Audio Branding
Jodi Krangle
Recent Episodes
“So I got involved in YouTube first, uh, in ‘06, and then audio, I got involved in 2012. I started, like, paying attention in 2013, um, the summer of 2013. I really got heavily in podcasting ‘cause I saw the opportunity and what it could do for people. And like you said, I love voice. It’s a much more nuanced form of communication, but it’s so profound ‘cause, right now, um, even today, even though I think people should have a video component of some sort, when you look at people’s stats, the people that listen to audio are much more engaged in that show than the people that watch the video.” – Chris Krimitsos
This episode’s guest has been successfully growing Podfest Multimedia Expo from what started as a meetup at a local café in 2013 to an international conference with more than three thousand registrants. Content creators have benefited from his knack for community building as they build relationships, their podcasts, and YouTube channels through the platforms he’s provided. These experiences, whether in-person or virtual, are built on his experience as the creator of over two thousand live events in his professional career. As a trendsetter, he quickly identified podcasting’s popularity and responded with a 2017 documentary about the evolving medium called The Messengers: A Podcast Documentary. The film has been placed on YouTube for global distribution after having initially been released on Amazon, where he also had his book, Start Ugly: A Timeless Tale About Innovation & Change, hit #1 in the categories of Business Leadership and HR.
His name is Chris Krimitsos, and in this conversation, we find out more about how he decided podcasting would be such a big thing, what it takes to put together a conference of Podfest’s size, and where he thinks this medium will take us into the future. We’re all about sound here – and podcasting is definitely a part of that. So keep listening to learn more from this encouraging, community-minded, giant in the industry!
As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts.
(0:00:01) - Evolution of Audio Media Platforms
As our conversation starts off, Chris shares his early memories of sound, particularly hearing the nightly train in Long Island as a child. He recalls growing up in the early days of podcasting and talks about how YouTube, Bluetooth, and even the automobile industry all helped shape the course of podcast history. “That eight-year lag between [having] the Bluetooth device in the car and the Bluetooth on your phone to match up,” he explains, “it gave YouTube and on-demand video about an eight-year head start.” We discuss whether podcasting might eventually replace radio altogether, and its advantages over the increasingly commercialized streaming video landscape. “You might have some ads in the front,” he says about podcasts, “but you listen to a person’s voice and you’re not necessarily scrolling for the next audio show. You’re committed to that show for that half hour.”
(0:11:24) - Podcast Platform Dominance Conversation
Our discussion turns to which platforms are dominating the market these days and where podcasters should start when it comes to building a global audience. “If you leave the country or North America,” he says, “everybody’s on Android platforms, so Spotify is dominant. Like in the Philippines, 96% of people consume Spotify or YouTube.” We talk about Google’s efforts to establish its own video and audio ecosystem, and why, fifteen years later, YouTube is still on top. “They’ve siphoned all their equity into YouTube,” Chris notes. “They’ve tried adding different platforms. It just doesn’t work.”
(0:15:44) - Growth and Impact of Podfest
As we wrap up the first half of our conversation, Chris talks about the very first Podfest in 2015 and how much it’s grown since then. “We did so many workshops helping people get started,” he recalls, “and they started calling me for more help, and, at the time, all these tools that we have today were not in existence. So I said let’s all get it right together once a year and compare notes.” He shares some of Podfest’s most memorable moments since those early days, and how the pandemic helped it come into its own. “I just said to myself ‘I’m going to allow it to grow as big as it wants to grow,’” Chris recalls. “And since then, now, you know, we get thousands of people every year at Podfest.”
Episode Summary
- Chris recounts the shift from YouTube emails to podcasting in today’s digital landscape.
- The value of having your own RSS feed, and which platforms are growing the fastest.
- Podfest’s journey from a community event to a globally recognized convention.
Tune in for part two of our conversation as Chris tells us more about Podfest’s literally record-breaking virtual conferences during the pandemic, his tips for using social media to make the most of your podcast interviews, and the weirdest question he’s been asked in an interview.
Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:
Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com
Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/
Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO
Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/
Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)
Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!
https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/
Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy
https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/
Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
“All right, so this happens a lot is that brands will be, especially in agencies, they’ll be coming up on a new campaign and they’ll think, ‘Oh well, you know what, this campaign is going to launch at such date, I’ll throw some audio branding on there.’ And then, from the get-go, then they’re thinking about the audio brand as part of the campaign’s messaging, and that is not what you want to do. So number five is think of your audio branding as part of your brand’s equity and part of your brand’s identity, and do not plan your audio branding around your campaign message. Because then, as soon as that campaign message is gone and thrown out, there goes the audio logo.” – Jon Brennan
This is the second half of my conversation with audio branding expert and founder of Sonic Signatures Jon Brennan as we discuss Jon’s tips for building a successful brand strategy, what Home Depot gets right when it comes to brand consistency, and the future of AI music in audio branding.
As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts.
(0:00:00) - Implementing Effective Audio Branding Strategies
The second half of our discussion begins as Jon talks about the ubiquity of UX sound design and the opportunities it presents for establishing a sonic brand. “You know the sound of your ATM,” he says. “You know you’re using your audio logo. Any place that you have a brand interaction is where you want to use that melody, that sound so that it is more of an ecosystem.” He continues his list of tips for building a successful audio brand, including the importance of marketing versatility. “So number five,” he explains, “is think of your audio branding as part of your brand’s equity and part of your brand’s identity and do not plan your audio branding around your campaign message, because then, as soon as that campaign message is gone and thrown out, there goes the audio logo.”
(0:11:11) - Evolving Audio Branding Strategies
Our conversation turns to the value of a dynamic campaign that keeps up with changing demands. “What you want to do,” Jon says, “is continue to develop and adapt your audio identity through more touch points, more use cases, using it in your new, current campaigns, not just letting it sit there on the shelf from what you created five years ago.” We talk about the growth of AI in everything from editing to composition, and how it fits into a sonic branding strategy. “There’s so much stock music out there now, AI music,” he says, “but still really working with a composer to bring out the specific messaging, and also the action onscreen, makes your advertising so much more interactive to watch.”
(0:14:53) - Advancements in Custom Audio Branding
As our discussion comes to a close, Jon shares an awkward advertising moment that came from relying on stock elements. “I was with a customer this morning,” he relates, “and we were watching a video, and I recognized the stock image that they’re using for a major car company. It was the same stock person that was in a detergent brand.” He tells us how listeners can get in touch with him, and we talk about some of the situations where AI can make a positive difference in branding strategies. “It opens up a whole world of possibilities that were not there before,” Jon says. “So there definitely are great use cases but you still have to bring the quality, because audio is where quality is heard.”
Episode Summary
- How a consistent and collaborative audio branding strategy enhances brand identity.
- The value of dynamic marketing and how AI content fits into building a sonic logo
- How smart devices, AI music, and even Roblox fit into the future of audio branding.
Jon's 10 Best Practices for Effective Audio Branding: https://www.sonicsignatures.io/post/10-best-practices-for-audio-branding
Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:
Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com
Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/
Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO
Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/
Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)
Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!
https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/
Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy
https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/
Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
“That’s right, yeah, and to me, that’s one of the most important steps in the whole process is this research, brand assessment. And then you bring that research and assessment to life in the mood board, and that is what allows you to create something that is so customized to this brand, that it only works for this brand.” – Jon Brennan
This week’s guest is a lifelong audio producer who loves to help brands communicate effectively through sound. He regularly produces voiceover and sound design for brands like Tide, Downy, Cascade, Henkel, Dell computers, and more, and he’s led the creation of such audio branding identities as Amazon Alexa, Hostess, Boomchickapop, and Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey.
His name is Jon Brennan, and since our last conversation, episodes 126 and 127, he joined Sixième Son, a world leader in audio branding, as a senior account executive, where he managed the creation of audio identities for Fortune 500 companies and brands. After two years, Jon returned to lead his own audio branding agency Sonic Signatures in 2024. He enjoys using his love of music and audio to entertain and inspire others, and we’ll be talking a lot about how companies can and should work audio branding into their marketing plans. While Jon has worked with some very large companies in this capacity, the Fortune 500 aren’t the only ones who benefit from this kind of strategy.
As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts.
(0:00:00) - Journey in Sonic Branding Industry
As our episode starts off, Jon tells us about a recent experience with sound, and how it sparked bittersweet memories of his late uncle. “I distinctly heard my uncle’s voice,” he recalls, “and his characteristic laughter coming from the other room, and it’s just like I just thought my uncle Tom was there for a minute and it actually moved me to the point that I just got totally choked up.” He describes his work with Sixième Son and such clients as Boomchickapop and Hostess, and the reason for his return to Sonic Signatures earlier this year. “Going back to my own agency,” he explains, “I’m able to be the creative director, I’m able to write concepts as well as tap other very talented composers to write concepts as well, and I’m just very fulfilled when I’m able to have that creative energy.”
