Welcome to the Sound In Marketing Podcast. I'm your host, Jeanna Isham, owner and founder of Dreamr Productions and Sound in Marketing Learning. I create, consult and educate individuals and brands on the power of sound in marketing. If the content in these episodes inspire actionable ideas for your company, don't hesitate to give me a call. This is what I do. This is what I know. I make sound on purpose. Now on to the show.
There's a special place in my heart for this episode as we'll be talking about sonic branding for the small business. Sound marketing is not just for huge companies or organizations, or at least it shouldn't be seen that way any longer. I'm excited to share with you my thoughts. Sonic branding the art of incorporating custom and curated sounds into brand marketing, as of recently, has been largely harnessed by big brands alone. (sonic logo montage) But why?
Sonic branding is really about sound strategy and making sound on purpose. That doesn't necessarily mean embarking on and creating a huge sonic branding package. Sonic branding is, simply put, mindful sound. Yes, Sonic logos and custom scores can be hugely beneficial. But if you're being mindful and purposeful, sonic branding could be as simple as incorporating or omitting 1 or 2 sound associated elements to your brand strategy.
I'm here to set the record straight that sonic branding does not have to be a 6 or 7 figure Sonic branding package. Making brand sound on purpose is what Sonic branding is all about, and that is what makes Sonic branding accessible and attainable for brands both big and small. The beauty of Sonic branding is that it can be anything. It doesn't have to be a pricey licensing deal for the latest popular track. It could be a three second Sonic logo. (sonic logo playing)
Theme music for a brand's podcast. (theme music playing) A start up sound for a piece of tech. (functional sound playing) Functional sounds for apps. (functional sounds playing) (functional sounds playing) Rhythmic vibrations for hardware. (haptic vibrations buzzing) Catchphrases. Sing songy or not? Now you have a friend in the diamond business. The Shane Company. Open weekdays till eight Saturday and Sunday till five. Online at ShaneCo.com. A curated music playlist for brick and mortar shops.
Jingles for digital advertising buys the actual sounds of physical product. Does and does not make. And the list goes on. Sonic branding is all about creativity through sonic waveforms. Whether it's a big business or small business does not matter. The trick is this sound on purpose and sound on brand. According to a recent Ipsos study, only 8% of marketing assets included sonic cues and or music.
However, when distinctive brand assets were used, those with sound were eight and a half times more likely to be high performers. For perspective, visuals were ranked as only three times as likely. A lost opportunity? Yes. Knowing that these are such high performers in marketing should send everyone flooding to the sonic branding agencies to get their branded sounds. However, that hasn't happened quite yet.
Now is the time to work on your brand persona, using the most relatable assets we have to bond with our customers and consumers. The senses. Today's consumer wants to believe in a brand. They want to understand more fully who they are and what they stand for. In order to do this, your brands persona needs to shine through. Although customer personas are valid and important, if a brand's voice isn't clear, the customer persona is pointless.
We have five senses at our disposal to incorporate into the brand; Sight, Sound. Smell. Touch. Taste. Although not all may be possible at this time, they should all be given true consideration. For example, if you sell mattresses online, you need to be able to not only transmit what they look like, but also what they feel like. Why else would purple mattress do the egg challenge? “Why the eggs?
Well, if a bed can support the weight of this glass without breaking the eggs, then that bed should be able to cradle your soft spots while supporting your entire body, keeping you aligned and feeling fine. Don't forget the memory foam. Sleep better, feel better on purple.” What about those highly addictive Instagram travel pages in some amazing tropical location? They use music to put you in the mood and get you longing to travel to their destination.
Sensory marketing tells your emotions what to purchase. All senses are valid. All senses are relevant. As I've mentioned before, the beauty of using sound in brand strategy and marketing is that it can be used in much more creative ways than just a sonic logo or a jingle. Sound branding is just that; sound. Sound can be anything, and by using one sense correctly and effectively, it can trigger more senses just by the emotional connection.
For example, have you ever heard Israel Kamakawiwo'ole’s version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Way up high. And the dreams that you dreamed of once in a lullaby. Oh somewhere over the rainbow.. Couldn't help but think of tropical locations, right? Why? I feel like I don't need to explain that one further than saying that with one song or one sound. You can be transported into the world of that sound or that song.
All I need is this... (musical interlude) That is power. These feelings and emotions, when presented correctly, do not go away. Your subconscious has made up its mind, and a decision like that is very hard to sway. With the power of emotion. A product has the potential to last far longer than without. We all know that acquiring new customers can cost five times more than retaining a current customer. We also know that the best marketing is organic word of mouth from a loyal, advocating customer.
Through sound, we invest in brand equity, which builds up brand loyalty and brand application. Brand ambassadors are the very best kind of customer to have because they'll bring more customers calling. They talk about how the brand makes them feel and how the brand might make that new customer feel. Brand ambassadors speak emotionally. That is human sincerity at its core. I leave you with this. When you plan out your marketing strategy.
Take some time to think out your brand persona in the context of senses, especially sound. Although it may feel strange at first, just remember you already do this with your brand's visual persona. Thinking beyond that, one sense will expand your brand's reach exponentially. There is a lot of creativity available through sound strategy, a lot of which hasn't even been invented yet. I, for one, am excited to see small and mid-sized companies start to realize this, innovate and excel.
And I believe every brand makes sound and I want to help. Contact me at [email protected] [email protected] and say you listened to this episode. I'll give you a free 30 minute consultation where we can brainstorm some DIY sound strategies for your brand, specifically. Thank you to Netflix, Mastercard, visa, Intel and McDonald's for some great Sonic logo examples. Thanks also to the Shane company, and Purple mattress for some fun sensorial commercial examples.
And a very special thank you to Israel Kamakawiwo'ole for his absolutely perfect rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The other Sonic logos and Sonic branding asset examples, as well as the luxurious music example were mine. Love the idea of sound marketing in general, but don't know where to start? I offer sound strategy consulting and sonic branding sound design through my company, Dreamr Productions. I'd love to help. All links will be provided in the show notes.
Let's make this world of sound more intriguing, more unique, and more and more on brand.