Sound, in its many manifestations, plays an essential role in modulating human emotions. Brands are fully integrating this aspect by actively choosing sounds and music in their communication elements. However, awareness of the benefits of sound in enhancing a brand’s image does not guarantee that they appreciate the importance of working with professionals to design a bespoke sound identity.
” Many brands prioritise the visual aspect but neglect sound in their branding, tinkering with stock music that lacks originality. This has a direct impact on the public’s perception of a brand,” says Sami Berrabah, Creative Director at Brandy Sound. In this article, he explains the challenges facing brands and how Brandy Sound helps them to create their sound identity.
Sound identity: a lever for differentiation and performance for brands, not to be overlooked
Music makes brands perform. Just look at companies like SNCF, for example. When well thought out, a sound identity lasts over time and guarantees a lasting media presence.
The objective behind a sound identity is to embody the brand using a well thought-out, distinctive and qualitative musical vocabulary. However, this notion of quality is sometimes neglected, particularly on digital media. ” We can see that brands are putting a lot of effort into the music they synchronise with TV commercials. They don’t hesitate to pay a lot of money for well-known titles or for tailor-made music with real artistic ambitions behind it. But when it comes to digital, we get the impression that things are cobbled together without any real thought, even though it’s a channel that can’t be ignored. At Brandy Sound, the sound identity is applied to all communication media, particularly digital media (social networks, YouTube, corporate videos, etc.), regardless of quality.
The Brandy Sound method in 3 points
From needs analysis to the creation of a complete sound identity, the Brandy Sound method unfolds in three key stages:
1. understanding our clients
Understanding our clients means being able to see beyond what they are.
At Brandy Sound, the focus is on taking the brief, whether it has already been done by the client – in which case it will be challenged – or not. ” When we receive a brief, the first step is to really understand it. What are the client’s values? What is their ambition? What is their story? Who are their targets? It also means going beyond the identified needs, digging deeper into the brief and identifying additional strategic and creative opportunities.”
Brandy Sound consultants generally carry out an in-depth audit of the company and explore good and bad practice in its sector. ” We don’t want to fall into the expected and repeat the same sound codes in our creations. Understanding the brand and its environment allows us to surprise while remaining accurate in our creations”.
2: Expressing your customers’ DNA in music
Once the brief is set, the creative machine can get under way. The Brandy Sound method consists of proposing relevant and original sound elements without necessarily breaking any codes.
” We have processes that enable us to give precise musical and artistic direction to the creative process, the aim being to translate a DNA, values and ambitions into music. The teams also work to find the right sound balance, while considering the paradoxes that can define a brand. For example, we worked with a B2B company that was very human-oriented and offered a highly innovative digital solution. How do you find a sound identity that highlights the human element and innovation?
3: Creating a multi-media sound identity
” Our first aim is to embody brands in music, but also to create consistency in their communications. We make teams’ work easier by providing them with a complete sound charter tailored to their operational needs. A brand adapts its resonance depending on whether it is communicating on television, in telephony or at a major event. It needs to adapt its communication, both visually AND musically, according to the points of contact involved.
Read also: Why is sound identity essential for brands?
Brandy Sound, a passionate agency serving B2C and B2B brands
Brandy Sound is made up of two divisions. The Consulting division, through its consultants, accompanies clients from the brief to the delivery of the sound territory. It acts as a bridge to the Creative Department, where sound designers, arrangers, composers and the artistic director responsible for creating the sound elements work side by side. ” At Brandy Sound, the consultants speak the language of the clients as well as that of the creative people, as many of them produce music in their private lives. They know the subtleties of sound. So clients have someone who can translate their brief into music.
With a team of experts passionate about music and communication, and 10 integrated studios dedicated to music creation, sound design, voice-over and post-production, Brandy Sound helps brands stand out from the crowd with a strong sound identity.
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