sonic branding

Musical Logos: An interview with Rajeev Raja – Part 2

December 29, 2021 by Jodi Krangle

“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

Get your complimentary mini e-book and learn how to create your personalized and branded audio branding strategy with my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy.

Do you need a voice talent for your next project? Visit my voice-over website to find out more about how my voice can help you with your audio brand. You can also subscribe to the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube to watch the show’s latest episodes.

Please leave the Audio Branding Podcast a written review or a spoken review so others can find the show on their favorite podcast player!

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/

Musical Logos: An interview with Rajeev Raja – Part 1

December 22, 2021 by Jodi Krangle

“Because we also believe that brands are multidimensional, just as human beings are, right? So, we are multidimensional: we are seen in a certain way by our close friends, we are seen in another way by our family, close family, we are seen in a third way by our colleagues and associates, right? So, we are multidimensional, and brands also need to express themselves in different ways depending on the environment that they are in.” — Rajeev Raja

This episode’s guest is the former National Creative Director of ad agency DDB Mudra as well as one of India’s finest jazz and fusion flautists, with a number one album on the iTunes India charts for three weeks running. He’s the founder and “soundsmith” of BrandMusiq, the first company in Asia dedicated to designing and managing sonic brand identities, and is a creative powerhouse who straddles the two worlds of branding and music.

With over twenty-five years of advertising experience, he’s worked on many of India’s and the world’s top brands and created many award-winning nationwide campaigns. With such strong credentials in music and branding, it’s only natural that Rajeev Raja founded BrandMusiq – a perfect example of how one’s passion can also become one’s life work! Listen in as we talk about the power of sound: how it can make a brand more memorable, and how it can touch and influence our emotions on a daily basis.

The Flute Found Me

Each episode begins with a look back at my guest’s earliest memories of sound, and Rajeev shares a moving account of how he grew up listening to the vinyl records his mother used as a classical dancer in a home that was always filled with music. Soon he began to listen to pop music from around the world, then early jazz, the blues, and then the flute. “Just by ear, I could immediately play it,” he says. “It was as if I’d found the flute, but the flute found me.”

Music on a Higher Level

Even after he’d settled into a successful career as an advertising professional in Mumbai, music still called out Rajeev, and he faced a choice between following his two passions. When he realized how essential music can be for branding, and how few companies had really tapped into its potential, he founded BrandMusiq. As he puts it, “we can elevate music to a higher level, compared to the way it was used generally, which is a good old jingle that happens on a radio spot or a TV spot but doesn’t reflect the essence of the brand.”

One Brand, Many Expressions

Next, we talk about MOGOs, or musical logos, a term he created that’s quickly taken off in the business world. Rajeev uses his flute to give us a beautiful firsthand demonstration of how subtle changes can affect the mood it creates in surprising ways. “The beauty is once you’ve created your sonic identity,” he says, “which the MOGO, the musical logo, is, as we’ve said, a big part of, then you can actually start creating different adaptations with these different emotions… it’s one brand, but with many expressions.”

Creating a Musical Identity

The first half of our interview concludes with a look at musical motifs and Jungian archetypes, and the power of musical logos to transcend the boundaries between cultures and generations while embracing their unique qualities. “There is a rich tradition,” he explains, “and a science behind this in our Indian culture… and if you listen to the great western composers, you’ll see that they knew that the use of a certain scale or combination of scales, major to minor and etcetera, would evoke certain emotions.”

Episode Summary

Rajeev’s early life and music in Bangalore
How a twist of fate led him to become a flautist
Founding BrandMusiq and the theory of MOGOs
Musical motifs and the power of archetypes
The flexibility and diversity of MOGOs

Be sure to listen next week for part two as we talk about the challenge of branding in a no-contact world, the explosion of sonic branding thanks to social media, and how MOGOs could become as much a part of our personal lives as they are the business world.

Get your complimentary mini e-book and learn how to create your personalized and branded audio branding strategy with my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy.

Please leave the Audio Branding Podcast a written review or a spoken review so others can find the show on their favorite podcast player!

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/

The Sound of Marketing: An Interview with Jeanna Isham – Part 2

October 6, 2021 by Jodi Krangle

“This is about an enhancement. This is about a more immersive experience, not even an immersive audio experience, but an immersive experience because even if we tried and we just wanted to experience one sense, we can’t.”

Jeanna Isham

This week’s episode is the second half of my interview with composer, podcaster, and sonic branding expert Jeanna Isham, where we talk about voice technology and Jeanna’s inspiration as a podcaster, as well as the unlikely sound lessons we can all learn from Disneyland.

