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.

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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.