McDonald's' sign in Harlem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The voice of McDonald’s is a worldwide contest to discover, recognize and reward the most talented singers among the more than 1.7 million employees working in McDonald’s restaurants. From a branding perspective it’s a nice combination of employer branding, employee motivation and public relation. The competition was kicked off in 2005 and in 2011 more than 20,000 employees entered Voice of McDonald’s IV.
Sound Icons are sound branding elements in their shortest design. Common examples are signal sounds at the computer. A computer by Apple sounds different than a Microsoft PC. Another example are sounds in GPS devices. The objective is to trigger acoustic recognition: the development of a unique sound with character and emotional profile.
Do you agree or disagree with this definition? Is anything missing in the definition we use? Please post your ideas in the comments section.
The other night I saw a new Audi commercial on TV. I became curious what is going on in other countries regarding the new Audi Sound Branding. Here are some of the latest TV commercial from Audi.
This one is for the Audi A1. Some sounds “sound” familiar:
Here is another spot for the Audi A7. It is for the US market. Here I miss… Continue reading
Sound Logo is the acoustic match of the visual logo and therefore one of the most commonly used elements of sound branding. It should be a distinctive sound (differentiation) which reflects the brand character (brand fit). Moreover it should be easy to remember (memorability) and flexible enough for usage at the relevant brand touchpoints (flexibility). In most cases it is a short (1 – 2 sec.) melody (Nokia), sometimes just a sound sequence (e.g. BMW). Some refer to it as the soundmark of a brand. The Sound Logo should be used… Continue reading
This is the TV Spot for the new worldwide Coca-Cola campaign (Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Amsterdam). The song for the TV commercial “Can you feel it” is performed by One Night Only, a new upcoming british band from Yorkshire. As stated by Coca-Cola the song is supposed to be the next Coca-Cola anthem!! Very interesting from a Sound Branding perspective: Coca-Cola’s Brand Theme (Motif) is… Continue reading
Have you ever dreamed of to give your favorite band some inspiration? Coca-Cola translates this idea into action. Coca-Cola Music, a new music program that will give teens the opportunity to be part of the creation of a new song and … Continue reading
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Tagged Brand Communication, Branding, Brands and Music, Coca-Cola, Sound Branding, User-generated content
Some days ago I have been interviewed by Christian Schmitt from Vogel Business Media (one of the leading German business publishing groups) about Sound Branding. A special topic is the relevance of Sound Branding for B-to-B brands.
Sound Identity (Sound ID) is the consistent development of a unique acoustic identity for a brand. Along the lines of the visual identity the acoustic elements are derived from the brand values and the brand positioning. The objective is to create a consistent identity with a strong recognition value. Key areas of design are: sound branding elements, soundscapes, soundmarks and brand voice.
Do you agree or disagree with this definition? Is anything missing in the definition we use? Please post your ideas in the comments section.
(Sorry, this post is only available in German. It’s about the congress “How brands sound” from the G·E·M “German Society for Research on Brands and Branding” in Berlin on the 16th November 2010)
Die Gesellschaft zur Erforschung des Markenwesens − G·E·M − ist ein eingetragener Verein mit dem Zweck, die wissenschaftlichen Grundlagen der Marke zu erforschen. Die G·E·M versteht sich als Informationsdrehscheibe für grundlegende und aktuelle Erkenntnisse aus Wissenschaft und Unternehmenspraxis zum Thema Marke. Die G·E·M bildet ein Forum, auf dem sich Wissenschaftler und Unternehmensführer begegnen.
Erst seit einigen Jahren findet eine systematische Einbindung von Klang als Instrument in die Marken-Kommunikation statt. Akustische Markenführung heißt das Thema. Und dieses Thema ist im Kommen unter den Bezeichnungen Sound Branding, Sonic Branding, Audio Branding oder Acoustic Branding.
Mit Klang beschäftigt sich die Klangforschung. Ihre Erkenntnisse wurden beim
3. G·E·M Forum am 16. November 2010 in der Universität der Künste Berlin aufbereitet. Unter dem Motto „Wie Marken klingen. Impulse aus der Klangforschung für die Markenführung“ referierten Wissenschaftler und Kommunikationsexperten.
Sie alle waren sich einig:
Akustische Kennung, Sound Branding und Produkt-Klang stärken die emotionale Marken-Profilierung, die Unverwechselbarkeit, die Identität und Konsistenz im Marken-Auftritt. In der Nutzung des Akustik-Potentials steht die Praxis aber erst am Anfang.
Mit Betrachtungen zur Wirkung von Klang eröffnete der Moderator Wolfgang K.A. Disch, G·E·M Kuratoriumsmitglied, das siebenstündige Forum.
1. Klang ist verführerisch: der Klang, den ich benutze, beeinflusst Menschen.
2. Klang ist Erinnerung: der Klang, den ich einsetze, weckt Erinnerungen.
3. Klang unterscheidet: der Klang, den ich einem Produkt/einer Marke mitgebe, differenziert, …..
Den vollständigen Text und die Vorträge zum Download finden Sie hier… Continue reading
Skoda just came out with a new TV commercial for the Skoda Fabia VRS. From a sound and music perspective this spot is quite a revolution and image shift for Skoda. The spot “Made of meaner stuff” can be seen above.
Compared to the previous spots, e.g below one from Australia, Skoda shifts gears and wants to reposition itself “meaner” and more attractive to the male target group.
What I find very interesting that Skoda is not … Continue reading
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