How to Build a Brand Voice Toolkit

BUILDING YOUR
BRAND VOICE
TOOLKIT
Everything you need to craft a
fine-tuned brand voice.

BLUEPRINT
1. What is a Brand Voice?
2. Why Build a Brand Voice?
3. Crafting Your Brand Voice
4. Your Brand Voice Toolkit

WHAT BRAND WOULD CHOOSE
YOUR GEEKY LITTLE BROTHER
AS ITS SPOKESPERSON?

BRAND VOICE IS HOW A BRAND
SPEAKS TO ITS AUDIENCES.
It’s the overarching standard for tone, vocabulary, and
personality tied to a brand’s messaging and attitude.

THE BRAND PLATFORM
Before you start building, make sure you have a solid foundation.
MISSION PERSONALITY VISION VALUE VOICE
A strong brand is created by having firm alignment on all five components of the
brand platform and implementing them across all communications. Brand Voice
is best created when a mission, personality, vision, and values are preexisting.

WHOSE VIDEO GAME REVIEW
WOULD YOU TRUST, YOUR GEEKY
LITTLE BROTHER'S OR YOUR
GRANDMOTHER'S?

IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING RELATABLE
AND BUILDING TRUST.
Of course you trust your grandmother, but not necessarily
her opinion on first person shooter games.

YOUR AUDIENCE WANTS TO
KNOW THAT YOU CARE.
Along with identifying with your audience, your brand
should make people feel like they belong and are
understood. Your brand voice will help build the belief that
your audience truly does belong with your brand.

THINK ABOUT THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL BRANDS.
How do they generate brand loyalty in
such extreme degrees?

THE APPLE PHENOMENA
Apple customers have long been referred to as “cult followers.”
From wearing Steve Jobs costumes to camping out at the local
Apple store, few consumers are as brand loyal as Apple
consumers. Over the years, Apple has done an excellent job of
attaching incredible emotional appeal to quality products. There is
a feeling surrounding their brand.
Part of this comes out of excellent customer service, while the rest
stems from truly listening to their consumers and their desires.
Apple knows what their consumers want, and gives it to them.

TO PUT IT SIMPLY:
Consumers want to feel important, listened to,
informed, and respected.

CAUTION:
Your brand shouldn’t talk to a TV audience
the same way it talks to its social audience.

YOU WOULDN’T TALK TO
YOUR GRANDMOTHER THE
SAME WAY YOU TALK TO
YOUR FRIENDS, RIGHT?

BE THE BRAND YOUR CONSUMERS
WANT YOU TO BE.
Know what they want. Use their language and
vocabulary. Speak the way they speak. Listen.

IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE
WANT, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE
PEOPLE THEMSELVES.

THESE BRANDS DON’T TALK TO
THEIR CONSUMERS THE SAME WAY.
Their consumers have different needs, wants, and concerns, even
though they are both owned by the same parent company.

WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
Ask the right questions.
AGE? GENDER? MARITAL STATUS?
LIVING SITUATION? INTERESTS?
NEEDS? WANTS? CONCERNS?

IF YOU WANT TO CONNECT
WITH ROBOTS, BE A ROBOT.
Otherwise, you’ll want to appear human. Stick to
words that will give your brand voice personality,
making it easier for your audience to relate.

CREATE A BRAND PERSONALITY
Confident
Charismatic
Sophisticated
Fun
Aspirational
Knowledgeable
Perceptive
Worldly
Loyal
Reserved
Serious
Fearless
Honest
Classic
Modern
Credible
Problem-Solver
Hilarious
Self-Assured
Energetic
Comforting
Adventurous
Upbeat
Warm
Understanding
Approachable
Thoughtful
Generous
Adaptable
Curious
Naive
Practical
Sociable
Creative
Easy-Going
Compassionate
Select human personality traits.

SO YOU CAN WALK THE WALK,
BUT CAN YOU TALK THE TALK?
Using the proper vocabulary is pivotal to a successful
brand voice. Identify the vocabulary used by your
audience and use that language to your advantage.

