My business resolution in 2009 was/is actually only one word: execute.

Too often in a business day, I’ll get started in six different directions and lucky if I find the finish line on two of those starts. Same thing the next day to the point where (if you follow the math) lots of stuff didn’t get done.

Well on day to day business, that’s going to happen sometimes but this year (he said with vigor and emphasis!) not on projects or important tasks – not related to clients (their stuff always gets done…money first!)

But like every business person, I’m always studying my business’ trends, activity in the industry etc.

While doing that, a thought occurred to me…should I keep my listings on the pay to play (P2P) voice over web sites?

I do not have a paid listing on the pay to play web sites like Voice 123 because I think these sites qualitatively, quantitatively and financially devalue the voiceover profession. I could rant forever on that but will spare you unless you ask in the comments.

I did keep a free page for SEO/SEM considerations. But the thought had occurred to me on more than one occasion: am I hurting my brand through even a free association with such sites?

Further, by being listed even in a free listing, am I offering an implied endorsement of these types of sites?

Today I got my answer.

On the VO-BB, there was yet another debate about the P2P sites. In the thread I brought up my conundrum. A voice talent friend of mine offered this observation:

“The way I see it, if people in the biz that I look up to are on them (and there are a few folks that are… and do gigs from them) then it’s good enough for me.”

I highly doubt that this person was referring to me in the quote but after reading it I did not doubt that one could see my participation on a P2P site as an endorsement. It was time to execute (I love when the signs are crystal clear).

Voice 123 was very helpful in their (possibly third-world based) on-line chat room with the deletion of my account. In fact, in my history of dealings with the company, this may have been their most impressive display of customer service. For that only, I thank them.

Tags: announcers, branding, commentary, marketing, peter o'connell, search engine marketing, voice 123, voice casting, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Some folks actually watch the Super Bowl for the game (well, I did in the early nineties when a certain football team appeared in four straight Super Bowls and lost, sonova…BUT I’m not bitter).

The rest of us are into the ads and AdWeek was kind enough to provide previews of most of the ads (but not all of them, I don’t think.) Also, the video chain for their site on my computer seemed to progress from this year’s ads to a list of classic Super Bowl ads without warning. No biggie I guess.

Just FYI: From that greatest hits reel is the Anheuser-Busch ad in the airport that tugs on every emotional heart string known to man with nary a voice over in site. And I will go on record as saying a voice over would have ruined it. Sometimes silence does sell….but ONLY RARELY 😉

Anyway in this year’s batch of spots, the one’s that I think will be the funniest is the Pedigree adoption ad (which thinking about know I am STILL laughing out loud at…note the postman’s reaction to the ostrich) and the Pepsi Diet Max ad.

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, commercials, marketing, tv, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
2 Comments »

I’m not sure if anyone else will care about this post but me and yet there’s a bit of excitement I want to get off my chest on behalf of Mrs. audio’connell who has no idea I’m writing this as she has more pressing daily responsibilities I’ll mention later.

You see, this season was the final one involving the Triple A baseball affiliation between the Cleveland Indians and the Buffalo Bisons (I’ll let you figure out which of those two is the MLB team). Cleveland was a fine team to be associated with but things change.

So the question in the Nickel City this Fall was who would be the Bisons’ new parent club? Two teams were in the running: the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Mets.

A brief point of historical value here in that Mrs. audio’connell grew up first on Long Island and then in Manhattan. In her house, they were a Mets’ family. In the O’Connell house, the fascination with professional baseball was probably on par with your current interest in professional shot-putting. So when the two houses “merged” 10 years ago, we became a Mets family.

It’s not that I had no interest in baseball or more specifically the Bisons….for many years when they moved into their new home (today rechristened Coca-Cola Field…I would have preferred Pepsi Park myself but no one asked me) I had season tickets. I’ve even voiced a Buffalo Bison commercial.

But when the oft-touted opportunity to secure a MLB team for Buffalo vanished, Bison tickets became a bit less valued. Nice to go to a couple of games but no thanks to a seasons’ worth.

So when the New York Mets and Bisons agreed to an affiliation agreement, my wife was actually giddy. When you manage two children all day long, getting giddy is actually something noteworthy. I think the Mets affiliation will now make it even more fun for us to take the kids to the ball park this season.

From a marketing perspective, in addition to the Coca-Cola Field announcement (which in truth is a great piece of news for the team ownership, fans and the city) the Bisons unveiled their new logo. The new branding ties nicely with the Mets colors and feel but absolutely has great identity all its own. Since I am guessing we’ll be getting some swag in the coming months, I’m glad its stuff I won’t mind wearing. Nice design by Phoenix Design Works.

So New York Mets and Coca-Cola – welcome to Buffalo! We’re glad you’re here.

Tags: branding, commentary, logo design, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
3 Comments »

EDITORS NOTE: To be clear – this is a post about marketing, not about politics. Marketing sometimes disappoints. Politics always disappoints.

Whether or not you voted for Barack Obama for President, if you have any vested interest in marketing (and every business person does) you have to respect what the branding design, plan and execution meant to the success of his candidacy (even if he hadn’t won the election).

The branding of the Obama campaign was a political game changer. In the next election, everyone will try and use this playbook but this branding plan was the inauguration that really matters to marketers.

In my opinion, some people voted more for the concept of Obama and his possibilities than the actual man himself (people at a crossroads or caught up in a euphoric state – as politics can often initiate- often make many decisions that way). Branding had to play a key role in shaping that mind set.

Enjoy watching designer Sol Sender, part of the trio that initially developed the now infamous mark, talk about its birth and evolution. There is not a business in existence that cannot learn a lot from this process.

Part 1

Part 2

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, logo design, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
2 Comments »

Between Bob Souer and me, U.S. air carriers pretty much need to bow down and kiss our feet as we have single-handedly kept them in business by buying their airplane tickets.

While I can’t speak for Bob (although I just did but he won’t know it cause he doesn’t read this blog 😉 I have a frequent flyer number with almost every airline (though U.S. Airways and United get the majority of my business based only on routes).

The upside of that is I build up miles that someday I’ll have the time to use (I’m in baby/toddler netherworld right now so time is both precious and a grey area at the same time). The downside is that each of these airlines thinks I need to have their credit card.

And they remind me every month. Today, these three envelopes arrived about 15 minutes ago. More junk mail.

The airlines need additional streams of revenue and likely in the fine print of my frequent flyer sign up I gave them the right to snail-mail spam me but these idiots are wasting money even if a third party banking outfit is likely paying the tab.

Their brand is tainted by all this crap and if it were even possible, as their paying customer I have less respect for them than ever before.

Do you get a lot of airline junk mail too? Or other crazy junk mail associated with something you’re a part of or a member of? What have you done about it?

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

LOGO CHOICE A

LOGO CHOICE B

Many folks remember the Good Housekeeping seal of approval on products. What you might not know is that it still exists.

To combat that “little” marketing problem, they’ve redesigned their logo. They’ve freshened the brand.

Please vote for the logo you think is the new logo. (Now of course if you know the answer, don’t ruin it for everyone else, by spilling the beans…just vote).

Is it obvious? Am I playing a trick on you? Cast your vote for fun and in a few days we’ll review.

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, logo design, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
5 Comments »