What makes a good ”audio logo”? (New research)

Veritonic 2017 Audio Logo Survey

Pandora sent RAIN News Veritonic’s 2017 Audio Logo Index, an assessment of how effective audio advertisements are and which brands in the U.S. and the UK created audio signatures that best connected with customers. Pandora was a partner on the study. The key traits highlighted in the study could be useful signposts for ad agencies looking to strengthen their in-house capabilities for audio as well as for publishers or hosts of audio content who want data to back their appeal as a source of ad money.

The data pointed to marketing spend and longevity/repetition were key factors in the success of an audio logo. The top ten performers in the U.S. were all audio signatures that have been in circulation for several years, and several decades in some cases. The top audio logo in the UK is also a long-standing and familiar one: Pearl & Dean, originally composed and launched in 1968.

Another trend highlighted in the report was the importance of melody in both markets. Audio logos containing any melodic elements outperformed those with none. Sound design and sound effects were linked to lower performers. Melody was especially helpful in driving recall.

Demographic data did have some impact on participants’ responses to audio logos. Millennials gave uniformly higher scores to audio logos in both markets compared with older groups. The younger demographic also posted a similar jump in recall scores.

The study chose its audio logos to cover with the help of two roundtables, one for the U.S. and one for the UK. Pandora Group Creative Director and veteran RAIN Summit speaker Lauren Nagel participated on the U.S. side, as did Steve Keller (CEO of iV Audio Branding) who has likewise presented on RAIN stages. Global Senior Creative Copywriter John Hale and Radiocentre Head of Creative Development Clare Bowen were UK participants. The survey reached out to more than 1,000 panelists in November 2017.

Anna Washenko