TANYA RICH

BRITISH VOICE ACTOR

tanyarich
tanya@tanyarichvo.com
ISDN +44 1225 330208

The Perfect British VO Vacation!

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 A British VO on Vacation:

It’s June, the time of year when my gorgeous, patient Husband and I whisk ourselves away to somewhere sunny, sandy and sultry. And because of all of those things, it’s certainly one of the highlights of my #VO year. We take the usual: sunglasses, big hats, suncream, aftersun, sun this, sun that. You get the drift! And we also take the typical: sun microphone, sun Portabooth, sun headphones and sun Mac.

I know, you think I’m being funny. You think I’ve got heatstroke. I’ve been catching too many rays. Too much fun in the sun.
Actually, no – because guess what? #ILOVEVO

Some hotel guests’ brows furrow when they see my married man ‘servant’ lugging my #Kaotica Eyeball, portable studio and other *vocal gubbins* through reception while I strut ahead, twirling our suite key around my finger, sunhat donned over a pair of large, oval, tortoiseshell sunglasses, with my Kimono swirling flirtatiously around my ankles.

I say ‘let them stare’ Because guess what? #ILOVEVO

When your job is your life (some 30+ years of it), there is no ‘off switch’ I’m always ‘on.’ Just like the sun never stops shining, I never stop voicing. Flexing my voice is not a choice. It is my calling. And even on vacation, under the powerful midday sun, clients call on me to make their campaigns shine.

#ILOVEVO

I love getting to our hotel or holiday villa; absorbing the plush choice we have made for ‘my voice.’ And as much as my Husband needs my company for 2 weeks, I know that companies need me too. We’ve got a naughty little arrangement, them and me.

Picture the scene: ‘’Darling, I’m just popping inside to get a fancy drink. Would you like one?’’
‘’Yes, please lovely. Shall we say something shaken, not stirred?’’
‘’Ooh, rather! Of course, Mr. Rich!’’
The ruse is on. In the time it takes for me to slice some fruit, crush some ice, whack it around in a silver tumbler like some crazed exercise guru, and pour it through a sieve, topping it off with a sun brolly, well… I’ve also managed to bang out a few lines for say, a Champagne company. Or a luxury car brand. Or a major high street retailer. This can happen several times a day, if I’m lucky;)

So…Yes, I love to drink cocktails.

I love to tell stories.
I love my Husband.
And I love my clients. #VOICINGISMYDRUGOFCHOICE #ILOVEVO #BRITISHVO

*Kayotica Eyeball

*www.centrance.com/products/mp

*https://en-de.neumann.com

*https://www.beyerdynamic.com

*Define: Gubbins

A blog about… Branding!

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Let’s talk about Branding!

I’ve been a Professional British voice over talent for more than three decades. It’s been a time of change, ups and downs, surviving and thriving. And thanks to a fair amount of skill and a sprinkle of good luck, voicing has been very rewarding.

But I recently decided (after some professional advice), that – like a Hollywood franchise – it was also time for a reboot.
So in early 2018, I rebranded, not just to freshen up my look, but also to expand my British female voice over skills in the US and international market.
When I started voicing in the UK in the 1980s, we obviously didn’t have websites. Personal branding wasn’t really a thing. Producers cared little for what you looked like, let alone if you had a posh business card.
They wanted a great voice, punctuality, adaptability and a perfectly timed read.
Most of my work came through good old fashioned handshakes, phone calls and – fittingly – word of mouth.
So you’re probably wondering: why rebrand when you’re a voiceover artist who is a) well established b) highly experienced c) has an impressive résumé working with big brands?
Well, lots of reasons. But here are just a few:
1.  Value
Business and professionalism go hand in hand. Your branding tells the world how you value yourself, how you wish to be perceived, and why you charge what you do. I wanted not only to create a brand that was distinctly British, but also to market myself as a professional voice actor with heritage. And I wanted to build on that visual identity with a strong written statement.
My designer (designer) responded with a bold, classic design, with a stately black font (Cinzel), confident initials (a column-like ‘T’ and a flourishing ‘R’), a clean white background, and a decorative royal purple crown (to play off my last name and my Britishness). We then added a solid positioning statement, which told clients exactly what they can expect (”Rich in Experience, Expertise & Excellence™”).
2. On Trend 
The way brands are marketed inevitably changes over time. Go back into history and you’ll see countless examples of successful companies rebranding to remain current (Pepsi, Ford, Apple, and even relatively recently, Google). So I also wanted to be up-to-date, different, real, and quality-driven. That’s why my logo doesn’t have any voice-related icons like a microphone, speech bubble or sound waves. Not having icons like these tells my clients that I’m unique and that my voice alone will do the talking. Apart from anything else, the words ‘voice over’ underneath the logo make a corresponding graphic kind of moot!
3. Future-proofing
 
Business changes all the time. And if you want to stay in business, you’ve got to move with the times. For me, a new logo, website, business cards and social media presence were important shopfronts in a busy marketplace. But a new look also meant a newsy hook, which was perfect for introductory emails and social media posts. It also attracted compliments from past clients (whom I’ve reconnected with) and positive feedback and work offers from new ones.
4. Personal Investment  
 
One of the great things about rebranding is that, in the UK at least, it’s a tax deductible expense. But having a new logo, website and social media banners do much more than just reduce your tax bill.
My new branding instils me with professional pride. It also gives me a renewed sense of purpose. It’s not only helped me redefine what I stand for, but also who I want to work with. So while the design (in some respects) is a reflection of the qualities that got me this far, it’s also about where I’m going next.
Thanks for reading. If this blog has got you thinking about how your brand should speak to your clients, feel free to check out my demos: Demos and get in touch. Contact