Sound Branding - Create a Sonic Logo
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Sonic logos are short audio jingles that are used by brands to identify themselves and are usually less than 7 seconds. It is essentially the harnessing of audio to represent and communicate the values and personality of a company. Associations and companies use sonic logos to grow public awareness of their brand and they use them in many medias including the web, radio, mobile technology, and television.
While the creation of the sonic logo itself is a matter of musicians and sound designers working in the studio, there are actually other steps to consider before a single note or sound is recorded. Research into the character and history of the brand is very necessary and precludes any studio work. The creators must determine who the brand is exactly so that the final sonic logo will accurately depict the brand’s identity. There are several basic steps in the process of creating a sonic logo that follow.
1. The first part of the process is to understand the core values of the brand with which you are working. For instance, is the brand part of a particular heritage, promoting conservative values, or technologically oriented?
2. Next, figure out the history of sound use by the company which may afford some sense of the brand’s identity. Use of audio in the past could be useful knowledge in what direction to now take.
3. Moving on, establish the types of sounds will best represent the brand’s values. For a cell phone provider, for instance, a variety of rings or button sounds might work well.
4. Fourth, decide if voice is going to play a part in the sonic logo. Will there be a phrase such as “What’s in your wallet?” or will the logo simply contain a melody amidst sonic texture?
5. Fifth, ensure that the sonic logo is unique and memorable since it is meant to identify one brand and one brand alone.
The above steps are a great guide for making sonic logos that are relevant and effective. Always be certain that your client is proud of their new sonic identity and that the product you have made for them is original from anything else heard before. Once you accomplished these elements you have succeeded.
