From Article in Post Magazine June 1, 2009
SONIC BRANDING
Ron DiCesare
Sonic branding is on the rise. More and more companies are recognizing the value and power of audio. Even though the concept of audio identifiers is nothing new, there are countless new ways to harness the power of sonic branding.
BUILDING A FOUNDATION
New York City’s Audiobrain (www.audiobrain.com) is smart about what they do. Owner/ executive producer Audrey Arbeeny names Microsoft’s XBox 360, Virgin Mobile USA, IBM, McDonald’s and four Olympic broadcasts for NBC as recent projects.
Audiobrain goes beyond short mnemonics and has a much broader approach. “Sound branding is the strategic development and deployment of a consistent voice and point of view of a brand,” she says. “We are there putting in the foundation of the house, sonically speaking. Everything else gets built on top of that.” On most projects, Audiobrain is involved in the sonic development very early on. “Most of our clients bring us in at the very beginning when the concept for the logo, or visual, or the product is being designed,” says Arbeeny. “We normally get brought in from the client or a branding firm or a design firm, so we are dealing with the corporate identity people and the brand managers directly. We work heavily on the strategy side, so if there is something strategically the sound needs to accomplish beyond creatively, we are looking to include that within our sound.”
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