Brand Voice

Recently I was asked to conduct a training course on brand voice. The company launched their new logo and brand specifications, placed new ads, updated their offices with new brand colors and followed specifications. But, 2 years later, they had yet to teach their internal team about brand voice. Some of you might be thinking, what is brand voice? And others who already know about it, might be thinking wow, I can’t believe they waited this long. Brand voice is a very important tool for every company or organization. Brand voice is the distinct personality that your brand takes on in all communications and serves to portray you in a certain way to your customers.  It also allows you to connect with a specific audience that wants your product or service.  One way to grasp this concept is by comparing it to an individual’s unique personality.  Your brand, too, must have a distinct personality and allow consumers to gain a sense of who you are by the way you express yourself and interact with them in all forms of communication. Personalities, although sometimes may seem similar to your competition, even one step in a slightly different direction can make you unique and capture the attention of your intended audience, causing them to pause and spend a little more time getting to know you. Your brand voice can make you recognizable in an already cluttered space of ads, social media and websites. Your brand might be funny or serious, powerful or laid-back, serious or light-hearted. Think of some well-known brands and you’ll immediately recognize their personality:  Geico – humorous, McDonalds – fun, Dove – feminine, Nike – competitive, BMW – classy, etc. Whatever it is, make sure that your communications and visuals reflect that personality. Most companies have made a serious investment in their brand because they realize that strong brands help a company to grow and develop loyal customers. Whether you realize it or not, every employee of your company is essentially a brand ambassador.  They speak with your customers every day.  So, why wouldn’t you invest in helping your entire staff within your company, to understand your brand? Teach them the voice of your brand.