HOW DOES YOUR BRAND SAY “GREAT?”
As a test, take the time to explore how your brand would
express colloquial terms like “great.”
Peachy Super Stupendous
Brilliant Cat’s Pajamas Sweet
Wonderful Fabulous
Awesome
Superb
Excellent

YOUR GEEKY LITTLE BROTHER WOULD SAY
“SWEET,” WHILE YOUR GRANDMOTHER
MIGHT SAY “CAT'S PAJAMAS”
DOVE MAY SAY “WONDERFUL” WHILE AXE
MIGHT SAY “AWESOME.”

BE UNIQUE AND DEFINED.
We each have a vocabulary and there are words that we
would and wouldn’t say. Defining these words is imperative
to having a clear and easily transferrable brand voice. You
can tell when you are receiving text messages from a
friend’s phone that has been taken captive, right?

IN YOUR TOOLKIT, YOU SHOULD HAVE:
1. Brand Character + Personification
2. Brand Personality
3. Defined Vocabulary
4. Words Your Brand Says + Doesn’t Say
5. Writing Samples

PRETEND YOUR BRAND IS…
A gluten-free snack for families with a target audience
of women aged 30-45, who have children, and have a
household income of $65K.

YOUR BRAND CHARACTER MIGHT BE:
“Busy Betty is a 36 year old mother of 3. She’s married and college
educated. Her HHI is $65K+. She works from home as a blogger and
most enjoys spending time playing with her kids, photography and
scrapbooking, home decorating, and skiing. Her main priority is being a
good mother and her biggest obstacle is lack of time. She has gluten
sensitivities and is always looking for healthy, gluten-free meals and
snacks the whole family can enjoy – that don’t cost a fortune.”
Checklist:
✓ Well-defined
✓ Unique
✓ Demographics
✓ Interests
✓ Needs

SOMETIMES A CHARACTER
ISN’T ENOUGH.
A brand character may not be enough for everyone on
your team to grasp how the voice will actually sound.
Help your team or client by identifying your brand with
a personality they are already familiar with.

USE A CELEBRITY PERSONIFICATION
Reese Witherspoon epitomizes our brand voice because she…
✓ Is an all-American woman and mother of 3.
✓ Is busy and on-the-go, but wants to eat
healthy and stay fit.
✓ Is fun and peppy, but a career woman with
serious goals.
✓ Is seeking balance in her busy life.

EXPANDING YOUR PERSONALITY
Our gluten-free snack brand has the following traits
that will inform her personality:
Fearless
Honest
Credible
Classic
Charismatic
Practical
Confident
Loyal
Knowledgeable Self-Assured
Energetic
Comforting
Upbeat
Approachable
Sociable
Compassionate

DEFINING A VOCABULARY
For a gluten-free snack, it is imperative to
know and understand the following terms:
Barley Gluten-Free Wheat
Oats Celiac Disease
Rye
Gluten Sensitivity
Natural

WHAT YOU DO SAY IS AS IMPORTANT
AS WHAT YOU DON’T SAY.
Busy Betty Says:
• Wonderful
• Decadent
• Simple
• Guilt-free or Satisfying
• Amazing
Busy Betty Doesn’t Say:
• Awesome
• Delish
• Easy
• Pleasurable
• Cool

WRITING SAMPLE
Use an example of how your brand speaks and what
your brand character believes:
“I know my snack will be healthy, delicious, and satisfying. I trust
the brand to use superior, natural ingredients and accommodate
the gluten-free preferences of my whole family. The snack appeals
to my busy and active lifestyle, as I can simply take it anywhere.
Paired with great taste, guilt-free, it’s irresistible.”

FINISHING TOUCHES
Share your complete toolkit with
teammates and clients, and don’t
forget it’s always a work in progress.

Sources
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
GO SCULPT YOUR BRAND VOICE TOOLKIT
http://www.brandchannel.com/education_glossary.asp#BrandPlatform
http://www.amazon.com/Primalbranding-Create-Zealots-Company-Future/dp/1451655312
http://voiceandtone.com/
by @JackiSchroder

How to Build a Brand Voice Toolkit

In this document

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to How to Build a Brand Voice Toolkit

More from Digital Surgeons

Recently uploaded

How to Build a Brand Voice Toolkit