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Soundrise Soundrise Soundrise
Soundrise Soundrise Soundrise

Soundrise connects podcasters with values-aligned sponsors to ensure unique voices, creative independence, and content diversity thrives.

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soundrise branding
(01) Project
Overview

Soundrise is on a mission to ensure independent podcast creators can grow and thrive.

Soundrise is an alliance of purpose-driven podcasts and a new model for creators. The company is an innovation of Market Enginuity, the leader in public media sponsorship sales, representing some of the most iconic stations in the country with critically-acclaimed shows like The Moth, Snap Judgment, Reveal, This American Life, and partner to TED Talks Daily, Religion of Sports, and Night Vale Presents.

(Details)
  • Engagement Flagship®
  • Type New Brand
  • Category Podcast Advertising
  • Services Strategy, Naming, Verbal, Visual
(02) Challenge

Create a disruptive brand ecosystem to power independent voices.

The podcast landscape is changing. Networks are consolidating rapidly at the expense of the creator’s independence. It’s increasingly difficult for independent creators to compete. Original thinkers are exploited, diluted, and muted when their stories should be nurtured, shared, and scaled. This challenge triggered Market Enginuity to hire Motto®. Together, we created Soundrise.

(03) Motto Method®

Our unique brand-building process led Soundrise to market with confidence.

Laying the foundation of a brand requires a methodical process. The Motto Method® has been honed and proven over 17 years to ensure the dots strategically connect. For Soundrise, the process clarified the vision, uncovered the DNA, and set the foundation for success.

Words from the client

Let's work together

“Soundrise now lives up to the promise of creating a better way for the podcast industry. We would not be here without Motto®. Thank you so much for helping us create such a strong brand that we’re so proud to shout out loud.”

(04) Motto Method®
/ Immersion

A 360° immersion into the world of media and podcasting.

The CEO at Soundrise gave Motto® a clear goal: create a brand to support a thriving network of diverse and independent creators with the freedom to tell the stories they want. We conducted internal interviews and collaborative workshops with stakeholders to unpack the company’s strategic direction and brand goals.

(WHAT WE DID)
  • Vision-Casting
  • Trend Audit
  • 1:1 Executive Stakeholder Interviews
  • Strategic Workshops
  • Differentiation Audit
(05) Motto Method®
/ Brand Strategy

A cohesive brand strategy built to nurture the leading voices of tomorrow.

We created a strategy to sustain today’s purpose-driven media and create fertile ground to incubate the leading voices of tomorrow. We chose “Independent Together” as the brand’s rallying cry. Independent Together reflects the most valuable and unique benefit Soundrise offers: a bold and thriving creative class of independent storytellers. It’s the message, movement, and model that catalyzes Soundrise.

(WHAT WE DID)
  • Purpose and Vision Language
  • Positioning Statement
  • Idea Worth Rallying Around™
  • Audience Personas
  • Strategic Narrative
  • Core Values and Behaviors
(06) Motto Method®
/ Brand Naming

A bold name that ushers in a new dawn in audio.

A brand on a mission needs a great name. Motto® developed a robust naming brief to anchor thinking to strategy and outline key themes and criteria to guide the name ideas. We created a massive list of names that felt positive, energized, and on the pulse while signaling confidence and credibility. We decided to name the company Soundrise. It’s a play on ‘sunrise,’ suggesting a new dawn in audio. Soundrise elevates premium audio and independent creators rising together.

(WHAT WE DID)
  • Naming Brief
  • Conceptual Themes
  • Naming Candidates
  • Etymology and Rationales
  • Trademark Advisory and Orchestration
(07) Motto Method®
/ Verbal Identity

A voice that is bold, outspoken, and radically different.

Podcasts unite communities around passions. Their stories open minds, change perspectives, and shape worlds. They allow us to escape, imagine, and explore. Motto® developed the voice of Soundrise to be bold, outspoken, and different. We wrote key messages and an inspiring manifesto to synthesize what the company stands for.

(WHAT WE DID)
  • Voice Pillars
  • Voice Persona
  • Key Messages
  • Copy Beats
  • Brand Story and Manifesto
  • Verbal Guidelines
(08) Motto Method®
/ Visual Identity

A brand system that stands apart in a busy market.

Our mark, “The Echo,” provides a constant visual reference to the brand strategy of amplifying influential journalism and meaningful storytelling. A message can travel incredible distances in the right conditions, gaining volume and impact.

(WHAT WE DID)
  • Vision Boards
  • Logo System
  • Color and Type System
  • Graphic Elements
  • Art Direction
  • Brand Guidelines
(09) Motto Method®
/ Brand Activation

Art direction that activates the brand across all major touchpoints.

Motto® developed art and creative direction to make it easy to understand our vision for creating additional visual assets, website look & feel, and other materials to support the launch and beyond. We delivered detailed guidelines to implement the design language across every communication channel.

(WHAT WE DID)
  • Photography Themes
  • Website Design
  • Social Media Assets
  • Motion Direction
  • Branded Apparel

Are you ready to rally around your big idea?

Let's work together