Sonic branding & what is a brief. Case study - Ollie Raphael

Interview with Ollie from Delicious Digital

You've got a number of interviews that go along with this course from various people, and one of them is Ollie from Delicious Digital.

Introduction to Delicious Digital

Tell us a bit about what Delicious does and how companies like that operate.

• They are mainly a bespoke agency.
• They work in branding and TV branding.
• Recently, they've completed a deal with the BBC for the radio station 5 Live.

This partnership is significant because they are doing all their sonic branding.

What is Sonic Branding?

Sonic branding basically means that anything to do with that station, they will write the music for, to give it an identity. Listeners will recognize the music as part of 5 Live, which is a very big deal.

• Sonic branding is often seen as part of sync music, which also includes music for film, TV, or advertisements.
• Would I be right in thinking it's similar to that Intel sound?

Yes, the mnemonics.

The Importance of Sonic Notes

It's clear that this is a massive market. You might think that creating those three or four notes could take just a few minutes. However, you'd be surprised to learn that:

• Those few notes can take weeks to craft.
• Composing a few notes to represent a brand can be much harder than writing a full song.

Those notes must encapsulate the brand's identity in just four to eight notes, which is a fascinating challenge.

Practice Exercise for Students

For those watching this, consider practicing this concept by:

1. Thinking about existing brands.
2. Looking at their logos.
3. Imagining what a sonic branding sound or sequence of sounds would be like.

Emulating Sonic Branding

If you listen to TV stations or advertisements, you can hear that sonic branding.

• Trying to emulate that can provide valuable training.
• It's similar to watching trailers or documentaries.
• Aim to understand the type of music that fits and consider how you could create something similar or even better.

Working in the Industry

As people start to delve into this world, they often work with publishers or for companies like Ollie's bespoke agency.

Understanding the Brief

This industry receives many briefs.

• What is a brief?
  A brief is a description of what a brand or company wants.

Components of a Brief

• Briefs can be sent in various ways, usually as an email. For example, a brief might say:
  • "We're going to rebrand a channel."
  • It highlights specifics that the music should depict.

A brief can also accompany a TV series or film, providing a synopsis to guide the composer.

Final Notes: On this course page, you'll find some examples of briefs that you can check out to get a better understanding of how they work.