5 Secrets to Building a Sound That Sticks

From McDonald’s to Miles Davis

Why sound identity is your untapped branding superpower.

In 5 minutes, you’ll learn the secrets behind the most memorable sounds in the world — and how to start shaping your own.

The Big Idea

A sonic brand that works is:

Short (easy to remember, brain-friendly)
Consistent (repeated everywhere)
Culturally resonant (aligned with your audience’s world)
Emotional (hooks feelings before thoughts)
Distinctive (unmistakably yours)

The most powerful sonic brands are emotional and memorable, short and simple, consistent and distinctive, and always culturally resonant — engaging the brain in both emotion and memory. SOURCE

A single guitar riff can carry the whole room.

Simplicity is memorable.

Secret 1: Short & Simple – The 3–5 Second Magic Window

Attention spans are shorter than ever.

Neuroscience and ad research show 1.5 seconds can be enough for recognition if the cue is distinctive. That’s why the sweet spot for sonic branding is just 3–5 seconds.

Brevity forces memorability
Jingles/Sonic Logos = earworms

REFERENCES:

Nelson-Field et al., 2025 (1.5–3 second distinctive assets trigger recall)

Huron, 2006 (Sweet Anticipation: short musical cues and brain efficiency in memory)

CASE STUDIES

McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It”

Five notes that billions recognize, responsible for contributing to a 50% stock value increase in 2003 (date of release). SOURCE

GoCompare's operatic jignle

Over-the-top, funny, instantly stuck. The character + melody became inseparable for UK audiences. FT SOURCE SOURCE 2

Repetition builds memory, just like trains on familiar tracks.

Secret 2: Consistency – Memory Loves Repetition

The more often people hear your sound, the more they trust it. This is the mere exposure effect in psychology. Use your sonic identity across ads, reels, intros, podcasts, events.

Mere exposure effect = repetition builds trust and recall.
Apply everywhere (ads, reels, intros, podcasts,etc.)

REFERENCES:

Zajonc, 1968 (mere exposure effect)

Sharp & Newstead, 2010 (Distinctive Brand Assets, repetition reinforces recall)

CASE STUDIES

'Intel Inside' - the syllables turned into Intel's 'Bong'

Intel’s five-note chime has barely changed since the ’90s — repetition and consistent integration within Intel's marketing and UX made it iconic.

L'Oréal Paris: Because you're worth it

Iconic and revolutionary advertising tagline, originally coined in 1971 by Ilon Specht which was a powerful statement of female self-worth.

L'Oréal Paris brand's encourages women to believe in their beauty and embrace their ambition SOURCE

Music as identity — culture is worn, not borrowed.

Secret 3: Cultural Resonance – Make It Their Anthem

Music works best when it feels like it “belongs” to the listener. Genres themselves carry cultural fingerprints — jazz signals sophistication; lo-fi hip-hop signals creativity and focus; uplifting house signals energy and fun. However, these feelings are not limited to those genres, and different sounds & music can have the same emotional impact.

Sonic branding borrows these genre markers to send signals instantly.

Music must feel like it belongs to the audience.
Genres act as “cultural fingerprints”

REFERENCES:

Anglada-Tort, et al, 2021 (music fit increases brand recognition)

North & Hargreaves, 2008 (The Social and Applied Psychology of Music, genre associations).

CASE STUDIES

Tyler, the Creator's Unique Sound

A distinctive production style, which uses jazz-influenced instrumentation, vintage soul samples, and contrasting sounds to create a luxurious and evolving aesthetic. SOURCE

Calm app's slow, soft textures

Calm’s sound design taps into global wellness culture to target stress reduction in employees. SOURCE

Light takes years to cross the galaxy.

Sound takes milliseconds to reach your heart.

Secret 4: Emotional Tone – Sound Hits Faster Than Sight

Sound connects to emotion quicker than visuals. A single chord can shift mood instantly. Brands that lead with emotional tone become memorable.

Science has identified what contributes to musical emotions:

(1) innate auditory (brain stem) reflexes, (2) contextual association (e.g. paired with your brand), (3) Rhythmic sync (moving to the beat) (4) mimicking the emotion of the music (e.g. soft sounds = tenderness), (5) visual imagery (e.g. scenes, landscapes), (6) autobiographical memories, and (7) musical expectancy (i.e. confirms, delays or violations of the unfolding music), (8) aesthetic judgement (beauty, mastery, meaning).

