Think of which brand comes to mind when you hear the following sounds:

‘Ta-da-da-daaaaa…. Ta-da-da-daaaaaa….’

‘vrooom, vrooom’

‘Click-click’

‘Brrrrrrrr….’

‘Pa[a]r-ma-lat!’

When I hear these sounds I think of a specific brand that is uniquely positioned with it. In other words, the sound functions as an indicator (i.e. signifier) pointing directly to the brand it is associated with. Thus, in this context sound can be seen as a signifier, a sonic signifier. Yet, even more so, the emotional response that I experienced when I first heard the sound is recalled and I feel as if I have a close relationship with the sound’s brand via its sonic signifier.

The abovementioned sounds are sonic signifiers of the following brands: Beethoven (as composer/artist), BP, Kalahari.net, Coca-Cola and Parmalat respectively.

Consider the voice as the most personal audio brand, your internal audio brand. As children we associate our caregivers not only by their smell and tactile modalities, but also especially by their voices. Already at a very young age we are relying on our auditory senses to create identity and to distinguish between desirable and undesirable experiences, between strong emotional responses of attraction and rejection.

Audio brands exist all around us in sounds of nature (e.g. rain against a window, thunder and lightning, rustling wind blowing through a Jacaranda tree, etc.), sounds of social experiences (e.g. a rugby match, a theatre show, an awards ceremony, a church service), sounds of everyday urban life (e.g. highway traffic, classroom activity, shopping mall), etc. Although we may take some clues from nature’s sonic signifiers into consideration when, for example, deciding whether to wear a rain coat (rain sounds), determine morning if you’re a sudden insomniac (birdsong) or whether to book the soonest flight to Florida (away from rumbling Mount Edna), we depend on sonic signifiers more heavily when it comes to identity creation and brand identification in multi-media culture.

Think of any advert that you can hum or sing the jingle to… Perhaps it’s the melodious ‘Mum remembered Melrose’ or ‘Checkers, better and better’, or maybe it’s the simple yet effective spoken monologue L’Oréal is known for, ‘cause you’re worth it’ or ‘Cell C… for yourself’. For some brands a purely instrumental (electronic/digital) signifier was chosen, such as the Intel (inside) and Mazda (zoom-zoom) brands. BMW went a step further to use a more percussive sound to serve as sonic signifier: two heavy, non-pitched metallic thuds in quick succession. Sounds can be used effectively in myriads of ways, yet sufficient thought needs to be applied to each brand in order to align the sonic signifier with the visual and contextual signifiers contained in each advert.

Let’s have a quick look at a few broad categories in which sound as signifier is used.

i) Voice-over and music (audio brand), e.g. Checkers (‘Better and better’):

The female vocal has a rich resonance, a mid-register grid; it also is gentle, affirming and inviting. In the advert shoppers are roaming the isles busily, yet not rushed. The supportive music consists of a strong harmonic progression lacking in melody up to the point where the audio brand comes in with ‘Checkers, better and better’. The instruments involved in the audio brand are the strings, the piano, the bass guitar, the pop drum kit, the electric guitar and the solo male (tenor) vocal. The music style is mainstream relating to a broad range of demographics as well as being easily recognizable and even humable. There is a quick key change near the end of the audio brand that indicates an aspect of sophistication. A feeling of purchasing an array of quality produce in a classy yet mainstream environment is promised.

ii) Voice-over and supportive music (audio brand), e.g. Lindt chocolates:

The female voice-over sounds inviting, sensual with a sense of comfort and warmth. The music is more supportive than defining, in that a gentle instrumental nexus is chosen (strings, flute, clarinet, saxophone, pizzicato celli and double basses) with a clear (although not very memorable) melodic audio brand only featuring once at the very beginning and then right at the end of the advert. The music is in a medium paced tempo, unfolding in a regular rhythmic pattern. The clarinet and saxophone are the most prominent instrumental sounds that can be identified throughout the advert; although this melodic audio brand is not the most memorable or unique, the feeling experienced through the audio brand is familiar as well as desirable. Traditionally the clarinet is associated with a velvet texture, and the saxophone can also be associated with a sense of freedom from the mundane, and of course it also personifies an aspect of sensuality. A sensational feeling of comfort, a fantasylike and creamy chocolate experience is promised.

