By Colleen Fahey
You hear sonic branding all day, everyday, and you probably don’t even realize it. Here are six examples:
- Good morning! Chances are, the first sonic brand you’ll hear today is the sound of your radio or TV’s station ID as you check the news. If it’s an NBC station, you’ll probably recognize the same three notes that your grandfather heard. The instrumentation has been updated, but the tune is reassuringly familiar.
- When you boot up your laptop, you’ll be relieved to hear the sound of your operating system’s unique branded chime signaling that it’s open for business for yet another day.
- When you pay for gas via your mobile Visa app, you’ll hear a less-than-one second sound that tells you your payment has gone through. Visa says that proprietary two-note cue conveys “speed, trust and convenience” to its users.
- If you’re in California during fire season, your Watch Duty app will alert — not alarm! — you with its short but distinctive tone to check wildfire activity and containment in the vicinity. Unfortunately, the app has been opened over 150,000 times since July 1.
- While you’re eating dinner, your Samsung dryer may tinkle out a tune to tell you it’s done with its cycle – and that short tune will remind you of their brand at the pleasant moment when a tedious task is satisfyingly completed.
- Finally, it’s time to relax. You’re ready to choose a movie that suits your mood. You turn to Netflix and there’s the confident “Ta-Dum” sound telling you, “Sit back and relax, we’ve got this.” But that sound is probably due for a refresh. According to Adweek, it was heard so much during the pandemic that many have begun to find it annoying.
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash.
