01Sonic 01CLICK TO PLAY
SONIC VALIDATION
Vodafone Australia
Research report.
Independent market evidence for your sonic identity.
Smith & Western / Sonic Validation
Vodafone Australia|VALIDATED
Evidence for the decision.
Independent market research shows a clear lead direction, with standout emotional resonance, strong memory encoding and the best overall fit with Vodafone.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01.About the research03
02.The shortlisted sonics04
03.The result05
04.Emotional response06
05.Memory encoding07
06.Brand fit08
07.Brand expression09
08.What we learned10
09.The decision11
10.Contact12
About the research.
Measuring what people feel, before they think.
To validate Vodafone’s new sonic identity, Smith & Western partnered with EmotiSphere to independently test the shortlisted sonic logos with consumers. The research combines implicit association testing, which captures fast, non-conscious responses to sound, with explicit measures of brand perception and fit. Together, these measures reveal how each sonic performs emotionally, how strongly it is encoded in memory, and how effectively it connects back to Vodafone, providing clear evidence to guide the final decision.
SONICS TESTED
The shortlisted sonics.
Listen to the final directions taken into independent market testing.
02Sonic 02CLICK TO PLAY
S4_6B
03Sonic 03CLICK TO PLAY
S5_5A
04Sonic 04CLICK TO PLAY
S5_9A
THE RESULT
One direction clearly rises above the field.
S5_9A is the strongest all-round performer. It delivers the highest emotional response, the deepest memory encoding and the clearest explicit fit with Vodafone. Its simple narrative arc gives the sound a distinctive beginning, lift and confident landing.
0
Emotional appeal index
Genpop with S5_9A vs 105.1 baseline
+0%
Brand memorability lift
Genpop vs baseline
+0%
Brand memorability lift
Bullseye audience
0/10
Overall brand impression
Highest explicit score tested
RESEARCH METHOD
Independent EmotiSphere research using implicit association testing and explicit measures. Base size n=150 per sonic-logo treatment for core implicit measures; n=200 per sonic-logo demo for selected explicit brand-attitude measures.
EMOTIONAL RESPONSE
Emotional response
S5_9A is the only sonic logo to significantly lift Vodafone’s already strong implicit emotional appeal.
105.1
Baseline
103.5
S4_6A
101.4
S4_6B
97.8
S5_5A
112.4
S5_9A
ABOUT THIS MEASURE
Implicit emotional response measures the automatic, non-conscious reaction to the brand when paired with each sonic logo. Differences of ±3.5 are statistically significant.
ANALYSIS
S4_6A
Genpop 103.5 (1.6 points below the reference, within the normal variation range). Bullseye 102.9 (2.1 points below the reference, within the normal variation range).
S4_6B
Genpop 101.4 (3.7 points below the reference, a statistically meaningful move). Bullseye 100.3 (4.7 points below the reference, a statistically meaningful move).
S5_5A
Genpop 97.8 (7.3 points below the reference, a statistically meaningful move). Bullseye 96.0 (9.0 points below the reference, a statistically meaningful move).
S5_9A
Genpop 112.4 (7.3 points above the reference, a statistically meaningful move). Bullseye 110.9 (5.9 points above the reference, a statistically meaningful move).
WHAT IT MEANS
S5_9A is the only direction that creates a clear positive lift across both audiences. The remaining directions either hold close to baseline or reduce emotional response, making the lead less about a marginal win and more about a distinct change in automatic brand reaction.
MEMORY ENCODING
Memory encoding
The most emotionally resonant sonic logo also encodes most deeply in long-term memory when heard in isolation.
0.837
S4_6A
0.795
S4_6B
0.666
S5_5A
0.879
S5_9A
ABOUT THIS MEASURE
Memory encoding measures how deeply each sonic logo is encoded in long-term memory when heard in isolation, before any brand context is introduced. Differences of ±0.07 are statistically significant.
ANALYSIS
S4_6A
0.837 Genpop and 0.784 Bullseye. It is statistically close to the Genpop leader and statistically close to the Bullseye leader.
S4_6B
0.795 Genpop and 0.745 Bullseye. It is meaningfully behind the Genpop leader and meaningfully behind the Bullseye leader.
S5_5A
0.666 Genpop and 0.628 Bullseye. It is meaningfully behind the Genpop leader and meaningfully behind the Bullseye leader.
S5_9A
Leads the field at 0.879 for Genpop and 0.823 for Bullseye.
WHAT IT MEANS
S5_9A has the deepest overall encoding, but the shape of the field matters. A close second can still represent a viable memorable idea, while larger gaps indicate directions that are materially less likely to lodge in long-term memory.
BRAND FIT
Built for Vodafone.
S5_9A does more than perform strongly. It creates the clearest connection to Vodafone while separating the brand from competitors.
BEST BRAND FIT
S5_9A delivers the strongest overall fit with Vodafone of the sonic directions tested.
CLEARER DIFFERENTIATION
It creates stronger separation between Vodafone and competitor brands than the alternative sonic directions.
OWNABLE BY DESIGN
All four sonics fit Vodafone better than competitor brands, with S5_9A providing the clearest overall brand ownership.
BRAND EXPRESSION
Strong where it matters. Refined where it helps.
S5_9A combines strong emotional and memory performance with a flexible expression of Vodafone’s brand character.
Curious
S5_9A leads the isolated sonic-logo test for Genpop, while the broader brand lockup results show room to preserve stronger semantic cues in refinement.
Daring
S4_6B provides the clearest cue for Daring. This is a useful executional learning rather than a reason to change the lead direction.
Rock Solid
S4_6B carries the strongest Rock Solid signal. Selected weight and attack cues can be borrowed without compromising S5_9A’s memorable core.
WHAT WE LEARNED
The evidence, distilled.
Emotion leads
S5_9A generates the strongest positive emotional response across both general population and Bullseye audiences.
Memory follows
Its clear melodic contour and cadence create the strongest long-term memory encoding of the four directions.
Refine, don’t replace
S4_6B offers useful cues around Daring and Rock Solid. Those qualities can inform production refinement while preserving S5_9A’s core idea.
THE DECISION
Take S5_9A forward.
Retain its core melodic contour, cadence and “one idea, well told” structure. In final production, explore a firmer opening attack, additional low-end foundation and controlled tension inspired by S4_6B to strengthen selected brand attributes without compromising emotional appeal or memorability.
CONTACT
Your sonic identity.
Ongoing.
As your brand evolves, your sonic identity can evolve with it. For guidance, new applications or updates to your sonic assets, contact Smith & Western.
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Redfern NSW 2016
Australia
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Australia
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