You must change your tune about audio branding
Despite the success of jingles and brand sounds from the likes of Mojo, they went out of fashion in the 2000s, explains Southern Cross Austereo’s Matt Dickson. But brands need to return to the audio logo, and, in the age of smart speakers and non-visual purchases, do so quickly.
Try and picture the Lube Mobile logo.
You will probably struggle to remember which colours and shapes it uses, and how they’re displayed. Now, think of the Lube Mobile jingle. Chances are you know it off by heart, and if asked, could probably (perhaps reluctantly) sing it in the right key. Studies have proven that musical memory is so accurate that 80% of people are able to identify the correct pitch for a song or audio logo.
Because of audio’s unique relationship with the brain, musical melody offers effortless memorisation of words and musical notes. Music can even bring back long-lost memories or ‘islands of remembrance’ in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
“The problem is that people are busy – they only have so many hours in their day and would probably prefer to spend it with family and friends than brands. ”
Let me ponder about that for a moment… would I prefer to be with Johnno having a beer down the pub saving the problems of the Universe, or thinking over whether is worth ruminating about.
Sorry Johnno wins.
Yes. I am barking. Just like that statement.
It seems the CMS treated some phrases in my post as HTML and dumped ’em. To clarify, after “whether” and before “is worth” should be “insert brand name here” and ditto after the second “Johnno” and before “wins”.
Though there’s obviously a business interest in promoting them, I can’t argue with the logic of audio logos – as long as they are done without annoying people. Intel, as shown, is a perfect example.
I can still whistle along to so many brands from my childhood. This is a fantastic article and brands now, more than ever before, need to find an emotional connection to their customers.
Those childhood jingles inspired me to start my business, Brand Music more than a decade ago. My dream job, we’ve written hundreds of jingles, sonic logos and audio branding packages for many well known brands.
With so many media options to spread across, it’s crucial for brands to ensure their message is consistent across them all. Sound is a great way to tie it all together and ensure the brand experience is seamless. Here’s to the next generation of customers whistling along to jingles.