Some weeks ago my voiceover friend (and fellow Buffalo Bills fan) Tim Powers created an idea to help promote WOVOCON The Voiceover UnConference, produced by World-Voices Organization and scheduled for October 17-19, 2025 in New Orleans.

His idea was he was going to interview a bunch of past attendees about their WOVOCON experiences and turn them into one minute video shorts for social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc.

So Tim and I recorded our interview in about 15 minutes and he got the content he wanted for the socials.

This week, I got to thinking about the interview and I kept thinking – ‘there’s more stuff there that folks might like to know’, because we talked about a lot of stuff.

So I pinged Tim and asked for the footage to review it. I couldn’t recall my answers to all the questions so I had no idea what – if anything – I was going to do with it.

Then I saw it…it was the big secret that really only a WOVOCON Voiceover Unconference can unlock – because of it’s format, because of it very limited attendance limit (the comradeship of the event) and because of the very nature of the event which is unique to ANY other voiceover event.

WATCH THE VIDEO, learn the secret then make your reservations to join us in New Orleans this October.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE VIDEO:

Hi, I’m Peter K. O’Connell

and I’ve been a voiceover actor for about 40 years.

It’s so important that people understand that with an unconference, probably one of its most unique features, aside from the format, aside from the attendees creating the agenda and supporting the agenda by what they know and sharing what they know, probably the most important thing that you learn is an unconference is a safe space for everybody.

Some people understand what that means. Some people don’t. I’ll explain my version of what a safe space is. A safe space is where you can go ask questions, where you can be vulnerable. Whether you’ve been doing it for 40 plus years or for months, whatever it is, um that you can look to this event and know that people are there. They’re not judging you. It is a judgment-free zone.

So, when you come in there as a voice actor, we know that you don’t have it all worked out. Do you know how we know that? because you’re not retired off the riches of your job. You’re still doing it on a day-to-day basis. While we all look, well, how he must be a star or celebrity, stop it!

I will tell you that I know some of the well-known (VO) celebrities and well-known (VO) folks um that people follow on Instagram or have heard on network promos and all the rest of it. And I can tell you for a fact that they don’t know everything either. They’ve had some great success and they’ve built careers, but the more you build your career, the more you can be put on an island unto yourself. And so you don’t feel like you can always ask questions.

Well, no matter what level of career you have at a WOVOCON Voiceover  Unconference, you’re safe to ask your questions. Whether you ask it in a session, whether you ask it one-on-one in a hallway conversation, whether you ask it on the questions board, there is a questions board at a WOVOCON Unconference where you can put a question and somebody will come come to you with an answer at some point during the weekend.

Whatever your thoughts, whatever your concerns, whatever your vulnerabilities, you will probably have a chance to share them with somebody, get an answer with it, or just feel like you’re not the only one.

That maybe for some folks, that’s the biggest thing. Oh, I’m not the only one that thinks that way. Oh, I’m not the only one that’s unnerved by that. Oh, I’m not the only one who didn’t understand what they meant by that, and everyone else seems to get it. At a WOVOCON Unconference, it is so valuable to know that you are among a tribe, a community, a class. Your WOVOCON Unconference will be a class unto itself. The mixture of people will never be like that before or after. It will be there. And it’s very special for people to understand that and to know that you will have that connection likely for the rest of your professional life.

Tags: social media, video, voiceover advice, WOVOCON // Comments Off on WoVOCon and the BIG Secret for Voiceover Talents

This is not a post (AND video!) about how much I dislike people saying the meaningless phrase “no problem” instead of “you’re welcome” after being thanked. Although I believe that last sentence made my stance very clear.

This post is about HOW to thank someone in a CREATIVE way.

Not so much in the everyday things (where you would say the proper and polite “you’re welcome” and not the lazy “no problem”)…but this is in regard to someone who was super thoughtful and went out of their way to show some sort of kindness.

As you know, I am not one to shy away from an actual thank you NOTE. Yup, on a piece of paper (maybe even stationery) with a pen and written out words. POSSIBLY even a postage stamp. People rarely send something so 20th Century thus a thank you note stands out.

