Sound, Simplicity and the Selling Message
Quick! What do you think of when I say . . . Motel 6?
If you said, “We’ll leave the light on for you,” congratulations; that cave you thought you were living in may be dark, but it isn’t soundproof. Consider that you saw only two things in the chain’s signature TV spots: the inside of Tom Bodett’s eyelids and the Motel 6 logo, consider that Motel 6 today enjoys the highest brand recognition factor of any economy lodging chain, then consider the power of sound when it comes to building a brand.
Sound is second only to smell in its capacity to evoke emotions, trigger memories and create a connection. In the case of Motel 6, it was the sound of Tom Bodett’s voice and his down-home delivery that built a brand, even when delivered through the visual medium of television. Music, especially when it’s combined with easily remembered lyrics, is especially effective at making an impression that sticks. If you’re a Baby Boomer, odds are you can still hum the Marlboro theme song, a jingle that hasn’t aired for over 30 years. Plus, everybody knows that:
“My baloney has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R . . . ”
“Sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don’t.”
And for those pesky flesh wounds, “I am stuck on band-aid brand and band-aids stuck on me!”
Tying a signature sound to the actual, unique and recognizable sound of the product at work is especially ingenious. “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh, what a relief it is” turned Alka Seltzer into a household name. While more recently, Harley-Davidson has patented the unique sound of their full-throated hogs.
On the local level, our agency worked with sound guru Gary Smith to rework Pachabel’s ‘Canon in D’ into a music bed for Enstrom Candies. Whether in a radio spot, TV commercial or their on-hold message, it has, for years, served as an effective audio identifier for their famous almond toffee. For First National Bank of the Rockies we worked with Gary to create an original piece of music that has become an integral component of their branding creative and has helped them gain market share in a highly competitive industry.
Other examples of local advertisers effectively utilizing the power of sound:
“Coloramo . . . pass it on.” This cheesy little ditty may make you want to pass on Coloramo altogether, but you sure do remember it.
Alpine Bank. You can’t hear this simple ring-in without knowing what’s coming. Some may use it as a warning, but still . . . it does stick.
“The most fun you’ll have buying a car.” A curious position to stake out as it’s questionable whether “having fun” is a top priority for most people in the used car market. Yet, in a brand recognition survey, Modern Classic Motors would probably rank high among used car dealers.
When it comes to new media, especially the Internet, the opportunities for leveraging the power of sound become even more interesting. Even though the web is primarily a visual and text medium, selective and strategic use of discrete audio support can add an additional layer to the web experience, making it an even more powerful vehicle for creating branding that sticks.
The key here is discretion. A continuous-loop audio bed that loads and plays with a page is an inconvenient distraction that could slow down the interactive process, annoy the user and negatively impact the branding effort. But an interactive clip that is launched at the visitor’s option can be intriguing, as You-Tube has so successfully demonstrated. Or, using Motel 6 as an example, capturing the user’s event of leaving their web site with the “We’ll leave the light on for you” slogan as an audio sign off could further reinforce the company’s position statement in a non-invasive way.
So if you’re using electronic media, don’t forget to leverage the power of sound. Step outside the box, consider the possibilities and don’t be afraid to experiment. Keep it simple, make it catchy, tie it to your key selling proposition, then commit to it over time. The results could be music to your ears.
Dan Ryan