Do Jingles Still Work? The Evolution of Audio Branding

For many brands, pouring their heart and soul into shaping their visual brand identities is a common step, whether they’re perfecting their logo for a billboard or nailing down the perfect color palette. But in the modern media landscape, audio branding is just as important as a visual identity, emerging as a critical piece of the marketing puzzle. In fact, a study found that sonic brand cues were 8.5x more likely to produce high-performing ads and 3.5x more effective than all distinctive visual assets combined. 1

Sound has long held the power to evoke powerful emotions and trigger our memories. After all, we’ve all had an earworm from a brand’s commercial. There’s no denying that audio leaves a significant impact on us as consumers, making it no longer a nice-to-have but a necessity for any advertiser. Dive into how audio branding has evolved and learn the best practices for integrating it into your strategy.

What is audio branding?

Audio branding (also known as sonic branding) is the strategic use of sound to create a consistent, recognizable sonic experience of a brand across multiple consumer touchpoints. When done well, audio branding not only keeps a brand top of mind, but it also builds an emotional connection with the listener, using “sonic semiotics” to telegraph brand attributes, meaning, and context. It’s important to note that audio branding is much more than a catchy tune or one sound effect. Instead, it’s a combination of multiple audio components, including jingles, sonic logos, music, voices, functional sounds, and even the sound of a product itself.

Just as your visual identity uses fonts and colors to convey “innovation” or “trust,” audio branding uses pitch, tempo, rhythm, harmony, and more to evoke specific emotions and symbols. Brands can deploy sound across a range of touchpoints, from digital advertising to physical spaces, to in-app experiences, to kiosks and user interfaces. Speaking of harmony, your visual and sonic identities should complement each other. When combined, they form a powerful multi-sensory experience of your brand that improves brand recognition and recall. 2

The benefits of sonic branding

• Brand recognition and recall: In a crowded media landscape, being heard is often more memorable than being seen. By creating a consistent sonic identity, you leverage this natural advantage to stay top-of-mind long after the ad is over, especially during consumers’ screen-free moments.

• Emotional connection: Sound bypasses the rational brain to trigger an immediate emotional response. So, having a consistent and well-thought-out brand voice helps foster a deeper, more personal connection with your audience.

• Attention: Audio ads command 50% higher audience attention, compared to benchmarks across video, TV, social, and display, according to a past study. 3 A company, product, or service with strong audio branding can capitalize on this fact, capturing attention from the first second it’s heard.

• Brand differentiation: Think of Netflix's opening “ta-dum,” a sonic cue that’s instantly recognizable to most even without an accompanying visual logo. A unique sonic signature allows you to stand out instantly and distinguishes you from competitors who rely heavily on visual branding.

Do jingles still work? A look at their effectiveness

The short answer is yes. While considered outdated by some, a jingle can be used successfully to bring brands to mind. We all know State Farm's "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there," or Auto Zone’s iconic “Get In The Zone” theme.

However, traditional jingles (often associated with rhyming lyrics, musical hooks, and sung brand names) have fallen out of favor through the years. A trend towards nostalgia always favors these older jingles, even as a whole new generation is bringing jingles, old and new, to life on popular social platforms. Case in point: TikTok creator Romeo rose to fame (and jingle stardom) when she posted an original, now-viral jingle “Dr. Pepper baby, it’s good and nice. Doo, doo, doo.” The video caught the attention of Dr. Pepper and was later used in an official commercial.

While jingles can still be an effective memory trigger, the sonic logo has risen to claim the top spot when it comes to distinctive sonic assets.

A sonic evolution

Is “sonic logo” just a fancy way of saying “jingle”? That’s a bit like asking, “Is a visual logo just a fancy way of saying 'brand slogan?'”  While they’re both distinctive brand assets, they serve very different functions.

A jingle tends to be a longer composition, incorporating lyrics that often include the name of the brand or product. It’s designed to be a catchy ditty you can’t get out of your head. It’s interesting to note that a little motif embedded in a longer brand anthem (and jingle) can emerge as a standalone sonic logo. This was the case for McDonald’s, where the now iconic “ba-da-ba-ba-ba” was part of a longer musical theme that ended with “I’m lovin’ it.”

Sonic logos, on the other hand, are typically only three or four seconds in length and can consist of sound effects, melodic motifs, and voice, either alone or in combination. While it’s not very often that you sing the brand name as part of the sonic logo, there are exceptions. Consider Liberty Mutual’s sonic logo, which repeats the brand name four times over the course of 12 notes.

