Sonic Logo Creation: A Useful Element of Business Branding
Sonic logos are between 3 and 7 seconds long and are basically short jingles used for brand development. Basically these logos use sound to convey the values and personality of a particular brand. Corporations and businesses pay to create sonic logos in order to make the public aware of their brand and they apply these sound identities across many different touchpoints including television, mobile technology, radio, and the internet.
Before a note is played or any audio is recorded in the actual creation of the sonic logo by musicians and sound designers, there are other factors to consider. It is necessary to first research the history and character of the brand with which you are working. So that the finished sonic logo captures the brand’s identity, designers must determine the personality of the brand. The process of creating sonic logo includes the following steps.
1. The first step in the creation of a sonic logo is to determine the core values of the brand that needs the logo. Is the brand conservative, environmentally concerned, or representative of a particular heritage or culture for example.
2. Second, do a little research into how the brand has used sound or music in the past to express their identity. Previous use of audio can give clues to the new approach that should be taken with a fresh or updated sonic logo.
3. Next, figure out what sound effects or ambience will be able to communicate the brand’s ideals. For an environmental organization, for example, one might want to use sounds of water or birds to create a sort of nature montage.
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. Lastly, be sure that all of the sonic logos you create are memorable and original since its main function is to identify one specific brand.
These five steps provide a basic outline of the important elements of the process of creating sonic logos. No matter what you do, make sure that the finished product is different in some way from anything that’s come before and that your client is proud of their new sonic identity. If you’ve achieved those two things you’ve done your job.
