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This idea is similar if not the same to audio identity and brand recognition. Audio identity & brand recognition I can best describe them as a way brands, movies, or entertainers get in your psychology to stick to you longer but utilizing the auditorial sense. This can be anything from a voice of a familiar narrator such as Morgan Freeman to the sound effect that PlayStation makes upon launching the system.
Examples of Sonic Branding
From what I have experienced first hand and researched, this approach has become increasingly important in recent years. It appears that brands seek to stand out in a crowded market and create a deeper emotional connection with consumers through audio.
It’s simple logic that we make a deeper connection to an experience when the sound is involved, imagine the difference of sitting down in a movie theater watching a long-anticipated film, just for there to be utter silence before the movie starts. Now imagine the day surround sound was built and the Dolby surrounds sound ad fills the room, flooding your ears with all sorts of perfectly crafted sound effects in different pitches and tones. This provides a user experience that people associate both the Megaplex theater that they are in, and the Dolby brand itself, and becomes a core memory embedded into the minds of individuals watching.
Without a doubt, you know you’re about to have a great experience because sound makes all the difference. That core memory is unlocked every time they step in a movie theater or even put on a good pair of headphones. This is the idea of Sonic Branding.
I also hate Sonic Branding
By using the same sounds and music across all touchpoints, from advertising to in-store experiences, brands can create a consistent and unified identity that resonates with customers. While yes this can help improve brand recognition and recall, it’s also just evil.
For example, I don’t even work in fast food, or in restaurants in general, but I even know the Doordash order sound when I go out to eat because that sound is constantly playing in the kitchens of the restaurants I eat at. It’s almost just as bad as waking up to that one alarm iPhone has. Of course there’s not just one alarm but specifically “Radar” is the one I’m talking about. If you don’t recognize the name, go ahead and play it on your phone, and immediately, the core memory will be unlocked for you.
I believe the reason these sounds are associated with something negative in a lot of people is that, contrary to what the movie theater does for us, the environment is entirely different. In the restaurant people are hungry, the cooks are being rushed, there’s doordash people to serve while also regular customers, everything is screaming of urgency. Including the iPhone Radar alarm, it’s either, time is up, wake up, go to sleep, urgent, urgent, do this now.
Sonic Branding is part of User Experience
Sound has a powerful impact on our emotions, and specific sounds and music can evoke different feelings and associations. It enhances our user experience whether it’s a comforting sound of Netflix launching in your living room, or an amber alert in the middle of your study session. Sonic branding is pretty cool, and to conclude, we are simple humans with brains that are so complex yet so simple and logical at the same time. We are more likely to remember a brand that has a distinct and memorable audio identity, and sometimes it can be for the worse.
You’ll probably notice it more and more after reading this. It’s everywhere! In your phone, on almost any touchscreen anywhere, on your tv, even on your fridge if it’s a newer model. Keep your ears open for these experiences, pay attention to how they enhance or hurt your experience. It’s pretty cool.
Vivian is 23 years old, currently studying Digital Content Creation. She specializes in Digital Design & enjoys all forms of art.
She dedicates her time to creating her own forms of art and collaborating with other artists and individuals to execute art projects.