Sonic branding is more than just the ending

Alexander Wodrich, managing director at why do birds, explains why it is increasingly important to integrate brand elements, including audio, early on in commercials.

I remember how my colleague Carl-Frank coined the phrase “ending is branding” at my old agency. We were discussing how branding works in advertising. This was at a time when numerous commercials were coming out where we actually had no idea which brand was being advertised. It was almost like a guessing game. They didn't want you to know. They kept the suspense going for 28 seconds and then solved the mystery when the logo appeared. The branding took place in the last two seconds – “at the end.” There are still examples of such commercials today, but far fewer.

Why is that? Many commercials are not watched for the entire 30 seconds, and no marketer wants to risk not being noticed. Ads on social media can often be skipped. As a result, most viewers eagerly wait for the word “skip” to appear. And in a world where we are bombarded with advertising, there is little patience and little willingness to engage with brand messages. And so, skip they will.

Consequently, if a brand wants to be noticed and remembered, it is becoming increasingly important to integrate brand elements into the story. For example, the more often a brand name is mentioned and the more often you show a brand-related, clearly identifiable visual element, the more likely it is that the brand will stick in your memory.

Sound is a very important element in this regard. Back in the “ending is branding” days this meant that a sonic logo was played in the last two seconds of a commercial. This still holds true, but as mentioned above, it is not enough. A recent study by System1 and TikTok has shown that adding brand elements to the intro of a commercial with sonic brand elements increases brand awareness more than adding visual cues.

That's why brands are now starting to place their sonic logos at the beginning of commercials to ensure that the target audience knows which brand is being advertised right from the start. To further strengthen the brand, the music in the commercial should also be branded. Melodies and sound design elements developed specifically for the brand can be woven into the music and promote brand awareness.

Last but not least, the brand voice is a strong distinguishing feature. And an element of trust. It should be used consistently and continuously.

Commercials are getting shorter and shorter. If you only have 15 or, in the worst case, six seconds to promote your brand, nothing can be left to chance. The risk of the target audience associating a short, funny story with your main competitor's brand is too great. If you argue that a two-and-a-half-second sonic logo has no place in a six-second commercial, get creative.

Turn your sonic logo into the soundtrack or create a short 0.5-second brand identifier derived from the sonic logo. But for heaven's sake, don't go unnoticed.