A Sonic Identity Is No Longer ‘Nice To Have' But A ‘Must Have''

In 2012, Rajeev Raja, former National Creative Director of DDB Murda, decided to turn his passion for music into a full-time profession and co-founded a rather unique “sonic branding” company called Brandmusiq. Sonic branding, says Raja, is the audio equivalent of visual branding and his company creates and manages “sonic identities” for brands — just as you identify a brand with a visual, you identify it with a particular sound as well. So far, Raja’s concept and its impressive execution by his team has won the company some prominent clients — Vistara Airlines, HDFC Bank, Kraft Heinz, Tata Salt, Standard Chartered Bank, Reliance Petroleum and Raymond to name a few. In an interview with Amit Ranjan Rai, he explains why sonic identities matter and his plans to grow the business.

For many of us who don’t know, what is sonic branding? Why do you think is it important for a brand’s identity and beyond?

Simply put, sonic branding is the audio equivalent of visual branding. While visual branding is consistent across “touchpoints” it is our contention that brands need a sonic identity across “earpoints”. Sonic branding is nothing but the strategic development of a brand’s unique audio assets leveraged consistently across diverse “earpoints”.

Brands have always realised the power of audio but manifested this primarily as “jingles”. It is important to understand the distinction between a jingle and a sonic identity. A jingle, very often, is created to support the TV commercial. As a result, it may not necessarily represent the brand in its totality. Secondly, a jingle normally has lyrics and forms a part of advertising communication, which requires more time to express itself.

A sonic identity is a comprehensive identity system that creates a subliminal impact of a brand’s persona expressed through its unique sound.

In this digital age of fragmented media and shorter attention spans, speed is of the essence. More and more brands are realising that a sonic identity can help them connect faster and deeper with their customers. And the MOGO® or musical logo is proving to be the shortest distance between a brand and its consumer.

In short, it is dawning on brand owners and marketers that a sonic identity is no longer “nice to have” but a “must have”.

Tell us a little about yourself, your interest in music, journey as a musician, as also your career in advertising…

I was in advertising for over 25 years but I have been a musician all my life.