Editor’s note: This is an update to a post originally published Dec 2016.
As an online fashion and lifestyle hub, Refinery29 helps 331 million users to discover and refine their personal style – but when it came time to find a unique voice that personified their brand, they needed a little help to refine their search.
As one of the fastest growing media companies in the United States, Refinery29 has seen exponential growth since it first launched in 2005, with just a $5,000 investment.
Now employing more than 400 employees and publishing over 2,000 articles each month, Refinery29 is in a position to offer advertisers an opportunity to get in front of a diverse and active audience.
As part of their advertising package, Refinery29 wanted to demonstrate how they could implement unique commercials with standout voice overs to help advertisers connect with their audience in a new way.
Finding the Right Brand Voice that Matched Refinery29’s Vision and Offered Commercial Appeal Would Take a Voice with Very Specific, Yet Elusive Qualities
The description of the voice Refinery29 was looking for is as follows:
She is young (around 21-34) but not immature or naive. She’s adventurous, natural, curious, confident and self-assured without being arrogant or ‘Movie Trailer/TV Announcer-y’.
Her voice must be bright and energetic but still sound commanding, it should be upbeat and celebratory in nature, but also professional.
Casting Directors Offer Invaluable Insight and Experience – but Sometimes They Can Use a Helping Hand
In the movie industry, producers facing the same casting challenge as Refinery29 could turn to casting directors like Jane Alderman, who had a talent and deserved reputation for locating undiscovered actors with amazing promise.
But such niche skills can be hard to find, and time-consuming to develop, making it easy to understand why even casting directors can use assistance.
Richard Hatherell, the Director of Creative Services at Refinery29, Inc. reached out to the Voices Professional Service Team for assistance with finding voice actors who matched their vision.
“Finding the right vocal talent that could support and represent our unique brand voice could be a difficult process to undertake on our own,” says Hatherell. “Although we had a clear vision of who we were looking for, we also knew that we would ‘know it when we heard it,’ and we didn’t want to spend a lot of time searching.”
Refinery29 Contacted Voices’s Professional Services Department for Help
The Professional Services Department at Voices offers help for those who would love speedy assistance with sourcing talent, as well as managing their voice over project.
Working in collaboration with Refinery29, five voice actors were shortlisted for upcoming projects.
“Luckily, with the help of Professional Services at Voices, we were able to find several individuals with the right sound for us – and the process was both quick and painless,” says Hatherell.
You can keep an eye on the content being produced by Refinery29 on their website.
Adding Narration to Your Project – Is It Right For You?
If you’re looking to take a page out of Refinery29’s book, you have to look at the resources you have in front of you. If you are looking for the best voice for your brand you may be tempted to look in house at employees who may have a great speaking voice. But be careful!
Hearing our own voice on a recording can sometimes be an eye-opening experience (here’s the scientific reason why our recorded voice sounds different) meaning the voice you initially intended to use didn’t pan out.
If you want to put a greater polish on the performance – there’s an easy way to go one step above the competition… and that is through hiring a professional voice.
Are You Looking to Find that Perfect Voice?
Sign-up on Voices today. With hundreds of thousands of talented, professional voices you’re sure to find exactly who you’re looking for.
And if you’re needing a little help, you may also want to learn more about Voices Professional Services.
Leave a Reply