When you think about your favorite fictional characters, what do you imagine their voices sound like? What about your favorite historical figures – those who lived in an era before their tone and vocal quirks could be recorded? Maybe you hear a famous actor or celebrity speaking. After all, it’s not impossible that Eleanor Roosevelt sounded exactly like Meryl Streep. Maybe you hear the voice of a beloved friend or family member, or your own voice, or another voice that’s too tricky to put into words. But how much does this theoretical voice affect your impression of the real person, and vice versa?
The same question could be asked about the biggest companies in the world. What (or who) do you hear when you think about brands like Coca-Cola? Walmart? Subaru? We’ve discussed the value of brand archetypes before in shaping your company’s image, as well as the role of voice-overs, but let’s take a look at this intersection in action. To start, watch this commercial that Lemonlight created for athletic shoe brand Athalonz:
As with all content marketing, our approach to this brand started with us attempting to figure out as much information about our audience as possible. Who was Athalonz trying to connect with? We settled on two major groups of potential customers: Amateur and professional athletes. But while these may sound similar on paper, their needs could not be more different. Amateurs want to feel like they are breaking the mold and elevating themselves above the pack with their shoe purchase. Professionals, by contrast, value provable reliability over attitude.
All of that meant we needed a vocal performance with a perfect mix of tough guy swagger and scientific know-how; one that was gruff enough to appeal to amateurs, but still reliable enough for pro athletes to trust. For content marketers, that kind of conceptual divide can be especially challenging to bridge. If the brand voice doesn’t flawlessly combine these elements together, it risks alienating both halves of the audience. That’s why with our grizzled, confident voice-over, we tried to capture the wisdom and gentle reassurance of a veteran sports coach; someone who knows the game inside out and wants you to push the limits of what you believe yourself to be capable of.
So how can you tap into your brand archetype with voice-over? Begin by examining what your audience wants, and who the best possible person might be to sell it to them. Are you trying to be convivial? Flirtatious? Inspiring? Endearing? Feel free to use famous performers as your “dream voice” to guide your search for an affordable alternative, or work with a video content production company like Lemonlight for high-quality, affordable talent. But whatever you choose, keep in mind that this is the voice of your brand – what do you want the world to hear?