Every brand wants to be distinct and stand out. Tiffany & Co. has its trademarked color, Tiffany Blue. Nike has its iconic swoosh. And Starbucks has its unmistakable siren. These brands have done a great job with their visual branding.
But what about the brand tone of voice?
Your brand tone refers to how you communicate with your audience, including word choice, writing style, and the emotion of your message. These elements combine to define your brand tone of voice. Your brand voice doesn’t just determine how your brand “sounds;” it determines how your audience perceives and interacts with your brand.
So, let’s talk about why and how you should define your brand tone of voice.
Why Define Your Brand Tone of Voice?
Defining your brand tone of voice is like crafting a captivating character. It helps you:
- Build Brand Loyalty: A consistent voice fosters audience trust and loyalty.
- Enhance Brand Recognition: A distinctive voice makes your brand memorable.
- Improve Brand Messaging: A clear voice ensures your message resonates with your target audience.
- Guide Brand Guidelines: A defined voice provides a framework for all your brand communications. You need a well-defined brand voice to ensure consistency and quality across all your marketing channels when you have multiple copywriters, marketing managers, social media managers, bloggers, etc.
Key Elements of Brand Voice
To effectively define your brand tone of voice, consider these key elements:
- Personality: What is the personality of your brand? Is it playful, serious, sophisticated, or casual?
- Tone: What is the overall tone of your brand’s communications? Is it formal, informal, humorous, or empathetic?
- Language: What kind of language does your brand use? Is it simple and direct, or complex and technical?
- Style: What is the style of your brand’s writing? Is it conversational, academic, or poetic?
5 Ways to Define Your Brand Tone of Voice
- Know Your Audience: Understand your target audience’s preferences, values, and communication style.
- Identify Your Brand Values: What are the foundational core values of your brand?
- Create a Brand Voice Guidelines Document: This document should outline your brand’s personality, tone, language, and style.
- Train Your Team: Ensure all team members understand and adhere to the brand voice guidelines. This is where a brand style guide comes in handy.
- Review and Refine: Regularly review and refine your brand voice to ensure it remains relevant and effective.
Examples of Strong Brand Voices
As you define your brand tone of voice, it can be helpful to think of other brands you want to emulate and follow their lead. Here are some examples of brands that have a well-defined tone of voice
- Nike: Empowering, inspiring, and motivational.
- Apple: Innovative, minimalist, and aspirational.
- Dollar Shave Club: Humorous, irreverent, and relatable.
Final Thoughts on Brand Voice
As with all marketing and branding efforts, defining brand tone of voice takes time and effort. It also takes a comprehensive knowledge of your brand and your audience. But if you’re willing to put in the work, you can create a strong, memorable, and compelling brand.
So, what does your brand tone of voice say about you? If you’re ready to create a brand tone that’s perfect for you and your audience, reach out to our team of experts, and together, we can ensure your branding is on point.