But recently a kindness was gifted to me…very unexpectedly, as many kindnesses are…that immediately got my creative juices flowing. This person needs a proper thanking, I knew.

So I could write up the whole story on JOEY SCHALJO but I let the thank you video (oh yes I did!) tell the story.

Tags: video, voiceover advice // Comments Off on If you’re going to thank someone, then THANK them

As the NFL’s 2025 season kicks off tonight, it’s a great time to introduce you to the football greatness that lives in my hometown, Buffalo, NY.

Greatness not only in our football team but in one of the most dedicated (and often beleaguered) fan bases in ALL of sports.

But win or lose (even in the seasons of lose and lose) we support OUR team.

WE can yell and scream at them…but YOU better not!!!

Fortunately we have been very blessed recently with many years of great football.

Here’s to more of the same in 2025.

You can download (and, if you like, print) the FREE Buffalo football schedule HERE.

Below is what the FREE 2025 Buffalo football schedule looks like. #GoBills

Tags: buffalo // Comments Off on Free 2025 Buffalo Football Schedule for Everyone

If America loves the Cracker Barrel logo so much (as the recent logo controversy would suggest) should Voice Actor Peter K. O’Connell change or “Cracker Barrel” his logo?

Let’s be honest, the announced logo and overall brand reimagining for Cracker Barrel restaurants announced recently could NOT have gone much worse.

This kerfuffle takes the logo debacle that the Gap Stores instigated when they TRIED to introduce a completely new logo in 2010 (which was an IMMEDIATE disaster) and raises it beyond retail and into the muck and mire of the political world. Whoa…that’s bad.

The new restaurant logo (when compared to one another – old v. new) makes it seem like the logo designer never stepped into a Cracker Barrel. It does not fit with the store image (personality) that most consumers have or seem to want for Cracker Barrel.

But the logo is just one part of a reported $700 million rebrand…and it sounds very much like the Cracker Barrels of tomorrow will not resemble much of what customers see today.

At present, it has been said that Cracker Barrel is executing “pilot remodel tests” in about 25-30 stores as a part of a multi-year strategic transformation plan (see $700 million). The changes planned for the Cracker Barrel chain include lighter paint options, new fixtures and lighting, and repositioning décor – all changes designed to enhance the guest experience by providing an environment that feels lighter, brighter, fresher, and cleaner.

Well, that WAS the plan.

Customers are upset, the general public is upset (even people who don’t regularly go to Cracker Barrel, it seems) and for reasons still unclear to me, some politicians have decided to be upset about this logo change – where do THEY find the time??

If you think about it, a chain only makes plans to fix all this stuff ($700 million worth of stuff) if either sales are down, research says customers specifically want change or some combination therein.

But the completely negative reaction to the Cracker Barrel logo change (and maybe also the interior changes, although that feedback is spotty this far) seems to effectively shoot in the foot whatever drastic (or even less drastic) plans the restaurant had for the interior.

What can Cracker Barrel do? Stop. Drop. And roll.

On the left – the old-new logo. On the right – the dead Gap logo

Reconvene the designers for both logo and interior and say, we may need to make these changes but we are going to have to redefine the timeline and degree to which we implement these changes. Then implement a plan to calm consumers.

Regarding the logo…I’d implement some version of the ”just kidding” plan to the public, squash talk of that new logo immediately and then test a middle ground logo between the original and the new. It would then be presented in a much softer roll out.

The current Cracker Barrel logo on the left with the proposed new logo on the right. Imagine the new font style on the right with the consumer approved icon on the left in a combined “new” logo…might have been an easier change for consumers to accept.

They could have done this initially, btw. How about we just change the font style to the new look and keep the icon. Then in phase two, revise the sign/logo to just the word mark and no icon? Too expensive you say? Cracker Barrel’s plan A for logo roll out cost the company $94 million in market value in 1 day (worst ever for the company). Makes the tiered sign change costs seem like a bargain in comparison, doesn’t it?