iii) Voice only, e.g. Charlize Theron and POWA:

Charlize’s voice is obviously her own internal audio brand (the same goes for all actors, music stars and politicians), yet in this case it also functions as the external audio brand for the POWA organisation. No music is used, which isolates the voice as the only sound the audience associates with the POWA advert. This, in return, highlights the monologue that Charlize is delivering, intensifying the advert with a serious undertone.

Each pop artist brand (vocal, music) actually consists out of two audio brands: the first being their internal audio brand, i.e. their voice (its unique grain, its inflections, energy and the target audience’s multi-modal responses), with the second being the incorporated audio band, i.e. the specific music genre (this includes the various ways in which the musical instruments are used to support the internal audio brand).

iv) Music (audio brand) and visual cues, e.g. Mercedes Benz and BMW:

In each of the above-mentioned cases, music (as an audio brand) is used without a vocal reference. This puts focus on the instrumental, rhythmic and melodic features that constitute the respective audio brands. With the Mercedez Benz advert the feeling of safety, exhiliration and adventure in a sassy and classy fashion is described through the visual advert; the audio brand consists out of a digitally produced yet regular patterned rhythmic grid, digitised and effected choral vocals (male and female), together with a selection of visually coherent sound effects. The feeling of classiness, sophisticated driving and contemporary comfort is portrayed through this audio brand.

The BMW audio brand consists of two deep, metallic thuds heard in quick succession representing engineering of the highest calibre, i.e. a ‘German engineered motorcar’ referenced sound that creates the sonic identity of the BMW brand. The two thuds are deep with a digital edge suggesting a metallic substance of quality, unbreakable, enduring, modern, sophisticated and vital. Perhaps the two metallic thuds might serve as reference for the driver and passenger doors closing suggesting readiness to embark on a BMW journey.

Music anchors

So what is the difference between writing a jingle and creating an audio brand? Jingles can be seen as the coherent expression of a theme tune, whereas audio branding consists of a meeting place between intuition and science, alchemy and research. Audio branding surpasses jingles in that a thorough knowledge of the application procedures of music anchors, composite formats, as well as branding procedures, are required in order to create a sonic identity that will represent the brand to the target audience. Music as anchor for a target audience is only as effective in as far as it relates to its selected target audience. The respective anchors and its composite formats need to be researched and applied consciously in order to target its audience successfully.

Anchors in music include pitch, rhythm, tempo, timbre (sound color), effects, dynamics, etc:

	Timbre (acoustic: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion [pitched, non-pitched]; electronic: synthesizers, electronic keyboards, electronic guitars, bass guitars, microphone voice; vocals: gender, age, texture/grain, race, vocal energy, vocal inflections, etc.)
	Effects (reverb, panning, delay, distortion, phasing, etc.)
	Rhythm (regular pattern, irregular pattern, simple vs. complex, etc.)
	Pitch (intervallic, gliding, ascending, descending, etc.)
	Tempo (slow, mid-tempo, fast, static, in sync with visual action, etc.)
	Dynamics (soft, gradations, loud, static, sudden changes, etc.)

Composite formats of these musical anchors include genre and acoustic/electronic forces:

	Genre (rock, punk rock, hip-hop, jazz, classical, mainstream, etc.)
	Acoustic/Electronic Forces (band, ensemble, solo, choir, orchestra, electronic media, composite variations, etc.)

Another important aspect of creating a sonic identity is the prominence of music during the branding process. If the music is barely audible below the sound effects or the voice-over, then the chances are slim that the target audience will relate well to the sonic identity, unless the intention of the audio brander is for the voice-over/sfx to serve as the sonic identity. Then, also, the meaning that the listener attaches to the audio brand is crucial, and this is where the visuals and the music need to work together seamlessly in order to create a congruent audio-visual experience for the target audience which is translated into a meaningful emotional experience.

