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.css-14us1xl{box-sizing:border-box;margin:0;min-width:0;white-space:pre-wrap;} Brand Voice: Overview, Principles, & Future-Proof Strategy

Learn about the key elements of brand voice, including examples and strategic recommendations for effective communication on social media.

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• What is brand voice in social media marketing?  

Importance of brand voice in social media marketing

4 key elements of brand voice, implementing brand voice in social media marketing, measuring the impact of brand voice, pitfalls to avoid in brand voice, future-proofing your brand voice, mastering brand voice: real-world success stories, how sprinklr can help maintain your brand voice, .css-1qemmfx{font-weight:700;} what is brand voice in social media marketing  .

In social media marketing, brand voice is the unique and consistent personality, tone and style that a brand uses to interact with its audience on social media platforms. It serves as the link between your company and your audience, conveying not just facts but also values and emotions.

Role of brand voice  

Brand voice acts as a differentiator, helping your brand in standing out in a competitive market, shaping identity and forging emotional connections with customers. It helps build trust, adapt to different circumstances and focus on demographics. These features make brand voice a flexible instrument for engagement and persuasion, which is essential for the long-term success of a business' marketing strategy.

In social media marketing, brand voice is essential for the following reasons:

Consistency: A consistent brand voice fosters a sense of familiarity. Customers should be able to identify your brand's distinct tone as soon as they read your content on various platforms.

Building relationships: A relevant and consistent brand voice aids in creating emotional bonds with customers. Your brand becomes more relatable, approachable and interesting as a result.

Audience alignment: Aligning with your target audience's tastes, values and interests is called audience alignment. This helps increase engagement and conversion rates.

Examples of brand voice

1. Nike: The encouragement and empowerment themes are key to Nike's brand voice. The brand is known for its motivating speeches. For example, Nike’s popular slogan "Just Do It" is a call for listeners to take action.

Voice: Inspirational and motivating 

Tone: Decisive and empowering

Example: "Just Do It"

2. Mailchimp: It adopts a welcoming and approachable tone. Mailchimp’s brand voice emanates warmth, which makes small-sized companies feel less intimidated by its email marketing.

Voice: Friendly and approachable

Tone: Informative and helpful

Example: "Built for Growing Businesses"

Strategies to develop a compelling brand voice

Building a strong brand voice requires effective planning and consideration. The key strategies for developing a strong brand voice include the following:

Recognize your audience: Learn about the tastes, challenges and goals of your target audience . Your brand voice is built on this information.

Define core values: Identify your brand's core values and ensure they reflect in your communication. Authenticity is key to establishing trust.

Create guidelines: Establish guidelines for your brand's voice that address tone, language and style. This promotes consistency, especially when communication is handled by several team members.

Test and improve: Keep an eye on how your brand voice is being received and be willing to make changes. Your brand voice can become more appealing if it’s suited to your audience’s preferences.

Stay up to date: Keep tabs on societal and industrial trends. By adapting to current developments, your brand demonstrates flexibility.

Here are the key elements necessary to develop a unified and appealing brand voice: 

Consistency: Maintaining a consistent brand voice across all touchpoints and platforms is fundamental. Your brand voice should stay recognizable and consistent with your business's identity, whether it is used in social media posts, blog articles or customer service interactions.

Style and tonality: Depending on your brand's personality, your tone may be authoritative, friendly, amusing or a mix of these or other traits. The tone of communication, including the use of informal or formal language, affects the brand voice.

Grasp of your audience: It's important to have a thorough grasp of your target market. They should be able to relate to your brand voice and its positioning. While a professional audience would prefer a more polished approach, a tech-immersed audience would likely value a more relaxed or conversational tone.

Brand values: Your company's basic beliefs and mission should reflect in your brand voice. For example, you can incorporate eco-centric language and messaging into your brand voice if environmental sustainability is a top priority.

Brands today rely heavily on social media to interact with customers. Developing a consistent and interesting presence on social media requires successfully executing your brand voice. Here's how to you can do it:

Content strategy: Ensure that your brand voice is used consistently in the content you publish across channels. Content categories, such as educational posts, captivating stories or interactive polls, should be aligned with your audience’s preferences as well as your brand voice and ethos.

Use of language: Adjust the language you use to reflect the tone of your brand. Wendy's Twitter account is a great example of a brand adopting a sassy and hilarious tone successfully.

Visuals: Images and videos, as well as other visual components, should match your brand voice. Make sure they are aligned with your business identity through color schemes, design styles or the types of visuals you use.

Engagement: To increase engagement, interact with your audience in a way that represents your brand voice. Maintain your set tone while replying to comments, handling requests from customers or participating in conversations.

Understanding how successfully your brand voice connects with your audience and contributes to your entire brand strategy requires evaluating its effectiveness. Here's how to measure its impact:

Social listening : Pay attention to mentions of your business on social media platforms. Examine whether your brand voice is being received favorably by your audience. 

Customer feedback: Pay heed to direct feedback from customers. Do they find your brand's voice to be engaging and relatable? Do they have any recommendations for enhancements?

Audience analysis and engagement: As you publish on social media, track engagement indicators, such as likes, comments, shares and click-through rates. To evaluate the effectiveness of your brand voice approach, compare these KPIs before and after implementation.

Brand perception: Conduct polls or surveys to find out how your audience feels about your brand voice. Do they recognize it immediately? Does it fit the picture you wish to present?

A successful brand voice must be created after significant thought and strategic preparation. Avoid these common pitfalls to maintain the power and resonance of your brand voice:

Lack of authenticity: Adopting a brand language that is at odds with your company's core beliefs will repel customers.

I nconsistency: Inconsistencies in the brand voice across several channels might cause confusion and lessen the impact of your brand.

Ignoring customer feedback: Your brand voice may become less effective if you ignore feedback from customers. Adapt and improve depending on new information.

The evolution of technology and communication channels necessitates a brand voice that can adapt. Consider the following:

Omnichannel consistency: Make sure your brand's voice is consistent across all platforms and modes of communication, including social media, chatbots and voice assistants.

Cultural sensitivity: Being culturally aware of your brand voice is essential to prevent misconceptions as your brand expands globally.

Stay agile: Accept change and be flexible. Keep a close eye on changes in consumer preferences, market trends and cultural dynamics to modify your brand voice as necessary.

Value-driven branding: Create a brand voice based on concepts and values that will endure. Values are less likely to change, so you can develop your brand voice while sticking to the core brand values.

Test longevity: When thinking about new components for your brand voice, assess if they will endure the test of time or go out of style too quickly.

Learn More : 70% of online brand communities fail. Here's how you can beat the odds and join the winning 30%.

Here are a few case studies that demonstrate how brand voice is used and how it affects business.

Case study 1: Innocent Drinks

Background: The UK-based firm Innocent Drinks, known for its organic smoothies, has a playful and friendly brand voice. Its communication is lighthearted, straightforward and a little quirky.

Implementation: From packaging and social media to customer service interactions, Innocent Drinks uses its brand voice consistently across touchpoints. Its funny and jovial brand language shows on its website, product labels and social media posts.

Impact: In a crowded market, Innocent Drinks is able to stand out because of its distinctive brand voice. The brand has cultivated strong consumer engagement and loyalty through its hilarious and engaging content. Its yearly "Big Knit" promotion, in which it invites consumers to knit little hats for its bottles, is evidence of its playful approach. Its unique voice not only distinguishes but also humanizes the brand, giving it a friendly, real vibe.

