Brand Voice Skill
Frameworks for documenting, applying, and enforcing brand voice and style guidelines across marketing content.
Brand Voice Documentation Framework
A complete brand voice document should cover these areas. Use this framework to help users define their brand voice or to understand an existing brand voice configuration.
1. Brand Personality
Define the brand as if it were a person. What are its defining traits?
Example: "If our brand were a person, they would be a knowledgeable colleague who explains complex things simply, celebrates your wins genuinely, and never talks down to you."
2. Voice Attributes
Select 3-5 attributes that define how the brand communicates. Each attribute should be defined with:
- What it means in practice
- What it does NOT mean (to prevent misinterpretation)
- An example demonstrating the attribute
3. Audience Awareness
- Who the brand is speaking to (primary and secondary audiences)
- What the audience cares about
- What level of expertise the audience has
- How the audience expects to be addressed
4. Core Messaging Pillars
- 3-5 key themes the brand consistently communicates
- The hierarchy of these messages (which comes first)
- How each pillar connects to audience needs
5. Tone Spectrum
How the voice adapts across contexts while remaining recognizably the same brand.
6. Style Rules
Specific grammar, formatting, and language rules. See the Style Guide Enforcement section below.
7. Terminology
Preferred and avoided terms. See the Terminology Management section below.
Voice Attributes
Common Voice Attribute Pairs
When defining brand voice, it helps to position attributes on a spectrum. Here are common attribute spectrums:
| Spectrum |
One End |
Other End |
| Formality |
Formal, institutional |
Casual, conversational |
| Authority |
Expert, authoritative |
Peer-level, collaborative |
| Emotion |
Warm, empathetic |
Direct, matter-of-fact |
| Complexity |
Technical, precise |
Simple, accessible |
| Energy |
Bold, energetic |
Calm, measured |
| Humor |
Playful, witty |
Serious, earnest |
| Innovation |
Cutting-edge, forward-looking |
Established, proven |
Defining an Attribute
For each chosen attribute, document it in this format:
[Attribute name]
- We are: [what this means in practice]
- We are not: [common misinterpretation to avoid]
- This sounds like: [example sentence demonstrating the attribute]
- This does NOT sound like: [example sentence violating the attribute]
Example:
Approachable
- We are: friendly, clear, jargon-free, welcoming to beginners and experts alike
- We are not: dumbed-down, overly casual, or lacking substance
- This sounds like: "Here's how to get started — it takes about five minutes."
- This does NOT sound like: "Yo! This is super easy, even a noob can do it lol."
Tone Adaptation Across Channels and Contexts
The brand voice stays consistent, but tone adapts to context. Tone is the emotional inflection applied to the voice.
Tone by Channel
| Channel |
Tone Adaptation |
Example |
| Blog |
Informative, conversational, educational |
"Let's walk through how this works and why it matters for your team." |
| Social media (LinkedIn) |
Professional, thought-provoking, concise |
"Three things we learned from running 50 campaigns this quarter." |
| Social media (Twitter/X) |
Punchy, direct, sometimes witty |
"Your landing page has 3 seconds. Make them count." |
| Email marketing |
Personal, helpful, action-oriented |
"We put together something we think you'll find useful." |
| Sales collateral |
Confident, benefit-driven, specific |
"Teams using our platform reduce reporting time by 40%." |
| Support/Help docs |
Clear, patient, step-by-step |
"If you see this error, here's how to fix it." |
| Press release |
Formal, factual, newsworthy |
"The company today announced the launch of..." |
| Error messages |
Empathetic, helpful, blame-free |
"Something went wrong on our end. We're looking into it." |
Tone by Situation
| Situation |
Tone Adaptation |
| Product launch |
Excited, confident, forward-looking |
| Apology/Crisis |
Sincere, direct, accountable |
| Celebration/Success |
Genuine, appreciative, collaborative |
| Educational/Instructional |
Patient, clear, expert |
| Sales/Direct response |
Urgency-driven, benefit-focused, clear |
Style Guide Enforcement
Common Style Rule Categories
When reviewing content, check for consistency in these categories:
Punctuation:
- Use of the Oxford comma
- Use of em-dashes vs. en-dashes
- Punctuation inside or outside quotation marks
- Use of exclamation points (e.g., "max one per piece")
Capitalization:
- Headline case vs. sentence case for subheadings
- Capitalization of job titles
- Capitalization of product features or specific brand terms
Formatting:
- Use of bold for emphasis
- List formatting (bullets vs. numbers)
- Date and time formats
- Number formatting (e.g., spelling out one through nine)
Perspective:
- Use of first person ("we", "us")
- Addressing the reader directly ("you")
- Use of third person ("the company", "users")
Terminology Management
Preferred Terms
Words that align with brand voice and category positioning.
Avoided Terms
Words that are off-brand, overly technical, or used by competitors.
"Forbidden" Words
Specific terms that should never be used (e.g., "cheap", "best-in-class").
Pronunciation and Spelling
Guidelines for brand-specific names or technical terms.
