{"id":193,"date":"2024-08-30T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internship.infoskaters.com\/blog\/2024\/08\/30\/creating-your-brand-voice-a-complete-guide\/"},"modified":"2024-08-30T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T11:00:00","slug":"creating-your-brand-voice-a-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internship.infoskaters.com\/blog\/2024\/08\/30\/creating-your-brand-voice-a-complete-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating Your Brand Voice: A Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Even if you\u2019re brand new to brand voice, you already know exactly what it is. I promise.<\/p>\n<p>Think of a few of your favorite brands, and consider why they\u2019re favs. The product or service probably has a lot to do with it, but that\u2019s only part of the story \u2014 a brand\u2019s voice or personality is also a major factor in consumer loyalty.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta_button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/cs\/ci\/?pg=814dd420-0d49-40e0-b59c-f01066e186c1&amp;pid=53&amp;ecid=&amp;hseid=&amp;hsic=\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Think about the overall vibe of your favorite brand \u2014 is it friendly? Authoritative? Funny? That\u2019s brand voice at work.<\/p>\n<p>A well-defined brand voice can underscore your authority, play up your playfulness, or simply bring the directness and relatability that consumers look for in brands. A poorly defined voice, or one that changes frequently, undermines your brand and alienates customers or clients.<\/p>\n<p>So let\u2019s talk about how to start from scratch by looking at the elements that form a brand\u2019s voice, plus 10 examples to inspire you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing#brand-voice-examples\">Brand Voice Examples<\/a><br \/>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing#what-is-a-brand-voice\">What is a brand voice?<\/a><br \/>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing#why-brand-voice-is-important\">Why Brand Voice is Important<\/a><br \/>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing#creating-a-brand-voice\">Creating a Brand Voice<\/a><br \/>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing#brand-voice-template\">Brand Voice Template<\/a><br \/>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing#crafting-your-voice\">Crafting Your Voice<\/a> <\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Your company\u2019s voice should resonate with your audience and build trust with them. In the U.S. market, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/1482252\/importance-brand-trust-purchase-worldwide\/\">90% of consumers<\/a> say it\u2019s important to trust the brands they buy or use.<\/p>\n<p>Your brand voice shows your customers what to expect from your company\u2019s content, services, and even customer service.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>Why Brand Voice is Important<\/h2>\n<p>Brand voice is a little bit like a brand ambassador.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll make certain assumptions about an unfamiliar brand if its ambassadors are clad in pink cowboy hats or in black three-piece suits. And you\u2019ll know <em>immediately<\/em> whether you\u2019re the target audience.<\/p>\n<p>A brand\u2019s voice is usually defined by four or so adjectives that immediately convey whether you\u2019re a pink cowboy hat kind of brand (bubbly, playful, youthful, irreverent) or a black three-piece suit kind of brand (somber, formal, authoritative, exclusive).<\/p>\n<p>Every bit of copy that your brand produces, whether it\u2019s the About Us page on your website or the game on the back of a cereal box, should exude your brand\u2019s distinct voice.<\/p>\n<p>Put some thought into those four(ish) adjectives \u2014 we\u2019ll show you how \u2014 because your brand voice has to translate across multiple platforms, and potentially even across countries and cultures.<\/p>\n<p>It has an important internal function, too. A well-defined brand voice establishes a cohesive set of guidelines for your writers, marketers, content creators, and even graphic designers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell-defined\u201d is key here \u2014 you can throw a bunch of adjectives at the wall and hope something sticks, but without a solid explanation of what \u201cclear, helpful, human, and kind\u201d means, you\u2019re in danger of muddied or inconsistent content.<\/p>\n<p>HubSpot\u2019s style guide, for instance, specifies that \u201cwe favor clarity above all. The clever and cute should never be at the expense of the clear.\u201d It also gives multiple examples of what \u201cclear,\u201d \u201chelpful,\u201d \u201chuman,\u201d and \u201ckind\u201d actually look like in our copy \u2014 a godsend for contractors and new hires.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve nailed down your brand\u2019s voice, you\u2019ll find it easier to speak directly to your audience, attract new customers or users, and express your brand\u2019s distinctiveness.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>Creating a Brand Voice<\/h2>\n<p>Bring your customers into the conversation so they feel connected to your brand. If a potential customer feels like you\u2018re talking directly to them, then you\u2019re doing brand voice right.