Sound → amygdala → emotion faster than visuals.
Eliciting emotions by crafting a sonic DNA will elevate your brand → make leads immediately pair refreshment, trust or joy to your brand's sound.
Musical emotions are created through rhythm and instruments that trigger evolutionary reflexes, associating these with your brand/context, imaginary visuals (i.e. storytelling) and your customer's autobiographical experiences, e.g. family, holidays etc., embedded in the conventions of musical genre(s), i.e. musical expectancy and aesthetic judgement.

REFERENCES:

Bouvard, 2023 (Audio ads outperform video for brand recall)

Juslin & Västfjäll, 2008 (music’s mechanisms for emotion induction)

Koelsch, 2014 (brain mechanisms of musical emotions)

Vuust, et al, 2014 (groovy rhythm engages the brain)

CASE STUDIES

Coca-Cola’s fizz & pour

This sound creates an instant feeling of refreshment before you even see the drink.

Coca-Cola also have a five note sonic brand they use throughout their ads. SOURCE

Nature sounds for Wellness Brands

A spa or skincare brand might use flowing water sounds or airy pads to prime relaxation before a single product is shown.

Distinctive, playful, unmistakably unique.

Secret 5: Distinctiveness – Own Your Sonic Signature

What makes you unforgettable is uniqueness. The most successful brands and artists each have a sound fingerprint no one else can copy. Health, wellness, and beauty companies can stand out by owning a sonic palette (e.g., a signature harp flourish, a bell tone, or even a human vocal breath).

Remember Tyler, the Creator's case study. Go deeper with the case studies below.

Unique timbre/motif = recall.
Artists + brands both win with distinct sound fingerprints.

REFERENCES:

Mastercard & Man Made Music, 2023 (77% recall with sonic branding)

Sharp & Newstead, 2010 (distinctive assets matter)

CASE STUDIES

Netflix’s “Ta-dum”

A global sound that cues excitement.

Miles Davis

One muted trumpet note and you know it’s him.

Birth of the Cool (ironically one of Miles' album title).

Beyond Sound Alone – The Power of Archetype & Hook

Sonic branding doesn’t exist in isolation. Visual identity and sonic identity amplify each other. Think of GoCompare: the operatic singer wasn’t just a melody, he was a character archetype — comic, slightly annoying, definitely unforgettable. When your visuals and sound tell the same story, you become more than a logo: you become a coherent narrative.

And don’t forget: in ads, the hook matters most. A sonic logo can reinforce memory, but it should never replace the power of a compelling story or hook. Instead, think of the sonic logo as your signature — the element that cements the memory of your story.

These are the exact questions I ask before my discovery calls. If you’d like help turning your answers into a real sonic identity, you can book a free call with me. We’ll review your Sound Map together and explore what your unique audio brand could sound like.

Let’s Create Your Sonic Identity

I bring decades of experience composing, producing, and performing music, now applied to help brands in health, wellness, and beauty stand out in a crowded digital world.

Want help turning these ideas into a sound identity that’s unforgettable?

👈Book a free discovery call by choosing a time that fits you on the calendar (left).

We’ll explore how your brand can own a signature sound that makes your audience feel first, remember always.

We'll go over your answers, listen to reference sounds, and imagine what your unique sound might be.
You’ll leave with clarity on what your sonic brand could look like — even if we don’t end up working together.

(Not ready for the full package? You can still check out my instrumental music library or join my free music-science community to learn how sound shapes memory, mood, and attention.)

Closing Sentence

Remember: a sound that sticks is short, consistent, culturally resonant, emotional, and distinctive — and now you’ve already started sketching yours.

Bonus Resource for Musicians & Creators

If you’re more on the musician/creator side, I also built a Hit Song Worksheet based on the science of what makes music stick. It breaks down elements like repetition, melodic contour, and emotional contrast, so you can apply the same principles that brands use to create catchy audio logos — but for full songs.

Perfect if you want to write music for ads, campaigns, or simply make your next track more memorable.
Available for just £10.

Buy it here

Not ready to map your sound yet?

Discover more about my sonic branding services here.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse