There are many things that frustrate me about the current state of radio. But one of the things that drives me the most crazy are some of the absolutely not attractive logos that radio stations come up with for their formats! The stations are probably great but what’s with these logos?!

I want YOU to send ME your least favorite broadcast (not internet or LPFM) radio station logos. I will post them here (for fun only – we’re not trying to cause problems here). Let’s try and keep them modern – these would be active radio station logos – nothing from decades past, in other words. Send your files to peter at audioconnell dot com.

These are logos that it seems somebody created on their PC or had their child create on their Etch-a-Sketch or that somebody pasted together without any professional, graphic sensibility at all. They are unworthy of the great station they represent and should be re-designed. These station very likely sound better than they look — they need better visual branding and maybe this blog post will help encourage the stations to do that – or maybe this post will be as ignored as all the others posts :).

But of course ugly is in the eye of the beholder and since it’s my blog, I will be the beholder and thus the final arbitrator of whether a radio station logo is truly unattractive enough. Maybe with some professional focus, these stations can get a logo that’s a bit more attractive – something nicer to slap on the side of the station van. So in no particular order, here we go…

WYDB/Dayton, OH (2014)

WECK/Buffalo, NY (2014)

KMRN/Cameron, MO (2014)

KKVS/Las Cruces, NM (2014)

WTKG/Grand Rapids, MI (2014)

WHMI/Howell, MI (2014)

WKXW/Trenton, NJ (2014)

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, logo design, marketing, radio by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Here’s a fun little break from the daily grind for you…

I want to create some t-shirts for audio’connell Voice-Over Talent to give out this summer. Obviously they are promotional and I want to feature the branding. I don’t have a million dollars to promote the logo so I have to keep the design simple to basically introduce the new branding to the world.

The following designs are for a white t-shirt although I could also do black and red as well. I just would like to see if there is a consensus on which design is most popular. So PLEASE VOTE in the comments below! Please only pick ONE. Thanks!

DESIGN OPTION #1:

audio’connell t-shirt design option #1

DESIGN OPTION #2:

audio’connell t-shirt design option #2

DESIGN OPTION #3:

audio’connell t-shirt design option #3

DESIGN OPTION #4:

audio’connell t-shirt design option #4

Tags: advertising, audio'connell voice over talent, commentary, logo design, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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During one of my Voice-Over Workshops for a voice talent last week, we reviewed some of her marketing challenges and internal struggles. She is a talented voice talent and a generally gracious human being — all wonderful traits that I aspire to.

But her marketing kryptonite is tooting her own horn – marketing herself (which is her brand) out to the marketplace. She finds it awkward, braggadocios and lacking humility (my words not hers). Like I said, she’s a gracious person.

Let me repeat a secret I have shared here before…horn tooting or self-marketing IS awkward, braggadocios and lacking humility – no matter how subtle you try to be (be warned, a subtlety overdone can completely water down a marketing message).

I have grown a bit more accustomed to it now, but when I started out in my voice-over business, I felt REALLY weird about marketing my brand: me! Using “I” in sentences, talking about MY work, me writing a press release about me. Yuck.

How self-absorbed, how egotistical, how arrogant! Just who the hell do I think I am?!!!

I feel your awkward pain frightened horn tooters but now I’ll share with you the epiphany that allows me to toot my horn with less (not none) awkwardness.

Who the hell do I think I am?

I am a small business owner who has kids to feed and a mortgage to pay…and that money does NOT come in unless I am out there telling people what I do and how I do it and how what I do will help their business. And I AM the company. Whatever the tag line, no matter the iconography, at the end of the day I, as the professional voice-over talent, am the brand. I am selling myself – just not on a street corner…yet.

So I toot (and if you’re 5 years old, you are now giggling uncontrollably at my unintended fart joke—that’s cool, fart jokes ARE funny).

