Sonic Branding For the Small Business

Sonic branding traditionally has been seen as a “big business thing”. But what about the little guy? Small business has just as much right to it as them and I’ll explain to you how in this episode of the Sound In Marketing podcast.

This episode was a reboot from a previous article I wrote in 2023; Sonic Branding for the Small Business.

Thank you to Netflix, Mastercard, Visa, Intel and McDonalds 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. 

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Let’s make this world of sound more intriguing, more unique, and more on brand.

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Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Welcometo the Sound In Marketing Podcast.
I'm your host,Jeanna Isham, owner and founder
of Dreamr Productionsand Sound in Marketing Learning.
I create, consult and educate individualsand brands
on the power of sound in marketing.
If the content in these episodesinspire actionable
ideas for your company,don't hesitate to give me a call.

(00:25):
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 heartfor this episode
as we'll be talking about sonic brandingfor the small business.
Sound marketing is not justfor huge companies or organizations,
or at least it shouldn't be seen that wayany longer.

(00:46):
I'm excited to share with you my thoughts.
Sonic branding the art of incorporatingcustom and curated
sounds into brand marketing,
as of recently, has been largelyharnessed by big brands alone. (sonic logo montage)

(01:10):
But why?
Sonic branding is really about soundstrategy and making sound on purpose.
That doesn't necessarily mean embarking on
and creating a huge sonicbranding package.
Sonic branding is, simply put,mindful sound.
Yes, Sonic logos and customscores can be hugely beneficial.
But if you're being mindfuland purposeful, sonic branding

(01:32):
could be as simple as incorporatingor omitting 1 or 2
sound associated elementsto your brand strategy.
I'm here to set the record straightthat sonic branding does
not have to be a 6 or 7 figureSonic branding package.
Making brand sound on purposeis what Sonic branding is all about,
and that is what makes Sonic

(01:53):
branding accessible and attainablefor brands both big and small.
The beauty of Sonic brandingis that it can be anything.
It doesn't have to be a pricey licensingdeal 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)

(02:18):
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)

(02:38):
Catchphrases.
Sing songy or not?
Now you have a friendin the diamond business.
The Shane Company.
Open weekdays till eight Saturdayand Sunday till five.
Online at ShaneCo.com.
A curated music playlistfor brick and mortar shops.
Jingles for digital advertising buysthe actual sounds of physical product.

(02:58):
Does and does not make.
And the list goes on.
Sonic branding is all about creativitythrough sonic waveforms.
Whether it's a big businessor 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 assetsincluded sonic cues and or music.

(03:21):
However, when distinctivebrand assets were used, those
with sound were eight and a half timesmore likely to be high performers.
For perspective, visuals were rankedas only three times
as likely. A lost opportunity? Yes.
Knowing that these are such highperformers in marketing should send
everyone flooding to the sonic brandingagencies to get their branded sounds.

(03:45):
However, that hasn't happened quite yet.
Now is the time to workon your brand persona, using the most
relatable assets we have to bondwith our customers and consumers.
The senses.
Today'sconsumer wants to believe in a brand.
They want to understand more fullywho they are and what they stand for.
In order to do this, your brandspersona needs to shine through.

(04:08):
Although customer personas are validand 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 possibleat this time,

(04:28):
they should all be given trueconsideration.
For example, if you sell mattressesonline, you need to be able to
not only transmit what they look like,but also what they feel like.
Why else would purple mattressdo the egg challenge? “Why the eggs?
Well, if a bed can support the weightof this glass without breaking the eggs,
then that bed should be ableto cradle your soft spots while supporting

(04:50):
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 amazingtropical location?
They use music to put you in the moodand get you longing to travel
to their destination.

(05:12):
Sensory marketing tells your emotionswhat to purchase.
All senses are valid.
All senses are relevant.
As I've mentioned
before, the beauty of using soundin brand strategy and marketing is that
it can be used in much more creative waysthan just a sonic logo or a jingle.
Sound branding is just that; sound.

(05:33):
Sound can be anything, and by using onesense correctly and effectively,
it can trigger more sensesjust by the emotional connection.
For example, have you ever heard
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole’sversion of Somewhere Over the Rainbow
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow

(05:57):
Way up high.
And the dreams
that you dreamed of once
in a lullaby.
Oh somewhere over

(06:19):
the rainbow..
Couldn't help but
think of tropical locations, right? Why?
I feel like I don't need to explainthat one
further than saying that with one songor one sound.
You can be transportedinto the world of that sound or that song.
All I need is this... (musical interlude)

(06:40):
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 potentialto last far longer than without.
We all know that acquiring new customerscan cost five times more

(07:00):
than retaining a current customer.
We also know that the best marketingis organic word
of mouthfrom a loyal, advocating customer.
Through sound,
we invest in brand equity, which builds upbrand loyalty and brand application.
Brand ambassadorsare the very best kind of customer
to have because they'll bring morecustomers calling.

(07:22):
They talk abouthow the brand makes them feel
and how the brand might make thatnew 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 yourbrand persona in the context of senses,

(07:42):
especially sound.
Although it may feel strange at first,just remember
you already do this with your brand'svisual persona.
Thinking beyond that,one sense will expand
your brand's reach exponentially.
There is a lot of creativity availablethrough sound strategy,
a lot of which hasn'teven been invented yet.

(08:02):
I, for one, am excited to see small
and mid-sized companies start to realizethis, innovate and excel.
And I believe every brand makes soundand I want to help.
Contact me at [e-mail]
[e-mail] and sayyou listened to this episode.
I'll give you a free 30 minuteconsultation where we can brainstorm

(08:23):
some DIY sound strategiesfor your brand, specifically.
Thank you to Netflix,
Mastercard, visa, Intel and McDonald'sfor some great Sonic logo examples.
Thanks also to the Shane company,
and Purple mattress for some fun sensorialcommercial examples.

(08:43):
And a very specialthank you to Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
for his absolutely perfectrendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
The other Sonic logos and Sonicbranding asset examples,
as well as the luxurious music example were mine.
Love the idea of sound marketingin general, but don't know where to start?
I offer sound strategyconsulting and sonic branding sound design

(09:06):
through my company, Dreamr Productions.
I'd love to help.
All links will be provided in the shownotes.
Let's make this world of soundmore intriguing, more unique, and
more and more on brand.