Case study 2: Wendy's

Background: The fast food restaurant Wendy's is renowned for its witty and snarky marketing voice on social media. It frequently jokes with clients and competitors.

Implementation: Wendy's social media profiles are renowned for its witty and edgy responses. To engage its audience, the brand uses memes, trending issues and pop-culture references. Its marketing initiatives and go-to platform accounts on Twitter and Instagram use the same brand voice.

Impact: Due to the considerable exposure Wendy's brand voice has received, it now has a sizable following and strong levels of engagement. Its clever replies to customers and competitors have gone viral, helping the brand create a unique online presence. This has improved its social media presence and increased sales in the real world. Wendy's serves as an example of how a strong brand identity may be developed that appeals to a younger, more socially aware consumer.

Consistency is key when it comes to developing your brand voice and using it across channels. In fact, 75% of customers expect a consistent experience on all channels. A tool like Sprinklr Social can be a trusted partner when you aim to publish on-brand content at scale.

Sprinklr Publishing and Engagement can help you publish content on multiple platforms while ensuring strict adherence to brand guidelines.

Want to know what your customers are talking about? Sprinklr’s social listening tool provides insights on customer conversations and trends to focus on for effective social media campaigns.

Features like Smart Assist can help you ace brand compliance with the right hashtag and caption recommendations.

Explore Sprinklr Social to implement a sound content strategy across social that reflects your brand voice and boosts customer engagement.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Start by becoming familiar with the personality of your brand and your target market. Think about whether a casual, professional or conversational tone fits your persona better.

Absolutely. While consistency is crucial, a brand voice may vary to reflect shifting fashions, customer preferences and the growth of your company.

It relies on the target market and brand identity. Humor may be powerful, but it needs to complement your entire message and avoid offending or alienating your audience.

Respect cultural differences while adjusting your brand voice. To maintain uniformity across various markets, collaborate with local teams and take into consideration its insights.

No, the brand language needs to be consistent throughout all customer touchpoints, from internal communications to customer service and sales.

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Brand Voice: 3 quick marketing case studies from Pedigree, a freelance marketplace, and a marketing agency

This article was originally published in the MarketingSherpa email newsletter .

My two favorite artist/celebrities are Jerry Seinfeld and Eddie Vedder.

They are both amazing writers, brilliant creatives, groundbreaking in their field, and have a loyal fanbase.

But watching interviews with them, I realize each has a very different brand voice.

Jerry is authoritative, sardonic, exalted, polished and aggressive.

Ed is humble, contemplative, muted, unrefined and passive.

And they are both clearly passionate about their respective crafts.

I start with the brand voice of two well-known people because it helps to think of your company’s brand voice in very human terms. As Flint McGlaughlin, CEO, MarketingSherpa and MECLABS Institute, says in this quick video, “People don’t buy from websites; people buy from people.”

To help you determine the voice your brand should use to talk to potential customers, this article brings you three case studies from very different industries and includes an explanation of the voice each brand chose for its marketing.

First up, Pedigree’s approachable-yet-energetic voice in its interactive audio campaign. Then, a freelance marketplace finds a bold, unique and memorable voice for its rebranding and website redesign. And finally, a marketing agency’s business boring voice for a keyword-driven blog post.

Quick Case Study #1: Pedigree uses approachable-yet-energetic voice in interactive audio campaign, gets interest from 35% of responses

As part of its campaign “The program of mutual loyalty,” Pedigree wanted to raise awareness of a social project aimed at the adoption of dogs from shelters, and to draw the audience's attention to the issue of homeless dogs. The team wanted to dispel myths and support those who have decided to take a new pet from a shelter with a care kit from Pedigree.

The pet food subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated used interactive audio advertising technology to reach out to music streaming listeners.

The campaign informed listeners that true loyalty is the loyalty one can get from a furry pet from a shelter – and that Pedigree will help bring an owner and a pet even closer by providing a welcome home care kit as a gift.

The ad ended with a question about whether a listener wanted to know what was included in the gift set and could understand listeners’ spoken response. Those who expressed their interest heard detailed information and were redirected to the landing page. For other answers that listeners gave, the ad briefly informed them on how to learn more about supporting pets from a shelter and returned the listener to their music.

“The campaign tone and style reinforced the brand's long-running commitment to the importance of pet adoption using an approachable-but-energetic voice,” said Stas Tushinskiy, CEO, Instreamatic (the interactive audio advertising platform used by Pedigree).

Creative Sample #1: Interactive audio campaign script

_____________________________________________________________________________________              

Interactive ad intro: “True loyalty is one of a pet from a shelter. Pedigree will help you and your pet get even closer, and are offering a ‘You Are at Home’ care kit. After the beep, tell me if you want to know what's included in the kit.”

Response if interested: “Pedigree’s ‘You Are at Home’ package includes veterinary insurance for a year, a dog-friendly taxi service, pet food, and personal consultants with a dog trainer. Find out more on our website; I’ll open it for you now.”

Response if not interested: “All right. By the way, you can find out more about supporting pets from shelters on the Pedigree website.”

Response to strong no: “We won’t bother you again with this offer. Pedigree takes you back to your favorite music.”

Response if silence: “Pedigree’s ‘You Are at Home’ package includes veterinary insurance for a year, a dog-friendly taxi service, pet food, and personal consultations with a dog trainer. Find out more on our website.”

Response if not understood: “Could you please repeat your answer?”

Response if not understood again: “All right. By the way, you can find out more about supporting pets from shelters on the Pedigree website.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“A critically important component for making this new kind of audio ad successful with audiences is that interactive voice ads can understand responses in our natural language,” said Mariya Gudochkina, Brand Manager, Pedigree.

Creative Sample #2: Companion banner to interactive audio ad

After hearing the ads, 13.57% of the audience engaged in a conversation and 35.33% of the total number of spoken responses indicated interest.

Quick Case Study #2: Freelance platform rebrands to a bolder voice, grows towards $10M GMV

Back when the company started, Aleksandr Volodarsky, Founder, Lemon.io chose a name he thought would fit without going too deep into the issue – Coding Ninjas.

“Our first experiments with Quora and organic traffic started to bring in some leads and traffic and we were trying to understand how we could convert it better,” said Ksenia Larina, Chief Marketing Officer, Lemon.io.

The team considered a redesign, but realized they needed to take a more radical approach and change the name and voice of the brand as well. “In a highly competitive market like that of vetted freelance platforms, we needed a strong brand to stand out,” said Ksenia Larina, Chief Marketing Officer, Lemon.io. “The term ‘ninjas’ has really outlived itself…ninjas, jedi, gurus and rock stars should stay where they belong — the 2015 LinkedIn. It was time to move on for us.” The brand also had to compete with many other “Coding Ninjas,” one of which was an Indian programming school.

Creative Sample #3: Before homepage for developer marketplace, with the metadata headline of “Coding Ninjas – Vetted and Tested Programmers On Demand for Agencies”

The company rebranded as Lemon.io. “We did it to stand out. Back in the day, we had a very common down-to-earth branding. Being one of the many in the market where giants like Upwork and Toptal dominate was unacceptable,” Larina said.