But since I am doing the promotional work (writing, choosing media outlets, targeting the messaging etc), I can control the message that gets put out there, I control the tools and images I use to promote myself. Some people feel more comfortable using a 3rd party to do this…hey, whatever gets the job done for you.

It is a necessary evil in a free-lancers life – this self-promotion.

So here’s is my little imaginary trick for dealing with this unsettling process of self-promotion you must do: pretend as you going through your marketing tasks that you are marketing for another company. Not another person, another company. In your head replace your name with Acme Voice-Over Company. This psychological game with yourself might give you the distance and perspective to get the horn-tooting starting and keep it going.

Listen, you are not egotistical, you are not self-absorbed.

You ARE a freelancer. You ARE small business owner or now what people are calling a Micro Business (soooo teeny tiny like me).

And you have my personal blessing to grab your horn and toot. It’s not only OK…it’s a requirement!

P.S. I did ANOTHER Voice-Over Workshop on Saturday and wouldn’t you know…another frightened horn tooter. It looks like we may have to hold a telethon! But again, now all’s well for him too. So all you frightened horn tooters…you are not alone.

Tags: advertising, marketing, voice over workshop, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
3 Comments »

Is it actually considered taunting if I say nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-naaahhhh on social media? I think not.

I have received my copy of Joe and Ann Cipriano’s book Living On Air. I’m very excited.

It has a wonderful, personalized inscription from Joe that reads: “Dear Bob Souer, You’re my voice-over hero! Please don’t move to Los Angeles. Love Joe”.

If you want YOUR copy of Living On Air, you can buy it here.

Now all I have to do is learn how to read and I’ll be all set.

Where did I put my Hooked On Phonics cassettes?

Tags: advertising, commentary, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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There were votes and likes and comments, oh my!

But in the end, Mrs. audio’connell was right and ‘C’ was the overwhelming favorite choice so it will be the primary photo I use in my marketing.

However, I think we will find places and opportunities to use the other two pictures as well.

Thanks to all who voted…I hope it proved to be a pleasant distraction.

And thanks again to Lori Joyce of Lori Joyce Photography for being willing to do such a dirty job and make it look so effortless. If you need professional pictures done…for anything…call Lori.

Tags: advertising, commentary by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
1 Comment »

There comes a time in every life when a picture must be taken.

Unfortunately this time, it was my picture. I’m updating some of my marketing tools and they should have a decent (read: professional) picture as a part of them. I hadn’t had a professional picture done in about 3-4 years and that was more of a “shoot and dash” job (which honestly was fine with me).

But if one is going to market himself as the “Friendly, Neighborhood Voice-Over Talent”, one should probably look friendly if not neighborly in pictures, right? Plus I don’t have the goatee (this week) and that was in the last picture and oh well, let’s just get this horrible task over with.

See, I hate having my picture taken. Let me amend that, if its just friends shooting pictures, I’m fine with that. But on those very rare occasions when I am the subject, ick, can’t stand it. I get very self conscious and really don’t like that attention – which is why I don’t do on-camera

But bidness is bidnezz so a shooting we will go.

One of my friends from high school actually didn’t go to jail and in fact made a nice career for herself as a professional photographer. With the patience of Job, Lori Joyce (who not surprisingly owns Lori Joyce Photography) ripped the paper bag off my head and snapped some very nice shots. Then using her trowel tool in Photoshop, she covered up enough of time and nature’s mistakes to give me three very nice shots (she’s going to add these shots to her portfolio under the title “How Photographically Make Lemonade Outta Lemons – A Case Study in Fear-Provoking Portraiture”.

So YOU have to pick one. Here are the voting rules:

1. You may one pick one of the above choices – there is no 2nd or 3rd choice
2. The marketing message I want to get across in these shots is friendly, knowledgeable, established and maybe professional-but not like a doctor or lawyer. Maybe I should go with “not an axe murderer.” Yeah, try that!
3. There is not choice D. none of the above
4. Thanks

Tags: advertising, commentary by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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