Globally awarded Sydney sound-house Smith and Western have officially launched a new audio branding agency, S&W Sonic Branding.
Dan Higson, co-founder and Executive Producer, said the launch is in response to increasing client recognition of the importance of audio branding.
“As awareness around the potential for sound to engage audiences is on the rise, there has been increased demand for companies to have a dedicated Sonic Branding strategy.”
In Smith & Western’s experience, sound has been overlooked in the past, and treated as an afterthought in the development of the brand ecosystem. As the pandemic caused a surge in audio production though, increasing numbers of brands are realising the importance and power of having their own ‘sound’.
“More and more clients are asking ‘what does our brand sound like, and what makes it stand apart from the pack?’” said Higson.
S&W Sonic Branding is made up of a team of composers, sound designers and music strategists who bring focus to the power of sound, to elicit emotion and engage with a brand’s audience on a primal level.
“We take the time to conduct a sonic audit of a brand to understand how sound and music is being utilised across all the brand touch-points and we maximise the potential,” said Nick West, co -founder and Creative Director.
“Most brands have a set of guidelines that describe the visual branding elements, the tone of voice, the brand pillars and even what fonts to use. However, they often miss a crucial asset in the branding tool kit … sound”.
After years of creating audio defining solutions for clients including Kayo Sports, Medibank, Panadol, The Star and Binge, establishing a specialist sonic branding agency was a natural progression for Smith & Western.
“There are so many areas where a cohesive brand sound can create synergy and cut-through. From an audio logo or Brand Mnemonic, to a full suite of brand music or even button noises on an app, we establish a sonic strategy for our clients to make sure their customers always know it’s them!” said West.
