Brand Guidelines

Building a Brand Voice Document

A thorough voice reference covers the following areas. Use this structure to help teams articulate their voice from scratch or to interpret an existing voice configuration.

Brand Personality Profile

Describe the brand as though it were a human being. What character traits define it?

Example: "Our brand is the sharp-but-generous mentor — someone who breaks down hard ideas in plain language, takes genuine pride in your progress, and never condescends."

Communication Attributes (3-5)

Each attribute needs four elements to prevent ambiguity:

• A plain-language definition of what it means in practice
• A boundary statement explaining what it does NOT mean
• A sample sentence that embodies the attribute
• A sample sentence that violates the attribute

Target Audience Profile

• Primary and secondary audiences the brand addresses
• Core concerns and motivations of each audience
• Level of domain expertise to assume
• Communication expectations and preferences

Messaging Pillars (3-5)

• The recurring strategic themes the brand reinforces
• Relative priority among pillars (which leads in any given context)
• How each pillar maps to an audience need or pain point

Contextual Tone Range

How the voice flexes across situations while remaining unmistakably the same brand. See the Tone Modulation section below.

Editorial Style Rules

Concrete grammar, punctuation, and formatting standards. See Editorial Standards below.

Vocabulary Controls

Approved and prohibited terms. See Vocabulary Governance below.

Defining Communication Attributes

Attribute Spectrum Reference

Positioning attributes on a continuum helps teams calibrate. Common spectrums include:

Attribute Documentation Template

For every selected attribute, record:

[Attribute Name]

• In practice: [concrete behavioral description]
• Not to be confused with: [the common misinterpretation]
• Sounds like: [example sentence demonstrating it well]
• Does not sound like: [example sentence that crosses the line]

Example:

Welcoming

• In practice: inclusive, clear, free of jargon, equally respectful to newcomers and veterans
• Not to be confused with: oversimplified, excessively informal, or lacking depth
• Sounds like: "Getting set up takes about five minutes — here is how."
• Does not sound like: "Yo! Even a total beginner can figure this out lol."

Tone Modulation

The brand voice is the constant; tone is the variable that adjusts based on context. Tone represents the emotional calibration applied to the voice.

Tone by Communication Channel

Tone by Scenario

The Dial Principle

Voice attributes remain constant. Tone turns their intensity up or down depending on the moment. For a brand that is "confident and warm":

• At a product launch, confidence takes the lead
• During an outage, warmth takes the lead
• Neither quality vanishes; the emphasis shifts

Editorial Standards

Grammar and Mechanical Choices

Consistency matters more than any single choice. Document and enforce these decisions:

Formatting Conventions

• Heading hierarchy rules (when H1, H2, H3 are appropriate)
• Bold vs. italic purpose (bold for emphasis, italic for titles or introducing terms)
• Hyperlink text standards (always descriptive; never "click here")
• Image alt text requirements
• Code formatting norms (for technical brands)
• Use of callout or highlight boxes

Punctuation and Emphasis Policies

• Exclamation marks: use sparingly, never consecutively
• Ellipses: avoid in professional content
• All-caps: prohibited for emphasis; use bold instead
• Emoji: prohibited in professional channels; acceptable in social where context warrants

Vocabulary Governance

Standardized Terms

Maintain an authoritative list of correct forms alongside common mistakes:

Product and Feature Naming

• Canonical capitalization for every product name
• Rules for when to use the full name vs. an abbreviated form
• Whether "the" precedes product names
• How version numbers appear in copy
• Trademark and registration symbol usage (where required and where to omit)

Language Inclusivity

• Default to gender-neutral pronouns (they/them for individuals of unknown gender)
• Eliminate ableist expressions ("crazy", "blind spot", "lame")
• Favor person-first phrasing where relevant
• Steer clear of culturally-bound idioms that resist translation
• Prefer "straightforward" or "simple" over "easy" — difficulty is subjective

Technical and Industry Terminology

• Catalogue which specialized terms the audience grasps without explanation
• Identify jargon that must always be defined or replaced with plain language
• Specify which acronyms require full expansion on first use
• Build an audience-segmented glossary for terms with different meanings across reader groups

Competitive and Market Language

• Define your preferred framing for your product category
• Establish how competitors are referenced (by name or generically)
• Identify competitor-coined terms to avoid, so you do not reinforce rival positioning
• Codify your preferred differentiation phrasing