Audio Branding & Logos

Audio branding, also known as sonic branding or sound branding, is the use of sound to reinforce a brand’s identity. It involves creating a unique and memorable sound that represents a company or product. One of the most recognizable examples of audio branding is that impact sound you hear when playing a film on Netflix…I bet you just heard it, didn’t you?

If your company has a logo, and that logo goes on your marketing efforts, and your marketing efforts are partly video-based, then a little bit of sound-design might just enhance how well your brand is remembered. An audio logo, also known as a sonic logo or sound logo, is a short, distinctive sound or melody that is associated with visual FX. The concept is brilliant because it invites an entirely different sensory trigger into the viewer’s experience, enhancing the chances that your brand will be remembered.

Examples of audio logos include the Playstation sound, the MGM lion’s roar, and the 20th Century Fox orchestral sting. All of which may still bring the brand image to life in the viewer’s mind even without the viewer seeing the picture.

Audio branding helps to create a more solidified and consistent brand identity, making your brand more memorable by engaging with more of your customer’s senses.

Creating an effective audio brand or logo requires careful consideration of your brand’s values, target audience, and brand messaging, and for this reason I always start with a 30 minute video call to align with your vision. Considerations like your organizations’ cultural association, or the life-energy your consumer feels when thinking about your brand are paramount. Netflix’s sound has a sharp striking impact that interrupts the viewer’s attention, and then with the subtle rising synth-sweep gently lifts them into the dopamine rush of enjoyment, entertainment, and relaxation.

Here are some great questions to ponder when considering an audio ambassador for your brand:

• • Who is viewing your advertising? And Who does your company represent? They are not necessarily mutually exclusive. What objects, actions, or expressions of nature are an intrinsic part of their cultural identity? These could musical instruments or tech gadgets, or if your market is made up of mountain climbers potentially sounds of rock slides and clean natural air inspire their feeling of adventure.

• • What universal expression of life does your brand fulfill when a user engages with it? Connection? Peace? Exhilaration? Discovery? Freedom? ..you get the idea. For a more extensive list of these universal human states, search for a “List of human needs, NVC” in your search bar.

&nbsp

• What are the top 3 ways your brand sound is likely to be used? Will it have to interact with changing musical expressions in different social ads online? Or will it always stand on its own like the producer slides at the beginning and end of films?

In Summary

Sound design can offer a whole new layer of connection between a brand and their market by engaging a whole new sensory experience. A well-crafted audio brand can fortify the emotion and life force an image is meant to express, and in doing so, become more memorable to consumers.