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Start with your company&#8217;s mission.<\/h3>\n<p>Your own values, and your company\u2019s mission, are critical as you embark on your brand voice journey.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s how HubSpot\u2019s social media team translated the brand voice to LinkedIn \u2014 and got <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/how-hubspots-social-team-grew-linkedin\">84% more engagement<\/a> in just six months.<\/p>\n<p>I asked Emily Kearns, HubSpot\u2019s Senior Manager, Social Media, to tell me more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo much of what is good about HubSpot is the culture and how we treat each other \u2014 just the overall vibe,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd there was a huge opportunity to take that into the social space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>HubSpot\u2019s brand voice is clear, helpful, human, and kind, and Kearns says that the social media team used that as its foundation. \u201cHuman and authentic \u2014 that\u2019s just table stakes,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>But there are different ways to express clarity, helpfulness, humanness, and kindness. Where our official product descriptions might require a little more gravitas, our Instagram account can translate the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/blog\/tabid\/6307\/bid\/34234\/the-hubspot-culture-code-creating-a-company-we-love.aspx\">HubSpot culture<\/a> into ~vibes~.<\/p>\n<div class=\"hs-embed-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"hs-embed-content-wrapper\">\n<div>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C-Gc62kJl6q\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\"> \n<div>\n<div>\n       \u00a0\n      <\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n      \u00a0\n     <\/div>\n<div>\n      \u00a0\n     <\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n       View this post on Instagram\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n      \u00a0\n     <\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n       \u00a0\n      <\/div>\n<div>\n       \u00a0\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p><\/a>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C-Gc62kJl6q\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\">A post shared by HubSpot (@hubspot)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Since it began reinterpreting HubSpot\u2019s corporate voice on social media in 2023, our HubSpot social team has earned a 2024 Webby nomination in the category of Social, B2B.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lauren-naturale\/\">Lauren Naturale<\/a>, the social media manager at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tides.org\/\">Tides<\/a>, a nonprofit that advances social justice, agrees that values are foundational to your brand voice. \u201cYou cannot take a values-based approach to marketing if your company is not actually living or enacting those values in any meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>Naturale was also the first social media manager at Merriam-Webster, where she developed the dictionary\u2019s social media presence from practically nothing \u2014 \u201cthey would post the word of the day to all the social channels once a day\u201d \u2014 into a must-follow.<\/p>\n<p>She says that Merriam-Webster didn\u2019t have the kind of strategy deck that a big corporation would have sunk a lot of money into. What it did have was \u201cvery well articulated, shared values around how interesting language was, how important it was, and the fact that it is always changing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She sums those values up: \u201cWords and language are not cultural capital. They&#8217;re not the property of the elite. You can care about words and language and also be interested in the way that language is changing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From those values, she built what is now a well-known brand voice (never mind the 456% increase in Twitter audience she ushered in).<\/p>\n<div class=\"hs-embed-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"hs-embed-content-wrapper\">\n<p>\ud83d\udcc8A fact is a piece of information presented as having objective reality. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gCKRZZm23c\">https:\/\/t.co\/gCKRZZm23c<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster)<br \/>\n   <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MerriamWebster\/status\/823221915171061760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 22, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>2. Use your buyer persona as inspiration for your brand voice.<\/h3>\n<p>Your <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/buyer-persona-research\">buyer persona<\/a> should answer a few vital questions: Who are you trying to reach? What do they need from your brand? What can your brand offer them that no one else can?<\/p>\n<div class=\"hs-embed-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"hs-embed-content-wrapper\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/target-audience\">Audience research<\/a> can help you identify other types of content that are reliably appealing to your audience.<\/p>\n<p>Tools like Google Analytics, or even a simple survey of your audience, can help you determine or confirm other sites that your readers frequent.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ryanmshattuck\/\">Ryan Shattuck<\/a>, a digital media strategist who managed Dictionary.com\u2019s social media for four years, tells me, \u201cKnowing your audience is obvious, but I would take it a step further. Respect your audience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>Dictionary.com\u2019s buyer persona \u2014 or its target users \u2014 likely paints a picture of somebody who does the New York Times\u2019 Connections word game as soon as the clock strikes midnight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s safe to assume that the people who follow a dictionary account on Instagram are also people who read books and do crossword puzzles,\u201d as Shattuck puts it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd so I can make a joke about the Oxford comma. I can use a meme to share the etymology of a word.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If your voice doesn&#8217;t resonate with your audience, keep experimenting.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Look at your best-performing content.<\/h3>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve already been publishing content for a few months or even years, take a look at your top-performing pieces to find out what\u2019s resonating with your audience.<\/p>\n<p>How would you describe your brand voice in that content? It might be assured and authoritative, with deep topical knowledge backed up by original research. It could be playful and irreverent, using memes and pop-culture references to connect with your audience.<\/p>\n<p>Make a list of adjectives that describe your voice in your top-performing pieces, and highlight the common elements. From there, you can start to make strategic decisions about which elements should be replicated across your brand.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also helpful to research the content formats that perform the best in your industry and geographic location. (Pro tip: It\u2019s probably <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/short-form-video-lead-generation\">short-form<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/short-form-video-lead-generation\"> video<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<h3>4. Make a list of do\u2018s and don\u2019ts.<\/h3>\n<p>If you get stuck trying to define your brand voice, try defining what you <em>don\u2019t<\/em> want it to be.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, perhaps your team brainstorms the following statements:<\/p>\n<p><em>Our brand voice is not pretentious.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Our brand voice is not too serious.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Our brand voice is not grandiose.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Our brand voice is not unfriendly.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Once you&#8217;ve taken a look at these statements, you can begin forming the antithesis. For example, the above list might yield a brand voice that\u2019s down to earth, funny, informal, and humble.<\/p>\n<h3>5. If necessary, use a third-party agency to determine brand voice.<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/connect\/content-solutions\/brandvoice\/\">Forbes&#8217; BrandVoice<\/a> is a media partnership program that helps brands reach and resonate with their audiences through expert consultancy and direct access to Forbes audiences.<\/p>\n<p>Take a look at how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/colehaan\/changemakers\/\">Cole Haan worked with Forbes<\/a> to create content related to style, arts, travel, social impact, and more. Each piece uses a unique voice to target the intended audience for that category.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re struggling to create a unique brand voice or you don\u2019t know how to adapt your vision to the different areas of your business, consider using a program like BrandVoice or a third-party content marketing agency. This will help you take your brand\u2019s game to the next level.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Create a communications document so all of your content is aligned.<\/h3>\n<p>Once you\u2018ve created your brand voice, you\u2019ll want to ensure your entire company can use that voice in all marketing materials.<\/p>\n<p>If your company only uses internal writers, consider creating a training course for new staff so they can learn how to write for your brand. If you work with external guest contributors, you&#8217;ll want to make public-facing guidelines to ensure all your writing captures the appropriate voice.<\/p>\n<h3>7. Fill out a brand voice template with 3 &#8211; 5 core voice characteristics.<\/h3>\n<p>Use a table to formalize your process. Write down three to five core characteristics you\u2018ve determined are important for your brand\u2019s voice and how your writers can use these traits in their writing.