Part of the rebrand was a change to the brand’s voice. “The voice we had was neutral, friendly, and commercial. Now it is bold, truly unique, and beyond anything else, memorable. We center our main idea around the fact that startup owners often perceive startup culture as a cult. They feel empowered, unique, on top of the world. So, we've decided to take that idea and build an ironically ‘cult-centered’ brand. We even use old English stylistics and fonts to support the idea,” Larina said.

Creative Sample #4: After homepage for developer marketplace, with the metadata headline of “Lemon.io – Aye! Developers You’ll Want to Hire”

The website went from 4,000+ visitors on its best month to 20,000 on average after the rebranding. This 5x increase in visitors also brought an increase in sales from its $2.7 million gross merchandize value (GMV). “Despite being a startup in the market of well-established giants, we’re on our way to $10 million GMV this year,” Larina said.

Quick Case Study #3: Blog post with ‘business boring’ voice aimed at high intent, low competition keyword nets 3 new clients for marketing agency

The team at The BloomKing Agency was determined to get in the top ten of Google organic search results even though its new website had low domain authority.

The team used a core problem framework to write blog posts that solve problems for its target market.  The agency helps B2B marketers with their content marketing strategy. A core problem the team identified was that many marketers don't know how to promote content once it's written. Content syndication is a key solution to this problem.

The team identified the problem when talking with smaller B2B (business-to-business) companies and startups as part of agency discovery discussions. Virtually none of them understood content syndication, nor its importance in content marketing. “The large clients I work with (Oracle, Adobe, Salesforce, etc.) have mastered content syndication and know its importance in lead gen,” said Brian BloomKing, Managing Partner, Marketing, The BloomKing Agency.

I asked BloomKing how he settled on that problem. After all, there are no shortages of problems faced by his potential clients.

He readily realized that the largest core problems in content marketing are also some of the most difficult to rank for such as “SEO” and “lead generation.”  With the site’s low domain score, the team felt they had no chance of ranking in the top ten for these problems/keywords. “I chose B2B content syndication because it has a low keyword difficulty of two, but a high cost an advertiser will pay for a click in PPC [pay-per-click advertising] of $14 (data is from Ahrefs),” he said.

The high cost-per-click (CPC) indicated to the team that this topic had good buyer intent when someone clicks on a result. “This outcome [see results below] also shows the significance of Google’s Rankbrain algorithm updates which prioritize engagement over backlinks and domain authority,” he said.

The team wrote an authoritative, 2,000-word blog post on “B2B Content Syndication: A Beginner's Guide” to help marketers solve this core problem. “I decided on ‘business boring’ [voice] because I'm trying to convey authority and be useful to solve a problem, so I didn't want to overthink it at this point.  I prefer a more conversational style, but with longer ‘beginner’ blog posts it's more difficult to write that way. Maybe for my next 'pillar' post,” BloomKing said.

Creative Sample #5: Blog post for marketing agency

“In less than three months, we ranked in the top ten of Google for ‘B2B content syndication,’” BloomKing said. “It [the screenshot in Creative Sample #6] shows me between two very authoritative sites (the metadata in the screenshot is provided by Ahrefs’ browser plugin). The #12 ‘position’ is because there are four ‘people also ask’ results, which Google counts as positions.”

Creative Sample #6: Google SERP (search engine results page) ranking for website with low DR (Domain Rating), according to Ahrefs

Other long-tail-related content syndication keywords are also rising in rankings for the agency. It now outranks many larger competitors with much higher domain authority. The piece has driven 276 page views so far.

The team put a lead magnet on the page offering a free – a custom content marketing strategy playbook. The playbook offer has generated 13 meaningful engagement discussions and yielded three new clients. “Our offers start at $5,000 per month, so that is great ROI from one blog post,” BloomKing said.

 “Don't just blog to publish something because you have to. Publish less often, but with greater authority. Focus on problems in your marketplace, then write an authoritative blog post that addresses a core problem your buyers are researching. It can take a few months, but Google will take notice and reward you with free, highly motivated traffic you can convert to leads,” he advised.

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Brand voice: What it is and why it matters

Written by by Jamia Kenan

Published on  June 13, 2023

Reading time  8 minutes

Think about your favorite examples of a stand-out brand voice. Perhaps it’s a surf gear retailer that takes on the attitude of a surfer or the teen fashion brand that uses slang to connect with its target audience. Or maybe it’s the candy company that uses humor to delight customers of all ages.

In branding work, people often think about how a brand looks visually, from fonts and colors to design styles, but brand voice is also key to being memorable.

In this article, we’ll dive into the details on how voice and tone enhance your brand identity , tips for developing your voice and three stellar brand voice examples to help inspire you.

What is brand voice?

Brand voice is the distinct personality a business curates to communicate with its target audience across mediums. It includes a unified approach to tone, style and messaging to build brand recognition and nurture connection with the audience.

Imagine you went to a dinner party and you’re chatting with all the guests. One person stands out because they’re great at storytelling—the flow of their words, their language and their personality all make for a memorable experience.

Your brand voice can be that dinner guest. Think about who your brand is online. If your brand was a person, what personality traits would they take on and what would they avoid? What phrases and stylistic choices does your brand use?

All of the above contribute to your brand voice, but there are many elements to creating one. For example, Sprout Social’s brand guide, Seeds , outlines multiple pillars and categories to define our brand personality and messaging.

Apply your brand voice everywhere your brand speaks, including advertising, newsletters, social media posts, customer care responses and internal communications like company announcements.

Why does brand voice matter?

Brand voice is essential to being consistent and recognizable. The digital landscape is crowded, so your written content and video scripts need the same attention and consistency you dedicate to other elements of your brand presence.

You’ll only stand out so much on the basis of your visual content, logo or product features alone. The 2023 Sprout Social Index™ shows consumers want to see posts with a well-crafted voice, transforming a whisper in the social space into attention-commanding bellows.

All popular forms of content—from testimonials to video—are driven by brand voice.

The power of a strong brand voice is also important as social media becomes more saturated with artificial intelligence-generated content.

AI can assist with many marketing efforts , but it doesn’t have personality. As more content is created using AI, human marketers will need to inject the brand’s unique voice to cut through the noise. Marketers understand the elements of their brand voice inside and out, so they should be leading the charge to fine-tune the organization’s voice. Brand awareness succeeds when you can identify a brand by their content before you even see who posted it.

5 tips for developing your brand voice

Now that we’ve covered the importance of givng your brand a distinct personality, use these five tips to refine your brand voice.

 1. Identify your audience and personas

Your brand voice should align with the company’s values and goals, but also think about who you’re talking to and why.

Start formulating your brand voice by considering your target audience and marketing personas . As you work through your audience and personas, list out personality traits, adjectives and common vocabulary you want to take on as a brand.

For example, let’s say a Los Angeles-based brand is targeting a younger audience in California. They could use regional language such as “SoCal” or “NoCal” that resonates with the target audience.

However, it’s important to challenge your assumptions by doing research into your target audience to ensure you’re truly speaking their language. Use Sprout Social Listening tools to track conversations surrounding your brand. Then explore customer sentiment and opinions on specific products, topics and competitors to optimize your messaging and positioning.

Since the idea of brand personality is abstract, Sprout’s brand voice uses archetypes and personas to help characterize the brand and bring it to life. Our brand archetype is the Visionary (also known as the Creator or Builder), and is broken down into our goal, marketing niche and traits. For example, the Visionary’s goal is to dismantle older systems and thoughts in favor of innovation and progress. Some traits include creative, vibrant, forward-thinking, imaginative and curious.

