Very oftenly, clients and colleages ask me whether all brands should have a Sound Logo. I answer them that the important question before that is whether brands should communicate through sound or not. And if they should, then one should think about how, and a strategy should be depicted. It's amazing how few times this happens, even in public companies. Sound Logo? Maybe yes, maybe no. It can be a terrific weapon and a strong competitive advantage if used properly in the right organization but being honest, it can also be useless in other organizations or brands that don't really know how to handle it.
And then, should Brands sound? Yes. Definately. Whether you want it or not, they do. People pronounce the brand's name, you talk and produce sound's when working with them, the working spaces have a certain sound background producing certain emotions and communicating values (i.e. silence in an architecture studio, nature in a high tech office, a noisy bar or the soundscape of the activity of an executive office). It is not just about the communication or branding approach, humans generally hear, thus, your brand is experienced and communicated through sound. And you must think about that.
In today`s digital world, sonic touchpoints have grown exponentially, in owned, purchased, gained or shared media. Just like a visual logo, the sonic logo enables you to identify and differenciate your brand and produce associations in a simple, short format with tons of qualities, but still, the question is not just whether Disney or the grocery store at the corner should have a Sonic Logo but how shall they use sound to fetch their goals. I remember in the neighborhood I lived in when I was a kid, the magical voice of a greengrocer that used to sing while he worked. It produced inmediate smiles, sales and good vibrations. That was true Sound Branding, and one of the best I've ever known of :)
Juan Corrales | juan@flyabit.es | @juan_corralesr