Last December, I was elected to the board of directors of Media Communications Association – International (MCA-I). MCA-I members are over 700 media communication professionals around the world who provide the vital connection between the creative methods and technology. This describes me and about 70% of my client base.

I joined the association in August after having spoken about the group with Connie Terwilliger – a friend, a wonderful professional voice talent and herself a past-president of MCA-I.

There are 25 chapters across the country with another 150 members like me who are (as I call it) unchapterized. As far as I know I AM the Buffalo chapter.

That’s right. I serve on an international board of directors of an association to which the only meetings I have attended have been virtual (except now I’ve personally been to a leaders meeting in New Orleans). Why would I do such a thing?

Well yes I am crazy but that has nothing to do with this! 😉

The business of media in which I have been a professional (read: paid) practitioner since 1982 is a virtual business. Certainly in-person meetings take place often but fully 80% – 90% of my customers I’ve never met. If one is going to run a global business like mine (which “sounds” a lot more impressive than it is) you quickly have to come to grips with that business reality.

So belonging to an association in which my interaction is either phone or web-based is not at all problematic. And all the other benefits of belonging to a professional association (save for the in-person meetings) still apply….and that INCLUDES programming, education, cost-saving programs and networking (think Facebook and Linked-In as to one way that might work). And if your city HAS a chapter in it, all the better for you!

As I am also the MCA-I Membership chair, I am not above offering this infomercial for YOU to join MCA-I too…especially since I’ve created a membership recruitment drive now through April 30, 2009 and if you list my name on your on-line membership application as the referring member, I would enjoy the bragging rights! I can’t win any of the prizes as I oversee the promotion.

And very seriously, if you have any questions about membership, please call me at +01 716 572 1800 and I will be glad to speak with you about it – no matter where in the world you are…though remember I am only uni-lingual.

Tags: commentary, internet, marketing, mca-i, media, peter o'connell, technology by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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From the FedEx Office web site:

DALLAS, March 4, 2009—FedEx Office (formerly FedEx Kinko’s), an operating company of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), today announced plans to offer its printing services in an effort to help job seekers across the nation. The company will host “FedEx Office Free Resume Printing Day” on March 10, 2009, offering to print up to 25 copies of each customer’s resume for free.

FedEx Office deserves kudos for it and here they’ll get kudos for it – for doing the right thing. Their service is free and here so is the publicity. Please tell your friends both employed and unemployed.

Tags: advertising, commentary, community, customer service, marketing, public relations by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I was working with a great voice talent friend of mine over the weekend in my Voice Over Workshop. This person has wonderful talent and experience but a real brain cramp about calling agents. In this talent’s world, this performer feels somewhat unsure about whether she will be accepted or rejected by an agent and this has become a road block in the advance of her career.

Tired sports analogies are both obnoxious and accurate (in fact their accuracy may be why they become so darn obnoxious). But anyway, what I said as a way of helping encourage action in this case was: “you miss 100% of the shots you never take.”

The issue here really isn’t about an “agent” so much as it is overcoming our imaginations…imaging and over preparing for the worst to the point where our fear leads to inaction.

What I also pointed out in the Workshop is I have brain cramps too. Not on this particular topic but on other ones. We all do and we’re all absolute idiots for not being able to get past ourselves.

We are afraid or intimated by the possible “no”. It’s the high school date dance all over again. We’ll she go with me? If she says no, will everyone learn of my embarrassment?

Will we all ever grow up? Are we all 45 going on 15?

Let’s make a promise to each other right here that for the next 30 days, we’ll focus on our personal brain cramp issues and tackle them head on until they are resolved.

My sense is once we address them, they won’t be nearly as difficult as we expected them to be.

Will you dare to achieve with me?

Tags: commentary, marketing, voice over workshop, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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When I first posted last week the then-preview of some of the 2009 Super Bowl ads, the one what had me laughing out loud then and I swear to God even now is the Pedigree adoption spot. It was a great opening scene with the rhino that catches your attention, the mailman’s reaction to the angry ostrich (which has me giggling now as I think about it) and actor David Duchovny’s terrific voice over at the end set just the right tone for the spot.

Well the nice folks at BrandWeek caught up with TBWA\Chiat\Day creative director Margaret Keene and interviewed her about making the spot. If you’ve ever been involved in the production of a commercial, you know there were going to be some fun stories about that shoot.

The ad team was even smart enough to set up a web page just for the ad and further character exposition about why these “folks” love their unique animals.

And if you fell off the face of the earth and didn’t see the spot, it is my heartfelt pleasure to share it with you now. Please don’t drink or eat anything while watching this commercial as computers and computer screens are very expensive.

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