The consistent style, attitude, and personality expressed through a brand’s written and spoken communication.
A verbal identity tool that shapes how the brand sounds across different situations and channels.
Short and sweet:
The consistent style, attitude, and personality expressed through a brand’s written and spoken communication.
A verbal identity tool that shapes how the brand sounds across different situations and channels.
See also: Brand Guidelines, Copywriting, Brand Identity
Tone of voice is the consistent personality that comes through in how a brand writes, whether that’s playful, authoritative, warm, or blunt, and it should hold steady across an email, a product page, and a social caption even as the specific message changes. It’s different from brand messaging itself, since two brands can say almost the same thing about a product while sounding completely different doing it. Documenting tone guidelines with concrete examples of what to say and what to avoid helps keep a brand consistent as more people, across departments or agencies, end up writing on its behalf.
Wendy’s Twitter account has built its entire identity around a sharp, sarcastic tone of voice, roasting competitors and customers alike in a way that would feel completely wrong for a brand like Chase Bank.
Mailchimp’s playful, slightly quirky personality shows up consistently in its error messages and onboarding emails, making even mundane software instructions feel a little bit fun.
Innocent Drinks built a devoted following in the UK largely through its chatty, self-deprecating style on packaging and social media, treating customers like friends rather than buyers.