We derived our brand persona, the Luminary, from our brand archetype. Creating content and writing with a brand persona informs our choices around voice, tone and language. This persona’s role is to illuminate possibilities and has personality traits such as intelligent, confident and innovative. The Luminary sounds bold, inspiring and authentic, which leads us to our next step: Audit your current voice.

2. Audit your current tone and voice

Take a look (and listen) at your current brand voice by grabbing examples from all your communication channels. This will give you an overview of what the voice is like currently.

Look for inconsistencies, such as variations in voice across different writers and word choices. Note how your target audience interacts with you and how they speak.

Identify your top-performing content and take notes on the voice/tone used. Why did the post or video resonate? Does it use a funny tone, include trends or internet lore relevant to your audience? Does it provide valuable information in a digestible way? What voice and tone traits does your best content have in common?

With Sprout, easily pinpoint your highest and lowest performing content by viewing the Post Performance report.

Our listening tool unearths current topics your audience is talking about online. It also gives you a lens into the language and jargon your audience uses so you can optimize your voice and copy to better resonate with them.

A piece of advice: Tweak your voice rather than stray too far away from your brand’s current operations. You want to present your voice authentically and not robotically, or give the appearance of just chasing trends and hot topics.

Once your audit is complete, you’ll be able to visualize your brand’s current personality and begin the process of brainstorming more traits that you want to emulate.

3. Tailor your tone to different content and channels

Brand voice is what you say and brand tone is how you say it. Your tone will vary based on the content type and channel, so you’ll need to adjust accordingly.

For instance, an organic social post requires a different tone than responding to a customer complaint or question. A light-hearted tone is appropriate for organic posts, but a professional, concerned tone is more applicable for customer care responses. In terms of social networks, you wouldn’t use the same tone on Twitter and LinkedIn because one is more casual than the other.

Identify common scenarios you come across as a brand and categorize them into the different tones you would take on, along with making distinctions by network.

For example, at Sprout, we’ve developed voice and tone guidelines for our brand voice across various scenarios, such as the difference between more formal media statements and casual social responses. We break done uses cases for tone by the situation:

We also provide guidelines by audience and content type:

4. Document everything and be consistent

Just like your visual brand guide and social strategy , your brand voice needs to be documented. A brand style guide , like Sprout’s Seeds, will help multiple departments. It exists as a reference for anyone who writes in the brand’s voice, keeping social media posts and marketing copy in check and consistent.

Some components of the document include personality traits, common vocabulary, brand phrases and most importantly, examples. You want to write out plenty of examples that demonstrate both how to write within your intended brand personality and what types of choices fall too far outside of your defined style. If you work with freelancers, consider public documents to ensure external contributors capture the brand voice.

Along with listing appropriate tones by scenario and channel, make a list of do’s and don’ts with examples to illustrate the ideal brand voice.

“Authentic” is one descriptor for Sprout’s brand voice. In the example below, we show sentences that capture what to avoid and what to aspire to, while providing concrete tips for authentic writing.

Outlining what not to do makes it clear what your brand is trying to accomplish, and makes it easier for people to craft copy that is closer to your brand’s voice.

5. Monitor, review and adapt

Developing a brand voice is not a one-time effort. It should be reviewed and refined at designated times. You should review regularly such as every quarter, but also consider voice during major branding overhauls or other significant events that alter your brand strategy .

Language evolves and the words you used five years ago might not be in style—or even have the same meaning—today. Without a consistent check in on your brand voice, you risk sounding out of date, especially to your target audience.

To identify if your brand voice resonates over time, use Sprout’s reporting and analytics tools, like tagging. One of the benefits of tagging on social media is to track and compare content over time. As you use these tools, you’ll be able to adapt your voice as needed based on data-driven results.

3 brand voice examples you can learn from

Fenty beauty.

Fenty Beauty’s voice is bold, direct and authentic—just like the makeup brand’s founder Rihanna. Not only does their voice align with Rihanna’s brand, but it also resonates with their target audience: Millennials and Gen-Zers who value unapologetic self expression.

The brand evokes a conversational tone that you would use with a friend, a signal that they value engagement and community. Fenty Beauty carries this casual tone across its content from SMS marketing texts to social media copy.

Oatly’s branding work is a combination of fun illustrations and quirky copy. You’ll find the brand voice present in everything from their packaging to their social media captions and short-form videos.

In the tweet below, the brand uses a witty, yet lighthearted and conversational tone to introduce a video clip addressing customer skepticism around swapping oat milk into their tea. They also link to the “ Tea Report ,” a long-form content piece that also incorporates Oatly’s humorous tone.

Even their website cookie policy has gone through brand voice work and demonstrates their signature approach to including humor in all their copy.

Slack is a great example of a unique B2B brand voice. The workplace communication platform’s writing guidelines describe the Slack voice as “clear, concise and human, like a friendly, intelligent coworker.” Along with addressing voice and tone, Slack outlines stylization guidelines, copy principles and rules for appropriate language, emojis and using the Slack brand name.

The goal is to be casual and welcoming, but straightforward and meaningful at the same time. Their brand voice also evokes the product’s value within workplace communication and collaboration, like in the Twitter thread below:

Get your brand voice heard

Just like an engaging human storyteller, your brand’s voice and personality will connect with your audience. Embrace finding and developing a brand voice tailored to your company and audience. Take our interactive brand persona quiz to learn how to bring your brand voice to life on social.

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Vocalizing Values: How to Build a Brand Voice

In the world of business, personality is everything. This is especially true of brand voice—the way a company represents itself through text, audio, and other forms of communication. According to a HubSpot survey , 88% of marketers feel a distinct brand voice is key to building a stronger connection with current and prospective customers. 

When used properly, your brand voice has the power to show the world who you are, what you stand for, and what you’re trying to accomplish. All you have to do is put it into words.

Let’s explore the tenants of building a great brand voice, along with some examples that can provide both inspiration and guidance.

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What is a brand voice?

Brand voice is how a business talks, writes, or interacts with an audience. This may include elements of inflection, certain words, or even sentence structure. Brand voice provides the groundwork for developing brand personality, which can affect the way companies are understood by customers, shareholders, and internal audiences.

Why brand voice matters

Customers are barraged by thousands of brand voices every single day. Bland or unspecial voices won’t stick out from the crowd and won’t appeal to the modern customer. If your brand sounds the same as every other brand, you’ll do little to differentiate it from hundreds of other competitors. 

According to hundreds of research studies completed over the past decade, a good brand voice has the ability to:

• Engage customers . Ninety percent of customers want to shop from brands that sound authentic—not just like they’re putting on a show.
• Fosters trust . If customers can tell that you are who you say you are, they’ll be more likely to trust you and your products. Today, 81% of customers need to trust brands before they buy from them.
• Creates consistency . Consistency is key to engendering customer loyalty. Brands that maintain consistency across all sales platforms enjoy 33% higher revenue rates .
• Set expectations . A company that uses formal speech is more likely to be seen as professional or exclusive. In contrast, a company that leans on peppy sentences is likely to give off a sassy tone.

The sooner you find and refine your brand voice, the sooner you can set expectations for your company in the marketplace.

How to create your brand voice in 3 steps

1. consider your target market.

Every brand should have a target market, regardless of what they sell. Perform some in-depth research about the people who purchase from your brand (or create personas if your company’s not live yet). 

