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Sonic Branding

Sonic Branding

According to The Sonic Boom author Tyler Gray, '97, the sounds present all around us hold hidden meaning. 

Spring 2015

When you hear the phrase 鈥渟izzling fajitas,鈥� what restaurant comes to mind?

The answer is Chili鈥檚, and that鈥檚 not by accident. Others may have invented the popular Tex-Mex dish, but the casual dining restaurant chain became famous for it 鈥� simply because of its sound.

鈥淟arry Levin had the idea to do a version of sizzling fajitas,鈥� says Tyler Gray, ’97, author of , which he co-wrote with sound consultant Joel Beckerman. Fajitas became a hit, and Chili鈥檚 鈥� Levin鈥檚 Dallas restaurant 鈥� went national. 鈥淚n their first-ever commercial, [Levin] put the sound of the sizzling fajitas in. Now they sell millions of pounds of fajita meat a year. Fajitas are all about sound.鈥�

A company鈥檚 sound can be as important to its brand identity as its logo or latest ad campaign, according to Gray, who runs the creative newsroom at PR giant , and Beckerman, whose company teaches businesses such as about sonic branding. Savvy companies understand the significance of sound, which is why spent the 1990s trying to copyright the distinct rumble of its motorcycles, and why others create what Gray describes as 鈥渟weeping brand anthems鈥� that are incorporated into everything from power-on tones to commercial jingles. And whether we realize it or not, sound can influence what we consume and how we feel about a product.

Your Sounds May Be Giving the Wrong Impression

The subtle sounds we create in our everyday lives can have unintended consequences.

Fashion Police The clothes you wear, especially shoes, often send messages through sound. You may think that wearing hard-soled shoes emulates the determined thunk of an executive walking, but they could also be a distraction to your colleagues.

Voice Lessons听Vocal fry, the low throaty vibration made famous by the Kardashians, can have a negative effect on speakers, especially women. And uptalking, an upward inflection that makes statements sound like questions, can make you sound unsure of yourself.

Smartphone Etiquette听Using personalized ringtones or quirky sound prompts can be personally entertaining, but consider how those around you might take them out of context to form unwarranted negative opinions.

Sonic Boom is full of examples of sound-related successes and failures. In 2007, Ford Motor Company was about to release a new Mustang in tribute to the one Steve McQueen drove in the 1968 movie 鈥�.鈥� Ford executives realized that the muscle car lacked the throaty exhaust note of McQueen鈥檚 car, and subsequently, engineers went back to the drawing board.

鈥淲e talked to a guy at Ford … whose title is Mustang noise and vibration engineer,鈥� Gray says. 鈥淗is whole job is to tune the sound of the exhaust for Ford Mustangs.鈥� Similar automotive engineers make sure a Mercedes听door sounds like luxury when it closes.

Some companies, including , go as far as employing neuroscientists to design the distinct start-up sounds their computers and smartphones make. We may not notice, but these sounds influence our purchases, says Gray.

Sounds can also influence our behavior, explains Gray. Supermarkets 鈥減lay music to move you through the experience faster,鈥� he says. 鈥淩estaurants play upbeat music because they want you to hurry up and finish so they can seat the table again.鈥�

But in case all of this makes you feel paranoid, Gray says that being aware is the first step in resisting the subtle tactic. 鈥淭he good thing is that you don鈥檛 have to actually fight the power,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚f sound makes you feel positive [about commercials, products, shopping or dining environments], you should think about what part of that message 鈥� their story 鈥� you liked.鈥� And maybe, he says, you should wonder, 鈥淚s it the whole story?鈥�

听Photo by Geoff Levy, ’13