If you Google search, “The Value of a Logo” you will receive 767,000,000 results. Literally, millions of articles are written about the worth of a logo. However, most of these articles are based on the traditional definition of logo – a symbol or small design adopted by an organization to identify its products. While logos are traditionally visual, modern day brands are not so simple.

According to Martin Lindstrom, author of Brand Sense – Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight and Sound, the most memorable brands engage all five senses. Lindstrom cites an example in which all five sensory experiences are meticulously controlled by an airline to achieve the ultimate synergistic brand. While engaging all five senses of the consumer is ideal, it is often excessive or too expensive. Still, each additional sense employed strengthens the branding message.

So What Does This Mean In A Digital World?

It is impossible to trigger three out of the five senses.

It means that digital brands must use the two senses available. In addition to the visual logo, an effective digital campaign uses branded music and an audio logo.

A recent study demonstrated that ads with music that ‘fits’ the brand are 96% more likely to be remembered than ads with ‘non-fit’ music. The same study showed that when viewing ads with music that ‘fit’, people were twice as likely to purchase the advertised product. Clearly, the right music choice can make or break an ad campaign.

Audio Logos Play A Different Role.

Instead of reinforcing an advertising message like music does, audio logos are meant to enhance brand recognition. Powerful audio logos worm into our brains and stick. Do any of these ring a bell? (…the last one).

NBC – Three tone chimes
Statefarm – “We are farmers! Bum ba dum…”
Intel – “Bum, bum, bum, bum”
McDonalds – “I’m lovin’ it!”
Taco Bell – Low tone bell

I apologize for getting any of these stuck in your head, but I think you get the point. Every brand has an audio identity. By strategically making use of visual and audio logos, your digital brand becomes more memorable against the ocean of competitors.

Keep Fans Loyally Humming an Audio Logo

It’s a fatal sin to hipsters everywhere:

“They Totally Changed Their Sound, Man!”

Why does this spark such ire in band purists’ hearts? And what does it mean for your radio advertising? Whether you’re shooting for more brand recognition or a larger band following, one thing is true: consistency is key.

Though it may be tempting to change with the times and emulate whatever song is at the top of the charts when you’re itching for a new sound, keeping audio elements consistent in your advertising has many benefits. And that’s where audio logos come in handy.

Audio logos – no, not jingles – are the perfect way to maintain a consistent audio brand in just a few seconds. Where jingles are songs that take up an entire ad, audio logos are brief tunes at the end or beginning of your radio spot to make sure your brand never leaves listeners’ heads. From the iconic McDonalds “I’m lovin’ it” to “Nationwide is on your side” (did I catch you humming along?), audio logos have proved to be some of the most memorable audio tools in radio’s advertising arsenal.

Audio Logos Aren’t Just Short and Sweet: They’re Timeless.

We’ve been “ba-da da da da”-ing our way through McDonalds drive-thrus for years, and likely for many, many more. Over the years, we’ve heard it in a million different ways, from Justin Timberlake to light and airy. The simplicity and flexibility of audio logos makes it easy to keep your audio branding consistent through the years. Settle on a slogan and a tune and remix to your heart’s content.

Don’t be a sellout to new music trends. Your brand is more than a follower. With a catchy audio logo, you’ll be in your listeners’ heads for the rest of their drive – and for years to come.