Perform these basic tasks:

• Gather hard data about average ages and demographics. This will help you craft more targeted guidelines for the structure of your brand voice. After all, you’re not likely to talk to millennials the same way you would Gen Z or Gen Alpha.
• Check your competitors. How do they talk to their customers?
• Ask for direct feedback. About one in three people provide feedback when asked—and 77% of customers are more likely to favor your brand in the process.
• Perform extensive A/B testing with written copy. How do customers respond to ads with emojis rather than ads without?

The data gathering process is absolutely foundational to the success of a brand voice. Don’t skimp or rush the process; take a few months to get oriented.

2. Develop your brand archetype

Although there are thousands of different brand voices in the marketplace today, most of them are variations of pre-existing stereotypes. These are commonly referred to as “ brand archetypes .” 

Brand archetypes are personality concepts that have existed for thousands of years, and are almost immediately recognizable regardless of culture or language. For this reason, brand archetypes can help audiences immediately connect with brands and the messages they’re trying to send. 

About 77% of customers connect with brands that share their values, which is why knowing your archetype is so important to success. Choosing a brand archetype (or mix of archetypes) will help to develop more concrete ideas about the voice your brand should use. For example:

• Brands that have the Magician archetype (Disney, Dyson, and Disney) lean on fun, imaginative, and reassuring verbiage.
• Companies in the Jester archetype (Dollar Shave Club, Old Spice, and M&M’s) focus on playful, quirky, or witty language.
• Most luxury brands that fall into the Ruler archetype (Rolex, Lamborghini, and Gucci) emphasize matter-of-fact brand voices that exemplify power.

Take some time getting familiar with your brand and its archetype. Feel free to mix and match to develop a tone that suits your company.

3. Write copy in your brand voice 

Although textbook theory has its place, the best way to develop your brand voice is to create some actual writing samples.

Start by writing stream-of-consciousness sentences as though you were your brand talking to a customer. Use “I” statements and talk about your mission, values, and UVP. Be as creative as you want!

Let’s use a fictional ecommerce company called StichLich to create a short paragraph.

“I totally get that losing your favorite pair of jeans is like breaking up a long-term relationship. I bring ‘dead’ clothes back to life with expert alterations and repairs that patch them good as new! And oh yeah—I hate ugly DIY solutions too. Everything I patch is guaranteed beautiful.”

Next, try writing a short paragraph about your brand from an outsider’s standpoint. Let’s use the same brand to compare:

“StichLich is a sewing brand that values humor, levity, and transparency. Like a good friend, the company is straightforward and honest about what it provides. It is authentic and very open about expectations and prices. Despite the humor, it is also warm and reassuring.”

Do these exercises several times (across several days) to give yourself time to think. As you create new paragraphs and refine your approach, you’ll start to get a better idea of how your brand voice should be portrayed.

Brand voice examples

The best brand voices are those that are clear, direct, and easily identifiable. The more distinctive your brand voice is, the more connections you create with leads, customers, and brand ambassadors.

This is extremely true of mnml , a streetwear company that focuses on simplicity and minimalism (if the brand name didn’t clue you in).

The brand speaks in very short sentences and uses pithy language to communicate its ideas. The formal style provides echoes of a luxury brand reaching the target audience well.

Another brand that leverages its voice well is Huel . Authoritative and relatable, it establishes itself as a relatable friend that understands the meal-prep struggle.

Unlike mnml, Huel isn’t afraid to spice things up with humor. The brand refers to its customers as “Hueligans,” and sprinkles in exclamation points for an added touch.

Apparel brand Chubbies takes a very different approach. Not only is this fun-loving brand extremely upfront with its brand voice, but it takes a more lighthearted approach to addressing its target market.

Note the use of colloquialisms here, including “heck” and “em.” There are also quite a few contractions used in the text, which differentiates Chubbies from other competitors.

Keeping your brand voice consistent across all platforms 

The bigger your brand becomes, the harder it will be to keep the brand voice consistent. As your company grows from a one-man band to a multichannel effort, you’ll want to keep everyone on the same page.

This is where the brand style guide comes into play.

Like a story bible, the role of the brand style guide is to formalize the voice and tone of a brand across all channels. This might include elements like:

• Preferred reference terms
• Use of commas
• Preferred sentence length
• Use of exclamation or question marks
• Words or phrases to avoid

You can choose to develop a brand style guide in a number of ways. Some brands hire professional creators to create multipage internal documents. Others create style guides that are accessible to the general public.

You can begin building a brand style guide using nothing but Microsoft Word and a little imagination. Use example sentences to create guidelines about how other members of the team should use your brand voice. Tell writers both what to do and what not to do—in simple terms.

Slack uses a listicle format to communicate expectations about wording and tone. A no-nonsense paragraph helps to bring its voice to light.

The company also sets firm guidelines around words that are acceptable and unacceptable. Simple sentences help to frame these guidelines in a digestible light. Anyone reading could easily exemplify the brand voice on social media accounts, emails, blog posts, and more — regardless of how long they’ve worked for the company.

Remember: your brand voice style guide is a living document. Don’t be afraid to update or add new things as the company evolves.

Bring your brand voice to life in a single sentence

Now you know what a brand voice is, why it’s important, and how to bring it to life. All that’s left is to move from concept to reality with research, writing, and template building. Reading through some brand voice examples can help to formalize the development process, while creating a style guide makes your brand voice accessible to anyone in the company.

Your brand voice has the power to connect with customers, create a vision, and nurture public perception for years to come. By finding and formalizing a structure that matches your brand’s character, you can develop lasting trust, value, and equity that truly stands out from the crowd.

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How to really nail your brand voice (with 6 examples).

Brand voice is the distinct personality and tone that companies use in their product messaging, social media posts, and customer service interactions.

Published on May 01, 2023

By Meghan Keaney Anderson

Technology has made it easier to start a business, build a product, and grow an audience. While that has made entering a field with your product easier, it has made standing out in that field much harder.

In a world where information, products and advancements can be easily matched by competition, brand personality matters a lot more. It can be a defensive moat that, once cultivated, is hard to replicate in an authentic way. But brand voice isn't just something you can turn on. It has to be researched, developed and systematized across your company's style guide and culture.

If you are unsure of your company's brand voice or find that it is unevenly executed across your company's marketing and communications, this guide will help you develop and fortify it.

What is Brand Voice?

Brand voice is the distinct personality and tone that companies use in their communications, including marketing messaging, social media posts, and customer service interactions. It should create a unique and memorable identity that resonates with its target audience.

Consistency is key for a brand voice to reinforce a business's values, vision, and mission, inspire customer trust, likability, and loyalty. Employing a well-defined brand voice can help companies stand out in digital interactions, connect with customers in a meaningful way, and be a reliable guide for employees.

Why Does Brand Voice Matter?

In an era of generative AI, where it's easier than ever to create content and communicate information, brand voice and personality takes on new importance. A strong brand voice helps to distinguish your company from competitors and quickly communicate what it stands for. It also helps to build trust among customers, providing them with a sense of familiarity and comfort when engaging with your business .

Examples of consumer companies with a strong brand voice.

Apple has maintained a consistent brand voice since its inception in 1976. The company's brand messaging emphasizes simplicity and minimalism, which is reflected in its products, marketing materials, and customer service interactions.

