subject: Make Advertising On Radio More Effective By Choosing The Ideal Voice [print this page] When advertising on radio, it's important to consider the voice reading the script. The effectiveness of a radio ad depends on the associations it conjures up in the listeners' minds. Voices can have very different connotations depending on the speaker's gender, age, dialect and manner of speaking. A voice can instantly summon up a complete image of the character behind it.
When we hear a voice, we're instantly aware of the gender of the speaker and all the stereotypes we apply to men and women are invoked. Male voices are usually perceived as more commanding and are used in 'hard sell' advertisements. Gossipy female voices are used in ads that purport to share secrets with the audience. A sultry, breathy female voice can grab the attention of a male audience and make practically any product sound desirable.
We can usually guess a person's general age-range through their voice. Older male voices have connotations of wisdom and authority. Older female voices can come across as sympathetic and non-threatening. Advertisements for trendy modern products tend to be delivered by people with youthful voices. Those for financial products rely on the confidence expressed by a mature male voice.
The dialect or regional accent of a speaker can convey a great deal to the listener and be viewed as either positive or negative. In general, a standard, mainstream accent makes the speaker come across as better educated and more successful, but people with regional accents sound more friendly and trustworthy. If your ad is running on a local radio station, you might consider using a voice artist who speaks in the regional dialect, but it could be worth doing some market research first. Studies have shown that while some speech communities respond well to people who sound just like them, others are actually turned-off by their own accent.
People from different social classes or subcultures have distinctive ways of speaking. If you listened to four people from California on the radio you could probably identify the valley girl, the surfer dude, the rapper and the computer geek based on just a few sentences. Using a voice artist who speaks in a way that summons up a social stereotype can be an advantage if that image is one you want associated with your product.
Stock characters that appear in books and movies often have peculiar ways of speaking. The image of a cowboy, aristocrat or pirate can be brought to life on the radio by a voice artist skilled in character acting. An advertisement featuring a character voice can capture and hold the listens' attention.
National companies hire celebrities to voice their radio advertisements. People are more likely to listen to a message from a person they recognise and more apt to buy products endorsed by a person they admire. If your business can't afford to feature movie stars in its ads, you might consider hiring an actor to impersonate the voice of a Hollywood legend. Alternatively, you might hire someone whose voice is familiar in the local area, such as a radio talk show host.
Successful advertising on radio is largely about understanding your target audience. Take into account the tone of your advertisement and the product you're selling. Try to choose a voice that is consistent with the image you want to convey and one that will have positive connotations for the majority of your listeners.
