Sound Branding

Your Sound. Everywhere. Always.

GROVES Sound Branding

Specialist in corporate and brand sound

Making

brands

audible.

GROVES
Sound
Branding

Getting

brands

heard.

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Our mission

We develop, produce and implement sound concepts for brands.
We always think in terms of “sound” and convey a clearly defined brand experience.

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Our vision

An emotional, differentiating and consistent brand presence at all sonic touchpoints, thus creating auditory brand equity.

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where we are active

Our head office is located in Hamburg. You will find agencies in London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Shanghai, Dubai und Santiago de Chile.

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Our mission

We develop, produce and implement tailor-made sound concepts. We always think in terms of “sound” and transport a clearly defined brand experience across all relevant applications and touch points.

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Our vision

Achieving a consistent, differentiating and emotional brand presence at all sound touch points.

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Here's where you can find us​

We have our headquarters in Hamburg, with representation in London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Shanghai, Dubai and Santiago de Chile.

Our system for developing sound identities

This is what we do.​

By “Your Sound” we mean your own sound – not the sound of one of your competitors. It is specifically about differentiation and the creation of brand value through recognition. “Your Sound”, also means a sound that suits you and one that can reproduce the brand attributes and personality audibly.

“Everywhere” refers to the contact points of the brand. Each visitor or customer should have a similar perception and experience the same associations with the brand through all communication channels. The applications and touch-points such as telephone, TV, radio, social media or POS are no exception.

“Always” means systematically using sound analogous to the visual corporate identity – all the time! Consistency is important. For this purpose, guidelines and contact persons are necessary to ensure correct and optimal use.

Why Sound Branding?

A sound identity adds brand-value in the following areas

Identification

through a uniform appearance at all points of contact

Differentiation

through distinctiveness from the competition in the auditory/audiovisual channel

Emotionalisation

through the purposefully controlled effect of music in general

Brand memorability

by providing a learnable brand element on an auditory level

.

Added value of a sound identity

A sound identity offers brand added value in the following areas

"Possessability" of the elements

Investments in sound-relevant, communicative measures increase the value of the brand

Holistic consideration of auditory measures

Viewing the auditory customer journey & involving the application & touchpoint managers for the “status quo” and “desired status”

Flexibility in terms of adaptability

Concept of a sound DNA that can be integrated in all initial and future sound elements

John Groves about Sound Branding

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Why Sound Branding is importatnt

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More videos can be found here.

Awards
Red Dot Award
BOB Award
Better Sound Award
Verbund Challenge
Deutscher Wirtschaftsfilm Preis
Store of the Year Award

Our terminology

We have listed the most common terms for you here.

The strategic development and implementation of a Sound Identity. It consists of Sound Branding Elements, Sound Dimensions and Brand Voice. It ensures that coherent and clear auditory signals are sent consistently in all contact points and applications – including corporate communications and, when applicable, in the products themselves.

This is the audio counterpart to a visual logo and one of the most common elements of Sound Branding.

A jingle is a short slogan, verse, or tune designed to be easily remembered, and as part of a Brand Sound Identity, can be a key Brand Sound Element. It can be derived from the hook or main theme of a Company Song, and can contain the Sound Logo. To make this clearer, let’s look at an example of the brand “LBS”: If a Company Song used a hook line such as “We give your future a home – LBS”, when this hook line was used alone it would be termed as a jingle. The Sound Element that uses just the three notes that represent “LBS” is the Sound Logo.​

Establishing the optimal music styles and genres that will best fit the brand and transport its values most effectively. They determine the way a brand is perceived in all points of contact. Together with the elements of Sound Branding and the Brand Voice they form the Brand Sound Identity.​

A piece of music composed exclusively for the brand that makes a brand association. Ideally, it is has a recognisable theme, hook-line or element, such as a Sound Logo that is used in other Brand Sound Elements.​

The Brand Score is an illustrative instrumental piece that quotes the Sound logo or integrates the Brand Hook-line. It can an instrumental version of the brand song or a re-arrangement. It provides an acoustic backdrop for corporate communications, reflecting the brands values. Examples of application areas include backing for radio and TV spots, company films, background sound for events and POS sound. T – if available – are integrated.​

Sound Branding items in their shortest form. They are commonly fragments of other Brand Sound Elements, such as the Sound Logo. The most well-known examples are roll-over sounds on websites or signal tones in for navigation. Even the shortest sounds are capable of triggering a brand association when derived from the Brand Sound Identity.​

The speaker voice, which best reflects the brand values. The most important parameters in the selection are sound of the voice, pitch, volume, rhythm and re-recognition. The Brand Voice should be used consistently in all applications and touch points.​

The sounds used in the product itself. They identify the product using sound e.g. MacBook start-up sound, and differentiate it from competitors. As functional sounds they can supply information on status, help with navigation and provide alarms and warnings.​

The consistent build-up of a brand’s own Sound Identity. Analogous to the visual identity, the sound elements are derived from the brands values and its positioning. The function is to provide a highly recognisable and uniform Sound Identity. Design areas are: Sound Branding Elements, Sound Dimensions and Brand Voice.​

