The Sonic Branding Process: Getting Started

As the demand for sonic branding grows, so do the questions around how a global sonic studio like Made Music Studio approaches the process of building a sonic identity.

If you are joining the increasing number of companies who have recognized the need to invest in sonic branding, your journey has already begun. It means you’re in a place where you’re ready to build emotional connections with audiences using one of our most primal senses – the power of sound. Based on research, sound does quite a lot on the subconscious level that can benefit your brand and business — building brand attribution, heightening emotional appeal, decreasing perceived wait times when used effectively, and more.

Let’s say you’re on the other side of RFPs and the pitch process and you’ve landed on the sonic branding agency you’ve hired to work with you (Made Music Studio, no doubt. *wink*). You might be wondering what happens next?

We know that one of the most vital elements to ensure success on each project are the people doing the work, which is why a meeting of the core teams happens during an introductory kick-off between Made Music Studio and any new sonic client. Our Executive Music Producer, Producer, and Client Success Lead are prepped and ready to begin onboarding, which means setting the stage for all the phases of work and inputs it will take to get to the finish line.

The first phase of onboarding involves a series of stakeholder interviews — because we know the people who know your brand the best is you. Since we are in the business of translating brand strategy — not creating brand strategy — this moment to sit with key stakeholders to understand their knowledge, excitement, and hopes for the brand is key to the process.

Who is a stakeholder? It can be anyone from the teams that make up your brand, such as: Executive Leadership, Apps and Digital, Consumer Marketing & Advertising, Events, Sponsorships, Recruitment, Social Media, Customer Service, Retail, and Consumer Insights. Partner Brand and Advertising agencies are also invited to the table.

During these interviews, questions can range from exploring the biggest priority projects of the year, to departmental pain points being faced (whether sound-related or not) and employee pride (“What makes you proud to work here and nowhere else?”). The answers are compiled, and a readout is provided during the sonic branding strategy presentation.

It’s at this sonic branding strategy presentation that you get your first taste of audio as it relates to your brand. Using input from the stakeholder interviews, as well as competitive audits and other learnings, Made Music Studio facilitates a creative session. These wildly fun and collaborative sessions are like visual mood boards, but for sound. It allows you to hear your brand strategy – and where the brand is going – in real-time, and provide feedback using emotional, evocative language that our creative team can respond to.

Don’t just take it from us. Our past clients have often said these sessions are “the best meeting all day” or that they sit through music presentations often but “this was one of the most well organized, well put together, informative presentations of my career.” Even in these remote times, it’s doesn’t dampen the spirit. Another client said, “Usually I dread two-hour meetings, but this was the fastest and least painful two hours of my life. Even over Zoom.”

It’s good news that the first step into the sonic branding journey is a fun and collaborative one! In fact, the entire journey is full of moments like these, ultimately leading to a cohesive sonic identity system, ownable and unique to your brand. How’s that sound?

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