Brand Voice

Brand Voice

Brand Voice Development Process

Step 1 — Audit Current Voice

• Collect 20+ pieces of existing copy (emails, website, social, support)
• Tag each with 3 adjectives
• Find the most common 5 adjectives → current (unintentional) voice
• Decide: keep, amplify, or shift each dimension

Step 2 — Define Voice Pillars

Choose 3–4 non-contradictory adjectives. Each needs an antonym to show what you're NOT:

Step 3 — Write Voice Definitions

For each pillar, produce:

1. Definition (2 sentences)
2. Example — right way
3. Example — wrong way
4. 3 words that activate this pillar

Template:

PILLAR: [Name]
We [definition]. This means [implication for copy].

✅ DO: "[example sentence]"
❌ DON'T: "[example sentence]"

Activation words: [word1], [word2], [word3]

Tone Spectrum

Voice is constant. Tone shifts by context:

CONTEXT                    TONE SHIFT
──────────────────────────────────────
Marketing / Launch         → More excited, aspirational
Onboarding / Education     → Warm, encouraging, patient
Support / Error states     → Calm, empathetic, solution-focused
Legal / Privacy            → Precise, neutral, clear
Executive communication    → Confident, data-driven
Social / Community         → Relaxed, conversational

Tone Calibration Matrix

Messaging Hierarchy

3-Layer Model

Layer 1 — BRAND PROMISE (never changes)
  The single overarching claim your brand makes to the world.
  Usually 5–10 words. Aspirational but credible.

Layer 2 — VALUE PROPOSITIONS (3–5 pillars)
  Specific dimensions of value you deliver.
  Each maps to a customer pain/desire.

Layer 3 — PROOF POINTS
  Concrete evidence for each value prop.
  Stats, customer quotes, case studies, features.

Messaging Matrix Template

Do/Don't Examples

Language Patterns

Punctuation & Formatting

• Exclamation marks: Max 1 per page. Reserve for genuine wins.
• Ellipsis (…): Only for genuine trailing thought. Not for drama.
• ALL CAPS: Never for emphasis. Use bold instead.
• Em dash (—): Use freely for parenthetical asides.
• Parentheses: Use sparingly — prefer dashes.

Voice Consistency at Scale

Content Checklist (per piece)

• Would our target customer recognize this as "us"?
• Does it use the vocabulary our customers use?
• Is it free of jargon our customers don't use?
• Does it sound like a smart human wrote it?
• Does it pass the "would we say this out loud?" test?

Scaling Voice Across Teams

1. Voice doc — Single source of truth (1–2 pages)
2. Before/after examples — 10+ real rewrites
3. Reviewer checklist — 5 questions every editor answers
4. Onboarding exercise — New writers rewrite 3 existing pieces
5. Quarterly audit — Sample 20 pieces from each channel

AI Copy Guardrails

Prompt template for AI-assisted copy:

Write [copy type] for [product] targeting [audience].
Voice: [pillar 1], [pillar 2], [pillar 3].
NOT: [anti-pillar 1], [anti-pillar 2].
Vocabulary: use words like [word1, word2, word3].
Avoid: [banned word 1], [banned word 2], corporate jargon.
Length: [target length].
CTA: [desired action].

Brand Voice Document Structure

1. Our Voice (overview + 3–4 pillars)
2. Tone by Context (matrix)
3. Messaging Hierarchy (brand promise → value props → proof)
4. Do/Don't Examples (language, punctuation, formatting)
5. Vocabulary Guide (preferred terms, banned terms)
6. Channel-Specific Notes (email, social, support, sales)
7. Review Checklist

Vocabulary Guide Template