How to Create Sonic Branding that Corresponds to your Brand ?
With the emergence of sound in communication (podcast, digital audio ads, voicebot, video), new marketing challenges arise for companies. Brands must now master the audio dimension of their branding to develop a real sonic branding.
Even though graphic design is widely understood and exploited by companies, audio is an area that is relatively untapped by brands.
In this article, you’ll discover some ideas to help you think about your brand’s musical territory.
🏷️ The Brand’s Personality, a Starting Point of Sonic Branding
What is the Brand’s Personality ?
Brand personality is an essential element in defining a brand platform. The principle is to attribute one or more human traits to the brand to define its way of communicating. Most often we choose a dominant character trait.
The underlying idea is that consumers develop affinities for brands depending on their personalities. Consequently, it is a very important choice in a brand strategy.
In fact, this is a starting point to define : the tone of communication on social networks and ads (ex : humourous or serious), the graphic choices (ex : logo, colors, typography), vocal identity (on voice assistants or radio spots) and sonic branding.
It is therefore a guideline that allows the company to build its brand in a coherent way, in order to develop a unique image and create a link with its customers.
How to Define your Brand’s Personality ?
As you can see, the overall idea is to define personality traits, in the same way that we could attribute character traits to a human being, to personify the brand and make it « endearing ».
Although there is often a dominant personality trait (e.g., humor), it is above all a combination of several characteristics. This notion is closely linked to the brand’s values.
As a result, this concept can seem relatively abstract and difficult to understand in a constructive way. This is why various marketing researchers have sought to theorize brand personality to create an analysis grid.
The most famous and most used is that of AAKER, created in 1997. It defines the brand’s personality in 5 dimensions, which are subdivided into different traits :
- Sincerity
- Enthusiasm
- Expertise
- Sophistication
- Strength
This grid can help you understand the brand personality in a more concrete way and give you something to think about.
Egalement, d’autres méthode existent pour définir ces traits de caractères. Chez Getasound nous utilisons la grille ci-dessous pour cadrer nos briefs artistiques. Also, other methods exist to define these character traits. At Getasound we use grid below to define our creative briefs.
Definition of the brand personality for a creative brief
🎵 Define the Characteristics of your Sonic Branding
Link Between Brand’s Personality and Music
f we told you about the brand’s personality, it is because it constitutes an interesting ax to understand the sound dimension of the enterprise.
In fact, certain traits can be easily related to musical characteristics in the collective imagination.
For example : we have a tendency to associate luxuary and sophistication with Jazz or classicical influences.
Another example : a traditional company will be often associated to acoustic sounds.
This is why, in their book « Audio Branding Personality Communication Framework (2010) », MULLER and KIRCHGEORG, two marketing researchers, summarized experts’ opinions and previous studies to establish correspondences between brand personality and musical characteristics. This study is based on the brand personality model established by AAKER.
Here is the summary of this study :
Click to zoom the image
Thus, this frame of reference can help you define your musical vocabulary. It is in any case the first element of reflection.
For example : a company wishing to display the « sentimental » trait can turn to « soul » musical influences.
Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that musical evocations are based on cultural constructs that can evolve and vary from country to country (e.g. what was associated with youth 10 years ago, may not be today).
Sonic Branding : a Global Reflection on the Brand and its Environment
To create a sonic branding that is consistent with the brand image, it is necessary to take into account that the brand is not only about personality traits but also about values, history, and ambitions. It is also essential to be interested in your target and its musical sensibilities in order to develop an identity in tune with your customers. (e.g.: hard rock for a diaper brand, could be risky…although it is not impossible !)
Par exemple : Mastercard has chosen to adapt its sonic branding depending on the country in order to be closer to the cultural references of its target group throughout the world.
Also, more complex and subtle factors can impact the definition of sonic branding. This can go as far as product-specific characteristics.
For example : Zippo has filed a sound mark on the unique lighting sound of its lighter.
Therefore, it is important to consider this study as a starting point for your thinking rather than a magic formula. The creation of sonic branding is a combination of several characteristics and must be the subject of a deeper study of the brand.
Need to create sonic branding ?
Getasound conveys your brand into music and connects you with the best composers to develop your sonic branding.
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