Sonic logos are also incredibly effective. Six months after launching their sound logo (the one with the crunch of tortilla chips and sounds of salsa jars), Tostitos reported a 38% increase in brand recall. Similarly, Old Spice's brand audio, which evolved into a successful meme, saw a recognition rate of 87% among Gen Zers, with almost 50% connecting it directly to the brand. 4Additionally, another study found that when it comes to quickly capturing attention and bringing a brand top of mind, four out of five of the top distinctive assets that can claim that distinction are sonic in nature: sonic logos, jingles, spoken brand name, and characters (which often have distinctive voices of their own). 5

This sonic evolution isn’t about just shifting from jingles to sonic logos. It’s also a shift to thinking about sonic identity as a system, where multiple sonic assets are employed depending on the job to be done.

The sonic whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Jingles and sonic logos are considered distinctive sonic assets. By contrast, a sonic identity is a comprehensive audio system that includes every sound that makes your brand unique. From the voiceover in your streaming audio ads to the UX sounds in your app, to the hold music on your customer service line, all these audio touchpoints contribute to how consumers perceive your brand.

This growing shift towards sonic identities mirrors our changing preferences in how we consume media. With digital audio listeners spending over four hours a day with the medium, brands need a sonic identity that lives as comfortably in a podcast and streaming audio platforms as it does in a TikTok video. 6 That might mean using a brand theme combined with a brand voice or adding a sonic logo at the beginning or end of your advertisement.

What’s more, a sonic identity helps build an emotional and trusted connection. Because melodies are flexible in their execution, a melodic sonic logo can be expressed with different instruments, voices, sounds, and tempos. As long as the melody itself remains intact, so does the recognition. A sonic logo can adapt to emotional contexts in ways that visual logos, brand typography, or colors cannot. In fact, 64% of listeners feel a deeper connection with brands that have a distinct sonic identity compared to those depending solely on visual elements. 7 Additionally, one year after MasterCard launched its sonic identity, it reported that 77% of its consumers believe it made the brand more trustworthy. 4

How to develop an effective audio branding strategy

As Steve Keller, Sonic Strategy Director for SiriusXM Media’s Studio Resonate, is fond of saying, “Sonic identity doesn’t start with your ears. It starts with what’s between them.” If you’re thinking about uncovering the sound of your brand, here are some tips to point you in the right direction.

Brand first. Sound second.

When developing a sonic identity, the biggest mistake brands make is starting with the music. Audio branding isn’t about finding a “cool track.” It’s about translating brand attributes and personality into sound.

Before composing the first note, make sure you have a good grasp on the distinct role your brand plays in people’s lives. Know the emotional territory you want to own and the behaviors you want to influence. Think about what you want consumers to remember when they hear the sound of your brand.

If you can’t articulate your brand in human terms, you can’t express it in sonic ones.

Design for memory, not just mood

Music can set a mood, but audio branding must do more than create an atmosphere. It’s not enough to make people say, “I like the sound of that.” The goal is to make them say, “That sounds like you.” The best sonic assets are typically simple, recognizable in seconds, structurally ownable, and flexible enough to adapt to multiple uses and contexts.

Create for context and culture

Sound doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Knowing your target audience is key to creating messaging that’s relevant, engaging, and easy for them to understand. Work to understand universal truths that connect with your audience as a whole, but also work to understand the differences in various cultures or contexts. It’s sometimes a delicate balance, but it can make all the difference in reaching and connecting with your audience at large.

Understanding your consumers’ habits, platforms and devices, and mindsets will guide decisions on whether your sound should be energetic or relaxing and which voice would work the best. For instance, if you play chaotic, high-tempo electronic music in an audio ad that’s promoting a wellness-focused brand, you risk failing to connect with your target customers.

Commit for the long term

Your sonic identity isn’t about using one sound everywhere. It’s about making sure that listeners have a consistent sonic experience of your brand whenever, wherever, and however it’s heard.

Distinctive sonic assets aren’t distinctive “right out of the box.” It takes some time to establish your audio branding and grow recognition. It’s crucial to create guidelines for how and when your brand is heard and be ready to stick with it for the long haul.

Partner with Studio Resonate

From voice interfaces, to podcasts, to streaming audio platforms, to connected devices and AI agents, we’re entering a world where brands are increasingly heard and not seen. Navigating the world of sound and audio branding can feel overwhelming for brands that have historically focused on visual elements (or those who have minimal creative support). Luckily, Studio Resonate is our in-house, audio-first creative agency that can help you develop a sonic strategy that will leave its mark on your audience. Whether you need to develop a sonic strategy or decide on music composition or voiceover casting, we provide full-service audio support to ensure your brand sounds as good as it looks.

Get started with SiriusXM Media

With an audience of 170M listeners, leading solutions, and the creative minds behind Studio Resonate, we have the reach, platforms, and expertise to bring your audio branding to life. 8 

Ready to create your unique sonic footprint? Let’s talk. 

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