Sonic Branding and the Power of Sound by Stephen Arnold Music

Name That Tune1 was a popular American game show that ran for more than 30 years on television. In the final round of the game, two contestants would face-off by wagering how few notes it would take them to guess a song. They were given seven notes to start, but invariably wagered down to three, or two, or even just one! But how is it humanly possible to identify an entire song based on only the first one or two notes?

The fact is, it’s not only humanly possible, but probable.

The Science Behind Sound How does this process work? Consider the work of neuroscientist Kiminobu Sugaya2 at the University of Central Florida. He studies how and why patients with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases respond positively to music. His work reveals that, even in patients with late stage Alzheimer’s, exposure to music can reawaken their brains and excite dormant areas. It can even light up their eyes and, in many cases, cause them to move - and even sing!

Because neurons that record music are widely distributed throughout the brain, even an illness as devastating as Alzheimer’s can’t kill our of the music we love. That’s because memories associated with music are emotional memories, which never fade – even in people with severe, neurodegenerative disease.

Originally, Sugaya performed brain scans on his subjects to test his thesis that had particularly beneficial effects on the brain – the so-called “Mozart effect.” However, His testing revealed that it didn’t matter what type of music he played. What really mattered was that the music was an emotional favorite of the patient. They were responding to their treasured memories of the song they were - regardless of its musical genre.

The Fastest Sense Though it seems counterintuitive, aural/sound stimulation is more powerful than visual stimulation. While light travels much faster than sound in a vacuum, audio waves take only 8-10 milliseconds to reach inside the brain. Visual signals, however, take 20-40 milliseconds to make the same trip. Actually, the human body can hear faster than it can see, taste, smell, or even feel3.

Sound, because it requires less bandwidth, is processed much quicker. This helps explain the immediacy of our reaction to music and why some people can name a tune in one or two notes. We’ve all experienced this effect for ourselves – that “instant identification” when you hear a favorite song. In the world of recorded music, songs like this are called “.” They get stuck in your brain and are impossible to dislodge, whether you like them or not. These songs have formed an emotional that will last a lifetime.

The question is, can the immense power of music be harnessed so that it not only creates positive emotional connections, but ties those emotions to a brand? In short, the answer is yes.

That, in essence, is the art and science of sonic branding.

What is Sonic Branding? When you think of branding, you probably think about a companies’ logo—the visual representation of who they are and what they stand for. But sonic branding is the sound of your brand—the use of audio stimuli to reinforce your brand identity. In short, sonic branding is the “John Hancock” of music—the stinger, the hook, the musical notes that call people to action (Shop! Run! Eat! Watch!). It lingers in the mind long after the tones are gone. It’s almost a form of subliminal seduction—but in a good way.

Companies, along with their marketers, are now strategically using sonic branding more than ever for their products, network ID’s, shows and online content.

Why are companies turning to sonic branding? Sonic branding is powerful stuff. It implants a memory in the aural pathways to our brain that is so strong, it’s virtually impossible to forget (and just as difficult to ignore). It’s like chewing gum in your brain. You can’t get that little ditty out of your head. You hum it obsessively, like some crazed lumberjack. You love it. You hate it. You hate that you love it.

Consider this: • Nationwide is on your side.4 • Have it your way. Have it your way. Have it your way at Burger King.5 • I am stuck on Band Aid ‘cause Band Aid’s stuck on me.6

Just reading these words recalls the tune that goes with each brand. Why are these are so easy to remember, yet it’s so hard to remember where you left your car keys? That’s the power of sonic branding, and smart companies embrace it.

Short and Sweet Sonic branding is not limited to jingles. Three, four and five note signatures can be equally effective at permanently lodging a brand in the minds of consumers. The short signature of CNN with James Earl Jones’ booming voice saying, “This is CNN”7, is a perfect example. The NBC three-note chime8, or, more annoyingly, the rabid fanfare that tells us a movie theater is outfitted with the THX sound system9 has the same effect. This sort of sonic, aural imprint is critical in identifying a product, a program, a service or a brand, and helps it stand out from the competition.

As easy as these sonic brands are to remember, creating them is a much more difficult.The challenge is to develop the most condensed and potent version of an possible. It requires a mix of extensive market research to identify the emotional essence of the brand, and an educated, yet intuitive talent for how to musically convey that essence. It is critical to get this right, because the process that develops and defines the sonic brand will also determine all the downstream audio logos, product sonification, mnemonics, and voiceovers that accompany the marketing.

As a brand, you are telling a story. Consider your sonic brand as the score of that story - the immediate emotional connection that links your brand to the mind of your consumer. For marketers wanting to create that quick, emotional relationship, an unforgettable sonic brand is marketing gold. About Stephen Arnold Music

Often referred to as “The Most-Heard, Least-Known Composers in The World,” Stephen Arnold Music is a multiple award-winning Sonic Branding agency with more than 25 years of success delivering the sounds that make a difference to corporations, advertising agencies, cable networks, television stations and film studios the world over. Our commanding Sonic Branding approach to creating custom music, and our commitment to industry- leading service, quality and innovation is at the core of our promise.

Our music is prolific and versatile, with thousands of our compositions being heard by more than a billion people on the air, online and on mobile – right now.

References

1. Video: Name That Tune 2. Article: Your Brain on Music. A popular class breaks down how our brains respond to music. 3. Article: The Speed of Hearing 4. Video: Nationwide is on your side. 5. Video: Have it your way. Have it your way. Have it your way at Burger King. 6. Video: I am stuck on Band Aid ‘cause Band Aid’s stuck on me. 7. Video: This is CNN 8. Video: NBC three-note chime 9. Video: THX Sound System

+1.214.726.1600 // info @stephenarnoldmusic.com // stephenarnoldmusic.com