Branding

Let’s talk about branding: after more than 30 years in the voiceover industry, I recently took professional advice and decided that it was time for a rebrand. 

Time for a fresh look, time to adapt to technological change, and time to export my broad voiceover skills into new countries and markets. 

When I started voicing in the 1980s, there was no such thing as a website. There were the Yellow Pages and business cards, certainly, but not much in the way of personal branding. And definitely no personal studios, computers, mobile phones, and no work-from-home culture. I generated most of my clients through face-to-face relationships, friendly phone calls, and – fittingly – word of mouth.

 So you might be asking: why rebrand when you’re already an established British female voice over artist with an extensive CV and a track record of working with big brands? Well, many reasons. But here are the main ones:

  

To express value 

For any business, how you present yourself to the world through your branding speaks volumes about how you value yourself professionally. It also impacts how you want to be perceived by prospective clients. I wanted to visually express the quality of my broad vocal skills and voiceover ‘heritage’. I also wanted to enhance that visual message with a strong positioning statement. The resulting logo was a Romanesque black font (Cinzel), with its pillar-like ‘T’ and flourishing ‘R’. A classic white background and a decorative royal purple crown (to play off my surname).

The slogan: (”Rich in Experience, Expertise & Excellence™”). This became the written extension of the logo, telling clients exactly what I deliver to them.

  

To be on trend 

Brand identities, just like clothing fashions and voiceover styles, change over time. Just look at how Google, Ford, Pepsi, Apple and ITV’s logos have evolved over the decades. I therefore wanted my new branding to be modern, different, authentic to me, and evoke quality. That’s why the logo doesn’t have a microphone, speech bubble, or other voiceover-related icons. For me, the absence of such an icon is unique. It also says: ‘I’m comfortable that my art will do the talking’. A VO icon is also pretty moot, when the words ‘voice over’ underneath the logo do the job!

  

Future-proofing

Change is inevitable. Businesses have to move with the times. For me, a new logo, website, business cards and social media presence would create a talking point. It would also help me re-establish relationships with past clients as well as attract new ones. In the age of the worldwide web and global voiceover industry, my new brand became a springboard to new opportunities. And I’m pleased to say the new look is already paying off.

   

Personal Investment  

 Any accountant will tell you that rebranding comes under ‘marketing and promotions’. This means that logos, websites, social media banners and design consultancy are all a tax deductible expense. But the benefits go further than just reducing your tax bill.

My new brand identity allows me to stay fresh and relevant in an ever-changing industry. It gives me a new sense of purpose and personal pride. It has helped me redefine what I stand for and who I want to work with. And while the design (in some ways) is a nod to my professional past, it’s also a deliberate investment in my future.

 

If you’d like to take your brand into the future with a versatile voice of experience, I’d love to hear from you.