Sonic logos: can sound influence willingness to pay? Vijaykumar Krishnan Department of Marketing, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA James J. Kellaris Department of Marketing, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, and Timothy W. Aurand Department of Marketing, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA Abstract Purpose – Auditory branding is the association of a non-verbal, auditory identity for a brand. Sonic logos, or “sogos,” are a key element of sonic branding. This paper seeks to examine the systematic influence of an objective property, the number of tones in a sogo, on consumers’ willingness-to- pay for the associated brand. Design/methodology/approach – A laboratory experiment was conducted to test hypotheses. Findings – Findings suggest that the number of tones in a sogo systematically influences willingness-to-pay in a non-linear manner. Sogos with very few (three) tones or numerous (nine) tones are perceived to be less valuable than sogos with a moderate number (six) tones. This influence is mediated by the fluency with which the sogos are processed. Research limitations/implications – Although this study examines only one objective property of a sogo, it lays the theoretical foundation for a new research stream by connecting the processing fluency literature and logo literature to provide objective design guidelines for auditory branding elements. Future research could address the influence of other objective properties such as the contour (ascending/descending) of a sogo. Practical implications – Although sogos are important and costly branding devices, their creation depends on intuition rather than objective parameters. Findings demonstrate that number of tones in a sogo systematically influences willingness-to-pay for the associated brand – a direct economic practical implication. Originality/value – Despite its undeniably central role, sonic branding is a sparsely researched area. This paper demonstrates a strategic outcome for a brand leveraging sound as information. Keywords Sonic branding, Sogos, Processing fluency, Brands, Logos, Music, Consumers Paper type Research paper An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this article. Introduction Sound, in its many forms, plays a central role in branding. Distinctive audio logos such as the Windows chimes or Nokia ring tones are well known throughout the world. Older readers will recall the three-note NBC television network chimes and the ascending scale accompanying the spelling of J-E-L-L-O. Jingles such as “I’m Chiquita banana and I’ve come to say,” “Pepsi cola hits the spot,” and Coca-cola’s “I’d like to teach the world to sing” achieved the status of cultural icons. Wallace (1991) cited the Oscar Meyer song, noting that “Just saying the brand name is usually enough to start ... the jingle playing through your mind” (p. 239). Yet, despite its undeniably central role, there is a paucity of systematic research on sonic branding outcomes. This leads to what Bruner (1990) terms a “precarious dependence” of marketers on musicians for sonic designs. Sonic branding, the authors suggest, is the strategic use of sound to create auditory identity for a brand, leveraging sound as information. Sound as information Information sciences are extensively exploring the “sound as information” idea. According to the NSF report (Kramer et al., 1999) by the International Community for Auditory Display (ICAD), “sonification is the use of non-speech sound to convey information.” For example, auditory icons (Hermann, 2002) are used for auditory display of information at the man-machine interface exploiting commonly held meaning for everyday sounds. For instance, the sound of a bottle filling up could indicate a progressing file download in the background. Geiger counters and Pulse-oxy meters are other traditional examples of use of sound as information. Although branding research on sound as information is sparse, consumer research on responses to music enjoys a long and rich history (e.g. Heinlein, 1928; Gundlach, 1932, 1935; Hevner, 1935, 1936, 1937; Rigg, 1940; Henkin, 1955, 1957). Numerous studies have examined influences of music on consumers (Bruner, 1990; Hargreaves and North, 1997). These include the study of the roles of music in ads (Gorn, The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1061-0421.htm Journal of Product & Brand Management 21/4 (2012) 275–284 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421] [DOI 10.1108/10610421211246685] 275