Sonic branding is increasingly being used by major advertisers across a range of categories but ask media agency staffers to explain the concept and you may be greeted by radio silence. A recent survey of agency personnel conducted by the Myers Report found sonic branding to be the least understood of 25 emerging trends. Respondents said they could more easily explain real-time bidding, the metaverse and cryptocurrency to their clients than sonic branding.
Sonic branding is a unique and easily-identified sound or jingle that consumers over time quickly connect to a product. It’s seen as one of the ways to make an ad more effective.
"There is an explosion of audio going on, and many industry professionals need an education about sonic branding – what it is, how it works and how to execute against it,” Stacey Lynn Schulman, Marketplace Intelligence Lead for the Myers Report and Principal at Hi Human Insight told Media Village, a publication affiliated with the Myers Report. More than a marketing concept, sonic branding is rooted in neuroscience, said Schulman, a former Chief Marketing Officer for Katz Media Group.
A recent study by audio researcher Veritonic and Audacy found that sonic branding boosts purchase intent and increases ad recall by double-digit percentages. The analysis of 113 podcast and radio ads showed those that used sonic brands had a greater connection with listeners. The report found podcast ads with sonic branding had a 14% increase in ad recall and that in turn boosted purchase intent by two percent. For broadcast radio, the impact was even greater: radio ads with sonic brands had a 17% increase in ad recall and six percent bump up in purchase intent. The radio ads with sonic brands were also seen as more trustworthy, more likeable, more empowering, and more relevant.
Each year Veritonic ranks the top audio logos for overall effectiveness, as measured by logo recall, correct association to the brand and industry, and creative resonance -- a measure of such elements as uniqueness, trustworthiness, and innovation. Folgers coffee, whose audio ad had a recall score of 94 and beat out all other spots created by consumer-packaged goods companies, came out on top of Veritonic’s 2022 ranking of top audio logos. The 2022 report is based on the responses from more than 2,800 panelists.
Key Ingredients
Based on its ongoing research, Veritonic identifies four key elements that make a successful audio logo. First, the brand name needs to be part of the audio logo. Audiences are 7.5 times more likely to correctly identify a company by its sonic brand when the name was used, according to Media Village. Second, the audio logo needs to include a memorable melody. Those that do are two times more identifiable than those that don’t. In addition, the use of music increases intent to purchase by 5% and lifts brand recall by 4%. Third sonic logos should be part of the brand’s campaign across all media channels, not just audio ads. Finally it takes time, effort, and research to develop an effective sonic branding strategy. “It's critical that brands embrace the creative process of translating their visual brand into sonic elements, remaining open to suggestions, trial and error, and most importantly, data," Simonelli told Media Village. "Depending on how large the brand and how many assets they are looking to create, the process could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months."
While best known as a ubiquitous element in campaigns for Lowe’s, State Farm, Taco Bell and other major advertisers, sonic branding’s benefits need not be confined to just billion-dollar corporations. “You don't have to necessarily leave this for big brands to deploy,” Idil Cakim, Audacy’s Senior VP of Research and Insights, told Inside Radio. “We're talking about how sound effects everyone.” The key to making it an effective tactic is “using it creatively to help make the brand top of mind – even if the audience is my town, or my state, or just a couple of states,” Cakim said.