For centuries, music has been used to help people remember and tell stories. Children are taught songs to help them remember everything from the alphabet to mathematics and even our nation's states. There's a reason for that. Music is a powerful anchor for memory in our brains, and it isn't easily forgotten. For example, if we listed out a few well-known brands and the jingles with which they are synonymous, you could likely name each one effortlessly. For example, consider the brands listed below:
- Kit Kat “Give me a Break”
- Oscar Mayer “I Wish I Was an Oscar Mayer Weiner”
- McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It”
- State Farm Insurance “Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There”
- Lucky Charms “They’re Magically Delicious”
- Huggies “I’m a Big Kid Now”
In all likelihood, when you read the above list, you automatically begin humming or singing the associated jingle or song. This means these companies have devised a successful creative strategy to make sure their advertisements are committed to memory. While the wording of such an ad is important, the jingle or the music bed of the phrase is even more impactful. This element is what helps listeners remember your company.
The following is Zimmer Communication's Director of Sales Carrie Berkbuegler with more information on why music is so important in marketing:
How to Create a Notable Music Bed For Your Brand
There are thousands of music selections you can choose from for your music bed. In fact, the creative services department has access to more music bed lists than you could ever want. There are selections that fit every temp and genre of music possible. The best approach is to let your creative service guys, who are the experts at this, pick two or three and create a few sample commercials. Then listen, let others listen and pick your favorite. Use this same background with every commercial each and every time. Be consistent with it! Consistency is an important part of building a brand. Eventually, you want someone to be able to hear the music...with no words...and instantly identify your brand. That’s the goal, but it does take time.
All About Jingles
Once you are ready to take things up a level, it’s time to invest in a jingle. It’s one thing for people to recognize your brand by the music and your commercial and be able to sing/hum along, it’s next level if they can sing the jingle without hearing the music or jingle at all. Now THAT’s branding. Jingles are a recognizable branding element that is highly memorable. They successfully cut through the noise and allow our brains to instantly memorize the music. It is a “sticking” effect. While this feeling of a jingle being “stuck in your head” might be annoying in some cases, it is your ultimate goal for an advertisement.
Contact our creative services team for a free consultation. Let us help you formulate an actionable creative strategy to find the best music bed and eventual jingle for your brand. Our goal is brand recognition with only minimal if any prompt. Call us today to learn more.
