What is a brand voice? It’s your personality. Just like you or me, your brand will have traits that can be easily identified and recognized by your customers.
Finding your brand voice isn’t always easy, and it takes time to figure out what tactics work best for the messages that you’re trying to send. But your voice should always be consistent, personable and align with your company’s values.
Formal vs. Short & Sweet
Brand voice isn’t what you say, but how you say it. This not only embodies the words you choose, but their order, rhythm and pace. Companies like big banks or financial groups sometimes deliberately use heavy language as a way to convey a sense of intelligence and superiority, while your mom-and-pop coffee shop will talk to you like a friend with easy, informal conversation.
Brand Voice Examples
It’s as simple as:
Formal: “You wouldn’t happen to have a pen I could borrow, would you?”
Informal: “Do you have a pen I can borrow?”
Casually Talking to a Friend: “Pass me that pen.”
Example 1: Frank’s RedHot®
Think about who you are as a company. Are you cheeky, creative and fun? You can probably relate to Frank’s RedHot – a brand that embraces witty and hilarious advertising.
This hot sauce brand’s tagline is “We Put That Sh*T on Everything.”
They get to be “spicy” with their brand’s voice, and it goes with the charm of their irreverent brand. While their customers can be pretty much anyone, sweet little grandma and her foul mouth deliver the same kick you’d expect when you taste their product.
Example 2: The Marine Corps
Is your brand serious and inspiring? Does it strive to be the best? The Marines are a national source of pride, and their brand has consistently stayed the same. Since 1976, the United States Marines have used the tagline, “The Few. The Proud. The Marines.”
The Marine Corps is no joke. It’s a fighting force to be reckoned with. The Marines recruitment advertising has always portrayed strength and courage, and their voice has been consistent through the decades.
3 Tips for Building Your Brand Voice
1. Start by getting personal.
What’s important to you and your company? Why is your service better than the next guy’s? What buzzwords describe your business? Use your core values when you’re coming up with the right language. Align those words with your mission.
2. Find your audience.
Figure out who your customers really are. Use data and research (call us if you need a hand!), and use your gut. Now take those qualities, and build a persona of your typical customers. Think about how you would talk to them if you were standing face-to-face.
3. Be consistent.
Once you’ve got your voice down, keep it consistent. Make sure your team members understand your goals and your voice in order to build better brand recognition. And we aren’t just talking about advertising here, folks. Your brand voice should be part of your email marketing, social media and every conversation you have with your customers.
Remember, building your brand voice doesn’t have to be hard. Just give it the attention it deserves, and the rest will fall into place – including the right visuals that bring everything full circle.
Want to talk more about branding? Connect with us on Twitter @sundogtweets. We’d love to hear from you!