Next, time for some spin.

Turn the logo negative into a positive…”clearly the public has spoken and shared how much the Cracker Barrel brand and logo mean to them. We love it just as much and are only working to enhance the experience of our valued customers based on their feedback.”

In essence, we hear you and we are responding to what you want, even (Cracker Barrel might say under their breath) if you all said something very different in our consumer research).

“We love all the at home designers adding their spin to our design process online and see it a nice compliment.”

“We’re not perfect but Cracker Barrel means as much to us as it does to you. As we evolve to meet the needs and tastes of our deeply respected customers, know that we will never forget that it IS the customer that comes first at Cracker Barrel.”

No doubt someone on their marketing team can make those words sing much prettier than I have done here but presenting that kind of message to the direct and indirect Cracker Barrel consumers should help calm the storm.

I have other ideas but no one is paying me so they’ll have to figure the rest out on their own.

Tags: advertising, logo design, marketing // Comments Off on Can Cracker Barrel Be Saved After The Logo Debacle?

One of the nice things about my voiceover and audio production business is that, because it is a web-based business, I can work nationally and internationally.

I am very fortunate that media production companies from all parts of the English-speaking world come to audioconnell.com.

But as I have pointed out before, I often and gladly work with local and regional businesses as clients too.

There are many different ways to gain the attention of these regional prospects.

Lately on Facebook, I have been enjoying promoting on some of the town and city groups in North Carolina that I joined during their specific small business day.

Some Facebook groups dedicate specific days of the week to promoting local businesses. This allows businesses to advertise their services or products on a dedicated day without overwhelming the group with promotional content every day. This approach helps maintain the overall quality and purpose of the group while still providing a valuable platform for local businesses to reach their target audience.

Some groups implement a “Small Business Wednesday” where local businesses can promote their services or products.
Others have a “Saturday Business Spotlight” post, where businesses are encouraged to comment with their promotions, rather than creating separate posts.

As you would expect, I only promote on the authorized days – not only because I would risk getting tossed out of the group for violating their terms of service but also because I don’t want to come across as obnoxious.

The graphic featured on this post is a new version of something I have used in the past…no doubt I will tweak the creative going forward so as not to be boring but also….fun!

Let me know if you have had any success getting new business in these groups.

Tags: advertising, facebook, marketing, social media, voiceover // 2 Comments »

I’m not much of a cable news watcher but I loves me some new logos.

So Comcast is selling off MSNBC (which was a cable news venture NBC News kicked off decades ago with Microsoft – hence the MS) that has always pretty much been an also ran news network to CNN and certainly Fox News — which has been / is a ratings juggernaut in that particular space.

With the new owners must come a new name because the cable news network does not get to keep the Peacock after the sale.

So let’s see what they’ve done.

From a name perspective, they are changing it to MS NOW (with a space, as opposed to MSNBC, no space).

The MS is now supposed to stand for “My Source”. The NOW is supposed to stand for “News, Opinion, World”.

In other words “My Source (for) News, Opinion (and the) World”. Um…ok.

They can try as hard as they want to promote the brand meaning with all those words – I don’t think it will go especially well, no one will care.

But overall, the NAME change from MSNBC to MS NOW I think is pretty good. The new name plays well off the old, established name…news consumers and I think a good chunk of the American public have some understanding of what MSNBC is…so calling the new channel MS NOW could actually transition well.

I grade A- on the name change (regardless of the supposed meaning), with a lesser grade due to the loss of the iconic peacock.

On to the MS NOW icon. What the hell is it?

A flag? A quasi-American flag? Did somebody in the graphics department start playing with the shape tool in PowerPoint??

You had all this time and THIS was your best effort?

It’s bad. It lacks creativity. It lacks…everything.

I grade it an F as in what the F.

As I recall, the MSNBC people used to change their logo once every other year or so. I’m guessing in another 12 months, someone will get around to hiring a professional designer to give that logo some polish…or actually, to give that network an actual darn logo.

Tags: commentary, logo design, marketing // 2 Comments »