses on sonic/audio they know what they’re doing.  Whichever direction you turn, make sure that you click as a group and that they ‘get’ you as a brand and understand your vision. Things to share with the professional of your choice are your mission statement, customer persona, short- and long-term goals, and current marketing/branding initiatives. Finally, don’t settle for something that is 100% representative of your brand.

Fun Fact- Did you know the first year we were in business we had a big sound button made with a signature sound as part of our marketing plan? 

At Promotional Partners we are always interested in ways to make your brand stand out from your competitors. We have several partners that offer unique ways to capture audio into your marketing efforts- check out this link.  What other advertising medium offers you so many sensory engagements at once?

Complied by Promotional Partners Team Member- Arien Harris

Source- ASI- Advertising Specialty Institute Counselor Magazine - May 2019 author- Christoper Ruvo