With operations in nearly 50 countries and more than US$1 trillion in assets worldwide, Dutch ING Group is one of the largest financial services brands in the world.
While regional operations have evolved and changed over the years, the orange lion and the bold blue serif "ING" are well-known, particularly across Europe and especially in The Netherlands and Germany.
So, when the former ING-DiBa (now simply branded ING) launched its "do your thing" campaign in the German market -- and did so with a different sonic logo -- it was clear that the well-recognized "di-ba-di-ba-du"was being retired.
Alexander Wodrich, Managing Director at why do birds, a Berlin-based design and branding agency, posed an intriguing question on LinkedIn last week: "How do you feel about [a brand] giving up one of the most famous sound logos?"
Established brands often receive criticism when they alter their brand identities. People get attached, sentimentally and even emotionally. After all, those attachments are what the brands are attempting to build in the first place.
Usually, criticism focuses on visual elements. One of the most memorable incidents was The Gap's rebranding in 2010, when the fashion retailer rolled out a new logo that was so heavily criticized they retracted it just three days later.
Is changing or replacing a sonic logo any different? It depends.
The "di-ba-di-ba-du" sound was launched in 1999 for DiBa (Direktbank), before ING obtained majority ownership and renamed it "ING-DiBa" in 2005. It carried DiBa through more than a decade of evolution and change. But it didn't originate with ING.
It's also important to note how heavily financial institutions rely on cultural associations to connect with people. Ever wonder why so many stadiums, teams, concerts, and the arts are sponsored by financial service companies? They do this because their products are all pretty much the same. These associations are one of the best ways to differentiate their brands and reach well-defined target audiences.
ING-DiBa's "di-ba-di-ba-du" was derived from popular music with generational ties.
Based on a Bert Kaempfert instrumental, perhaps more broadly recognized as the tune from Frank Sinatra's as “Strangers in the Night," DiBa has used different voices and carefully selected imagery to conjure feelings of happiness, love, and being carefree. Light and less traditional than what most banks use, it reached exceptional recognizability and recall.
But, no matter how recognizable, the value of associations with popular music can decline if younger generations don't relate to them. Recall is only part of the brand equity formula. It isn't worth much if it doesn't motivate your target audience to make buying decisions.
In addition, ING Group has been making a concerted effort to align brand assets globally over the past five years. Continuing to license popular music would come with ongoing royalty payments as well.
Your thoughts? Do you think the sound ING is using today will reach the same heights?
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