<\/p>\n<p>This step is important for translating ideas into action \u2014 how can your writers create a \u201chumble, authentic voice\u201d in their writing?<\/p>\n<p>Give some examples or tactical advice to make it easy for your brand voice to come through in all of your content, regardless of byline.<\/p>\n<div class=\"hs-embed-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"hs-embed-content-wrapper\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>To explore what a template could look like in practice, take a look at the brand voice template below.<\/p>\n<h3>Top Tips from the Pros<\/h3>\n<p>Although social media is just one component of a brand\u2019s voice, it\u2019s often the most public and the most prolific. So I asked the social media pros I talked to for this article for their top tips on crafting a brand voice.<\/p>\n<h4>1. Be human.<\/h4>\n<p>Kearns says to ask yourself, \u201cWould a real person say this? Is there something in here that is relatable, and that someone can connect to?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not a dictionary sitting at a computer,\u201d Shattuck tells me. \u201cIt\u2019s a real person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Dictionarycom\/status\/1378527742866550787\"><em>Image Source.<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h4>2. Respect your audience.<\/h4>\n<p>It bears repeating: Don\u2019t just know your audience. Respect them.<\/p>\n<h4>3. Reflect your brand\u2019s product and culture.<\/h4>\n<p>You won\u2019t win authenticity points if you\u2019re trying to mimic another brand\u2019s culture. Conversely, if you have a great company culture \u2014 channel it and celebrate it in your social accounts.<\/p>\n\n<h4>4. Be culturally relevant, but not at the expense of your brand identity.<\/h4>\n<p>This doesn\u2019t mean you should meme-ify everything \u2014 but it does mean that memes are fair game if you stay on-brand.<\/p>\n<p>Shattuck said that at Dictionary.com, he always asked himself, \u201cIs this post educational? Is it entertaining?\u201d If he couldn\u2019t answer \u201cyes\u201d to both,, he knew the post wouldn\u2019t do well because it wasn\u2019t adding any value.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>Brand Voice Examples<\/h2>\n<p>Before you start crafting your unique voice, turn to role models who have perfected their tone. Here are 10 examples to get you started.<\/p>\n<p>You can see other distinct brand voices in the video below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"hs-embed-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"hs-embed-content-wrapper\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>1. HubSpot<\/h3>\n<p>A year ago, you\u2019d be more likely to find a product description on HubSpot\u2019s social media than a meme about <a href=\"https:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/memes\/brat-summer\">brat <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/memes\/brat-summer\">summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But then the social team began experimenting with a more Gen Z and millennial tone of voice.<\/p>\n<div class=\"hs-embed-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"hs-embed-content-wrapper\">\n<div>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C-s5oZuPDjf\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\"> \n<div>\n<div>\n       \u00a0\n      <\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n      \u00a0\n     <\/div>\n<div>\n      \u00a0\n     <\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n       View this post on Instagram\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n      \u00a0\n     <\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<div>\n        \u00a0\n       <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n       \u00a0\n      <\/div>\n<div>\n       \u00a0\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p><\/a>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C-s5oZuPDjf\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\">A post shared by HubSpot (@hubspot)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s still a work in progress, Kearns tells me, and every month the team takes a close look at what performs well and what doesn\u2019t. \u201cWe\u2019re figuring out how we talk about the HubSpot product in a way that is interesting and adds value and is culturally relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cultural relevance and timeliness are major considerations for the social team. Kearns says she\u2019s always asking herself how they can connect the HubSpot product to \u201csomething hyper relevant, or something that managers are going through right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we just talk about our product in a vacuum, even with our fun brand voice layered on top of it, it might fall flat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kearns says that although your brand voice should be identifiable and consistent, \u201cit should have a little bit of flexibility\u201d so you can adapt it to different platforms.<\/p>\n<h3>2. <a href=\"https:\/\/design.duolingo.com\/writing\/duo%23duos-voice-and-tone\">Duolingo<\/a><br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<p>Duo the owl is the face that launched a thousand memes.<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/design.duolingo.com\/writing\/voice#voice-qualities\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The feathery embodiment of the Duolingo brand voice, Duo is \u201cexpressive, playful, embracing, and worldly.\u201d That\u2019s according to <a href=\"https:\/\/design.duolingo.com\/writing\/duo%23duos-voice-and-tone\">Duolingo\u2019s brand guide<\/a>, which also notes that Duo is both \u201cpersistent\u201d and \u201cslightly awkward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Duolingo\u2019s defined brand voice includes a \u201cbrand personality\u201d section that describes who Duolingo would be as a celebrity (Trevor Noah), a vehicle (a Vespa), and a song (Queen\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Stop Me Now\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Duolingo\u2019s Senior Global Social Media Manager, Zaria Parvez, told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.contagious.com\/news-and-views\/duolingo-social-media-marketing\">Contagious in a 2023 interview<\/a>, \u201cDream big, but iterate small.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve spent any time on the clock app, you\u2019re familiar with Duo\u2019s occasionally unhinged antics \u2014 which all started with Parvez asking to take over Duolingo\u2019s then-dormant TikTok account.<\/p>\n<h3>3. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.titlenine.com\/\">Title Nine<\/a><br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<p>A woman-owned and women-focused athleticwear company, Title Nine combines a friendly \u201caww shucks\u201d vibe with a triumphant fist pump.<\/p>\n<p>Freelance copywriter <a href=\"https:\/\/robyngunn.com\/Title-Nine\">Robyn Gunn writes on her website<\/a> that T9 brought her in to write copy that \u201creinforce[s] the brand&#8217;s badass, ballsy DNA that differentiates it from \u2018softer\u2019 competitors in the category.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Title Nine\u2019s \u201cWho We Are\u201d page encapsulates this voice perfectly: It\u2019s written in clear, simple language that underscores the brand\u2019s love of the outdoors and its enduring support of women.<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.titlenine.com\/who-we-are.html\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>This graphic from its online store brings out a more playful side of Title Nine\u2019s brand voice, evident in the bright colors and patterns, the casual typeface that \u201cTrail Shop\u201d uses, and the invitation to \u201ctrack in some dirt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.titlenine.com\/clothing-and-gear.html\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Title Nine doesn\u2019t have a publicly accessible brand guide, but I\u2019d describe its voice as friendly, powerful, playful, and direct.<\/p>\n<h3>4. <a href=\"https:\/\/us.whogivesacrap.org\/\">Who Gives a Crap<\/a><br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<p>True story: A customer service rep at Capital One once had to read me a list of recent credit card charges so I could confirm whether they were mine or a fraud.<\/p>\n<p>Poor dude was clearly mortified at having to read \u201cWho Gives a Crap\u201d out loud, saying, \u201cThis is the company name, I am just reading this off a list, it is <em>not me saying this<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So he\u2019s maybe not WGaC\u2019s target audience, which is considerably more relaxed on the topic of toilet paper.<\/p>\n<p>WGaC\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/us.whogivesacrap.org\/pages\/about-us\">\u201cAbout Us\u201d page<\/a> tells a tale of toilet jokes and changing the world. Successfully combining something so ridiculous with a very real and very serious global problem is no easy task, but the ability to walk that line nicely sums up the brand\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/us.whogivesacrap.org\/pages\/about-us\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaking a difference in the world\u201d can be a hard value to channel in a brand voice, since the brand (and the people behind it) have to demonstrably live up to the promise of effecting change.<\/p>\n<p>Who Gives a Crap gives a lot of specific details that indicate that lack of access to a toilet is an issue that the founders genuinely care about. The product descriptions do the same. Take this one for a special poetry edition TP (I am not making this up):<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/us.whogivesacrap.org\/products\/poetry-limited-edition\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cCreate an ode in the commode\u201d is pretty hard to beat for terrible poetry. The product description ends with, \u201cAnd since we donate 50% of profits, you\u2019re not just building ballads, you\u2019re doing good, too!\u201d \u2014 a reminder of the brand\u2019s promise in a goofy, casual tone.<\/p>\n<p>WGaC\u2019s brand voice might be described as cheeky (pun absolutely intended), lighthearted but rooted in a cause that\u2019s deeply serious, informal, and conversational.<\/p>\n<h3>5. <a href=\"https:\/\/drinkpoppi.com\/\">Poppi<\/a><br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<p>Poppi soda blares its voice from the moment you land on its eye-searing bright pink and yellow website. Known for having a Gen Z-friendly voice, DrinkPoppi.com looks more like a neon Instagram feed than a website for flavored sparkling water.