3/24/10
According to a recent AdWeek Media/Harris Poll, 48% of Americans believe a male voice is more forceful selling a product or service in an ad, while 46% believe a female voice is more soothing. (Loechner, 2010)
If the ad is trying to persuade someone, it’s pretty much a wash – 20% give the edge to the female, with 18% saying it’s the male.
What do you think? Which one makes you want to buy something?
Loechner, J. (2010, March 24). Forceful, Soothing or Persuasive Voice: Which to Pick For Ad? mediapost.com Retrieved march 24, 2010, from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=124695
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6 comments:
This might be sexist (well, probably is) but I think it depends on what I'm buying. Lawnmower or power tools = man. Things I associate with a woman = woman. I want someone who at least sounds like they use and know about the product. If it's interchangeable, I would lean towards a woman.
I think it depends on the product. I would not respond well to a deep man's voice selling me make-up or soap, for example. In my opinion, a male voice is often more authoritative sounding, so if the product is gender neutral, I probably would be more inclined to buy the product if a man was pitching it.
I don't think I have ever consciously been drawn to buy something based on the sex of the voice in the ad. I will say that Billy Mays (may he rest in peace) completely dissuaded me from buying any of his products because I can't stand excessive yelling. I am also getting a bit tired of the Desperate Housewives sound alike voice that ads are using for mainly women oriented products. But for DH fans I guess it could work! I don't really find one voice more convincing than the other. But I have to say I would find it weird if a male voice was put to a feminine product, like tampons... or birth control. But I don't think I would notice as much if a female voice was used in a Home Depot ad for example. A female voice can be more universal I think.
It depends on what I am buying because I won't trust a woman when lookin into underwear. But if a woman spoke about what she likes in mens wear it wouldbe different and it also depends on if her voice is annoying or soothing, different people have issues sometimes with the way people speak. At times that will turn me off to a radio ad or TV commercial. I feel a woman will come across more understanding though overall.
I don't want a man selling me birth control or make-up, but I want him to sell a Lawnmower... I even want him to sell me insurance or sell me on the idea of switching over to a new bank. If you give a woman enough time, I don't doubt she could talk you into buying almost anything, but given the 15-90 second window for a commercial, I feel that men have more of an impact.
The other day, I caught a mascara commercial on tv. Half way through it, I realized the speaking voice was that of a man's. I couldn't help but emphatically point this fact out to my husband, who didn't seem to care at all! But personally speaking, I think the voices can go both ways. I have noticed so many commercials that have a man's voice selling a woman's product and visa versa, and I feel the same either way. It's all about the product and whether or not I would be interested in getting it.
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