I was recently interviewed by the editor of Adweek regarding the largely overlooked power of the jingle. The argument, brands are missing an opportunity to improve brand recall through audio by attaching themselves to the sounds of an up and coming artist or a veteran as opposed to developing a distinguished and recognizable jingle. Many of us know some jingles can be annoying, but often what annoys us is the fact that they get stuck in your head. Remember this one? “plop plop fizz fizz oh what a relief it is” Can you name this brand? “Da da da da da…I’m lovin’ it.” A good jingle is simple and memorable. And, while a pop song can be memorable, the listener (the target audience) may not associate the song with the brand and sometimes when they do, they’re pissed because their favorite band or artist “sold out.” Building and maintaining a strong, differentiated, brand requires significant investment of time and resources, so why not differentiate the brand audibly as well? I think of at least 10 different things when I hear Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll– and not one of them is Cadillac. Conversely only one thing comes to mind when I hear “plop plop fizz fizz oh what a relief it is.”
