Sonic branding. You’ve heard it. You (maybe) love it, and in today’s always-on audio landscape, it may be the most strategic way to break through.
But what even is it? Sonic branding uses sound as a tool to reinforce brand identity. This can include elements such as audio logos, jingles, or soundscapes that become associated with a brand over time.
Sonic branding works because the brain processes audio cues quickly and with minimal cognitive effort – and it taps into people’s instinctive emotional response to sound. In fact, brands that use distinctive audio assets are not only more likely to be recalled (+96%), they’re also more likely to be purchased (+86%).
Our world is simultaneously getting more visually crowded and more reliant on audio and voice interactions. Sonic branding is a flexible element of a comprehensive brand architecture. It can show up across the customer experience – anywhere the brand is heard. Think video, social, digital, website, point-of-sale, radio, and more.
Brands need flexible assets to address today’s ever-changing customer experience. Sonic branding builds brand identity, and with it, ROI. Kantar found that assets including sound provide 76% higher brand power and 138% more advertising power. A report by Songtradr found that strategic use of music accounts for 15% of a brand’s business performance.
Sound is critical for building awareness – but even more than that, it boosts distinctiveness. Compared to competitors who do not utilize sonic branding, brands with a well-developed sonic identity have higher brand recognition, emotional connection, and consumer loyalty. Being known isn't the same thing as being chosen, which is why brands, even those with high awareness, leverage sound.
Like other brand assets, a powerful sonic element must align strategically with the brand’s goals. The most effective and recognizable sonic branding examples are built around clear objectives for audience, channels, usage, and benefits.
Together, these objectives create four key pillars of strong sonic branding: universal appeal, flexibility and remix-ability, simplicity and memorability, and draw from the brand’s utility. While most successful examples reflect an aspect of all four, brands typically overindex in one based on priority.
Transcends genres, ages, and regions, never making anyone feel excluded.
Example: McDonald’s short, melodic jingle flexes across languages, genres, and markets and embeds positive emotion and brand association into everyday moments, reinforcing desire and recognition across touchpoints. According to Veritonic, McDonald’s audio logo scored 78 for "familiar" and 77 for “likeable” in 2022.
Integrates seamlessly across assets and touchpoints, allowing it to be adapted to many needs.
Example: Mastercard produced a subconscious sound “watermark” to keep up with evolving shopping behaviors. It shows up across the customer experience, from advertising efforts to point-of-sale to social media, and immerses shoppers in the brand’s world. Mastercard uses its sonic logo across 86% of its brand materials, compared to a cross-industry average of 40%.
Example: Febreze developed branded songs in various musical styles with a “companion” bookend sonic brand element to blend in with the listening experience, reducing ad resistance and increasing engagement. Febreze ranks 7th in FMCG sonic branding, with a score of 27.1 (brands typically score between ~20 to ~60).
Example: KitKat built a jingle around its well-known tactile brand element of “breaking” to link the emotional benefit (break time) with a product ritual (snapping a KitKat). In a recent study, 95% of people recognize this jingle and 92% correctly attributed it to the brand (even with the name removed).
Sound is an iconic, long-standing brand asset, so it is important to get it right. Before getting started, consider exploring questions including:
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