This edition of digital marketing tips delves into the importance of sonic branding in creating signatures and how to use it. Keep reading.
If you have ever recognised your favourite podcast, youtube content creator, or other audiovisual content just by the sound or ‘theme song,’ then you have entered the world of sonic branding. Essentially, sonic branding is making your brand recognisable by sound. When done well, sonic branding helps us to readily identify with any content, product, or service we consume, just by sound. At the speed of sound, all the sights, sounds, and feels we enjoy from our favourite bits of content come rushing to the fore.
Digital Marketing Tips: How We Use Sound in our Digital Media Marketing
As many of you would have figured out by now, the creative arts (including music) are a key component of how we work and serve our clients and audience at Awe-Inspiring & Bold Creative-Tech Solutions Limited. So much so that we have our own creative trade brand in Kei Dubb and Kei Dubb 365 LIVE. Although Kei Dubb has evolved from a mere ‘artist’ music brand to include podcasting, documentary production, vlogging, and the like, music production and performance are still at the core of the brand. Consequently, Kei Dubb’s music has become a signature part of the brand’s aforementioned extra-curricular creative output. With that inclusion of music, we are able to make sonic branding work for us and those we serve.
For example, the 60 Seconds with Kei Dubb podcast is known as much for its signature sound/song (‘Keep On’ by Kei Dubb) as much as it is known for its unique delivery format and priceless bits of wisdom. Once that jingle is played, you know 60 seconds of inspiration and life hacks are on the horizon. Similarly, a snippet of the Triumph instrumental is a signature sound in much of our promotional material. Once you hear it, you know content carefully curated by Kei Dubb is coming your way.
Sonic Branding Digital Marketing Tips For You
01. Work with professional creatives
We encourage our clients to use sound to accompany the presentation of their work in the world. Doing so will help them stand in their authenticity, highlight the uniqueness of their offering, and make sure they are positively memorable. The benefits are guaranteed once done well. Below are some tips to help you do it well.
Unsurprisingly, there is a right way to brand your work with music. We encourage clients to work with creative talent to craft a unique sound that works just for them. Crafting a unique sound is particularly important because branding with sound goes beyond finding free music online. Sounds that are produced with one brand, initiative, business, or product in mind, give that brand its signature. It is, for this reason, Kei Dubb’s sonic branding options are dedicated to specific kinds of creative output. So, there is one sound for podcasts and another for ads, for example.
02. Get clear on what matters
Understanding that sounds should be uniquely retrofitted to your business or brand output is one thing. Ensuring that the same is done effectively is quite another. Although you will be working with a creative professional, you do need to bring some thoughts to the table. To help you do that, consider the following:
- how do you want your brand/offering to ‘feel or be received by your audience
- whether or not you need an instrumental only, a full ‘jingle’ (instrumental with singing), or instrumental for the purposes of a voiceover
- the skill of the musicians/producers and their willingness to customise
- the length of the music (e.g. 20 secs, 30 secs, 1 minute)
- purpose of the music (e.g branding your work generally, branding specific products, services, or content output)
- budget
The above list is by no means exhaustive, but it will help to get you moving in the right direction. So, be sure to keep them in mind in addition to any other considerations deemed necessary.
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