I am not Interested in Doing the Most Work, I Just Want to Do the Best Work: Marco Vitali of Sonic Lens Said in an Exclusive Interview with SME Business Review

Marco Vitali, founder and CEO of Sonic Lens, is an award-winning audio branding specialist, creative director, and music producer. With a career that includes crafting impactful sonic brands for Fortune 100 companies and collaborating with Grammy-winning artists like Wu-Tang Clan and Quincy Jones, Marco founded Sonic Lens in 2019. He pioneered the “Music Intelligence” approach, blending data-driven insights with creative strategy. Marco's diverse journey, from a Juilliard-trained violin prodigy to Wall Street and NYU MBA holder, to collaborating with Nile Rodgers, shapes his unique approach to sonic branding at Sonic Lens.

SME Business Review sat down with Mr. Vitali and he spoke about how he leveraged his diverse background to redefine sonic branding, emphasizing both artistic innovation and business acumen. His insights underscore the power of sound in shaping consumer perception and enhancing brand identity. Here’s what he had to say.

Interview Excerpts

How did your early experiences as a child violin prodigy at Juilliard shape your approach to audio branding and music production?

I was practicing an hour a day at age three and played full pieces of music before I was speaking full sentences. I think this shaped the way I think of music – as a form of communication. The art of violin performing is one of interpretation – we are all playing the same music, but it’s our ability to make it say something that touches people and that separates the best from the rest. That’s not just technique; it’s the ability to communicate emotion. When done properly, it’s an incredible feeling to say something visceral that I could never achieve with words. It’s a satisfaction I have never been able to match with language. This is analogous to what sonic branding can do – say something very specific that resonates on a deeper level in a world oversaturated with taglines and visuals.

Your career path has been quite diverse, including a stint on Wall Street and earning dual MBAs from NYU. How have these experiences outside the music industry influenced your work in audio branding?

These non-music experiences are likely the entire reason we discovered a more effective approach to sonic branding. They provided me with a perspective that other music houses don’t have. It’s challenging to discuss music, to contextualize it in a way that allows for strategic framing and planning – a flaw the marketing field has come to accept. However, thanks to my business and analytical background, we have managed to bridge this gap through our “music intelligence” process. I didn’t acquire these skills at Juilliard! I developed them while working with spreadsheets and analyzing fixed income securities. When you evaluate a bond, you scrutinize every element of risk and quantify it to derive a comprehensive value. Similarly, we apply this approach to music – examining every detail, quantifying values for over 500 variables in each piece we analyze, and creating visualizations that marketers can refer to. This enables them to construct a genuine sonic strategy aligned with their marketing objectives. Our creative work is thereby informed by real-world business objectives – which is the essence of effective sonic branding.

What challenges did you face when transitioning from leading roles at top music agencies to founding your own boutique agency, Sonic Lens, and how did you overcome them?

Like everything in life, there are pros and cons to being a boutique. I was recently offered an opportunity to start a big shiny division for a large agency, but it was a churn and burn scenario. I turned it down because I am not interested in doing the most work – I just want to do the best work. I don’t know how to do that without being involved in every project and taking the time and diligence needed to do this properly. My experience shows that size prevents the focus needed to be perfect – and branding is so important it does need to be perfect.

The boutique downside is not having big resources to sponsor parties at Cannes or a PR and sales machine to be top of mind in the industry.  We are still more word of mouth, under the radar. We rely on our work getting noticed, which therefore has to be consistently better than everyone else. We have been solid gold on every project since launching in 2019, so it’s happening – but we are still not on most people’s radar. I am okay playing the long game, however. I believe this is the way to go – being the undeniable best in a service that is extremely valuable and precious to brands. Like I said in the previous interview, Nile Rodgers is one man but David Bowie came to him saying “I want my biggest hit record” before he produced “Let’s Dance”. Same with Madonna and “Like a Virgin”. So, I know my model is sound if I stick it out and keep proving our exceptional value with the work.

You have collaborated with a range of renowned artists and producers, such as Quincy Jones and Wu Tang Clan. How have these collaborations impacted your creative process and approach to projects at Sonic Lens?

Working with legends like them taught me a million lessons, but I will pick one you might not expect — their fearlessness. Of course, it’s based on their incredible abilities and talent — but I think it’s what makes the work exceptional. For example, RZA not only produces music, he directs movies, he acts, he takes risks — like his reinterpretation of Wu-Tang’s iconic 36 Chambers album. I orchestrated that for him, and we performed it in NYC on the 30th anniversary of the release — an entire album with orchestra, break dancers, a kung fu troupe, actors, a street drummer hitting pots and pans, and a samurai! It was a vision he had, and he just did it — three nights only. And when I am with him in the studio or on set, he never holds back any ideas that pop into his head — he’s just open and immediate, never second-guessing. Free flow, fearless! When I watched “Get Back,” showing the Beatles writing music together, I got the same impression — no fear at all. No matter how crazy the idea, it just came out and nobody ridiculed anyone for it — they took it seriously. Unhindered inspiration! I think that helps people like that achieve more. I try to think of that all the time, as I believe the only way to create standout sonic branding is to be fearless — to take risks and not be afraid to be different. It’s hard to do with senior-level clients, which is why we use so much data to back up our opinions — it gives us the ability to share out-of-the-box ideas without scaring people. Don’t forget, it’s scary for marketers to deal with sound as well — especially when it’s defining their master brand. But we have to be bold or we will just be like everyone else.

