A lot of thought goes into the "right" voice for every advertisement. This, is primarily the role of casting directors. Certainly the tone and timber of a voice are two things that can help sell the product or service. But, probably the most important question every marketer must answer is, should the voice be male or female?
These are some of the findings of a new Adweek Media/ Harris Poll, survey of 2,194 U.S. adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive.
Choice Depends on the Tone of the Ad
Whether you choose a male or female voice talent depends on what the tone of the ad is attempting to convey. Almost half of Americans (48%) believe a male voice is more forceful while 46% believe a female voice is more soothing so those may be easy choices for a marketing executive to make. However, almost half of U.S. adults also say it makes no difference to them and neither voice is more forceful (49%) or more soothing (46%).
Male and Female Voice Overs in a Selling Situation
When it comes to actually selling a specific thing, two-thirds of Americans say it doesn't make a difference and neither voice is more likely to sell them a car (66%) or a computer (69%). Among those who believe it makes a difference, over one-quarter (28%) believe a male voice is more likely to sell them a car and 23% say a male voice is more likely to sell them a computer. Only 7% say a female voice is more likely to sell them either.
Gender Differences
Men and women do think similarly on the tone of the two types of voices - with one major exception. Over half of men (54%) believe a female voice is more soothing, compared to 38% of women who say the same. One in ten women (11%) believes a male voice is more soothing while 5% of men say the same. The only other real difference between men and women is on the selling of a car. One-third of men (32%) say a male voice is more likely to sell them a car compared to 23% of women who say this.
Stereotypes
Stereotypes are very common in voice over and that helps voice talent relate to the script, identify the demographic and better understand the intended audience.
The results conclude that gender stereotypes are alive and well in the way many people react to male and female voiceovers in commercials.
Follow Up Surveys
Others have suggested that an interesting experiment might be to re-do the survey, but also factoring in the participants' default dominant communication style (visual, auditory, kinesthetic or digital) to see if there were any trends there.
What are your thoughts on the survey results?
David
Hi David, my thoughts are that it does not matter what type of instrument one plays in order to play a specific song. So where a trumpet is normally used, there is nothing wrong playing that same song or set of measures using a clarinet. True, the clarinet (or guitar, or cello etc) presents a different flavor than a trumpet but the listener still hears and is attracted to the song as long as it is played right with appropriate emphasis and finesse on specific notes where needed, etc.
So it is how the instrument is played that makes the difference, more-so than what the instrument is, for a given musical piece.
To me, this analogy applies to female and male voices as well. Because of the above, in most cases they can be interchangeable. Just my view based upon a lot of listening and analysis of various voices and experience. Thanks.
- Daniel -
Good information! I've also asked clients if they were trying to specifically reach a gender. I think there is some truth to the belief that men prefer to listen to women and vice-versa. Thanks for sharing!
Susan Wright, Wright Voice Productions
www.wrightvoice.com