Sonic branding, how brands can be heard
24.03.21Dave Connolly
Most brands still lead with their eyes when their audience is listening with their ears.
Marketing channels have multiplied, and so has the noise. A strong, distinctive brand is what cuts through it, and for decades that meant investing in how a brand looks. Sound got whatever budget was left over, if it got any at all.
That's changing. Sonic branding isn't new, but it has grown up. The old radio jingle has given way to a full sound system built to work across every touchpoint a customer hits, from an app notification to a call centre hold line. Done properly, that system carries a brand's values and personality as clearly as any logo.
Beyond reinforcing recall and enhancing brand experience, an effective sonic identity can edge its way into culture, becoming not only memorable, but iconic.
As someone who has devoted their life, both professionally and personally, to music, I clearly have a bias, but I don’t believe I’d be wrong to say that nothing stirs the emotions or strikes a chord quite like the sound of music.
Its universal power transcends demographics, and brands that embrace it can create a connection with their audience that is meaningful and lasting.
Sonic branding still doesn't get the same attention as visual branding, but that's changing. Mastercard and McDonald's have shown what a well-built sonic strategy can do, and more marketers are now being asked to work out what their brand sounds like. If you don't have a background in music, that can feel daunting. It shouldn't. Everyone has an instinctive understanding of how music works, what it can make you feel, and what good sounds like. Pair that instinct with the right creative team and you're ready to start.
How do you build a sonic identity that doesn't sound like everyone else's?
A formulaic approach leads to a formulaic sound
Plenty of studios claim they've got a sure-fire process for building a sonic identity. Music doesn't work that way. Writing music, like any art form, has to come from somewhere authentic. It needs a specific story to tell and a personal way of telling it. That's the only way it resonates with people emotionally.
Manufactured songs feel manufactured, and people can tell
Follow the same process as everyone else and you get the same results, which defeats the point of building a distinct sonic footprint in the first place. The marketing landscape is noisy. If you want to be heard, recognised and remembered, you need to sound different. Turn on the radio and most songs already sound alike. That's the trap to avoid.
Every brand is different, so it needs a different sonic solution: one that says something relevant and meaningful to its own audience. There's no formula that guarantees a hit, but staying true to the brand and giving the work real attention gets you a sonic identity that reflects its values and does its job across every touchpoint.
Great sonic branding begins with listening
While there's no single correct way to craft a sonic identity, every approach we take begins with the same step: listening.
Before we even think about writing music, we work to properly understand the brand. Not just who they are on paper, but what they stand for and what they believe. To join them on their journey, we need to know where they've been and where they want to go. And to help them connect with their audience, we need to get to the heart of the brand's purpose in people's lives.
Whilst we were excited to compose a new anthem and sonic identity for the Premier League, we were also well aware of the responsibility of this undertaking.
Beyond being England’s most prestigious football competition, the Premier League is a global phenomenon that holds a significant place in the hearts of over 4.7 billion fans. Our task was to write a track that would become part of the fabric of this relationship, inspiring pride and awakening passion on matchday and beyond.
We began by listening.
Each team already has its own "walk-on" anthem that carries a deep connection to the history of its club, so we recognised the need to honour and complement this tradition with a fitting anthem that captured the Premier League's own history.
We also listened to the anthems of all the international leagues to see what already existed. We listened to all the great British artists, from classical to rock, to create something that tapped into the national consciousness and felt instinctively British. All the while, we kept in mind the most important element: how the anthem would sound inside a stadium.
By listening, we discovered that what connected all fans, no matter what team they support, was the emotional journey of matchday.
It's all about the anticipation, the excitement and the thrill of kick-off. We took that as our inspiration and created a piece of music that deepens the emotional connection between fans and the Premier League.
Collaboration is key
The best sonic identities are born out of true collaboration.
Composers and producers may bring the music expertise and skill to the table, but no one knows your brand as well as you do. This knowledge is invaluable in developing a sonic identity that is authentic and effective, and whilst you may not be a professional musician, you bring the instinct to know what is right for your brand.
So find a partner that involves you in the process, helping you to understand the principles of how music is made so you can develop a sound that will strengthen your brand’s place in consumers’ minds and hearts.
Originally published in Creative Moment.