(0:16:56) - Effective Sonic Branding for Regional Companies
We take a closer look at some of Jon’s recent ad campaigns, and he tells us about a particularly memorable sonic branding project for Fireball Whiskey. “You’ve got the dragon who sounds like a demon,” he says, “but then you’ve got this angel choir that is hanging out high above him in the audio spectrum... and so together it makes this disruptive sound that is also very memorable.” Jon talks about how remote studios and audio workstations have changed the recording landscape over just the past two years, and his advice to smaller companies looking to build an audio brand. “If you are active in creating videos,” he explains, “whether those are streaming, broadcast or digital YouTube, you’re creating content that is audiovisual. You’re only going to make it that much more effective when you’re using custom music, custom sounds that pertain to your brand identity.”
(0:22:30) - Brand Identity and Sonic Innovation
As we wrap up the first half of our discussion, Jon tells us the first of his ten essential tips for a compelling audio campaign. “These are the top ten things that are, you know, essential to creating an effective audio brand,” he begins. “So number one, you want to know what your primary business needs are that audio branding can solve.” He shares his step-by-step process for building the right audio logo and how a sonic brand helps clients and their customers see the brand in a new light. “Not only is it memorable attention,” he explains, “but when we go through this audio branding process, we’re going to reveal things about the brand, how you want the brand to feel to your consumer.”
Episode Summary
- Jon talks about his work with Sixième Son on such brands as Boomchickapop and Hostess.
- How remote work has boosted audio branding’s reach and made it more accessible.
- Jon shares the first of his ten audio tips for building a stronger audio branding strategy.
Tune in for part two of our conversation as Jon continues his ten tips for building a successful audio campaign, including the value of brand integration and building a holistic approach to sonic branding, as well as how Roblox, AI music, and UX design all might fit into the future of sound.
Jon's 10 Best Practices for Effective Audio Branding: https://www.sonicsignatures.io/post/10-best-practices-for-audio-branding
Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:
Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com
Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/
Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO
Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/
Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)
Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!
https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/
Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy
https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/
Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
“It’s got to look good, sound good, look good if it is video, but it’s got to sound good, good quality audio, good editing, and it’s got to have enough interesting information that people want to talk about what they heard or they have a pivotal moment or an a-ha or it changes their life. So, and that again is why I am so incredibly passionate about podcasting and just, in general, because, I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this with you, but listening to a podcast literally did change my life with a medical condition that I had.” – Traci DeForge
This episode is the second half of my conversation with founder and CEO of Produce Your Podcast and internationally recognized podcast expert Traci DeForge as we discuss the branding power of podcasts, Traci’s tips for utilizing social media, and her work with the Podcast Professionals Association.
As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts.
(0:00:01) - Leveraging Podcasts for Brand Growth
The second half of our conversation starts with Traci’s explanation of how building a brand’s audio strategy differs from sustaining one, and the challenge of reaching out to an audience without sounding like a sales pitch. “[If] you can think about what’s in it for the audience, then all of the visibility, leads, and sales component happens as a residual of that,” she says about podcasts. “But the most important key is... that it’s got to look good and sound good.” We discuss how podcasts help forge a lasting connection with listeners, and how one podcast helped her overcome a lifetime of migraines. “I really, really share that story,” she tells us, “because it’s not just me going. You can change the world one voice at a time. Like that person’s voice changed my literal life and my family’s life.”
(0:07:07) - Exploring the Power of Podcasting
Our discussion focuses on the growing importance of video in podcasting and whether it’s possible to still succeed as an audio-only production, “If you are currently thinking about being an audio-only podcaster or you are thinking about starting an audio podcast,” Traci says, “absolutely yes, yes, yes, you do need to start the audio podcast or keep the audio podcast.” She explains how much social media algorithms have evolved just over the last year, and her advice for building an audience. “Use the video for shorts,” she suggests. “Use it for shorter segments, use it for social media clips. Use it for that, because if you’re not doing that, that is what’s going to leave you behind.”