<\/p>\n<p>Its \u201cAbout Us\u201d page brags about \u201cnew besties\u201d like Billie Eilish and Post Malone, and even its newsletter sign-up says, \u201cLet\u2019s be friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/drinkpoppi.com\/\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zero.nyc\/work\/poppi\/\">creative agency<\/a> responsible for Poppi\u2019s branding describes \u201cthe world of Poppi\u201d as \u201cquirky, nostalgic, and vibrant.\u201d I\u2019d add to that \u201cinformal\u201d or \u201ccasual.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>6. Spotify<\/h3>\n<p>Whether you\u2018re watching a TV ad, driving past a billboard, or scrolling Spotify\u2019s social accounts, you&#8217;ll see a consistent voice. The brand\u2019s tone is consistently funny, edgy, direct, and concise.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, take a look at this video, which is part of a Spotify advertisement campaign from 2019, \u201cLet the Song Play.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"hs-embed-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"hs-embed-content-wrapper\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As you can see, Spotify doesn\u2018t take itself too seriously. The ad makes fun of people who get so emotionally invested in a song that they won\u2019t resume their plans until the song ends.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2018ll see a similar brand voice play out on Spotify\u2019s social channels. On its <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Spotify\">Twitter account<\/a>, for instance, the brand often posts tweets related to new music in a casual, friendly manner.<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Spotify\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>If Spotify\u2018s brand were a person, she would be witty, sarcastic, and up-to-date on today\u2019s pop culture references. You\u2018ll see that personality play out across all of Spotify\u2019s communication channels.<\/p>\n<h3>7. Mailchimp<\/h3>\n<p>When exploring Mailchimp&#8217;s brand voice, turn to the company\u2019s Content Style Guide.<\/p>\n<p>In the Style Guide, Mailchimp writes, \u201cWe want to educate people without patronizing or confusing them. Using offbeat humor and a conversational voice, we play with language to bring joy to their work.\u2026 We don&#8217;t take ourselves too seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/mailchimp.com\/\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Even in the Style Guide, you can hear Mailchimp&#8217;s brand voice shine through. The company consistently achieves a conversational, direct, playful voice in all its content.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, in <a href=\"https:\/\/mailchimp.com\/resources\/whats-your-persona\/\">this blog post<\/a>, the brand writes about various \u201chighly unscientific personas\u201d, including the fainting goat. The email service provider describes this persona by saying, &#8220;when startled, its muscles stiffen up and it falls right over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They then link out to this hilarious video.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see from this example, you can evoke brand voice in subtle yet effective ways. If the blogger had instead written, \u201cIf a goat is scared, it becomes nervous. The animal&#8217;s muscles contract and it faints as a result\u201d, the writer would&#8217;ve evoked a voice more aligned with a scientific journal than Mailchimp.<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/mailchimp.com\/resources\/whats-your-persona\/\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>8. Fenty Beauty<\/h3>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/fentybeauty.com\/pages\/about-fenty-beauty\">About Us page<\/a> for Rihanna&#8217;s beauty company reads, &#8220;Before she was BadGalRiRi: music, fashion and beauty icon, Robyn Rihanna Fenty was a little girl in Barbados transfixed by her mother\u2019s lipstick.<\/p>\n<p>The first time she experienced makeup for herself, she never looked back. Makeup became her weapon of choice for self-expression.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It\u2018s clear, even just through this short snippet, that Fenty Beauty\u2019s voice is bold, direct, and poetic. Language like \u201ctransfixed by her mother&#8217;s lipstick\u201d and \u201cher weapon of choice for self-expression\u201d reinforce this voice. However, the tone is also undeniably casual \u2014 the way you might talk to your best friend.<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fentybeauty.com\/about-fenty\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;ll see this voice play out across all Fenty social channels, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v%3DKKSTk5rkCpM%26ab_channel%3DFentyBeautyByRihanna\">this YouTube video description<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KKSTk5rkCpM&amp;ab_channel=FentyBeautyByRihanna\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The first statement, \u201cThe blur is REAL!