Audio Gains Importance as Digital Media Rises
In the “audio renaissance” of the present times, customer interaction with companies and their offering is increasingly driven by audible content so the brand is losing its visual branding power that once prevailed. With the rise of digital media, streaming audio and podcasting gain significant importance, especially as smart speaker systems and other intelligent virtual assistants begin to flood the market. The new norm for consumption shifts to the audio realm, needing organisations to calibrate branding strategies to connect with customers. To this end, signature sounds have become indispensable: sound logos enable companies to reach their target audience regardless of any eye contact and to leave them with an impression that remains in their minds. Sound logos create an audio imprint with the listener.
The Pivotal Role of Sound Logo in Brand Recognition
It may not be always apparent to the general public but a sound logo stands right in the centre of marketing strategies that retailers adopt to strengthen brand recognition and recall. Essentially a flagship product, a sound logo is deeply rooted in the brand’s DNA, distinguishing a company from competitors while allowing the brand to create a bond with customers that goes beyond the visual manifestation of its corporate identity. For this reason, a sound logo is to all effect the acoustic equivalent of a graphic logo, functioning as the audio signature or identity of a brand.
To be successful, sound logos must be instantly recognisable and catchy as much as provoke an emotional reaction in the listener. A sound logo is a concise 3 to 5-second long instrumental, sung or spoken motif and becomes most effective through repetition, which is why it gets used either in combination with the company’s visual logo on TV, brand videos and social networks or as a substitute on audio-only channels such as radio, podcasts and on-hold messaging.
HearDis! Revamps the Audio Identity of Das Örtliche
For years, HearDis! has been working in close collaboration with advertising agency BUTTER. to enhance the brand identity and image of Das Örtliche, a renowned German telecommunications directory. Back in 2013 HearDis! delivered bespoke music for different TV commercials to focus on the brand’s app in several TV-spots such as Festival or Wasserrutsche. After that, we continued our collaboration with the client by producing music for a multitude of its radio spots. Our latest and most exciting project addressed Das Örtliche’s acclaimed sound logo.
"Super Mann" radio spot
Founded in 1924 to help consumers find nearby companies, service providers and private individuals, Das Örtliche is a German landmark for local searches. Its long-standing offering makes the directory medium renowned within the nation, especially given the omnipresence of its jingle centred around the vocal hook Ohne Ö fehlt Dir was (roughly translated to “without Ö you're missing something”). To this date Das Örtliche maintains its status as the most widely used free telecommunications directory in Germany because it recognises the crucial need to remain relevant with the public. This formula also applies to sonic branding efforts by the company, which is why Das Örtliche entrusted HearDis! with the task of revamping its audio identity to be recognised as a modern brand admired and trusted by German folks.
When Audio Logos Become Effective and Applicable on Digital Media
Just as certain font styles or colour palette may move in and out of trend, so do features in music and sound. When it comes to branding, companies have to be able to maintain their authenticity and run with market trends to keep their image modern. As the basic jingle of Das Örtliche already benefited from a strong vocal hook, our work on the sound logo first focused on the delivery of the singing alone: we scouted singers and arranged voice castings and recordings for 20 talents to identify a fresh brand voice suited to Das Örtliche.
On top of that, we carried out a subtle yet crucial modification to the core melody of the sound logo to both facilitate the integration of audio elements in digital media marketing activities as well as making it sound more modern and accessible.
Das Örtliche commercials usually feature a bespoke piece of music while customers share their experience with the service. At the end of the ad one hears the jingle embedded in the piece of music or an adaptation of it. Most of these compositions are written in a positive major key while the jingle itself was originally based on a bluesy minor scale. This made it difficult to “fuse” the two organically. So our main alteration to the sound logo was to change it from minor to major.Georg von dem Bussche, Creative Director / playdis
What’s more we used this new audio logo to create a signature sound that Das Örtliche can utilise as an iconic reference to its brand on smart speaker systems and the growing number of voice user interfaces or intelligent personal assistants.
In the long-standing relationship with Das Örtliche, HearDis! audio branding has supported a wide variety of marketing endeavours by the company. Witnessing the growth of Das Örtliche’s brand identity over the years gives us great joy. Das Örtliche truly understands and appreciates holistic brand management - making the company a cherished client in HearDis!’ comprehensive approach to audio branding.
