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Sean bean accent4/10/2023 ![]() ![]() Trends in the regional accents heard on national TV change over time. ![]() “It’s given the Scottish widow a bit more of a dimension, choosing a voice which is the same age as the visual appearance, and a recognisably Edinburgh voice, and she speaks as if she is the brand.” This gives callers the impression that the voice of the messages is the voice of the Scottish widow. Premier Business Audio uses an Edinburgh voice artist for the Scottish Widows on-hold messages. “The Scottish Widow in the TV adverts never speaks because actually the widow used to be played by Amanda Lamb, who is from Essex, she’s not a Scot.” “Scottish Widows is happy to be seen as Scottish and markets itself as such, with a very strong visual brand, whereas Standard Life isn’t so strongly identified as Scottish,” said Nick Findlay, CEO of Premier Business Audio, which supplies on-hold marketing messages. Broadband supplier Plusnet uses voice artists with Yorkshire accents, to tie in with a marketing strategy that uses the company’s Yorkshire roots as a selling point.Īnother example is provided by two companies from Scotland, Standard Life and Scottish Widows.īoth are Scottish companies with a UK-wide audience. The old stereotype of the posh BBC newsreader has gradually given way to a much broader range of regional accents on national television and radio, and that has had a knock-on effect in call centres.įor example, mobile phone provider O2 uses the voice of actor Sean Bean in its advertising campaigns, with no attempt to disguise his distinctive Sheffield accent. This trend reflects the way in which on-hold messages and audio branding follow trends in broadcast media such as television and radio. Historically, a well-spoken ‘Received Pronunciation’ accent has often been used by large organisations. ![]() But what kind of accent should a nationwide or international company choose? A local voice will therefore be the best match. Once a profile has been established, a company can be matched up with a suitable voice.Ī local company operating in only one area will often want to reflect that in its on-hold messages. “It’s a case of narrowing down the information.” “We go through an audio branding process with our clients, looking at their industry, location, whether they have a regional, national or global client base, whether their company outlook is corporate or quite informal,” said Cook. According to Mike Cook, Head of Production at audio branding specialists PH Media Group, there is a science to choosing the right voice for each individual company. An on-hold voice must first of all match the general image of the company.įor example, over-50s insurance and holidays company Saga would be unlikely to have an on-hold message read by a person in their early-20s, who used informal speech and lots of the latest slang terms. Callers will inevitably have some expectations about what they’ll hear when they call a company, and these can be used to guide the selection process. The sound of that voice will affect the customer’s perception of a brand, their satisfaction with customer service, and their sense of loyalty to a company.Ĭhoosing a voice can be difficult. It is very important that the voice used in an on-hold message creates a good first impression. Matthew Brown looks at how voices are chosen for on-hold messages.Īn on-hold message is often the first thing a customer will hear when calling an organisation. Choosing a voice to represent an organisation requires a deep understanding of branding. ![]()
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