(0:15:43) – The Power of Sound in Podcasting
As we wrap up our conversation, Traci tells us more about how she co-founded the Podcast Professionals Association and the role it plays in helping podcasters network and strategize in a quickly changing market. “We have two virtual events a month,” she explains, “where people can connect and have conversations about how they price their business challenges in the industry. How are you facing AI? What happens if you lose a big client? How are you changing your prices?” We also talk about what sets the power of sound apart, including the unique intensity it can spark for listeners. “When you’re fearful and your voice, like, shakes,” Traci says, “like, that’s so authentic and so, it’s just, to me, it is the absolute extension of human emotion, no matter what that emotion is.”
Episode Summary
- The role of podcasts in enhancing brand visibility and lead generation.
- What sets audio and video podcasts apart in an ever-changing media landscape.
- Traci’s work in creating a supportive community for podcast professionals.
Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:
Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com
Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/
Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO
Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/
Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)
Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!
https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/
Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy
https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/
Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
“I really believe in developing the power of an audio brand as the Nike swoosh, as the Amazon arrow smile. Your audio brand should be as recognizable to your personal brand, to your business brand, however you’re leveraging your audio platform. It should be as good a quality, and people should invest in, and not have it be an afterthought. If you think about what people invest in personal branding and visual branding aesthetics, website branding and then, oh, ‘I want to start a podcast.’ And they never even consider that that’s an extension of all of that other investment that you’ve made.” – Traci DeForge
This episode’s guest is the founder of Produce Your Podcast, an award-winning full-service production and marketing agency, and is recognized as an international podcast expert, sought-after speaker, and media contributor. She’s the creator of the Podcast Management Academy, the industry’s only certified podcast manager training program, and co-founder of the Podcast Professionals Association. She’s also the co-host of the Ask Brien radio show on KHTS AM & FM in Los Angeles and has been featured on all three major networks along with CNN, CTV, American Express OPEN, and Radio INK, and is a member of the Rolling Stone Culture Council. Her name is Traci DeForge, and if you’re looking to take your podcast to the next level, you’ll want to hear what she has to say about it.
As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and what the newest audio chats will be about. If you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts.
(0:00:01) – The Love of Audio
We start things off with a look back at Traci’s childhood memories of sound, from calling Dial-a-Prayer to hear stories over the phone to listening to to the radio under the covers at night. “I used to sleep with an AM transmitter radio under my pillow listening to ghost stories,” she recalls, “and when my friends would come over for slumber parties. I would create these elaborate radio shows.” She tells us about how developing her first podcast in 2015 helped inspire her to create Produce Your Podcast. “There are going to be some other busy consultants and business owners,” she explains, “who are going to want to have podcasts, but they’re not going to want to do everything it takes to have it be a broadcast that represents the quality of their brand. And so that’s when Produce Your Podcast was born.”
(0:11:01) - The Power of Audio Branding
Our conversation turns to the differences between audio and video productions, and why just ripping the audio from a video production might not cut it in podcasting.“If you don’t really understand the true power of audio and audio branding,” Traci notes, “then you could get lost in thinking that ‘I’m just going to do a video podcast or video recording,’ or even a video webinar to a degree, ‘and I’m just going to grab the audio off of that.’” We discuss how the audio production works to bring the imagery to life for listeners, and how a podcast lacking that connection can leave its listeners cold. “That can be the point where an audience could fracture from you,” she adds, “because they don’t feel connected to the conversation. So they may stay through that conversation but they may not come back.”
(0:14:39) - The Importance of Audio in Podcasting
As the first half of our discussion comes to a close, Traci tells us more about her enthusiasm for, and her hands-on work with, crafting the right sonic identities for clients. “This is the piece of my business that we’ve grown, we’ve scaled, we have team members,” she explains, “but this is the piece of my business that I have kept selfishly to myself.” She talks about the process she uses to help podcasts build a unique identity and the reward of seeing a podcast connect with its listeners. “When audience members are saying back to you what it is they’ve taken away from your show,” she says, “and that’s connected to one of these sonic identity components we know we’ve done our job.
Episode Summary
- How Traci’s early experiences with sound led to a career in broadcast radio and podcasting.
- The link between audio and video content, and how to effectively utilize both.
- Traci’s strategies for personalizing sonic brand identities and engaging listeners.
Tune in for part two of my conversation with Traci as we talk about the power of podcasting to elevate brand identities, Google’s impact on podcasting algorithms and how YouTube fits into it all, and the story of how a simple podcast episode helped literally change Traci and her family’s life.
Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:
Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.com
Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/
Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVO
Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/
Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)
Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!
https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/
Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategy
https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/
Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy