How can a business implement sonic branding and develop a sonic logo?
Keep in mind that the sonic logo will be repeated many times over, so it should be likeable. Research shows that likability is based on the choice and arrangement of the design characteristics, such as the number, nature, quality of the tones and the instrumentation that you use. For example, major intervals might give off a happy mood, while minor intervals might give off a more somber mood. It just depends on the message you’re trying to convey. A law firm might want to create a feeling of dignity and respect, while The Walt Disney Co. might want consumers to feel more exuberant.
You also want to implement the campaign across different forms of media. One needs to keep the synergy going while making some variations consistent with the medium. For instance, the key tones on the cell phone may progressively generate the five tones in the Nokia sogo. You want the consumer to be able to connect the sonic dots in the end, even if the forms of media are different.
One may vary the sonic characteristics in many ways. For instance, one may create a series of tones that are ascending or descending, or vary the number of tones in a sogo to match the number of letters or syllables in the brand name. However, we also want to make sure that our brand sogo is not easily confused with those of other brands. Increasing the number of tones might ease some of this confusion but render it harder to recall. You have to determine how to balance some of these things to create a specific auditory identity for the brand.
What are some key things to keep in mind when developing a sonic brand?
A 30-second commercial could cost anywhere between $200,000 and $1 million, and would have to be aired several times before it has any impact. A considered sonic branding design can lead to fewer repetitions to get to the same level of brand recall, thus influencing the costs. In other words, you want to make sure the design aspect of the sonic logo is taken care of properly because this has financial implications. Further, combining a visual campaign with an appropriate auditory campaign renders the brand more authentic, helping build brand equity.
What impact does sonic branding have on the long-term financial future of a corporation?
If you look at brand equity numbers published by Interbrand each year, many of the top 25 brands such as Microsoft, Nokia and Intel have access to and use a sonic interface. So there is a direct correlation between companies using sonic branding and their financial success.
I find evidence for financial value in my experimental research. My research shows that even for a low involvement product, such as bread, changing the sonic logo attached to the product can increase the consumer’s willingness to pay for that product by 17 percent. Thus, proper design of a sonic brand can have both short- and long-term implications on a company’s financial success.
Vijaykumar Krishnan is an assistant professor of marketing at Northern Illinois University. Reach him at (815) 753-6218 or [email protected].
