The Role of Music in Branding: Creating a Sonic Identity

In modern marketing, there seems to be a lot of buzz about the term "sonic branding."

But what exactly does it mean? 

If you think, “Ah, yes, catchy jingles and little sonic logos,” you’re on the right path, but not quite. While these have certainly been staples in advertising for decades, from Intel’s iconic five-note chime to McDonald’s "I’m Lovin’ It" jingle, sonic branding has evolved into something much more sophisticated.

In today’s world, it’s a thoughtful strategy that involves the use of music and sound across all relevant brand touchpoints. You can think of it as your brand’s sonic signature! It can include anything from the auditory clues in your app to the sound design in your advertisements and even the hold music when customers call you. 

The main idea behind it is to develop an emotional connection and brand recognition with your audience. The question is, how can we do this effectively?

In this guide, we’ll look at the ins and outs of how you can develop a strong brand identity that leaves a lasting impression on your audience. 

What Is Sonic Branding?

As we mentioned earlier, sonic branding is essentially an expression of your brand via sound. It's a strategic way of using music and sound to convey your brand's identity and values. 

Think of the little chime you hear when you turn on your Macbook, the friendly tone of Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, or the iconic sound of the Netflix logo dropping on your TV screen.

Now, while these recognizable sounds are important, the scope of sonic branding is much wider. 

Just like other brand elements such as typeface and visual style, sonic branding permeates multiple channels and touchpoints.

For example, an influencer might use sonic branding in their intro and outro music for their YouTube videos, background tracks for TikTok posts, and even personalized notification sounds for their app, if they have one. 

On the other hand, a retail business like a clothing store could leverage sonic branding through in-store music playlists, unique sound effects in their mobile app, and customer service hold music.

The Importance of Sound in Brand Identity

Whether you’re an influencer, a YouTuber, or a business owner, there are plenty of reasons to embrace sonic branding in tandem with your other marketing strategies. Let’s take a look at some of the main benefits of sonic branding.

Improve Brand Recognition and Recall

Sonic branding has the power to link a brand to specific experiences and emotions. 

Think about how the sound of a familiar jingle can instantly evoke a particular feeling or memory. 

Research shows that advertisements featuring music have a 24% higher recall rate compared to those that don't, and they are twice as likely to increase purchase intent. It’s clear that sound can have a significant impact on a consumer's ability to remember and be influenced by a brand or individual.

Conveys Who You Are

The sounds or music you choose to use as part of your sonic branding can offer your audience a quick glimpse into who you are and what your brand represents. There’s quite a bit that we can convey through sound that is difficult to do with a simple visual or a line of copy. 

I could sit here and write about the beauty of a Hawaiian beach or show you a picture, or I could let you listen to the sound of crashing waves and a Hawaiian slack key guitarist in the background to transport you there in a heartbeat.

The point I’m trying to make is that if you want to make consumers feel a certain way about your brand right off the bat, one of the fastest ways to get there is with sound. 

Is your brand fun, upbeat, and maybe a little silly? Consider using music or sounds that are a bit lighter or more comedic. On the other hand, maybe your brand is a bit more serious, teaching the general public about health, law, or finance. In that case, you could use sounds or music that are a bit more motivational in nature, as this can convey a sense of trust. 

Extend Your Reach

Sonic branding transcends linguistic and cultural barriers. A sound can be recognized no matter where in the world you are. Once your sonic identity connects with your audience, they can take it with them wherever it goes. 

Overall, it can make the experience with your brand more immersive.

Examples of Successful Sonic Branding

If you’re thinking of optimizing your brand with sound and music, the best place to start is by looking at other brands that have done so successfully. Even if you already have an established brand identity, there’s no reason you can’t consider a slight refresh.

Of course, you don’t need to spend $15 million like Mastercard did to create their updated jingle, as there are plenty of different options available. Before we dive into those, let’s take a look at some examples of sonic branding in action.

Walt Disney Pictures

We all know the mushy feeling we get when we’re about to watch a Disney movie and much of that has to do with the distinctive jingles they’ve used in their intros over the years. The one above is the most recent, though you can also explore some of the company’s more nostalgic iterations here. 

Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola song is one of the most iconic examples of a full piece of music that has transcended decades in advertising. It’s in some of the brand’s most popular seasonal ads, as it hits us right in the nostalgia bone.

The ad above included the first iteration of this song from the brand’s 1971 ad, which has become so iconic that it’s now in the Library of Congress. 

iPhone

Since the iPhone appeared in 2007, it has had a number of unique default ringtones. The original Marimba ringtone above is arguably one of the company’s most popular. If you’ve purchased an iPhone in the past six years or so, however, you’ve likely noticed the default ringtone was changed to the ‘Reflection’ tone. 

Both of these sounds have become instantly recognizable elements of the cultural zeitgeist.

Where to Integrate Sonic Branding

Let’s take a look at a couple of scenarios where it might make sense to incorporate sonic branding into your content:

• You use visual media platforms to advertise your products or services (Television, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc.)
• You have a branded app that could benefit from original sounds (think notification chimes)
• You host a vlog or podcast
• You work in e-commerce and need hold music for calling customers
• You run a retail environment and need background music to enhance the in-store shopping experience. 

The important thing to remember here is that great sonic branding often comes from original sounds that were explicitly made to optimize the perception of your brand. You don’t want to rely on unlicensed music or generic sound effects that could easily be associated with any other brand. 

Create Your Sonic Brand Identity Today

Deciding on a sonic identity for your brand can be quite difficult. Think about all of the elements that go into creating a visual brand identity, from logos to color palettes and typography. Similar to the way in which a single brand might have multiple iterations of logos, graphics, or copy, you’ll likely want several iterations of your sonic content as well. 

Think of this as an arsenal of sonic elements that you can use across any platform you can think of. 

This is where ProTunes One comes into play. We have a comprehensive library of custom backing tracks for just about any genre, theme, or mood and an intelligent AI search engine to help you find the perfect music for your content. 

Whether you’re creating a YouTube ad or a viral TikTok video, we have some of the most flexible subscription plans on the market. 

Get started with ProTunes One today!