The decision as to whether a man or a woman should be used to front a particular brand might seem quite inconsequential to some, but the gender behind a voice helps to establish a number of unspoken factors, as well as prepare the listener for the type of message they’re about to receive.
When you think about the psychology of this, it kind of makes sense. To oversimplify, many of us learn discipline through our dad’s voice, and we often learn affection through the voice of our mother. Once an emotional connection is established, it often lasts our entire lives, so it can certainly be used to our advantage when advertising.
As such, the qualities generally associated to male and a female voices are as follows:
| Specific qualities in a male voice: | Specific qualities in a female voice: |
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Although speaking in very simple terms, few people would disagree with the statements above, and depending on what type of brand you are, your messaging will more naturally lean towards using a male or a female.
Now let’s consider the effect that both a male and female voice has on the gender of your shoppers or callers:
| A male customer listening to a female voice is likely to feel: | On the flip-side, a female customer listening with a female voice is likely to feel: |
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As a rule, a female voice can cater for any task – whether offering general information, user directions, or dealing with sensitive issues – and instil trust in the customer. This is great should a consistent voice be needed for a variety of different needs.
| Now let’s look at a male customer listening to a male voice, which is likely to make them feel: | Similarly, a female customer listening to a male voice is likely to feel: |
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It’s natural that the early part of our lives have made us consider a male voice to be more forceful and assertive, so we’ve become wired to expect directions, instructions and a request for action whenever we hear it. This makes a male voice great for winning the customers’ focus.
At OnBrand, we’re passionate about delivering messages that customers get the most out of, and we research all these little things to help you sound as good as you are.
For Valentine’s Day, we’ve recorded our shopping centre messages in both male and female voices for the very first time, allowing our customers to personalise their messaging with the click of a button.