Commercial Jingles…the process and more.

So how do you get one of those catchy, memorable little songs that will have people singing the name and benefits of your brand?  In our last blog we determined that there is perhaps no better form of memorability in advertising than a jingle.  Case in point…one of our regional jingles that played only in New York, got national attention on the Opie & Anthony radio show which is syndicated across the country.  It was so catchy, they were actually talking about it and playing the jingle on-air for a month.  Here’s a quick sample:

Getting the right jingle:

How do you know you’ll get a commercial jingle that you love?

The first step is selecting the right jingle production company. Look for a company with great credits and an excellent reputation. Most importantly, check out their work and make sure their productions are first rate, musically catchy, lyrically engaging, and stylistically on mark for the companies they are representing. The musical styles featured on their demo reel may differ from what is most appropriate for your company. That’s okay, as each brand is unique and should sound different. The better commercial jingle companies are musically versatile and will stand the best chance of conveying your brand’s message in the most effective way.

Once you find a great company, they will walk you through the process, which should begin with picking your brains to find out the main selling points of your brand, the target audience and what personality, vibe and image you want to convey. You don’t necessarily need to know what style of music you would like or think is best, although it can be helpful if you have a particular style in mind. Once the jingle producer fully understands your brand they would typically suggest some genres of music that they think would be best to target your audience and convey your message. They might even provide a couple of musical references to make sure you’re on the same page and have an understanding of the musical direction they have in mind for your commercial jingle.

The process:

A recording session in the Live Room at Sound Imagination | Imagination Video in Rahway, NJ

Once that is established, the jingle writer may come up with sample lyrics to make sure your message is conveyed correctly.  If you don’t already have a slogan or tag line, some commercial jingle companies will present ideas for this as well.  That should be solidified first before creating the other lyrics.  Lyrics will sometimes change as musical ideas evolve, but you should judge the lyrics on the message.  Many people will look at lyrics on paper and say…”how does it go”?  At this stage in the process, it’s more important to make sure your main selling points are there, and your story is being told correctly.  The music will typically come later.  That being said, the jingle writer may have a terrific musical hook idea for your slogan and name of your brand first before writing other lyrics.  That’s okay…there are no hard and fast rules.  The only thing that matters is the end result.  There are many ways to get there.

The commercial jingle company will then create a demo, or in some cases multiple demos.  These are typically charged at a demo fee, which generally covers the cost of the singers and musicians at a demo rate.  That way, you’re not paying thousands of dollars for something you have no idea whether or not you’ll like.

Once the jingle demo is composed and produced, you’ll have a chance to review.  It typically takes multiple times hearing a melody before it sticks – so play it at least 3 times before concluding whether or not you like it.  Remember, you can’t compare something you’ve heard 1 time to a jingle you’ve heard 10,000 times on the air.  It’s also recommended to play it on a half way decent system, or with good headphones.  Playing it mono off an iPhone is not really giving it a chance.  That’s kinda like walking into a dark room with sunglasses on to judge the Mona Lisa.  : )  That being said, it should sound good on an iPhone as well.  I just wouldn’t recommend that being your first impression.

It’s also important when judging your commercial jingle to not confuse your own musical preferences for what is most appropriate for your brand.  You might love edgy, alternative rock but are trying to convey a friendly, happy vibe for your brand.  The most appropriate musical style for your jingle in that case, would likely be different.  That being said, after hearing the jingle multiple times you should love it!  If not, discuss your concerns about the jingle with your producer and request another demo.  If they have an understanding of what you’re looking for, they should get it right. 

Once you have a jingle demo that you love and would like to use as part of your advertising campaign, most commercial jingle production houses will charge you a final buyout fee for local or regional use.  National jingles sometimes involve contracts and residuals for the singers etc. but we’ll address that in another blog.

How much does a jingle cost?:

A vocalist laying down an audio track for a jingle at Sound Imagination | Imagination Video in Rahway, NJ.

Not an easy question, because it varies greatly depending on the jingle company, the quality of work they do and the level of production they’re putting into your music.  They might create the music track all electronically, or they may hire a couple of musicians, or many musicians.  They may use one singer or many singers.  This all depends on the musical style of the jingle and greatly affects the cost.  The old adage…you get what you pay for is largely true when it comes to jingles.  You might be able to get a cheapo jingle for $1500, but it will likely sound like it was produced by a kid using Garage Band.  A decent local or small regional jingle will typically start around $4,000 or $5,000.  This may sound like a lot of money to some, but keep in mind a great commercial jingle is sometimes used for decades. It’s an investment in making your brand name and message stick for years to come. How many jingles do you remember from your childhood?  What other form of advertising can you remember from that long ago?  Or even yesterday?

A great commercial jingle can be a very powerful tool especially when it gets the proper exposure on-air or online.

Have questions or would like more information on jingles?  Please don’t hesitate to contact us.

email: info@sound-imagination.com

phone: 1-800-41 SOUND (417-6863)