“So brands are trying to find a voice which is sympathetic, which is sincere, and we think music can play a big role in that. Because if you like music, you like it, you don’t judge it. You don’t question the intentions of an artist. You just love the piece of music.” — Rajeev Raja
This week we continue my interview with musician, soundsmith, and BrandMusiq founder Rajeev Raja as we talk about no-contact business branding, sonic branding in the retail market, and the challenge of bringing the nuance of branding to musical logos.
Keeping the Brand Alive
We start the second half of the interview with a look at how the pandemic has changed the relationship between businesses and their customers, and how sonic branding can help preserve a sense of connection even in the absence of face-to-face transactions. “They’ve discovered that having a sonic identity,” Rajeev explains, “transmits an emotion which can actually keep their brand alive in the emotional dimension, and raise their emotional quotient and keep it there.”
The Subconscious Level
After that, we talk about the power of MOGOs and audio branding in the age of social media, the challenge and opportunity to differentiate brands using audio, and the influence it can have on a deeper, more subconscious level than most marketers consider. “When you create a sonic identity for a
brand,” he says, “and wherever the brand is heard, it’s not just about creating a jingle and saying hey, hey, hey, listen to me – it’s also the feeling that you leave behind.”
Mapping Society’s Mood
We wrap up the interview by considering how many different aspects of our lives are being revolutionized by sound and the potential for sonic branding, from custom sounds in electric vehicles to healing sounds in hospitals, and how this new soundscape can reflect and even help improve the mood of our global society. “During Covid, I used to just play healing tunes on the flute, and started sharing it,” he tells me, “and I started realizing the power, the honest feelings that you have. Close your eyes, listen to that piece of music, and it’s like you put the worries of the world away for a while.”
The Theory Behind MOGOs
If you’d like to learn more about Rajeev’s theory of MOGOs, check out his TED talk “The Enchanting Theory Behind MOGOs” at https://youtu.be/hBhREwd-LaM. You’ll get to hear him demonstrate the concept with a beautiful flute performance and learn more about how, as he puts it in the video, a MOGO, or musical logo, is “the shortest distance between a brand and the consumer’s heart.”
Episode Summary
- How audio can help strengthen brand relationships
- Audio branding and the social media revolution
- The power of sound to make a subconscious impression
- How sound can change the way we see the world
- Rajeev’s Theory of MOGOs on YouTube
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This interview episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco.
Connect with Rajeev
Website: https://brandmusiq.com/
The enchanting theory behind MOGOs | Rajeev Raja | TEDxSIULavale: https://youtu.be/hBhREwd-LaM
Follow Rajeev Raja on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rajarajeev/
Connect with Rajeev Raja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeev-raja-1b0b1649/
Listen to Rajeev Raja on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/brandmusiq
Follow Rajeev Raja on Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/rajarajeev/
