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The Truth About Audio Branding

Push Button Blog

Every business wants it, but few know how to get it. I’m talking about instant recognition. The kind you get when you hear a slogan, some piece of music or even see a logo that brings a specific brand to mind.

For starters…

While it’s obviously important that you get your message played frequently with an aggressive media plan, one thing you should never overlook is the importance of the message itself. There’s no point to spending all of your marketing budget on buying the best ad schedule if your message is a little… blah. The great thing about radio advertising is that it’s not as expensive as you might think, and it allows for a whole lot of imagination in the production. Want to film a TV commercial from Maui? It’ll cost ya! Want us to create a radio commercial that sounds like it’s happening in Maui? That bill’s a little easier to manage. Take advantage of this creative freedom and explore a few options.

Your branded message

Now that we’ve established the importance of being creative, you need to figure out what you actually want people to take away from your ad. Every piece of advertising you release should always promote the brand in some form or fashion. Do you want people to perceive you as the low-cost leader in your product channel? Are you more of a service and high-brow brand? These are all questions that should affect the way your ad is written. Finally, make sure you’re clear about what you hope people will do next after hearing your ad. Go to a website, call a number, come in to a physical location? People need to know what the next step in the process is.

Building an audio brand

Just like you would never send a print piece out without your logo on it, we recommend all your audio should be branded with an audio logo. These are simple and relatively inexpensive to create and help you develop a consistency that most lack. Think about some of your favorite audio logos. McDonald’s “Ba-da-pah-pah pah” or NBC’s chimes or any of the others you might know. Build consistency with it and take it across your TV and web audio for maximum effectiveness.

What can music branding or a jingle do for my audio brand?

Music has a way of getting into our heads and triggering emotions on a sub-conscious level. The concept of a “jingle,” a short advertising message in the form of a tune backed by music, was developed in the 1920’s and today continues to be one of the preferred methods for advertisers around the globe. Not only are they great for instant recognition, but they have a long shelf life. Some jingles last decades and never lose their effectiveness! However, the key to a great jingle, or a useless jingle, often lies in the quality of the production. Don’t skimp on this! Just think about it, you are taking the time and effort to engrain your message into your customers’ heads by appealing to several of their senses, don’t waste the effort by limiting the production’s quality.

Developing an audio brand doesn’t have to be a confusing mess. It’s really a simple (and very enjoyable) process! Contact Push Button and we’ll evaluate your branding needs. We always love a challenge!