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Narayanan Ravindranathan
- Music Composer/Producer, Audio Consultant/ Music Industry
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What exactly is Audio Branding Almost everyone in the branding world seem to have strong opinions on the subject and most usually define ldquoAudio Brandingrdquo as ndash ldquo branding with sound or audiordquo. Many have even defined it, as the ldquoJingle/Sonic Signaturerdquoutilities of both are quite different I assure you. Though these definitions may seem quite sufficient for an informal argument on the subject, a closer look would prove otherwise. Many have also argued it to be something on the lines of ldquoold wine in a new bottlerdquo. If such views were to be true, it would be rather difficult to explain the time and money invested towards this form of branding by the top global brands over the past few years. The truth is, Audio/ Sonic/ Sound/ Acoustic Branding synonyms used in different parts of the world is both an art and science, far more complex than it seems and calls for a deeper understanding, for its end result to be even remotely effective. Thankfully, on a global level, the Audio Branding Academy, Hamburg is doing quite a fantastic job in spreading and educating the branding world on the latent opportunities that sound presents in modern brand communication. In the present, fiercely competitive market scenario, top brands have come to realize the absolute importance of using a multisensory approach to brand communication. An article by Professor Charles Spence on Synaesthetic Marketing in the special edition of ldquoWIREDrdquo magazine is a must read in this regard ndash http//www.wired.co.uk/magazine/the-world-in-2013 Professor Charles Spence, the head of the Cross modal Research Laboratory at the Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University and one of the worlds leading authorities on cross modal research, also presented a paper on ldquoEnhancing Multisensory Experiences and Brands Through Soundrdquo and I had the privilege of having a discussion with him at the annual Audio Branding Academy Congress 2012 at Oxford. Audio Branding as a concept is growing in most parts of the world and I would like to think, India is not far behind. As of now, the primary concern with regard to India seems to be a sheer lack of awareness with regard to the scope of the subject and perhaps coupled with, an inherent aversion to change. India still seems to regard the use of branding with sound to be highly secondary to its visual counterpart. Audio Branding in India has been primarily used in the form of music mostly ldquojinglesrdquo for Television or radio commercials and that too as more of an after thought to suit the visual content. Add to this, the choice of music or sound in branding to be largely subjective and driven by personal preference ndash you have a concoction that proves to be largely ineffective on a brand communication perspective. For audio branding to be used as an effective form of brand communication, it is of utmost importance that decisions taken in this regard are far more objective. To attain this objectivity, strategic deployment is key. The strategic and consistent deployment of audio that is congruent to the brandrsquos perception requires that audio branding be considered at the inception of any branding exercise. It also requires that the brandrsquos audio assets be clearly distinguished by its purpose and have maximum adaptability to every possible touch point. The brandrsquos audio assets also need to be protected in the same manner as its visual counterpart. It isnrsquot a secret to branding experts that the existing cultural diversity poses a far greater challenge in India compared to the rest of the world. Cultural diversity brings with it diverse challenges such as diverse languages resulting in diverse interpretations and a host of other subjective qualities arising out of the diverse conditioning distinctive to such cultures. That said, this also presents a huge opportunity to use the overwhelmingly powerful, universally appealing, yet substantially less explored realm of sound as a form of brand communication, provided executed rationally. A casual glance at television commercials in India would clearly indicate the prevalent issues. A good example would be, how most nationwide television commercials sound, when dubbed into different languages. The regional versions are produced primarily a cost cutting measure I would reckon using amateur talent lacking adequate understanding of the nuances of these languages and relevant local culture right from script translation to pronunciation, resulting in their blatant murder and inevitably ineffective interpretation. Surely there is a better way to do this without considerable rise in costs. A slightly more thought-out execution, for starters, could certainly yield better results. In todayrsquos scenario of high speed connectivity and unrestricted file sharing, it would be rather senseless or downright ignorant to settle for a substandard alternative when the best possible, equally affordable solution is only an E-mail away. In this context let us examine a common practice prevalent in the industry. On several occasions, it wouldnrsquot be a surprise to actually come across a tea boy or any other readily available person at the recording studio, who speaks a language, being asked to translate a script. This is not to take away anything from the tea boy mind you, he does quite a commendable job for a task least expected of him. But does this not expose the importance or lack thereof, given to sound in the whole realm of branding It almost appears as though the commercial was originally made for a specific TG and the language variants were later produced only to garner some bonus points if any. I am certain no one would dare ask the next available person to handle their video shoot or edit now would they This is strictly expected to be handled by professionals only and rightly so. If sound/music were to be treated with at least the same care if not more, I donrsquot see how or why it wouldnrsquot yield great results.
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Narayanan-Ravindranathan's Blogs/Portfolios
