Our imaging and production expert Rich Van Slyke weighs in on the concept of “sonic branding” in this week’s Programming To Win. Van Slyke defines sonic branding as “the audio equivalent of a logo” and discusses five ways to create such a brand for your station. He also delves into the sonic branding of the all-new WWSK (94.3 The Shark)
Rich Van Slyke
By Rich Van Slyke
One of the goals of good radio imaging is to get people to remember your station by creating a memory trigger. A message or a sound that associates your station with a desirable feeling. Then, when they are in the mood for what you offer, they think about you and remember to come back to you. In the mood for something sweet to drink? Suddenly you go looking for a red can. That’s the result of great branding by Coca Cola. We can use sonic branding to get the same reaction for our radio stations.
What is Sonic Branding? It is the audio equivalent of a logo. Only with this logo, you don’t have to be looking at it. You can hear it, while you are looking at something else. And sound, especially music, has the power to heighten the memory response in your brain, making it easier for you to recall information. When kids hear the ice cream truck music, they know who’s coming.
What makes a good sonic branding? Sound that creates an emotional response. Because an emotional response sticks in the brain longer. This is why companies use jingles. It’s also why tobacco products have been banned from using sound in advertising since 1970. Because sound is so powerful. Sound effects and music are processed by our brains differently that the spoken word. They are processed emotionally, instead of rationally. And when you stimulate an emotional response, you are much more likely to be remembered.
Sound and music also create brand loyalty. The comfort of hearing an audio logo creates familiarity. Like walking into a crowded bar, and feeling more comfortable when you see someone you know. If I hear a song on the radio, and then I hear the sound of a bull, or a wolf, or a kiss, I know I’m listening to my favorite station. And hearing the sound gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Which makes me love my favorite station even more.
5 Easy Steps to a creating Sonic Brand for your radio station:
1. Determine the emotion for your brand – Is it “POWER”? “LOVE”? “FUN”? This is very important. What is the feeling you want your listeners to experience? Simple is better.
2. Select a Sound as an Audio Logo – A sound that evokes the emotion of your brand. A sound that is entertaining and compelling. A sound you can hear over and over.
3. Jingles and Anti-Jingles – If jingles are appropriate, your choice is easy. Do they represent the emotional pull of your brand? Light happy jingles make no sense on a sports station. Sports is not light and happy. Sports is exciting and dramatic. If jingles are not appropriate for you, find a piece of music or a guitar riff that compliments your brand. Shorter is better.
4. Make it an earworm. – An earworm is a sound that gets stuck in you head and you can’t get it out. Once you have selected your signature sound, make it an ear worm by using it as many different ways as possible. Sometimes the more subtle, the better. It can be in the background on promos. Or sometimes just between songs.
5. Make the sonic branding your experience. Use your audio logo is as many different places. What makes you sonic brand special is the uniqueness and the flexibility. If it’s a guitar riff, do an electric version, and an acoustic version, and have it played on bass too. Use it on you website, podcasts, even telephone on hold.
The big reason to go through all this effort is the power of sonic branding. It creates a unique position for your brand in your consumer’s mind. Each time you logo is heard, it re-enforces you identity. Which leads to better recall and more occasions of listening.
In the fall I was involved in the creation of a new sonic brand with the experts at Jacobs Media. Connoisseur Media launched a brand new rock station in Nassau-Suffolk-Long Island N.Y. (market #19). WWSK. 94-3 The Shark. It’s been a big hit.
From the beginning, an incredible amount of brain power went into the creation of the brand. Bill Jacobs from Jacobs Media explains:
“Connoisseur gave us all the tools to work with from day one – research from Warren Kurtzman and the Coleman team, marketing, and most importantly, creative license to be innovative. Owner Jeff Warshaw came up with the idea for the name and the character, and we worked together to come up with a great logo, look and sound. At a time when formats and brands have become cookie-cutter, The Shark is a one-of-a-kind local radio station.”
Keith Hastings of Hasting Media was the acting PD for the launch of 94-3 The Shark. Keith explains how the idea for the brand, and the audio elements for the sonic branding were created:
“I was hired as an on-site contractor to launch the station. My experience as PD of The Hog in Milwaukee made this a very easy and fun playbook to orchestrate. When you have a character as your station icon, the charge is to make the unseen version of that character jump to life on the airwaves. Rich and I worked together to arrive at the “quint”-essential “crunch” sound effect that jumps out of the speakers as a shark bite. This becomes the audio logo of the station, for use in nearly all imaging production, and eventually stands on its own with no call letter support, a la the WEBN frog. And all “Jaws” puns aside, when you name your station The Shark and you’re on Long Island, you evoke every salient memory of the iconic Spielberg movie every chance you get. Hence, it was a short putt for Rich and I to call on his guitar chops to create a “Shark” riff and use it as signature audio in imaging pieces throughout the station and on the TV spot. I always press for what I call “Technicolor” thinking when creating audio, so sonic branding is really just an extension of this thinking, and it creates amazing stations that quickly brand as much more than just a source for music.”
We created a sonic brand using a guitar riff and a shark bite crunch. Listen to these examples. http://soundcloud.com/rich-van-slyke/94-3-the-shark-rich-van-slyke
Lenny Diana is the new Program Director for 94-3 The Shark:
“We have the brand. We have the sound. Now, it’s time to develop the personality. As we staff up, create promotions, and program the music, we will build the Shark into a full blown 3-D character. It’s all about bringing the Shark to life. And the sonic branding is the key. Here at 94-3 The Shark, every week is shark week!”
“We’re gonna need a bigger boat!”
Rich Van Slyke does VO for KUFX San Francisco, WBIG Washington, WWWQ-HD2 (989 The Bone) Atlanta, WWSK Long Island, KXTG Portland, KISS San Antonio, WGRD Grand Rapids, WRIT Milwaukee, KCFX Kansas City, KKFM Colorado Springs, KDFO Bakersfield, WEGR Memphis, WZEW Mobile, WKQZ Saginaw, KIGL Fayetteville, WKZQ Myrtle Beach, WTMM Albany, KZOZ San Luis Obispo, KQWB Fargo, KTUX Shreveport, KZND Anchorage, WIXO Peoria, WRMR Wilmington, KKPL Fort Collins, WRZK Tri-Cities, XFM Nairobi, and the Production Vault Classic Rock. www.richvanslyke.com 770.962.4788 richvs@bellsouth.net
