A voice is for life, not just for Christmas

Cast your mind back to the Christmas ads of yore. In the UK, there are always the same voices which spring to mind; Dawn French, Olivia Colman, Jim Broadbent. 

Arguably, each a British vocal institution, recognisable tones that lend weight to brands. But, seemingly, only ever at Christmas. 

There’s something about the festive season that means brands turn to the familiar.

There’s something about the festive season that means brands turn to the familiar. To the comfortable, the cosy. To tones we’re used to. But what happens to your brand voice for the other 11 months of the year?

Above: Dawn French, a 'vocal institution', haas been part of M&S Food's Christmas campaigns for the last three years. 

Interrogate your sound 

It’s so easy to get to the final moments of the Christmas marketing strategy session and think, 'we have a lovely idea, let’s cue up some famous, dulcet tones to run through every touchpoint'. But are you really thinking about the voice that will work for your brand? The voice that will resonate long after Christmas? Or are you simply running the risk of sounding the same as everyone else? 

Are you really thinking about the voice that will work for your brand?

The reality is that you need to build your voice and sonic strategy into your marketing plan from the start. Your voice should be tied to the brand as a whole - rather than just one campaign - to make true use of the power of the sonic branding ecosystem. Go back and listen to previous examples of your communication. From a vocal perspective, what do you sound like? Who is it you’re already reaching, and who would you like to reach? What is your brand persona, and is that coming through in the audio elements of your advertising?

Interrogate the sound of your brand, and its core themes and values, to establish a voice and sonic identity that is true to who you are all year round, not just at Christmas. 

Above: The dulcet tones of Morgan Freeman graced Visa's ad campaigns for 10 years.

The right voice for the right brand 

Now comes the difficult part. Connecting the right voice with the right brand. Go too famous and you run the risk of dissolving into the depths of the advertising pool. Go too niche and you’re in danger of not resonating with your intended audience at all. 

With arguably one of the most noticeable voices in the industry, the confidence-inspiring, smooth tones of Morgan Freeman were heard across Visa’s communications from 2008 to 2018. The Mad Men actor Jon Hamm has been the voice of Mercedes Benz since 2010 and Compare the Market’s meerkat, Aleksandr Orlov, has become a much loved household voice in his own right since his first appearance back in 2009. And how could we leave out GoCompare, with the operatic Wynne Evans who was first heard singing the brand name in 2009, and who still graces our ears today? 

You can establish whether a famous voice, and their attached values.

There are also the voices who narrate our favourite TV shows who’ve shifted into brand appropriate roles of late – think Dave Lamb as the all-seeing voiceover in Come Dine With Me becoming the voice of Aldi, with his style also being translated into broader ad copy. 

If you take the time, you can establish whether a famous voice, and their attached values, aligns with your brand’s values or whether it makes more sense to take an unknown voice that can be mouldable, and thus grow with the brand, ultimately building a famous profile, voice-first.

Above: Compare the Market's Aleksandr Orlov has become a much loved household voice.

How to choose your voice?

So, how do you choose who’s right for your brand all year round? A 360 sonic strategy is critical to discovering your brand’s voice, way before you even get into the casting phase. Examine who your brand is at its very core and, from that, ask yourself what your brand’s voice strategy, such an integral part of the overarching sonic strategy, should be. 

It takes a solid research process to define your brand's voice.

It takes a solid research and strategy process to define what your brand's voice really is. Explore your market, lean into the local expertise that helps establish the cultural nuances of a brand voice. Speak to your audiences, to experts on the ground, find out what and who people are listening to, keeping in mind accent, profile, pitch, style and gender. 

Gauge consumer sentiment and, ultimately, you’ll find your brand’s voice that’ll play into a unified sound that can cross continents and cultures.