1---2name: marketing-brand-voice3description: Legacy fallback for brand governance and style policy work. Prefer copywriting and copy-editing for operational production tasks. Use when documenting or auditing voice rules, not as the default drafting workflow.4---56# Brand Voice Skill78Frameworks for documenting, applying, and enforcing brand voice and style guidelines across marketing content.910## Brand Voice Documentation Framework1112A complete brand voice document should cover these areas. Use this framework to help users define their brand voice or to understand an existing brand voice configuration.1314### 1. Brand Personality1516Define the brand as if it were a person. What are its defining traits?1718Example: "If our brand were a person, they would be a knowledgeable colleague who explains complex things simply, celebrates your wins genuinely, and never talks down to you."1920### 2. Voice Attributes2122Select 3-5 attributes that define how the brand communicates. Each attribute should be defined with:2324- What it means in practice25- What it does NOT mean (to prevent misinterpretation)26- An example demonstrating the attribute2728### 3. Audience Awareness2930- Who the brand is speaking to (primary and secondary audiences)31- What the audience cares about32- What level of expertise the audience has33- How the audience expects to be addressed3435### 4. Core Messaging Pillars3637- 3-5 key themes the brand consistently communicates38- The hierarchy of these messages (which comes first)39- How each pillar connects to audience needs4041### 5. Tone Spectrum4243How the voice adapts across contexts while remaining recognizably the same brand.4445### 6. Style Rules4647Specific grammar, formatting, and language rules. See the Style Guide Enforcement section below.4849### 7. Terminology5051Preferred and avoided terms. See the Terminology Management section below.5253## Voice Attributes5455### Common Voice Attribute Pairs5657When defining brand voice, it helps to position attributes on a spectrum. Here are common attribute spectrums:5859| Spectrum | One End | Other End |60| ---------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------- |61| Formality | Formal, institutional | Casual, conversational |62| Authority | Expert, authoritative | Peer-level, collaborative |63| Emotion | Warm, empathetic | Direct, matter-of-fact |64| Complexity | Technical, precise | Simple, accessible |65| Energy | Bold, energetic | Calm, measured |66| Humor | Playful, witty | Serious, earnest |67| Innovation | Cutting-edge, forward-looking | Established, proven |6869### Defining an Attribute7071For each chosen attribute, document it in this format:7273**[Attribute name]**7475- **We are**: [what this means in practice]76- **We are not**: [common misinterpretation to avoid]77- **This sounds like**: [example sentence demonstrating the attribute]78- **This does NOT sound like**: [example sentence violating the attribute]7980Example:8182**Approachable**8384- **We are**: friendly, clear, jargon-free, welcoming to beginners and experts alike85- **We are not**: dumbed-down, overly casual, or lacking substance86- **This sounds like**: "Here's how to get started — it takes about five minutes."87- **This does NOT sound like**: "Yo! This is super easy, even a noob can do it lol."8889## Tone Adaptation Across Channels and Contexts9091The brand voice stays consistent, but tone adapts to context. Tone is the emotional inflection applied to the voice.9293### Tone by Channel9495| Channel | Tone Adaptation | Example |96| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |97| Blog | Informative, conversational, educational | "Let's walk through how this works and why it matters for your team." |98| Social media (LinkedIn) | Professional, thought-provoking, concise | "Three things we learned from running 50 campaigns this quarter." |99| Social media (Twitter/X) | Punchy, direct, sometimes witty | "Your landing page has 3 seconds. Make them count." |100| Email marketing | Personal, helpful, action-oriented | "We put together something we think you'll find useful." |101| Sales collateral | Confident, benefit-driven, specific | "Teams using our platform reduce reporting time by 40%." |102| Support/Help docs | Clear, patient, step-by-step | "If you see this error, here's how to fix it." |103| Press release | Formal, factual, newsworthy | "The company today announced the launch of..." |104| Error messages | Empathetic, helpful, blame-free | "Something went wrong on our end. We're looking into it." |105106### Tone by Situation107108| Situation | Tone Adaptation |109| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |110| Product launch | Excited, confident, forward-looking |111| Apology/Crisis | Sincere, direct, accountable |112| Celebration/Success | Genuine, appreciative, collaborative |113| Educational/Instructional | Patient, clear, expert |114| Sales/Direct response | Urgency-driven, benefit-focused, clear |115116## Style Guide Enforcement117118### Common Style Rule Categories119120When reviewing content, check for consistency in these categories:1211221. **Punctuation**:123 - Use of the Oxford comma124 - Use of em-dashes vs. en-dashes125 - Punctuation inside or outside quotation marks126 - Use of exclamation points (e.g., "max one per piece")1271282. **Capitalization**:129 - Headline case vs. sentence case for subheadings130 - Capitalization of job titles131 - Capitalization of product features or specific brand terms1321333. **Formatting**:134 - Use of bold for emphasis135 - List formatting (bullets vs. numbers)136 - Date and time formats137 - Number formatting (e.g., spelling out one through nine)1381394. **Perspective**:140 - Use of first person ("we", "us")141 - Addressing the reader directly ("you")142 - Use of third person ("the company", "users")143144## Terminology Management145146### Preferred Terms147148Words that align with brand voice and category positioning.149150### Avoided Terms151152Words that are off-brand, overly technical, or used by competitors.153154### "Forbidden" Words155156Specific terms that should never be used (e.g., "cheap", "best-in-class").157158### Pronunciation and Spelling159160Guidelines for brand-specific names or technical terms.
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