A Self-Led Journey

We begin with a quick look at Joel Beckerman’s book Sonic Boom and the subtle but effective audio strategies that Disneyland employs to make each of its themed sections stand out. Jeanna goes on to talk about her podcasting career and how it began as an effort to learn more about the audio side of marketing, and then as a way of sharing what she’s learned with others. “Through all this, I found the lack of sound strategy,” she explains, “and as a musician, I was like, why would you just throw this in? So I started this self-led journey into sound marketing and realized that there was a lot missing.”

The Beginning of Sound

Next, we discuss her Sound in Market online course, which is linked below along with her website. “We go back to the beginning of sound,” Jeanna says, “and realize that we are sound, and we do make sound, regardless of what you think, so why don’t we make it on purpose?” She explains that sound makes a quicker sensory impression on the brain than sight and that user experience and voice AI design in particular can benefit from a more creative audio approach.

“I want to open up the possibilities in your brain. I want your brain to start spinning and thinking independently of what I’m saying.”

Needing to Untether

We wrap up with a look at the future of audio and media technology, both its dangers and the potential it holds. “We have become so oversaturated with technology and visuals,” she says, “and just being on that people need to untether, and just take a break from it.” Jeanna and I discuss Mindshare’s Media Dystopia web series, and the effort to keep up with emerging technology as well as successfully engaging the human beings behind it. “It hurts my heart when something doesn’t land, but it’s because of execution.”

Next week will be my 100^th episode – be sure to check it out!

Get your complimentary mini e-book and learn how to create your personalized and branded audio branding strategy with my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy.

Please leave the Audio Branding Podcast a written review or a spoken review so others can find the show on their favorite podcast player!

This interview episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco.

The Sound of Marketing: An Interview with Jeanna Isham – Part 1

September 29, 2021 by Jodi Krangle

“I really like creating but it is a lot of work and one thing that I have noticed is that companies and even industries do not fully understand the potential of sonic branding.”

Jeanna Isham

This episode’s guest has over twenty years of audio experience, ranging from film composition and production music through the world of sonic branding and sound identity as a creator, strategist, and thought leader. Her company, Dreamr Productions, creates audio identities for companies and brands as well as consulting and educating on sound in marketing and its best practices.

She also produces, hosts, and edits the Sound In Marketing Podcast while teaching courses on The Fundamentals of Sound In Marketing. Her name is Jeanna Isham, and one reason I wanted her on the show is that she’s right there in the thick of things, creating and consulting to help people understand how powerful a strategic and intentional audio brand can really be. Besides that, she’s just a great person doing great things, and that’s something you need to know about.

Memories of Summer

“The sound of cicadas makes me so happy,” Jeanna says, recalling one of the sounds that always takes her back. “I have memories of sitting on my grandma’s back porch sipping ice tea, yelling over the cicadas to talk to people, and that is my happy place.” In the first segment, we take a look at how sound shaped her early life and dreams, from the tranquil hum of the cicadas to the music that helped inspire her as a teenager, from Sarah McLachlan to the Smashing Pumpkins.

It’s Not About Music

After trying her hand at traditional songwriting, Jeanna discovered that creating instrumental melodies and production music appealed to her more on a personal level. She soon discovered, though, that many companies still had a limited view of sonic branding, and hadn’t yet learned how to fully embrace its potential. “What it all whittles down to is that it’s not about music, it’s about sound. And when you take that limitation out of the mix,” she says, “it might come across as daunting, but the way I see it is that it’s liberating.”

The Power of Sound

By using the full power of sound, not just in the form of traditional jingles but in more innovative approaches like ambiance, licensed music, and even Spotify playlists, Jeanna explains how audio branding can make a deeper, more lasting impression than many people realize. “If it was a pleasurable experience,” she explains, “and it was strong enough of an experience, then you are advertising to your customer without having to be present. That’s power.”

Next week we’ll continue the interview with a look at Jeanna’s podcast series, her monthly Sound on Purpose chats, and the direction she sees sonic branding and the future of sound taking.

Get your complimentary mini e-book and learn how to create your personalized and branded audio branding strategy with my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy.

Please leave the Audio Branding Podcast a written review or a spoken review so others can find the show on their favorite podcast player!

This interview episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco.

