It is not, however, only celebrities who feel compelled to sing jingles. Regular people across India are taking sonic branding to another level by interpreting jingles—Nirma's, for instance—with their own spins, from heavy metal to duets.

In the past, Indian brands like Nerolac Paints, Nirma washing powder and Bajaj Scooter used jingles which were melody based, with the brand name mentioned multiple times. Today, in an increasingly cluttered media environment, jingles have been refreshed and modernized to hold the attention of customers. Tunes no longer just repeat the brand name, but are used in a manner where the core brand idea is tied to the music more creatively.

Perhaps an Indian brand that is best remembered for its music is Titan watches. The 25th symphony of Mozart, which was used as Titan watches’ signature tune during its launch in 1986, has become an integral part of the brand. As Simi Sabhaney, president of O&M Bangalore, who has worked on this brand, explains, “the music score selected for Titan exuded enthusiasm, energy, flamboyance, power, tenacity and triumph, and fitted beautifully with the character of the brand and the organization… Over the years, Titan’s signature music was suitably rendered keeping the sub-brands in mind. Layers of different instruments were added to the original track, [like Spanish and Italian influences for the World Watch collection] depending on the story or mood we wanted to convey.”

Branding experts add that sonic branding is more than just a piece of music or sound that a brand uses in marketing. According to Mohit Jayal, managing director of Wieden & Kennedy, “[In the past,] brands have used jingles to build brand identity. In the time and context, the traditional approach to sonic branding was very effective, but today the consumer has become more sophisticated so the approach needs to be different.”

For sonic branding to be effective, the audio experience across all touch points should be consistent, says Marcel de Bie. Citing an example, he explains, “a coffee brand might use sound effectively in its television and radio campaign, but if the retail environment is noisy, it influences the customer’s experience [and might create a negative perception about the brand].”

“Understanding the context in which the sound is occurring is another important part of sonic branding,” de Bie continues. “What works for one environment (example: radio) might not work for the Internet." While using sound on the Internet, it is important that users can find and control the volume of sound on the website. Designers should refrain from clicky sounds that accompany a lot of Flash sites. Also, one must ensure that the music does not interfere with the content on the site.

Sound is a great medium of expression. It travels across cultures and languages, and touches an emotional chord. In a distributed multimedia world, sound can help unify the brand across all the different touch points. As more and more brands harness the power of sound, they must become aware of the responsibility they hold in using it effectively. Musical decisions should not be based on personal preferences alone. It should follow some strategic guidelines that give some direction to the brand, and create sonic experiences that offer something customers can sing about.     

[4-Aug-2008]