97% to go.
Having never written a book, my estimates might be a little off. But six months into starting Bing Bong, I’m confident we’ve tackled at least 3% of the project:
1% Planning. * 1% Organization (wrangling 13 co-authors and conducting 49 interviews).
1% The "Frankenstein" Phase (stitching the raw content together into a manuscript to send to potential publishing partners).
Yep. 97% to go.
The co-authored first drafts are officially in, and honestly, each chapter could be a book in itself. The feedback from the writers has been wonderful: "Can I have more words?" and "I found this to be a really therapeutic exercise!" My mum even sent me a WhatsApp earlier giving her seal of approval on Dr. Ray Sylvester’s chapter on Branding.
Passing the Mother-Test is no small feat!
Mother-Test
But do I feel humbled?
It’s hard. It is genuinely hard to feel proud of what’s been achieved over the past few months. Strangely enough, I stumbled across an article recently about ADHD and the exact effect it has on accomplishments that helped me understand better:
"Let’s start with the science. People with ADHD have different patterns of dopamine regulation. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter tied to motivation, reward, and pleasure... In ADHD, the reward system can be under-responsive.
This means that even when you do something objectively impressive, your brain might not light up in the same way as someone without ADHD. You chase the next hit instead of feeling the current one.
The result? An inner experience that can feel anticlimactic, restless, or numb — even when you just did something you should be proud of."
The article suggested a workaround: to congratulate yourself, imagine a friend has just completed exactly what you have, and say those words of praise to yourself. It feels strange at first, but it actually works.
WELL DONE GADDERS!!! ❤️
Next Steps
Right now, the focus is on finishing the proposals for publishers. Each one has to be tailored strictly to specific guidelines, which is going to take some serious time.
I’m giving myself a hard deadline of May 1st to complete all the proposals. After that? I'm taking some time to recharge.
Either way, I’ll let you know where things stand in a month's time.
Bing bong, Charles
P.S. — The www.bornslippy.co signup page is officially live for those of you who are into surfing and ocean conservation.
P.P.S. — For the music lovers: I’ve been using my downtime to make some new tracks. I’m releasing this song on my wife's birthday next month: See Voo on Bandcamp
The Book So Far
Structure: 25 chapters across six parts.
Interviews: 49 in-depth conversations with leaders from Adidas, Bayer, Google, Meta, Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Warner Music, Interbrand, Wolff Olins, Yoto, and more.
Foreword: Penned by the brilliant Alexandre Perrin of Berklee College of Music.
Case Studies: Real-world examples from Apple, GSK, LEGO, and Mastercard, plus visionary trends extending into 2026 and beyond.
Tone and Ambition: Think Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss, How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp, and Alchemy by Rory Sutherland but with a practitioner-driven, comprehensive framework tailored specifically to music-driven brand marketing, a discipline that's never had this kind of end-to-end guide.
The caliber of contributors who've joined this project truly humbles me. Here's the updated lineup shaping the Bing Bong Book:
Sam Bohn — Award-Winning Music Composer
LinkedInJoe Sauer — Behavioural Science Expert and Neuromarketing Specialist
LinkedInSean M. Smith — ex-VP of Design, Capitol Records
LinkedInKevin Perlmutter — Behavioral Science Brand Strategist and Author
LinkedInPaul Bennett — ex-Global Brand Director, AXA
LinkedInJohn Paul Hughes — Executive Creative Director (ECD), MindField Advertising & Marketing
LinkedInDr. Ray Sylvester — Branding Expert and Professor
LinkedInTim Miles — ex-SVP, Global Sync, Warner Music Group
LinkedInAifric Lennon — Managing Director (MD), Father Music
LinkedInKarsten Kjems — Managing Director (MD), Sonic Minds
LinkedInBjörn Thorleifsson — Director of Research & Insights, amp sound branding
LinkedInDr. Hitesh Raja — Leading AI & Technology, amp sound branding
LinkedInRex Hirschhorn — Research & Data Science Manager, amp sound branding
LinkedIn
Their contributions are outstanding and bring unparalleled expertise to the table that’s never existed in book publishing before.
Book Structure Overview
The Bing Bong Book is organized into six dynamic parts:
PART 1: The Human Origin of Bing Bong Book
PART 2: Music – The Foundation
PART 3: Brand – Building Identity
PART 4: Marketing & Advertising – Music Meets Strategy
PART 5: Sonic Experience – The Core Discipline
PART 6: Future – AI, Voice-First, and Beyond
Completed Interviews So Far (Huge Thanks!)
We're at 49 interviews and counting. Here's a snapshot of some key contributors:
CEO, Record Makers
CEO, Spitfire Audio
Professor, Berklee College of Music
Managing Director, Talent & Brands
Founder, Sonic Boom
Head of Music, RASCAL
Co-Founder, DixonBaxi
Executive Creative Director, Interbrand
Founder, Uncommon Studio
Agency & Marketing Partnerships Director, Bayer Consumer Health Brand
Partnerships Director, Highsnobiety
Managing Director - Google Advertising
Creative Director, Wolff Olins
Head of Music and Sound, Yoto
And many more from Adidas, Meta, Sony Music, and beyond!
Where I Need Your Help!
We're close, but your input would be super helpful. Here's how:
Co-Authors for Open Chapters
A few chapters still seek co-authors (around 4,000 words each). The book currently skews male-heavy, so I'm eager to amplify more women's voices.
These chapters will not be ready for the proposals, so no rush here. However, it’d be great to get them completed before we have to submit our first draft manuscript to the publisher for review!
If you or someone in your network fits, let's connect:Chapter 5: Music, The Business (Labels, Publishing, Sync etc)
Chapter 9: Marketing 101 + The Evolution (and Future) of Marketing
Chapter 13: Budgets, ROI & Proving the Business Case
Chapter 15: Sonic Logos & Audio Identities — How to Create Them
Chapter 16: Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Sonic Brand
Chapter 17: Best-in-Class Examples (Netflix, Intel, McDonald's, Mastercard, Apple + 2026 cases)
Chapter 22: Emerging Trends — Spatial Audio, TikTok, Metaverse
Chapter 23: Careers in Music-Driven Marketing
Interviews
We're targeting 50 total (just one more!). If you know a leader in advertising, music, or marketing whose insights could elevate the book, an introduction would be invaluable.
A Note of Gratitude
To all who've invested time, stories, and energy: Thank you.
Bing Bong. 🔔
See you next month.