Two further categories in which audio brands can be divided are the folowing:

A] Specific music anchors:

Music that is presented in audio brand-specific format with a clear prominence together with the visual and voice-over features, yet containing a memorable audio signifier/identity marker that makes audio brand both unique and memorable.

B] Non-specific music anchors:

Music that is used to support the voice-over and/or visuals simply on the notion of the broad-spectrum quality of the music (i.e. the genre) in order to position the brand.

It is evident so far that in order to create a successful audio brand, awareness of the audio brand is crucial, furthermore the knowledge and meaning various music anchors and their composite formats are essential in order to relate an emotional experience through music to a target audience. This requires more than just an intuitive leaning towards what might work for an advert, as it demands the audio brand creator/consultant to be aware of which music anchors are more relevant to certain target audiences, to conduct research into certain target fields in terms of the various music anchors and their composite formats, especially when it comes to new brands being introduced to the local and global markets.

Examples of incongruent and congruent audio branding in current South African TV adverts (2008):

Example of incongruent audio branding: a cleansing agent supposedly facilitating a rich, relaxing and luxuriously soft bathing experience in which one can wash away ‘the cares of the day’: the music is supportive yet features the electric lead guitar with a distortion effect as the main timbre of the advert (not a ‘smooth and silky’ audio experience). Electric guitars and especially the distortion effect are music anchors associated, for example, with male energy (testosterone), adventure, rebellion against the controling establishment, emotional anguish or expressiveness, with strong references to the 80’s, 90’s and current rock styles. These anchors and composite formats are not congruent with a cleansing agent promising a creamy, silky soft bathing experience. Even if the idea was to target the audience who responds to rock features in the audio brand, my opinion is that the visuals needed to reflect this target audience in terms of the visual anchors in order for the whole advert to be congruent.

Example of congruent audio branding: a shaving/skincare range for men identified audio-visually with Matthew Fox (‘Lost’); the visual advert is fast-paced, slick, bright colours, sunlight, blue skies, urban living, confident and content experience being portrayed: the music is also supportive in that it is in a medium fast tempo, includes ‘clean’ timbres such as primarily the acoustic piano and vibrant string (violin) riffs, based on a steady yet complex rhythmic pattern.

In conclusion I would like to point out that although in the past some attention has been given to audio branding and its role in the over-all brand execution, it is heartening to see that more and more branding communities are becoming aware of the increasingly distinguishing role of audio branding and its unique position in terms of the audience’s reception of different brands. It is also a known fact that inaccurate knowledge might be damaging to a brand if incorrectly applied, therefore it is imperative that proper research be conducted into ever-diversifying target audiences, musical anchors, their composite formats as well as the audio branding process – from strategy to execution – in relation to the entire branding strategy. It is also important for branding strategists to make sure that sufficient funding is set aside for the audio branding component of each branding project, in order for their brand to be truly unique and effective in every way. From most of the examples above I have only pointed out the importance of the timbral (i.e. the choice of instruments and their respective sonic effects) aspect of audio branding, which is only one of the music anchors. This in itself highlights that audio branding is more than simply coming up with a good tune. Audio branding can be seen as a multi-modal application of music composition and branding skills in order to create and connect an identity effectively to a specific emotional experience. This is where, as an audio brand consultant, I am of service to the branding and design communities.

For more info, advice on your brand’s audio identity, or to comment on this article you can reach me on info@phoenixbenedict.com or visit www.phoenixbenedict.com for free audio branding mp3 downloads and reviews on some of the current adverts in terms of audio branding. Share your point of view on the regular audio branding forum, commenting on the use of sound in current adverts and branding initiatives.

Franscois Bezuidenhout (a.k.a. Phoenix Benedict), M Mus
Phoenix Benedict Aesthetics cc
Audio Branding Consultant
www.phoenixbenedict.com
082 346 9776