Author: John Sanfilippo

Sonic Branding & Small Business: The Perks & The Pitfalls

Last time we talked about authenticity in sonic branding. Here we’re going to expand on that theme and explore how authenticity (or lack thereof) can make or break a small business. As one of my contemporaries Jeanna Isham has said, “Sonic branding is not just for the fortune 500.” She’s right, of course. In fact…


Sonic Branding: 3 Levels of Authenticity

Oh, authenticity. It’s an overused word, isn’t it? But it’s overused for a reason. It’s important, especially in sonic branding. In fact, it’s very hard to build a sonic identity without being authentic. When you’re creating a brand sound, you find yourself taking business owners and brand leaders to places they’ve never been before, especially…


The Problem with TikTok (It’s Not What You Think)

TikTok is obviously very popular these days. Some brands are using it, and some aren’t. In the previous blog we talked about using sonic branding to reach Gen Z on TikTok. Of course, if Gen Z is not your audience, TikTok may not be for you. And not everyone uses it well. It’s very easy…


Want to Reach Gen Z? Find Your Sound and Get on TikTok

I have to admit, like many branding and media professionals, I had dismissed TikTok for a while. That was until I saw this year’s audio indexes. This is where they rank the best performing sonic logos, as well as provide an overview of trends and changes in the audio branding industry. One of this past…


Jingle is not a Genre

A few blogs ago we talked about the full-sing jingle and its recent resurgence. I was suggesting that the format was more relevant now that commercials are often (for better or worse) shorter than thirty seconds. Music and singing are simply a faster means of setting an emotional tone and creating something more memorable than…


Writing for Speaking: 6 Tips

“George, you can type this shit, but you can‘t say it! This is a famous quote by Harrison Ford. He was giving George Lucas a hard time about the dialogue in Star Wars. Worth noting the quote continues with, “…and that’s the year he gets nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay. Right? What do…


The Audio Brand of a Bicycle

Something a bit lighter as the summer season comes to a close. You’d think after working with sound professionally for over twenty years I would have figured this out myself. But I didn’t. I’m always on the lookout for sound solutions in business, but it doesn’t always cross over into my personal life. I am…


The YouTuber’s Worst Habit: The Over-Under

It’s a bit ironic that in a time when media hosts are worried their jobs will be taken over by A.I., many of them already sound like robotic versions of themselves. Let me explain. There’s an odd vocal habit out there that somehow survived the turn of the millennium. I call it the over-under. You…


Big Voiceover: Character or Stereotype?

I want to talk a little more about authenticity in voiceover, but from a slightly different angle. Is less more, or is more more when it comes to voice? Imagine you were having a conversation with a stranger, but you weren’t allowed to see them. It might feel a bit awkward, wouldn’t it? So many…


The Full-Sing Jingle: Is it Coming Back?

From roughly the seventies to the nineties, it felt like nearly every commercial was a full-sing jingle. And when I say full-sing, I’m referring to a commercial that is entirely sung, as opposed to just singing the brand name and maybe a slogan. Those never really went away, especially in certain industries like insurance. But…