• Los Angeles Times, Wednesday, July 5, 2006 11:15 AM

The Marines may be looking for a few good men, but most marketers are desperately searching for a few good notes--musical notes, that is. It's called a sonic brand, and research indicates that it resonates strongly with consumers. "There's nothing more powerful than music," said Tena Clark, the 52-year-old founder of Pasadena-based DMI Music & Media Solutions. "Music is processed immediately in the brain's emotional core. If we can harness that, advertising will impact people in ways they've never imagined." The goal is to create not a traditional jingle, but just a few notes--maybe three or four--that immediately identify a brand in the consumer's imagination. Two good examples are the five tones that conclude Intel's television ads or NBC's three-bell chime. "There are so many more media options now that it's important to have a song that can link television commercials, Web sites, and the tunes that play on a kid's cell phone," said Richard Dickson, a senior vice president at Mattel Brands, which is currently trying to develop a sonic brand for its iconic Barbie doll. "We're constantly looking for new ways to communicate with consumers that involve all the senses."

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