Sonic branding is bollocks. For years it’s been peddled by agencies as expensive jingles, and as a result, the term has become a lazy shorthand in place of well thought out approaches to sound.
Many legacy music agencies still push six-figure fees for a bespoke “sonic logo,” birthed from extensive workshops and stakeholder interviews.
This approach often results in deliverables disconnected from how people actually experience sound in their daily lives. On top of this, most brands treat audio as a cosmetic layer instead of a foundational brand element.
With this approach, very few have managed to cut through the noise and develop a true audio identity for themselves. The McDonald’s “ba-da-ba-ba-ba” and Netflix’s “badum” are standout examples , but even these are becoming stale in a world with an endless number of consumer touchpoints. (Explore a collection of sonic logos and why they work here.)
In a hyper-personalised media landscape, a one-size-fits-all jingle is woefully insufficient. A modern company needs a comprehensive approach to sound, not just three-second logos that ‘encapsulate’ the entire brand’s identity. Instead, brands should be aiming to create a sonic experience for their audience (you can read about the rise of sonic design here).
Where sonic logos are a static, unevolving tune shoehorned into every advert and social post, a sonic experience is a fluid auditory expression that reaches all corners of a brand. It’s not a sound effect or a musical stamp, it’s an evolving design principle, an auditory expression that flows through every brand interaction.
Traditional agencies will make adaptations of their sonic logos to fit different needs, but the difference is often negligible, so what's the point? Instead, the goal should be to create audio that seamlessly blends with a brand's established style and create immersive environments where sound is not decoration, but infrastructure.
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It’s about creating a sound ecosystem for your brand, motifs of which become instantly recognisable in everything from the retail store’s playlist and customer service hold music, to TikTok content and your AI voice assistant.
Every aspect matters. A holistic system-based approach will enable brands to create a solid audio identity that consumers can latch on to and become familiar with.
These connections with audiences are so important to a brand's longevity, and as a result, pristine chimes are no longer in vogue. Genuineness is king. Creating a sonic experience that is consistent across every touchpoint helps connect with audiences, strengthening a brand's audio identity and making it more human
Look at Apple - their brand’s audio identity is so strong because they’ve taken sound seriously. It’s not just an afterthought to them, but a serious part of brand strategy.
They’ve carefully curated their in-store playlist to fit the brand perfectly, crafted entirely to connect their customers with the ‘feel’ of being inside their stores. Their adverts follow suit, and the iconic Mail whoosh, keyboard click, and text message ping all come together to create an audio experience that is unparalleled in the industry.
In recent years, Mastercard has revolutionised its sonic strategy by developing an entirely new sonic ecosystem (and a haptic one actually). From payment sounds, to hold music, to event experiences - they’ve created a flexible yet cohesive audio identity that functions across cultures and touchpoints.
IMAGINE has taken a similar approach in our work with German retail giant OTTO. Our Find’ Ich Gut campaign required a complete overhaul of the brand's attitude to sound, whilst keeping true to its traditional brand identity.
The result was a transformation from a legacy catalogue-based retailer to Germany’s equivalent to Amazon, and our spring campaign is the start of a long-term strategy to make the brand a cultural asset with true sonic equity.
You don’t have to be a multinational tech giant to cut through either. For Westwing – a premium lifestyle brand – we created an audio profile that matched the brand’s emotional tactility and the elegance of its products.
When thinking about sound this way, it can become an extension of your brand’s proposition and identity. Rather than having a disconnect between audio, visual and product, you create breathing soundscapes that resonate in real-time, across channels, and within culture.
This is why we started IMAGINE – to make a two-way relationship, co-created with audiences, evolving with them and delivering authenticity in a real and transparent way. We could have been lazy, and joined the masses of agencies claiming that “brands use music to connect with customers through emotion”, but frankly, that’s bullshit.
Instead, we believe that in today’s landscape, sound is a primary touchpoint. The brands that thrive will be those who craft sonic experiences that are as fluid, responsive, and emotionally intelligent as their audiences.
Brands need to move beyond mnemonic “bing-bongs” and into living, breathing soundscapes – experiences that resonate in real time, across channels, and within culture. The sonic experience is no longer a luxury; and traditional music agencies that don’t adapt won’t live for much longer.
A multi-instrumentalist and seasoned brand strategist, Shai has shaped the sonic identities of global brands including OTTO, NIVEA, and Westwing. As the former Global Executive Creative Director at MassiveMusic, he pioneered sound-first thinking at scale. Now, as Founder and CEO of IMAGINE, he’s on a mission to transform how brands use music—not as a finishing touch, but as a foundational force for emotional connection and cultural relevance.
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