Apple's brand personality is professional yet playful, and it uses both technical precision and creative flair to convey its message.

Dove's brand voice was first truly developed under its Real Beauty campaign, a long-standing brand campaign which focuses on empowering women and celebrating self-love. The brand's messaging is inclusive, body positive and encourages individuals to accept themselves for who they are.

Dove uses optimistic language and visuals that emphasize beauty in all forms, not just the narrow standard of perfection perpetuated by most modern beauty brands.

Taking its first flight in 2000, JetBlue needed to stand out as a new entrant to an established field of airlines including American Airlines and United. It did so by taking a decidedly distinct tone in its marketing. JetBlue's brand voice is distinctly different from its competitors in the aviation industry.

Created in 2000, JetBlue's marketing strategy sought to make the company stand out as a new entrant in an established field of airlines such as American Airlines and United. JetBlue's brand voice is marked by a playful, witty, and approachable tone that reflects its company's innovative and adventurous nature.

JetBlue's brand messaging often emphasizes their exceptional customer service, which is conveyed through optimistic language and visuals. Their marketing campaigns encapsulate their playful brand personality, featuring bright colors and bold statements , which have helped to define the company's unique identity.

Through developing a strong brand voice, JetBlue has managed to stand out in a highly competitive industry, earn customer trust, loyalty, and admiration while also setting a benchmark for brand personality and authenticity in the aviation sector.

Examples of B2B companies with a strong brand voice.

Maximum effort.

The brand voice of Maximum Effort , an advertising agency founded by Ryan Reynolds, is a reflection of the actor's wit and humor, which is apparent in the agency's name itself. The brand voice is irreverent, playful, and often self-deprecating, which allows the agency to connect with its audience in a more personal and relatable manner.

Maximum Effort's brand personality emphasizes creativity, risk-taking, and a willingness to push boundaries to deliver exceptional results.

Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics is a technology company known for creating advanced robots. The company's brand voice is characterized by its scientific and innovative nature. Boston Dynamics' messaging focuses on its cutting-edge engineering and robotics technology, which is evident in its product design and impressive capabilities.

The company's brand personality is serious, professional and technical in tone, emphasizing its expertise in robotics and engineering.

Known for its email marketing products, Mailchimp's brand voice is creative and inviting, which is reflected in its colorful, playful design and messaging. The brand's quirky and fun tone resonates with its audience, making it appealing to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals.

Mailchimp's messaging emphasizes simplicity and ease-of-use, which is evident in its platform's user-friendly interface and step-by-step guides.

Steps to Developing Your Brand Voice

Developing your company's distinct personality is no simple task, but there are a few steps you can take to ensure success.

1. Start with a clear brand positioning and differentiation.

Aligning your company around a brand positioning architecture is a critical precursor to developing your brand voice. Don't just select a playful tone because you like the sound of it, select a playful brand tone because it's the best fit for the audience you're going after and the most differentiated tone from alternatives in the field.

A typical brand positioning statement has the following clearly identified areas:

• Your target audience
• Their biggest problem or pain point
• Your solution to that problem
• Why your solution is better for that audience than any other alternatives in the field

2. Audit your existing website and successful content for any brand voice that is already occurring in your writing and design.

‍ Even though it may not be consistent, odds are your most successful content already has an underlying tone. Use a free tool like FindYourVoice.ai to help surface those tones to give you a starting place.

• Select a brand voice that reinforces your audience's needs and your differentiation. If you sell security software, know that your audience is looking for brands they can trust. So demonstrating trustworthiness in the way you speak, create and design is key. That said, there is more than one way to convey trustworthiness so you don't need to sound like every other security software out there (and you shouldn't). If your nearest competitor establishes trust by speaking formally and professionally so as to show sophistication as "the trusted expert", you may want your brand voice to be more approachable so as to be "the trusted friend."
• Develop some deliberate range within your brand voice: The best and most defensible brand voice has some depth to it. It is more complex than a single trait like "formal" or "casual". Typically a brand voice is an overlap of a few different key tones that together make a piece of content sound like your brand's values and positioning. These layers can serve to balance each other out or give you some range to adapt to different channels and campaigns. For example, generative AI company Jasper describes its brand voice as the intersection of Pioneering, Practical and Playful. We'll dissect this more in the next section.
• Communicate your brand positioning and voice internally. Go on a roadshow within your company to share the new positioning and brand voice when you first formalize it. Incorporate your brand positioning and brand voice into onboarding materials for any new employee. Put editorial checks in place in your content development process to make sure the brand voice. Store a central style guide and brand positioning document where anyone in the company or any vendors that work with your company can access it. Finally, if you use a generative AI platform, upload your style guide and brand voice into the tool so even your AI-assisted content sounds authentic to your brand.
• Audit your existing content and gradually update it to your new established brand voice. Typically brands will cut over new content and key pages along the purchase path to the new brand voice first and then clean up older content as a longer-term project. You can evaluate the best pace for your company and audience.
• Establish the different scenarios in which you would use different aspects of your brand voice. Even within a core established brand voice, you'll need some variance for different scenarios and channels. Your crisis communications should be the clearest and most helpful form of your brand voice possible. Your social channels may be able to be more relaxed while still sounding cohesive with your onsite content. Figure out and document the spectrum of when you emphasize different level of abstraction in your brand voice as a final step.

Dissecting a Brand Voice: Jasper

Jasper is a generative AI platform that helps marketing teams keep up with content demands without losing their brand voice. Let's take a look at our own brand voice as an example and be transparent about what went into it.

Why Pioneering?

‍ Jasper was one of the earliest generative AI applications and among the first to tailor AI specifically for marketing . In addition to being proud of that history, Jasper is in a field that is rapidly evolving with new capabilities every day. Maintaining that sense of fascination and early adoption in the ways that we build the product and in the manner in which we communicate is paramount to our brand.

Why Practical?

‍ The downside to a pioneering brand is that it can get so far into the future that it loses touch with its audience. While there is a ton you can do creatively with AI, Jasper has always built its product to be practical for businesses. So we ground our pioneering tone in a sense of practicality. In practice that means helping to demystify terms like autogpt and explain complex concepts simply like intellectual property.

Why Playful?

‍ Playful helps us speak to people, like people. AI needs human perspective, human judgment and yes, human tones. In much of our content we reflect the creativity and wonder of this space, and the humanity that should always accompany it, by being playful in our tone at times.

Adapting to different scenarios

‍ Having these overlapping tones allows us to have some range, being more playful in social content, more pioneering in keynote speeches, and more practical in our customer communications. Often we are leveraging the intersection of two of the three tones for our perfect brand voice.

Integrating brand voice into our tools

‍ We have uploaded our brand voice into our AI platform to help make sure the full company is trained on it as well, so no matter where we're creating content, we can speak as one brand.

Developing a strong and distinctive brand voice is key to standing out in a competitive field. It takes research, planning and dedication to create a brand voice that accurately reflects your company's values and resonates with your target audience. With clear direction, alignment among employees, and thoughtful execution across channels and platforms, you can create an authentic and memorable identity that sets your business apart.

Once you have established a strong brand voice, take the time to measure, audit, and refine it over time to ensure that your message is consistent and effective across channels. Doing so will help you build trust with customers, inspire loyalty, and develop an enduring connection with them.

Meet The Author:

Meghan Keaney Anderson

Meghan is a marketing executive with twenty years of experience at the intersection of digital marketing, brand development, creative leadership, and product marketing. She's interested in tech, social impact and just about any action movie from the '90s.