Sounds exclusively produced for the brand as part of a Brand Sound Identity. These include: Sound Logo, Brand Song, Sound Icons, Brand Score or Brand Hook-line. All of these elements should reflect the brand values in their Sound Dimensions and differentiate themselves from the competition and from already existing sound elements in the communication environment.​

Music pieces or sounds, which are derived from the brand song. They do not have the structure of songs – with verses and refrains – but are pads or sequences with little harmonic change that are intended to steer and control the atmosphere of a space. Their style and genre is defined by the Sound Dimensions and documented in the Brand Sound Guide.​

A web loop is a looped segment of Brand Song, SoundScape or other brand Sound Element used on a web site, often in combination with Sound Icons for roll-overs or page-turns.​

This is the sound heard when telephone callers are put on-hold. It can be a version of the brand song or a soundscape, and will usually contain the Sound Logo and the company voice.​

A Brand Sound Element sound for use in mobile phones. It provides brand recognition whenever the phone rings by playing sounds derived vom the Brand Song or Jingle, containing the Sound logo or Brand Hook-line. Ideally, it is special equalised to provide the beast result in a small loudspeaker.​

We talk of a Sound Tattoo when a Sound Logo is overlaid onto an existing piece of music in a matching tempo and key.​

The strategic development and implementation of a Sound Identity. It consists of Sound Branding Elements, Sound Dimensions and Brand Voice. It ensures that coherent and clear auditory signals are sent consistently in all contact points and applications – including corporate communications and, when applicable, in the products themselves.​

This is the audio counterpart to a visual logo and one of the most common elements of Sound Branding.​

A jingle is a short slogan, verse, or tune designed to be easily remembered, and as part of a Brand Sound Identity, can be a key Brand Sound Element. It can be derived from the hook or main theme of a Company Song, and can contain the Sound Logo. To make this clearer, let’s look at an example of the brand “LBS”: If a Company Song used a hook line such as “We give your future a home – LBS”, when this hook line was used alone it would be termed as a jingle. The Sound Element that uses just the three notes that represent “LBS” is the Sound Logo.​

Establishing the optimal music styles and genres that will best fit the brand and transport its values most effectively. They determine the way a brand is perceived in all points of contact. Together with the elements of Sound Branding and the Brand Voice they form the Brand Sound Identity.​

A piece of music composed exclusively for the brand that makes a brand association. Ideally, it is has a recognisable theme, hook-line or element, such as a Sound Logo that is used in other Brand Sound Elements.​

The Brand Score is an illustrative instrumental piece that quotes the Sound logo or integrates the Brand Hook-line. It can an instrumental version of the brand song or a re-arrangement. It provides an acoustic backdrop for corporate communications, reflecting the brands values. Examples of application areas include backing for radio and TV spots, company films, background sound for events and POS sound. T – if available – are integrated.​

Sound Branding items in their shortest form. They are commonly fragments of other Brand Sound Elements, such as the Sound Logo. The most well-known examples are roll-over sounds on websites or signal tones in for navigation. Even the shortest sounds are capable of triggering a brand association when derived from the Brand Sound Identity.​

The speaker voice, which best reflects the brand values. The most important parameters in the selection are sound of the voice, pitch, volume, rhythm and re-recognition. The Brand Voice should be used consistently in all applications and touch points.​

The sounds used in the product itself. They identify the product using sound e.g. MacBook start-up sound, and differentiate it from competitors. As functional sounds they can supply information on status, help with navigation and provide alarms and warnings.​

The consistent build-up of a brand’s own Sound Identity. Analogous to the visual identity, the sound elements are derived from the brands values and its positioning. The function is to provide a highly recognisable and uniform Sound Identity. Design areas are: Sound Branding Elements, Sound Dimensions and Brand Voice.​

Sounds exclusively produced for the brand as part of a Brand Sound Identity. These include: Sound Logo, Brand Song, Sound Icons, Brand Score or Brand Hook-line. All of these elements should reflect the brand values in their Sound Dimensions and differentiate themselves from the competition and from already existing sound elements in the communication environment.​

Music pieces or sounds, which are derived from the brand song. They do not have the structure of songs – with verses and refrains – but are pads or sequences with little harmonic change that are intended to steer and control the atmosphere of a space. Their style and genre is defined by the Sound Dimensions and documented in the Brand Sound Guide.

A web loop is a looped segment of Brand Song, SoundScape or other brand Sound Element used on a web site, often in combination with Sound Icons for roll-overs or page-turns.​

This is the sound heard when telephone callers are put on-hold. It can be a version of the brand song or a soundscape, and will usually contain the Sound Logo and the company voice.​

A Brand Sound Element sound for use in mobile phones. It provides brand recognition whenever the phone rings by playing sounds derived vom the Brand Song or Jingle, containing the Sound logo or Brand Hook-line. Ideally, it is special equalised to provide the beast result in a small loudspeaker.​

We talk of a Sound Tattoo when a Sound Logo is overlaid onto an existing piece of music in a matching tempo and key.​

More info?

Corporate Song

The 5 most common Mistakes in Sound Branding

Podcast

Podcast Music Kit

Background

Audio Branding

GROVES Sound Branding is a member of the Audio Branding Society
https://www.audio-branding-society.org

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