Interview with Sonic Branding Strategist & CEO of Pirate Group Inc., Tom Eymundson – Part 1

May 5, 2021 by Jodi Krangle

Tom Eymundson is a sonic branding strategist and a partner, CEO and driving force behind the ongoing evolution of Pirate Group Inc. In this first part of our discussion, we break down Tom’s three step process for serving his clients and discuss some of the background that led him to create sonic brands for a wide variety of companies. He’s super knowledgeable and I can’t wait for you to hear his perspective on the importance of having a strategic sonic brand. You can find Pirate at www.piratetoronto.com.

We discuss:

How he’s currently doing in this COVID world
The difference between audio branding and sonic branding
Tom’s definition of sonic branding
Tom’s background that led to ending up as the head of Pirate Group Inc.
Earworms and their impact on Tom’s decision to go into sonic branding
The sonic branding of James Bond
The change in creating music for audio branding from orchestras to now Tom being the trackmaster
The “magic” of adding music to a commercial and how it completely changes people’s reactions
The story of the closing of Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto
How layering music with storytelling and the visual component leads to an emotional connection
The evolution into his current process when creating sonic logos
Breaking down why some sonic identities stick and others don’t
The need to dig deep and figure out the brand identity before being able to create a new sonic logo
Sonic logos are meant to draw brand recall
The goal of creating an emotional reaction to the sonic branding
The sonic branding methodology should lead to truly understanding the background of the sound
When to recreate an audio brand or just refresh it
The process of diving deep into determining the audio branding
The similarities between creating a visual logo and a sonic logo
What Tom’s company does if someone says they don’t like what’s been created!

If you want to find more information about Pirate Group Inc, you can find them:

On their website: www.piratetoronto.com

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piratetoronto

On Instagram: www.instagram.com/pirate_toronto

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pirate-radio-&-television/

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/piratetoronto

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider giving this podcast an honest review? You can do that here: https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding. And if you like what you hear (and read!) – please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you’re interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE download – 5 Tips For Implementing An Intentional Audio Strategy at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Interview with Hamish Macdonald, Managing Director, Squeak E. Clean Studios – Part 1

March 24, 2021 by Jodi Krangle

In this interview, I talk with the managing director of Squeak E. Clean Studios – Hamish Macdonald. Hamish has done a wide variety of projects in advertising, production and post-production, and manages post and production companies throughout America, Australia, England and Asia. I’m super impressed with the work his company does and having international offices allows him to create audio branding for just about anyone. I was excited to get the chance to talk with him about his take on audio branding and what’s in store for the future of Squeak E Clean Studios.

Here are the main talking points of the interview:

His 10 months spent in the US and what it’s been like to be in the US during COVID
He’s been spending time with his team, helping with the integration of Squeak E Clean and Nylon Studios
Hamish is originally from Australia and will be headed back home soon for just a few months
He’s always been interested in production
After some early work, he realized he was more into finding great talent
Hamish fell into working and running Nylon Studios
Audio branding comes into play when looking at what a business needs overall
The merging of Nylon Studios and Squeak E Clean has been bringing the best of both worlds together
Hamish has loved seeing the amazing work that all his teams have done and how they work together
He has created a cohesive culture across all his teams and really values everyone’s individual talents
Depending on where the teams are located, teams’ work ebbs and flows
Hamish is focused on building great relationships with his clients so they can have continual work
Some of his most notable clients and companies he’s worked with are: Square, HP, and Campbell’s
Because of the pandemic, they’ve been able to continually build those relationships and create some really unique things
With each client, they start with who their client base is and who they are trying to reach with their products
The global nature of his combined companies allows for them to reach a variety of companies and help those companies reach customers around the world
For each project, he has all 10 of his composers write for the client to find the sound that the client likes the best
Hamish points out the importance of both a visual and sonic logo
Hamish takes us through his thought process with his team in Summer 2019 to get better at sonic branding

If you’d like to learn more about Hamish or Squeak E. Clean, you can find more info here:

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishmacdonald2/

The Squeak E. Clean Website: www.squeakeclean.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squeakeclean/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squeakecleanstudios/

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

And if you’re interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE download – 5 Tips For Implementing An Intentional Audio Strategy at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Jodi Krangle

Musical Logos: An interview with Rajeev Raja – Part 2

Musical Logos: An interview with Rajeev Raja – Part 1

The Sound of Marketing: An Interview with Jeanna Isham – Part 2

The Sound of Marketing: An Interview with Jeanna Isham – Part 1

Interview with Sonic Branding Strategist & CEO of Pirate Group Inc., Tom Eymundson – Part 1

Interview with Hamish Macdonald, Managing Director, Squeak E. Clean Studios – Part 1

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