Sonic branding in the world of TikTok

Alexander Wodrich, managing director at why do birds, discusses sonic branding on TikTok, and how this powerful tool can help improve brand recognition.

TikTok is an entertainment machine. Open it and you’re stuck. Easily for hours. It’s the mix of sound and images that glues people to the screen. Imagine TikTok without sound. It’s only half the fun. Studies show that over 80% of the viewers want to experience the videos with sound.

The TikTok advertising market has matured, and brand managers are now trying to optimize brand recall. It’s a difficult job. The target audience wants to be entertained. They don’t mind watching advertising as long as they don’t realise it’s advertising. While YouTube ads can only be skipped after a few seconds, TikTok users can swipe to the next clip at any time.

So how can brands ensure that they are recognised when it’s just not in vogue to stick the logo in the top right-hand corner, shout the brand name or position the product bluntly on the screen? This is where sonic branding comes into play.

Sonic branding, or audio branding, or sound branding – call it what you will – describes the strategically designed sound universe of a brand, be it the soundtrack of their videos, the music in their telephone on-hold lines, the UI-sounds of their products or apps, their podcast soundscape or the playlists at their events.

The idea is to create a sonic DNA for the brand – principles that allow you to work creatively and flexibly with audio while maintaining brand recognition. As with any other brand asset, recognition doesn’t happen overnight. The target group needs to learn the sonic brand codes by being exposed to the sound a number of times. However, once this has been achieved, the listener needs less and less time to process and recognise the sound and associate it with the brand in question. The aim is for a brand to be recognised by its sound alone after only a few seconds, even before the brand name or product have been shown. Who wouldn’t want their brand to be recognisable even with their eyes closed? Who wouldn’t want their brand to be recognised even if the viewer skips the video after three or four seconds?

The good news is that the longer a brand sound stays in use, the more the listener gets accustomed to it and the greater the trust and the sympathy for the brand. The target group can strongly identify with a brand sound if it fits organically with the personality and values of the brand.