# Brand Voice

> Maintain consistent brand voice across all AI-generated content. Uses a BRAND_VOICE.md profile to enforce tone, vocabulary, and style rules. Prevents brand voice erosion over time.

- Skill: `mcltyl/brand-voice` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mcltyl/brand-voice`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mcltyl/brand-voice/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: mcltyl (https://skillmd.com/u/mcltyl)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mcltyl/brand-voice

---


# Brand Voice Skill

## Purpose

Maintain consistent brand voice across all AI-generated content by:
1. Reading voice profile from `BRAND_VOICE.md`
2. Applying tone, vocabulary, and style rules
3. Flagging off-brand content
4. Suggesting on-brand alternatives

## When to Activate

**Activation conditions:**
- Writing marketing copy, social posts, emails
- Creating customer-facing content
- Any branded communication
- User mentions "brand voice" or "on-brand"
- `BRAND_VOICE.md` exists in workspace

## Setup: BRAND_VOICE.md

This skill requires a `BRAND_VOICE.md` file in your workspace. Create one using the template below.

### Template

```markdown
# Brand Voice Profile

## Brand Identity

**Brand Name:** [Your brand name]
**Tagline:** [Your tagline if any]
**Industry:** [Your industry]
**Target Audience:** [Who you're talking to]

## Voice Attributes

Rate each attribute 1-5:

| Attribute | Level (1-5) | Notes |
|-----------|-------------|-------|
| Formal ↔ Casual | | |
| Serious ↔ Playful | | |
| Reserved ↔ Enthusiastic | | |
| Technical ↔ Simple | | |
| Traditional ↔ Modern | | |

## Tone Guidelines

### We Sound Like:
- [Descriptor 1, e.g., "A knowledgeable friend"]
- [Descriptor 2, e.g., "Confident but not arrogant"]
- [Descriptor 3]

### We Don't Sound Like:
- [Anti-descriptor 1, e.g., "A corporate robot"]
- [Anti-descriptor 2, e.g., "Pushy salesperson"]
- [Anti-descriptor 3]

## Vocabulary

### Words We Use:
- [Word/phrase 1]
- [Word/phrase 2]
- [Word/phrase 3]

### Words We Avoid:
- [Word 1] → Use [alternative] instead
- [Word 2] → Use [alternative] instead
- [Word 3] → Use [alternative] instead

## Grammar & Style

- **Contractions:** [Yes/No/Sometimes]
- **Exclamation marks:** [Rarely/Sometimes/Often]
- **Emoji:** [Never/Sparingly/Freely]
- **Sentence length:** [Short/Medium/Varied]
- **Oxford comma:** [Yes/No]

## Sample Phrases

### On-Brand Examples:
> "[Example sentence that nails your voice]"

> "[Another example]"

### Off-Brand Examples:
> "[Example of what NOT to write]"
❌ Problem: [Why this is off-brand]

## Channel Variations

### Email
- [Any email-specific rules]

### Social Media
- [Platform-specific rules]

### Website
- [Website copy rules]

## Reference Content

[Link or paste 2-3 examples of your best on-brand content]
```

## Voice Enforcement Process

### Step 1: Load Profile

When generating content, first read `BRAND_VOICE.md` to understand:
- Voice attributes (formal/casual, serious/playful, etc.)
- Vocabulary preferences
- Style rules
- Sample phrases

### Step 2: Generate Draft

Create content following the profile guidelines.

### Step 3: Voice Check

Before delivering, verify:
- [ ] Tone matches voice attributes
- [ ] No words from "avoid" list
- [ ] Grammar rules followed
- [ ] Sounds like "we sound like" descriptors
- [ ] Doesn't sound like "we don't sound like" descriptors

### Step 4: Flag Issues

If content might be off-brand:
```
⚠️ Voice Check:
- [Issue 1]: Used "[word]" — consider "[alternative]"
- [Issue 2]: Tone feels [too formal/casual] for your brand
```

## Voice Calibration

### Formal ↔ Casual Scale

| Level | Example |
|-------|---------|
| 1 (Very Formal) | "We appreciate your inquiry and will respond promptly." |
| 2 (Professional) | "Thanks for reaching out. We'll get back to you soon." |
| 3 (Friendly Professional) | "Thanks for your message! We'll be in touch shortly." |
| 4 (Casual) | "Hey! Got your message — we'll hit you back soon." |
| 5 (Very Casual) | "Yo! Message received 👍 Talking soon!" |

### Serious ↔ Playful Scale

| Level | Example |
|-------|---------|
| 1 (Very Serious) | "Our solution addresses critical business challenges." |
| 2 (Professional) | "Our solution helps businesses solve real problems." |
| 3 (Balanced) | "We built this to solve problems you actually have." |
| 4 (Light) | "We made something useful. Crazy, right?" |
| 5 (Very Playful) | "We fixed the thing! 🎉 You're welcome." |

## Content Templates by Channel

### Email Subject Lines
```
[Brand voice applied]:
- Formal: "Your [Topic] Update: [Key Point]"
- Casual: "[Key Point] — here's what you need to know"
- Playful: "[Key Point] 👀 You'll want to see this"
```

### Social Media Posts
```
[Brand voice applied]:
- Formal: "[Statement]. Learn more: [link]"
- Casual: "[Conversational take]. [link]"
- Playful: "[Witty observation] 🔥 [link]"
```

### Error Messages
```
[Brand voice applied]:
- Formal: "An error has occurred. Please try again."
- Casual: "Oops, something went wrong. Give it another shot?"
- Playful: "Well, that didn't work 😅 Mind trying again?"
```

## Voice Consistency Checks

### Quick Check (Before Every Output)
1. Read first sentence aloud — does it sound like your brand?
2. Check for any "avoid" words
3. Verify tone matches context

### Deep Check (For Important Content)
1. Compare against sample phrases
2. Read entire piece for consistency
3. Check all vocabulary
4. Verify channel-specific rules applied
5. Get second opinion if high-stakes

## Handling Edge Cases

### When Tone Conflicts with Message

Sometimes the message requires a different tone (e.g., playful brand delivering serious news).

**Approach:**
1. Maintain brand voice foundation
2. Adjust intensity appropriately
3. Don't abandon voice entirely

**Example:**
```
Off-brand (too different):
"We regret to inform you of a service disruption."

On-brand (adjusted):
"Hey — we hit a snag. [Service] is down right now. 
We're on it and will update you in 30 minutes."
```

### When Writing for Different Audiences

Same brand, different audience = same voice, different vocabulary.

**Example:**
```
To customers: "Your dashboard just got way faster."
To developers: "Dashboard load time reduced 60% via lazy loading."
```

## Response Principles

1. **Profile first** — Always check BRAND_VOICE.md before writing
2. **Consistency over perfection** — Slight off-brand is better than inconsistent
3. **Context matters** — Adjust intensity, not identity
4. **Flag don't fix silently** — Tell user if something's off-brand
5. **Learn patterns** — Note recurring issues to improve profile