You know that same tone you normally use in communicating with either your parents or peers, whether positive or negative; that’s the same tone I’m referring to when I talk about brand tone. So don’t overthink it; its not different from your personal tone of voice. Just like when you come to a ceremony and you can’t help but notice that one person who is either a storyteller or good with jokes. Believe it or not, it has everything to do with their unique personality, which in essence distinguishes them from the crowd.
Every brand exhibits a distinct personality that can be seen through its voice and tone in marketing communications. So to make your brand stand out, it’s essential to establish a clear voice and tone that cuts through the digital noise.
That being said, this article will guide you in discovering your brand’s unique tone, enabling you to engage your audiences and strengthen brand loyalty, similar to the most recognized brands in the world.
Key Points
- Brand tone refers to the way a brand expresses its personality through communication, focusing on how things are said rather than what is said.
- It reflects a brand’s personality and values while adapting to different audiences, platforms, and situations without losing consistency.
- A strong brand tone can improve brand awareness, create a positive image, and foster connections with target audiences.
- Developing a unique tone involves aligning it with brand values, understanding the target audience, and evolving it over time to stay relevant.
What is a Brand Tone?
The term “brand tone” or “tone of voice” defines the personality that your content marketing uses. Look at it his way: brand voice is what you say, brand tone is how you say it.
The tone of voice for your brand reflects its personality and values. Your personality and values remain the same when you speak, but the way you express them can vary.
The tone of voice for your brand can change depending on several factors, including the target persona, the client’s stage in the buying journey, and the communication channel used.
For example, when you talk to your boss in person, you’re likely formal in your communication style. When you text a close friend, your tone is likely more relaxed and straightforward. Your personality and values remain the same (brand voice), but the way you communicate can change (brand tone).
When considering brand tonality, focus on emotion. Do you sound happy, angry, curious, sarcastic, or cautious? The way you express your words can change their meaning entirely in the minds of your audience, based on your delivery. And yes, this little detail, as you see it, may make or mar your business.
Benefits of Having a Brand Tone
Having a defined brand tone in any business comes with a lot of importance. So aside from sounding polite and formal in your tone, it also does a lot of good for your business. Let’s look at some other benefits:
#1. Improved brand awareness
In competitive markets such as B2B services and SaaS, many brands appear quite similar to their rivals. A distinctive tone of voice can effectively engage your audience and enhance brand recognition. B2B content marketers have a significant advantage, as 84% of them report that increasing brand awareness has been a primary goal in the past year.
#2. Positive view of the brand
A consistent tone of voice also gives your brand a more coherent and professional appearance. Your communications gain a unique quality that demonstrates to your audiences that you are thoughtful and deliberate in your presentation. This generates a positive vibe for your brand, helping you differentiate from those that communicate in a chaotic and disorganized manner.
#3. Increased brand recognition
Like brand awareness, your brand recognition also gains from a unique tone of voice. Maintaining a consistent way of communicating highlights the uniqueness of your brand. This helps your communications stand out and be easily remembered by your audiences.
#4. Connects your brand with your target audience
Individuals tend to engage with and revisit things that feel familiar to them. Establishing a unique tone of voice helps your audience feel at ease with your brand, as if they are engaging with a familiar and trustworthy companion.
#5. Easier teamwork among your groups
A significant benefit of establishing a well-defined tone of voice is that it keeps all members of your branding and marketing teams, whether in-house or outsourced, aligned and coordinated. All creators adhere to a uniform style when producing content, enhancing the professionalism and recognizability of what they share.
Elements of an Effective Tone of Voice
Brand voice guidelines offer essential information for writers, content creators, and anyone representing your company to effectively capture your unique brand personality consistently. So when deciding on the point to go for, the main points to address should be:
#1. Authenticity
A successful tone of voice should be known for its sincerity and should also be in line with your brand’s fundamental values. Being genuine builds trust, transforms individuals into devoted customers, and enhances your brand’s overall attractiveness.
#2. Consistency
You see consistency? It can save you alot. It might seem that no one is looking but they are. So maintaining a consistent tone across all channels strengthens your message and helps customers easily recognize content that is uniquely tied to your business.
#3. Clarity
Your tone of voice should be straightforward, relatable and easy to identify. You don’t need a complicated tone because it might end up leading to a misunderstanding and then take away from the clarity of your message.
#4. Etmology
You don’t need to be a word wizard to grasp how crucial historical context and word meanings are! When it comes to tone of voice, etymology is all about picking the perfect words for the job!
#5. Syntax
This is essentially how words and the structure of language are arranged. It can be useful when you prefer brief, punchy sentences. It’s straight to the point. The point is emphasized. The audience’s time is valued.
Or, you might prefer to share a more cerebral notion with rich, flowing language that dances around and keeps an artistic flair, aiming to captivate the reader and spark a thought, an idea, or a deeper meaning. Look at how simple that is!
How to Build Your Brand Tone
Seeing how some of the biggest companies develop strong brand voices is only the first step. Now, it’s time to take action.
Here are the six steps you can take to build your own brand tone in a way that fits your business perfectly:
#1. Start with your brand values
Begin by identifying the core values that define your brand. What is something that your brand feels strongly about? Something that you want to promote, or perhaps go against?
Once you identify your values, they’ll serve as the foundation for your brand’s tone of voice, guiding your communication with the audience and aligning your messaging with what your brand is all about.
#2. Think about your target audience
Consider who your target audience is and what language, tone, and style resonate most with them. Are you speaking to personal or business users? Young or older audience? Try going into as much detail about how your audience communicates and what messages resonate with them.
Then tailor your brands tone of voice to appeal to their preferences, interests, and communication habits. This helps you to create a deeper connection and foster engagement.
