Guy or Gal for your voiceover project? Age old question, no straight answer but some things to consider....
With any communications project the main focus should be the target audience - who are we talking to? What will resonate and engage with the audience? In TV, Radio, Video and Social media advertising considerable time is invested in designing, crafting and producing the right message and delivery.
The same with choosing a voiceover - the very character and tone of voice for your project is crucial and will make or break it. Both male and female VO's will have a repertoire that can deliver comedy, corporate, sombre, excited, sexy, authorative and some even have extremely irritating down to a tee - yes that's, you Harvey Norman.
So if a good voiceover can deliver all of these varying tones of voice the main question is male or female? Ask yourself the following:
Who will the audience listen to? What voice represents my brand or message best? What voice will enable my message to be long form copy and not bore my listener to tears.
Ok, I wont baffle you with science and research behind the pros and cons of male and female voice talent - frankly there is so much research for both it cancels each other out.
There are obvious benefits to a male voice actor - more forceful, deepness of voice has been proven to build perception of authority, gravitas and seriousness. Of course the most well known female benefits are sensitivity and gentleness, more musical tone (sometimes!) and a maternal nature.
My advice - think of your audience. Put yourself in their shoes and ask who would they listen to? Hang out with? Buy makeup with? Trust with car advice?
My other tip is - go opposite or at least consider it. Particularly in radio there is so much dross out there polluting the airwaves to get some cut through and differentiation -what about a female voice advertising a tool and machinery rental service...or a guy advertising make up...shock!
Go on shake it up...and failing that again, think of the audience. For God's sake think of the audience...