Audio branding is on the rise according to SoundOut who are the world leader in testing for sonic / sound branding. Over the last few years brands from various sectors have realised the power of consistent audio branding.
Sonic branding refers to sounds, songs or taglines associated with a brand, product or service. It’s like an audible brand logo. It’s a sonic that is consistently used to represent a brand. Think McDonalds (“ba-da-ba-ba-ba, I’m lovin’ it”), Audi (Vorsprung durch Technik), Gillette (“The Best A Man Can Get”).
This consistent audio branding can give an incredible boost to a brand in radio advertising. Research from Radiocentre ‘Turning Art into Science’ found that the most effective creative characteristics revolve around recognisable and familiar audio cues, such as a consistent creative idea, sonic brand identity or voice actor. These features make it easy for listeners to identify the brand, making them more engaging and boosting ROI.
According to The SoundOut Index 2021 some sonic logos perform better than others. Sonic logos that include brand names are twice as effective at reinforcing brand association than those that don’t have their brand name. There is also a positive relationship between the likeability of a sonic logo and how well somebody will remember it. The more people that like your sonic branding, the more likely they are to remember it.
SoundOut has ranked JustEat (“Did somebody say just eat?”) as the UK’s most effective sonic logo. It contains the name of the brand, making it easy for listeners to identify which brand is being advertised. Just Eat has used this jingle over the last few years on both Radio and TV so the customer has been exposed to this sonic and associates the brand with this. If that wasn’t enough the sonic is catchy, upbeat and likeable.
We have seen in recent years how some of the best sonic brands can even be adapted and still retain their strength. Just Eat now features Snoop Dogg and this has proved extremely popular for the brand. McDonalds recruited Justin Timberlake in 2013 to create music around their sonic “ba-da-ba-ba-ba, I’m lovin’ it”. This jingle later went on to be released as a song reaching the top 20 in Ireland. Proof that a sonic can be adapted into something even greater than just a jingle on the airwaves.
Audio branding is becoming increasingly popular and it’s the perfect time for companies to take inspiration from Just Eat and find a sonic that suits their brand.
Source: SoundOut, Radiocentre
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