Jim James explains sonic branding: the deliberate use of sound to shape how people remember your brand. Intel's five-second chime, Apple's ringtone, and Mastercard's $15 million sonic identity all prove a tune sticks harder than a logo. Brands can commission custom music, buy library tracks for $50, or build something in GarageBand.
Love that tune. Brings back so many memories as a young lad in the cinema with your friends, and then going to the cinema with your family, and then going to the cinema with your girlfriend, and then of course going To the cinema with your children, the Pearl and Dean theme song. Now the company itself made that sound and it became synonymous with popcorn, soft drinks, and entertainment and escapism. So today on this episode of Speak PR, I'm going to talk about sonic branding because I'm leading a masterclass called Speak PR, and one of the students had made an audiogram and she'd used a piece of music. To go with a theme of her company. And it just got me to thinking about what would have been the best music, how would you choose the music. So I want to do a little bit of research and just have a bit of a think about the sound quality that your company projects and what kind of clues your music gives to your brand. So there are a few scenarios that you might want to think about if you're thinking about sonic branding. And the reason I think it's public relations is because every touchpoint, every experience that a potential customer or member of staff or partner has with your company creates an impression. And you can manage that impression through obviously what they see, what they read, but also what they hear. And what they hear isn't always speaking voices. So let's just look at when you might want to think about sonic branding or sonic communication. Now you want to use this if your brand is appearing in audio or video media. Now this is something I thought about because for this podcast I had to select a theme tune. Actually, I went through quite a few different kind of tracks. I wanted something that was a little bit modern but not too metallic and not too synthesizer. I wanted something that was mature but not old age. And I wanted something that was a little bit intriguing but not too mystical. So if you've got content that you're creating for social media, for video, for TV, for radio, streaming audio, streaming video, if you were creating audiograms, sound is something you have to think about. A theme tune, if you like, for your own company. Now what about if you have a device that is Complemented by a sound, something that reminds you that you're about to use it, and that could become a reminder and let other people around you hear that tune. Let's just listen to this one and see if you can get which one it is. Now that of course was the Intel Inside. I use a Mac, but I still recognize that from when I had my old Toshiba laptop. So the Intel Inside just that. Short 5-second noise reminds you of all the computers, the laptops. And of course, Windows operating system, when it opened up, had the same thing whilst you watched the flags waving and trying to start. So if you have a device that is used by customers, or could be, for example, when they're entering a store, for example, when they're coming into the store Do you have a noise? Does just the door open and shut? Sometimes it's a bell, but it could be a welcome. It could be an audible. The other time is when people are on hold. Back in 1995, when I went to Singapore, there was a company called Service On Hold, and when you rang the phone number, it would give you a recording to tell you all about that company. So it's not new technology. This has been around for a long time, but how many people are currently using that for their own call centers or customer care centers? That's another way to increase the recognition and the recollection of your brand. Now, is this a worthwhile thing to do? Mastercard believes so, because in 2019 they spent $15 million on a new sonic brand. The Windows I've talked about, but also on the iPhone. The iPhone originally had the default ringtone of the marimba ringtone, if you remember that one. But in 2017, they rebranded the default sound to Reflection. So how many of us have woken up to the ringtone of a mobile phone knowing that it's an Apple For example, not because we've seen it, but because we've heard it. So there's an opportunity then to think about your company's value and how it can be seen in branding, but also how it can be heard in your website, call on hold when people are entering your into your premises, your staff coming into work, for example. Now. There's a, there's an example. There's a company actually in Manchester that actually creates audio. It's called PHMG, and they talk about the physiological and psychological connection between sound and emotion. That when we hear things, we have a connection to those sounds. It makes sense. You hear a dog bark, you have one impression. You hear a baby cry, Another, you hear a certain kind of song, it'll remind you of a particular time in your life and so on. So there's a connection between what we hear and what we think about at an emotional level, and we can use that with sonic branding. This Manchester company, PHMG, is a specialist in, in sonic branding, and they talk about 2 of their clients on their website, one of which is a company called American Flyers. And the way that it articulates the brand is that they had a quiet confidence in their ability to educate and to inspire, and they wanted to express this in a light nostalgic track that carries a strong feeling of pride in aviation history. They say the core melody is carried by smooth horns to create uplifting, encouraging sound, while in the background the warm orchestral strings and subtle drum flourishes suggest honest approachability. Altogether, this adds up to a decidedly cinematic track that evokes the feelings of the premier service American Flyers is known for. So let's just listen to this American Flyers sonic branding. Okay, so I think we get the idea. Uplifting and soaring it is indeed. So that's the kind of sounds that we can create if we're really interested in thinking about articulating our brand. So thinking about the brand qualities that we've got and then working with companies like this phmg.com company to articulate that. If you don't have that kind of budget, I've just gone to one of the sound libraries and listened, and for $50 you can buy an existing track. Of course, if you really want to go for it, you can use something like GarageBand and create your own. And here's someone that needs no more introductions, but on the way out, just like to think about sonic branding and think about how you could communicate your brand, especially if you've got a podcast or you're doing audiograms. What can you do to make sound part of your communication strategy? And here's someone who probably doesn't need much introduction. But until we meet again, I wish you the best of health, profitable business, and that if you're thinking about music, thinking about audio, make it relevant. Make it part of your public relations campaign.
2 people, infinite agents, 1 billion dollar idea #AIAgents #Startup #Productivity