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Brand Voice: A Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Your Company’s Unique Personality

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In today’s crowded and competitive market, it’s more important than ever for businesses to establish a unique brand identity .

A powerful brand voice can help you catch people’s attention, earn their trust, and make your brand unforgettable.

What is a brand voice?

Think of your brand voice as your brand's unique personality and tone of voice consistently applied across all communication channels. It includes the language and words used, the emotions a brand conveys with its content, and the image and personality it portrays in its marketing efforts.

Over the past fifteen years, our team has helped thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses build and grow their businesses with unique and memorable branding . And we’ve mentored thousands of entrepreneurs in creating a unique brand voice through design, content, and other methods. This guide shares the actionable insights, tips, best practices, and expertise we’ve developed after helping over one hundred thousand brands.

In this ultimate guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about brand voice. Whether you’re a small business owner, marketer, or entrepreneur, this guide will provide actionable insights, tips, best practices, and examples of outstanding brand voices.

Let’s dive in!

Brand Voice: The Ultimate Guide

Why is brand voice important? The difference between voice and tone Creating a strong brand voice: A step-by-step guide 15 brand voice examples to inspire you Conclusion

Why is brand voice important?

A good brand needs a strong personality to endure and stay relevant to its audience. A powerful brand voice ensures that your presence is felt, helps you convey your message clearly and effectively, and builds trust with your audience.

Your brand voice should resonate with your target audience , be consistent across all channels, and reinforce your brand’s values and beliefs.

Developing strong brand recognition and trust with your audience leads to increased customer loyalty and sales.

The difference between voice and tone

Your brand voice is the unique personality and tone consistently applied across all communication channels. It represents your company’s character and values.

On the other hand, your tone is the emotional inflection added to your voice, which adjusts according to the message being conveyed. For example, social media posts promoting new products might be fun and encouraging, while messages addressing social issues might have a more formal and serious tone to appeal to the audience.

Creating a strong brand voice: A step-by-step guide

Developing your brand voice can be challenging, especially if you don’t know where to start. Follow these eight steps to establish your brand voice:

1. Define your brand personality

To establish your brand voice, you must first define your brand personality . This set of characteristics represents your brand and makes it unique.

Brand personalities are driven by brand archetypes (human character traits that most accurately reflect a brand). There are twelve brand archetypes. Which best fits your brand?

Once you have a clear understanding of your brand personality, you can begin to develop your brand voice.

2. Define your brand’s mission and values

Your company’s mission is the heart of your brand . It’s the key to creating your brand voice, as it has the values your brand believes in to develop your brand personality.

Study and evaluate your company’s mission statement and list the essential core values defining your brand.

For example, crowdspring’s About Us page lists what the company believes most, including a powerful and affordable way for small businesses, entrepreneurs, agencies, and nonprofits to buy custom design and naming services. This value is ultimately reflected in crowdspring’s simple, straightforward, and casual brand voice to educate and provide businesses with reliable and actionable sources of information that people can easily understand. Ensuring that your brand voice reflects your business’s values is the key to making it unique and your own.

3. Conduct a content audit

Look at your existing marketing content and analyze what’s working and what’s not. Look for patterns in your most successful content, such as the tone of voice, style, and topics covered. This will give you a good starting point for developing your brand voice. Ask yourself these questions when reviewing your content:

• What types of content had the most impact on my audience?
• What characteristics did my best content have?
• What topics did my best content cover? How can I replicate this in the future?
• What tone of voice did I use when writing this content?
• What key characteristics of my top content did my audience resonate with?

Identifying the fundamental elements of your content and the best traits that make up your top-performing content can help you develop a strong foundation for your brand voice.

Additionally, you must research the best content format for your industry to effectively deliver your content and message to your target audience.

If your audience likes podcasts, starting a podcast for your brand can help establish your brand voice. You don’t need to spend a lot of time on production. There’s AI podcast software that makes it easy and offers high-quality tools.

4. Leverage buyer personas to tailor your brand voice

Developing buyer personas can help you better understand your target audience and tailor your brand voice to their needs and preferences.

Ask questions such as:

• What are their pain points?
• What motivates them?
• How do they communicate?

This will help you create content that resonates with them and speaks to their needs.

5. Leverage your brand’s unique selling proposition

One of the best ways to create a powerful brand voice is to confidently use your strengths as a brand and your unique value proposition .

Think about what makes your brand stand out. What does your brand have that other brands don’t? And how can your brand voice reflect this to make it stronger?

6. Develop a style guide

A brand style guide is a set of guidelines that outline the rules for your brand voice. It covers tone of voice, language, grammar, and punctuation. A style guide ensures consistency across all your communications and helps your team members stay on brand.

7. Train your employees

Once you have a style guide, you must ensure your team is trained to use it. This includes everyone from content writers to social media managers. A brand voice is only influential if consistently applied across all channels .

8. Refine and evolve your brand voice

Your brand voice is not set in stone. It should be regularly evaluated and refined as your business grows and changes.

Monitor how your audience responds to your content and adjust your brand voice. This will ensure that your brand voice remains relevant and effective over time.

A rebrand may be necessary if your voice has become disconnected from your audience.

15 brand voice examples to inspire you

Now that you know how to develop your brand voice, it’s time to draw inspiration from some of the best brand voices to help you create a voice that’s truly your own. 

Apple’s brand voice is sleek, simple, and straightforward. It emphasizes the company’s design principles and focuses on clearly and concisely communicating its products’ benefits. Apple’s brand voice is consistent across all channels, from its website to social media accounts.

Takeaway: Keep your brand voice consistent and clear, emphasizing your unique strengths and values.

Skittles is known for its fun and playful brand voice. The brand’s voice is always upbeat and playful, reflecting the product’s fun and lighthearted nature. Its marketing campaigns and social media accounts are filled with bright colors and whimsical imagery.

Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to embrace a playful and lighthearted tone if it aligns with your brand’s personality and target audience.

Old Spice’s brand voice is humorous and irreverent. Its marketing campaigns often feature absurd scenarios and exaggerated claims, poking fun at traditional masculinity. The brand voice is bold, confident, and aimed at a young male audience.

Takeaway: Use humor to create memorable content that resonates with your target audience and sets your brand apart.

Slack is a communication platform that takes a casual, friendly tone in its messaging. The brand voice is conversational, approachable, and aimed at businesses of all sizes.

Takeaway: Emphasize a friendly and approachable tone in your brand voice to create a sense of trust and connection with your audience.

Everlane is a clothing brand that focuses on sustainable and ethical practices. The brand voice is honest, transparent, and aimed at consumers who value transparency and authenticity. Takeaway: Be open and transparent in your brand voice to appeal to a socially conscious audience and build trust.

Airbnb is a travel platform that encourages users to “belong anywhere.” The brand voice is friendly, welcoming, and aimed at travelers who want to experience new cultures.

Takeaway: Create a brand voice inviting your audience to feel part of a community or movement.

Dollar shave club.

Dollar Shave Club is a subscription service for men’s grooming products. The brand voice is irreverent, humorous, and aimed at a young male audience.

Takeaway: Use humor and a relaxed tone to create a memorable and relatable brand voice that appeals to your target demographic.

Glossier is a beauty brand that focuses on natural beauty and minimalism. The brand voice is approachable, conversational, and aimed at women of all ages.

