How to create the right briefing for your sonic branding?

Aline VAUTRIN
Production Manager

You want to create a briefing for your sonic branding? This document will serve as a guide to align expectations between your company and the agency in charge of music creation. It helps translate your vision into sound, considering your brand, your audience, and the goals to be achieved. How can you structure this briefing so that it is both clear and inspiring? Here are the key elements to include.

1. Define the strategic framework of your sonic branding

A good briefing always starts with a contextualization. This first step involves explaining who you are and what place your sonic branding occupies in your overall strategy. Does your brand already have a sound story or is this a first? What is your current image and the one you want to convey through sound?

Start with a summary presentation of your company. Who are you? What is your field of activity? What values drive you? This framework helps guide artistic choices to avoid misaligning your image and the music that accompanies it.

Example: "We are an eco-responsible brand specializing in sustainable fashion. Our creations are inspired by nature and advocate a responsible mode of consumption. Our customers are looking for products that combine aesthetics, quality and respect for the environment."

Then clearly define the objective of your sound identity: will this creation accompany your advertisements? Your website? Will it be used at the point of sale or on your telephone reception? The more specific the destination, the more effective the musical composition can be.

Example: "We want a memorable sound signature for our video campaigns and social networks. It must reflect our commitment and create a strong connection with our community."

2. State your values and the emotions to convey

Your sound should not be thought of independently of your graphic charter and your communication tone. If your brand expresses itself in an institutional and serious register, a refined and harmonious sound atmosphere strengthens this perception. On the other hand, a more dynamic and accessible brand may opt for more impactful sounds.

What emotions to convey?

A simple way to guide the creative team is to describe the main emotion that the sonic branding should convey in the briefing. Should it evoke calm and confidence? Energy and enthusiasm? These indications guide the choice of instruments, rhythms and melodies.

Example: "We want our sound identity to express both serenity and confidence. Our clients should feel a warm welcome and reassuring professionalism as soon as they hear our music."

What are your brand values?

Also identify in the briefing the values that define you. Are you rooted in innovation and modernity? Do you favor an accessible and warm image? Or do you seek to embody prestige and elegance?

This basis will guide the musical style: mechanical sounds can evoke mastery and expertise, a classical orchestration refinement, while modernity can be induced by an electro touch.

Who is your audience?

Your target audience also influences your sound atmosphere. A brand aimed at young urbanites who are fans of new technologies will adopt an electro or pop style. A wellness brand will favor natural and soothing sounds. Ask yourself these questions and write them in the briefing:

Who are your customers? Their age, their lifestyle, their listening habits
What musical style already resonates with them? Are there references or sounds that they instinctively associate with your brand?

Example: "Our audience is made up of entrepreneurs and executives looking for innovative tools to optimize their work. They operate in a digitalized world and appreciate a sound ambiance that is both modern and fluid, which evokes simplicity and performance."

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3. Mention your inspirations and references

The briefing also guides the musical creation by identifying the references that you like and that correspond to your atmosphere. These inspirations serve as benchmarks, without confining the creation to a framework that is too rigid. They allow you to lay the foundations for a coherent sonic branding, aligned with your brand image.

What sound or musical references do you like?

What sounds best translate your DNA? What artists, music, or existing sonic identities resonate with your brand?

Start by naming sonic influences. An elegant and timeless identity might be inspired by the minimalist sobriety of Apple, while a dynamic and connected brand might appreciate the modern and engaging sound universe of Spotify.

Beyond brands, specific musical references help refine the desired atmosphere. A soothing atmosphere might be inspired by the compositions of Ludovico Einaudi, while a more technological and futuristic dimension might be closer to the synthetic layers of Hans Zimmer in Interstellar.

Example: "We are looking for music that evokes both fluidity and modernity, like the work of Ludovico Einaudi. Clean, enveloping melodies, with a subtle digital touch."

What atmospheres should be avoided?

Finally, specify the moods to avoid. If your brand embodies simplicity and authenticity, aggressive rock or overly festive music could be out of step with your image.

Example: "Our identity is based on serenity and elegance. No overly marked rhythms, no overly percussive or cold electronic sounds. We want to avoid any overly festive or exuberant atmosphere."

4. Define technical and distribution constraints

Here, let's get down to specific details. What sound elements need to be created? A sound logo ? Telephone on-hold music ? A sound illustration for your videos? Depending on the media and the points of contact with your audience, the artistic choices will not be the same.

It is also relevant to specify certain technical constraints: duration of formats, need for a variation in several versions, compatibility with specific media, etc. This framework allows you to anticipate needs and avoid late adjustments.

Example: "We need a 5-second sound signature for our videos and podcasts, as well as a long version of about a minute for our advertising campaigns and events."

What are the broadcasting constraints?

Finally, consider technical and legal constraints. Some audio formats are more suitable depending on the media: MP3 and WAV for multi-platform distribution. Also think about copyright issues, particularly whether the music must be royalty-free or whether it will be used on platforms requiring specific licenses.

Example: "The files must be provided in MP3 and WAV, with a version optimized for social platforms. The sound identity must be designed for exclusive use and without copyright restrictions."

5. Specify your expectations and monitoring needs

To ensure that the creation of your sound identity fully meets your expectations, indicate from the outset in the briefing how you wish to collaborate. At Phone Design, some of our clients prefer a completely free approach, to leave it to the composer to explore new avenues. Others prefer a defined framework, with precise references and detailed specifications.

The question of planning is also important. A tight deadline to accompany the launch of a campaign, a broadcast planned for a specific event or a gradual implementation depending on the media? The sooner these elements are anticipated, the better the project will progress with serenity.

The monitoring of the creation must also be defined. Do you prefer intermediate presentations to adjust the musical direction at each stage? Would you like to test different proposals with an internal panel before validation? Smooth communication ensures a sound identity that is perfectly aligned with your vision.

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