In our previous interview, you mentioned Nile Rodgers as your mentor. How has his mentorship shaped your career and professional growth?

Nile is superhuman. I have known him for many years now, and I totally love him, and we have a really nice mutual respect, but I am still ‘starstruck’ by his sheer genius and get tongue-tied. It’s kind of pathetic. It happened with Itzhak Perlman too, by the way. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to be like him or using him as a model for what I can do. He is an unstoppable source of ideas and never stops thinking about his work – he barely sleeps. If he thinks of a song idea, he will halt a conversation to go flesh it out in the next room. He’s the ultimate role model and deserves all his success. He’s made the world a better place with his music.

More importantly, he stands as my business model, being a small, specialized agency. He proves that if your work deserves it, the world will eventually notice, and your reputation will become a magnet for clients. He’s just one man, but he has produced every huge act from the '70s through today – they seek him out (Madonna, Bowie, B52’s, INXS, Mick Jagger, Daft Punk, Beyoncé, Dua Lipa +100 more). He’s not a big company; he’s a single man with vision and talent and a track record. That’s my goal – to have that reputation in my industry so I can work on the best projects and really show the industry what’s possible. I feel like I share his level of passion, and I know I share his work ethic. And he respects me, so there must be something I have to offer given whom he surrounds himself with.

What can you tell us about ‘Music Intelligence’ that Sonic Lens utilizes? How does it differ from traditional sonic branding?

“Music intelligence” is what sets us apart in our field of sonic branding. It’s the term we use to describe all the consulting, research, and marketing sciences that help clients figure out exactly what to do before throwing money at creative work. It’s also the process that bridges this science into creative direction, which is not easy. Wunderman called it ‘an analytic approach of converting “sonic landscapes” to data, which enables a more strategic approach to sonic branding.’ Transform Magazine called it a ‘new way of conceptualizing sonic branding that is equally scientific as it is creative.’ Disney’s ECD said, ‘Music intelligence enabled us to pinpoint specific connection points with our audience with laser accuracy and deliver on key objectives from our brief.’ Nile Rodgers called it ‘a way to help brands curate their sound so they can speak to the souls of millions of people.’

“Music intelligence” is the difficult work that other agencies have either not figured out or don’t want to spend the time doing. To me, it’s the most critical aspect of creating sonic branding that serves the strategic needs of the brand and can literally guarantee the creative work is perfect. It’s what helps our work move the needle on real-world marketing objectives rather than just sounding great.

What are your future aspirations, both personally and professionally?

I wanted to be an artist all my life – first a classical performer, then a jazz violinist, and now this has become my art. In each case, I wanted to be the best, and now I am in a position to actually do that because I found an open niche as well as a beautiful nascent art form. There are tons of incredible musical artists working for brands and advertising, so my way of creating work that stands out is to harness the guidance of strategy. It’s not just the art of creating great music or brand assets, but also the art of capturing a brand’s distinct essence and translating that into a sophisticated music system that is as functional as it is beautiful. All well-intentioned brands are beautiful in what they stand for, and people will always respond to beauty – especially if it resonates with them personally. My job is to capture that inner beauty in a really smart, strategic way. It might be heavily guided by all the science stuff, but at the end of the day, it really is an art – and that metamorphosis makes me proud and fulfilled.

As far as future aspirations go, I want Sonic Lens to be the agency that shows the world what sound can do for brands on the next level, in a more holistic way, as a driver of marketing rather than a supporting actor. I plan to do that by example, and so far, it seems to be going well. We are growing and learning with each new project, so it’s only going to get better!

What advice would you give to emerging leaders who are just beginning their journey in the audio branding industry?

I think this field is getting flooded very quickly with music houses looking for new revenue streams, super talented music people, but not branding professionals. Our success is tied to bridging that gap between marketing and music, which is severely missing. If you want to make a difference, you have to be different and bring skills to bear beyond music production. Because the master brand is so fragile and important, clients need to know they are in good hands, that there are reasons for creative work. It’s not fair to expect them to trust your creative impulses alone, as great as they might be. Bring an understanding of branding and strategy to the table. I know the great brand design agencies bring the full package, but sonic branding houses are still far behind.

Marco Vitali, Founder & CEO, Sonic Lens

I wanted to be the best, and now I am in a position to actually do that because I found an open niche as well as a beautiful nascent art form.

Working with legends like them taught me a million lessons, but I will pick one you might not expect — their fearlessness. Of course, it’s based on their incredible abilities and talent — but I think it’s what makes the work exceptional.