#3. Determine your brand’s personality
Define the personality traits that best represent your brand. Is your brand playful, sophisticated, adventurous, or caring? Understanding your brand’s personality helps shape the tone and style of your communication. As a result, you’ll have more consistency and authenticity in your messaging.
#4. Establish brand voice characteristics
Define specific characteristics of your brand voice, such as the level of formality, humor, or empathy you want to convey. These characteristics should reflect your brand’s personality and values while resonating with your target audience.
Here are some brand’s tone of voice characteristics for inspiration:
- Authentic
- Innovative
- Friendly
- Sophisticated
- Playful
- Trustworthy
- Empowering
- Eco-conscious
- Bold
- Compassionate
#5. One voice vs. many different tones
When developing a brand’s tone of voice, make sure to adapt your tone to different situations and communication channels. This doesn’t take away from the consistency of your tone, but rather makes it suitable for different events.
Let’s say that one of the characteristics of your brand’s voice is an enthusiastic tone. Though enthusiasm works great in marketing communications, it can send the wrong message when dealing with a complaining customer. Here you’ll need patience, calmness, and reliability.
By taking different situations into account, your tone of voice will become more usable and recognizable across different channels.
#6. Evolve over time
Recognize that your brand voice may evolve as your business grows, market trends shift, or audience preferences change. By regularly reviewing and refining your brand voice, you’ll ensure it remains relevant, resonant, and reflective of your brand’s identity and values.
Remember, the ability to adapt is key to maintaining a strong and enduring brand presence in a dynamic marketplace.
Brand Tone of Voice Examples
And now, drumroll, please! Here come the star players: a few brand voice examples that showcase the delightful spectrum of personas and how they can sprinkle some magic on your own tone of voice. I know that every business has its own unique needs, but there’s a lot to learn from brands that are nailing their own distinct tone of voice:
1. Dove – A Boost of Confidence and Positivity
It totally makes sense for a beauty and self-care brand to adopt an uplifting vibe! Dove is a shining example of a brand that has nailed the art of personality, championing responsibility while riding the wave of empowerment for consumers—especially women—and spreading the good word about body positivity.
Dove really knows how to sell its mission with some seriously uplifting language that hits home: “beauty is a source of confidence,” “self-esteem education,” “realize full potential.”
2. Skittles – So Far Out There It’s in Another Galaxy
You’ve caught the Skittles commercials, cringed at the ads, and pondered the madness—but let’s be real, you’ve probably tasted the rainbow just like they want you to. Sure, Skittles might have a sweet spot for the bizarre in the candy world, but you won’t catch Almond Joy or Nerds venturing into the realm of weirdness quite like those colorful little gems.
But here’s the kicker: the Skittles vibe totally nails it! With all the chatter about Skittlespox and the whole rainbow vibe, you’d think consumers would hesitate, but Skittles has crafted a brand personality that’s just too lovable in its quirky charm. Here are some recent social media highlights:
3. Duolingo – Just Straight Up Out of Pocket
When you hear about one of the globe’s most famous language-learning tools, Duolingo, it probably brings to mind those lessons you swore you’d tackle before that epic trip overseas. But let’s not forget about the eye-catching star of the show: the company’s neon green mascot, Duo the owl!
Have you had a chance to dive into their TikTok account yet? If you haven’t, get a popcorn and just sit tight.
Duolingo doesn’t hold back when it comes to nudging users to dive into their language lessons. Over the past decade, the company has become a favorite punchline online, with folks poking fun at their knack for leaning a bit more towards the aggressive side than the passive. So, it was no shocker that when the Duolingo social media squad hit TikTok, they came out swinging!
By embracing the meme and having a blast with it, Duolingo shows that sticking to your brand and your audience’s view of you is the ultimate way to nail your tone.
#4. Apple – Innovative and sleek brand voice
When you hear “Apple,” the first thing that pops into your head isn’t the juicy fruit, but rather a powerhouse of a smartphone. Their products are cutting-edge, stylish, and oh, so covetable—and it all comes back to the brand.
So, what’s the secret sauce behind the brand’s image?
Along with striking visuals, Apple packs a punch with snappy, bold statements that both motivate and enlighten you about their newest gadgets and tech triumphs. They’ve got a vibe that’s laid-back but still packs a punch, full of energy while keeping it classy, and always zeroed in on their products and cutting-edge ideas.
5. Coca-Cola – Refreshing and uplifting brand voice
Coca-Cola is all about happiness, making memories, and savoring life with those we cherish. But seriously, what’s the connection to a delightful, booze-free drink? Oh, just a little thing—like helping Coca-Cola skyrocket to one of the biggest brands on the planet!
Their cheerful vibe springs from the upbeat language that spreads their inclusive and universal messages. Slogans like “Open happiness” and “Have a Coke and a smile” are prime examples of how the company keeps the good vibes rolling with its feel-good message. Coca-Cola has nailed the art of product branding like no other—it’s legendary for a reason!
6. McDonald’s – Friendly and inviting brand voice
McDonald’s figured out the magic of branding before it was even on anyone’s radar. McDonald’s really knows how to shine with its clever positioning and a vibe that’s all about being friendly, youthful, and full of energy—definitely what sets it apart from the fast food crowd!
From ads to customer service messages, the brand always brings a cheerful vibe, ready to entertain and help customers at every turn.
Final Thought
In today’s competitive market, every business must strive to capture customer attention. It became crucial to create a recognizable brand that can foster strong relationships with customers.
Establishing your brand’s tone of voice allows you to build a community with customers, nurture loyalty, and boost revenue.
If you have additional questions about maintaining your brand tone, feel free to reach out to me for further assistance in the comment section.
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