Is audio branding right for your business?

Sonic branding is a creative way to help your company stand out against your competition. Sonic logos and other functional sounds will allow your brand’s audience to connect to your product in a dynamic and impressive way.

Jeanna Isham, sonic brander and founder of Dreamr Productions, explains her approach to audio marketing in a recent Audio Leads interview. She believes that sonic branding is an untapped marketing technique and stresses the importance of going about the process correctly.

Covered in this article

Sonic logo design process

Isham stresses one main concept when it comes to sonic branding: simplicity is key.

Sonic branding can vary from musical composition for logos, to short snippets of sound for buttons. No matter which area of audio marketing fits the needs of your business, a simple design is the best option.

Isham draws inspiration from natural sound elements to create sonic logos that best fit the company. She envisions sound through every sense—imagining how the company’s sound will look, feel, taste, and smell. Isham believes that viewing sound in this way will allow the final product to be as natural as possible.

Apart from simplicity, Isham argues the ultimate goal of audio branding is to be passive. A passive sound will attract the attention of an audience without distracting from the overall message of your company or product. A passive sonic logo is also practical, as it can be easily molded into variations needed for future projects. For this reason, Isham suggests that you work directly with a professional sonic brander because you can go directly to the composer if you need changes to your audio branding in the future.

Sonic branding can make your company stand out 

Creating custom sound is a useful way to market your brand more creatively and effectively. We can easily associate different noises to occurences in our everyday lives–often subconsciously. When sound is connected to a company’s image, it makes it easier for people to make connections to a brand.

For example, Apple ringtones and pushtones are easily associated with their brand. Many technology consumers can conclude that a cell phone is Apple simply by the sound.

Another great example of a simplistic, yet effective sonic logo is Netflix. The logo consists of two, quick tones that lets users know the application opened. Netflix uses their widely known sonic logo to add another way for users to connect to their brand.

Common Mistakes when creating a sonic logo

Isham says one of the most common mistakes of sonic branding is for you to focus on a single project instead of the overall face of your company. She explains that many companies will get stuck on the idea of one campaign, and neglect the company’s overall image. In her interview, Isham prompts the questions, “Does it actually speak the brand? Or is it just telling the story of the commercial?”

Another mistake Isham says to avoid is purchasing an existing single-use license logo. These pre-made sounds are risky, as other companies can use them, and you lose the opportunity to make small changes if needed for future projects. Also, single-use license logos will likely fail to directly represent your brand.

Audio branding should not be created for a single moment. You should create a flexible sonic logo for your business that can withstand the test of time.

Summary

Audio branding is an accessible and creative way to make your business unique. Working with a professional sonic brander takes time and effort, but the process can greatly benefit your company in the end. A simple sonic logo can help grow your business through customer sound association. Functional sounds on a website or application can make a user experience more memorable.

Amplify your business through audio branding.

Make sure to listen to the full episode!