\u201d \u2014 along with phrases like \u201cNo-makeup makeup look\u201d, and the shortening of the word \u201ccombination\u201d \u2014 all evoke a sense of friendliness.<\/p>\n<p>The brand voice matches its target audience perfectly: youthful millennials and Gen-Zers who care about makeup as an opportunity for authentic expression.<\/p>\n<h3>9. Clare Paint<\/h3>\n<p>Clare, an online paint site, has created a mature, spirited, and cheerful brand voice to evoke a breezy, girl-next-door feel to their branded content.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, consider the title of one of their recent blog posts,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clare.com\/blog\/interiors\/pink-walls\"> \u201c6 Stylish Rooms on Instagram That Make a Strong Case For Pink Walls.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The post uses phrases like \u201cmillennial pink\u201d, \u201cpink walls have obvious staying power\u201d, and \u201cdesigners and DIY enthusiasts alike have embraced the playful shade with open arms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The brand\u2019s language is friendly, chic, and professional, relating to its readers while simultaneously demonstrating the brand&#8217;s home decor expertise.<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clare.com\/blogs\/articles\/pink-walls\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>This voice is clear across channels. Take a look at this Instagram post, for instance.<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/clarepaint\/?hl=en\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen baby&#8217;s first bedroom is on your grown-up vision board\u201d makes the brand feel like a good-natured older (and more fashionable) sister. The reference to the COO\u2018s baby boy is another opportunity to make authentic connections with Clare\u2019s followers.<\/p>\n<h3>10. Skittles<\/h3>\n<p>Skittles often posts hilarious social media posts that strip away any promotional, phony language so you&#8217;re left with something much more real.<\/p>\n<p>Take this tweet, which reads: \u201cVote Skittles for Best Brand on Twitter so we can keep our jobs!\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Skittles\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The brand voice, which is clever and original, does a good job of making prospects and customers feel like they\u2018re chatting with a mischievous employee behind-the-scenes. The \u201cI can\u2019t believe they just posted that\u201d factor keeps the content fresh and exciting.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, the brand does a good job making pop culture references, like this <em>Mean Girls<\/em> reference, to highlight the brand&#8217;s youthfulness.<\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Skittles\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Skittles\u2019 use of absurdity and humor plays into their iconic commercials. In one 2022 ad, the company pokes fun at targeted ads.<\/p>\n<p>While two people watch a youtube video, they comment that their ads are so targeted that it feels as if Skittles is listening in on their conversation. Then, a man with a boom mike drops through the floor.<\/p>\n<div class=\"hs-embed-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"hs-embed-content-wrapper\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Skittles expertly keeps the same tone across media, showing their brand\u2019s commitment to their voice.<\/p>\n<p><a><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>Brand Voice Template<\/h2>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1y64CSw32I1wqUYO6or-h7GmBBQ_4Q4yhNpJWwrHYwjY\/copy?usp=sharing&amp;__hstc=20629287.315e2d9fd1a8adff6b4e894cabe95ef7.1723829056573.1724113565336.1724123718014.13&amp;__hssc=20629287.1.1724123718014&amp;__hsfp=1986753600\">Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Looking to make a template for your own brand voice? HubSpot is here to help! <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1y64CSw32I1wqUYO6or-h7GmBBQ_4Q4yhNpJWwrHYwjY\/copy?usp%3Dsharing%26__hstc%3D20629287.315e2d9fd1a8adff6b4e894cabe95ef7.1723829056573.1724717777652.1724728282465.46%26__hssc%3D20629287.1.1724728282465%26__hsfp%3D1986753600\">You can fill out this blank Google Sheet template<\/a> with your own brand voice characteristics.<\/p>\n<p>Fill out the remaining cells, and send them along to your team.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2018s important to note, you\u2019ll be prompted to make a Google Drive copy of the template, which isn&#8217;t possible without a Google account.<\/p>\n<h2>Crafting Your Voice<\/h2>\n<p>And there you have it! You&#8217;re well on your way toward building a strong, compelling brand voice for your own business.<\/p>\n<p>Logo, color palette, and font are all important aspects of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/brand-kit-generator\">branding<\/a>. But beyond that, a good brand starts with good content. And good content can\u2019t exist without a strong voice.<\/p>\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s Note: This post was originally published in April 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even if you\u2019re brand new to brand voice, you already know exactly what it is. 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