Takeaway: Use a conversational tone that makes your audience feel like they’re talking to a friend, making your brand more relatable and trustworthy.

Nike is a sports apparel and footwear brand encouraging athletes to “just do it.” The brand voice is motivational, empowering, and aimed at athletes of all levels.

Takeaway: Inspire and motivate your audience through an empowering brand voice that challenges them to take action.

Mailchimp is an email marketing platform that takes a friendly, approachable tone in its messaging. The brand voice is conversational, helpful, and aimed at businesses of all sizes.

Takeaway: Focus on being helpful and informative while maintaining a conversational tone to connect with your audience.

Lush is a cosmetics brand that focuses on natural and eco-friendly products. The brand voice is playful, whimsical, and aimed at consumers who value sustainability and ethics.

Takeaway: Embrace a fun and playful tone that aligns with your brand’s values, making your content enjoyable and memorable.

Patagonia is an outdoor apparel brand that focuses on environmental activism. The brand voice is passionate, informative, and aimed at consumers who value sustainability and the environment.

Takeaway: Use your brand voice to educate and inspire your audience on issues that matter to your brand, demonstrating your commitment to making a difference.

Innocent drinks.

Innocent Drinks is a beverage company known for its friendly and whimsical brand voice. The brand’s messaging is often humorous and lighthearted, emphasizing natural ingredients and ethical practices.

Takeaway: Use humor and a friendly tone to make your brand approachable and memorable while communicating your core values.

Warby parker.

Warby Parker is an eyewear company with an informative and fun brand voice. Its messaging is engaging and conversational, highlighting the quality of its products and its commitment to social responsibility.

Takeaway: Strike a balance between being informative and entertaining in your brand voice to keep your audience engaged and informed.

Spotify is a music streaming service with an energetic, youthful brand voice focused on the user experience. The brand’s messaging is aimed at music enthusiasts and emphasizes personalization, community, and discovery.

Takeaway: Create a brand voice that speaks directly to your audience’s interests and needs while fostering community and belonging.

Use these examples as inspiration, but don’t be afraid to experiment and find your unique voice.

With these tips and insights, you can create a powerful brand voice to help your business stand out and grow. Don’t be afraid to experiment, learn from your audience, and continually refine your brand voice to keep it fresh and relevant. Your audience, and your business, will thank you for it.

Finally, as you continue to build and refine your brand voice, consider crowdspring’s custom design service to help you bring your brand to life visually. Our team of experienced designers can help you create unique and memorable visuals that align with your brand voice, ensuring a cohesive brand experience for your customers.

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What Is Brand Voice? (With Real Brand Examples)

April 19, 2023 (Updated: May 4, 2023)

When most people hear the term “branding,” they automatically think of company colors and logos. But branding goes beyond just what you see. It also focuses on what your audience hears or reads in every company communication. Today, we’re looking at what brand voice is and how to define yours:

What Is Brand Voice?

What are the elements of brand voice, brand voice vs. brand tone, types of brand voices, why does brand voice matter, where do you use your company’s brand voice, will your brand voice ever change, tips for uncovering your company’s brand voice, 9 examples of distinct brand voices.

Brand voice is your company’s communications personality. It includes all the elements of how your company talks to its audiences, like clients and customers, business partners, or shareholders.  Most companies have an entire team of marketing professionals who run their communications and interactions with audiences. Brand voice is a tool those team members use to share the right brand message with the audience, no matter who the person is that’s drafting or sharing the content.

Related:   It’s Not About “Finding” Your Voice, It’s About Developing It

There are four key elements to consider when you’re developing or uncovering your brand voice. They include:

Your brand’s character is the way you represent the company’s voice. A person can have character too, and it’s normally defined by their personality, qualities, and beliefs. To find your brand’s character, think about the people that work for your company. Review your mission statement and core values. What do you stand for? When you understand why your company exists and how it operates, you can get a better understanding of its character.

One of the biggest components of brand voice is language. Because brand voice comes from the way you write and speak, it’s important to know what words you want to use when sharing information. The language you use may shape your brand voice more than anything else. For example, using slang gives you a more relaxed voice while  using jargon  could narrow your audience appeal.

The purpose of your brand voice is to share your company story and goals with your audience. For many B2C companies, your primary goal may be to sell products. For B2B companies, you may have a wide variety of goals depending on your services and company mission. The purpose helps define how you’re going to meet these goals and expectations through communications with your audience and partners.

Your brand tone is the way you share information about your company in different situations. The things you say to stakeholders may be slightly different than the ones you say to your audience or your internal team members. While your character and purpose don’t change, how you convey your messages can shift with the tone. Tone can affect how you use humor in your content, how you share good and bad news, or how you persuade audiences to do something.

Brand voice and brand tone aren’t the same things, even if people sometimes use the terms interchangeably. Your brand voice is what you say and the tone is how you say it. Just like we listed above, the tone is an element within your larger brand voice. An easy way to understand the differences between the two is to think about your own personal voice and tone. 

You likely use certain words every day when you’re communicating with people. You tell your stories with certain inflections and laugh or cry at certain triggers. These things are all part of your personality and make up your personal voice. But you don’t talk to your grandma the same way you talk to your best friend, manager, or first responder. Each of those situations and conversations is slightly different. While your personality doesn’t change, the way you interact with others in different situations might.

For example, if you’re telling your friends a story about something you saw on a reality TV show, you might say: “That was the absolute dumbest thing I ever saw in my life.” But if you were telling the same story to your grandma, you might say: “I didn’t think the way they handled that situation was very smart.” The message you’re sharing stays the same, but the way you share it changes depending on your audience. In business, your brand tone may also change based on your communication channels.

There are many types of brand personalities you can adopt, especially if your company doesn’t have one yet. Here are some examples of potential brand voices you could use:

• Assertive:  This brand voice is strong and forceful. Using it may tell audiences that your brand is an authority and they should listen to you, or else.
• Conversational:  This brand voice is relaxed without being too casual. It’s comfortable and relatable but can be formal or informal.
• Educational:  This brand voice aims to inform without acting superior. It looks to supply people with information and answer questions in a simple, easy-to-understand way.
• Empathetic:  This brand voice focuses on the customer or client. It addresses their needs or concerns in a thoughtful and understanding manner.
• Empowering or motivational:  This brand voice is encouraging. It inspires and invites audiences to be the best possible versions of themselves.
• Humorous:  This brand voice always tries to get your company a laugh. Jokes, wordplay, and other style elements help you communicate in this voice.
• Professional:  This brand voice is often serious. It may use jargon or complex concepts to appeal to an in-the-know niche market.
• Relatable:  This brand voice often tries to adopt the voice of its target audience. It may use trends, jokes, and words the audience uses to make them say, “Me too!”
• Snarky:  This brand voice is sassy and sarcastic. It may use dry humor or trolling comments and phrases to share information.

Marketing landscapes, especially digital marketing landscapes, include a lot of competition. On Twitter alone, users make about 6,000 tweets per minute or about  500,000 tweets per day . That includes content from brands, business professionals, and individual creators. And Twitter is just one channel. Once you add competition on every single communication and publishing platform, your content is up against billions of other pieces trying to capture your audience’s attention.

The goal of creating a distinct brand voice is to help your company’s content stand out from all this other information. You want your audience to read something your brand wrote and recognize where it came from without looking at the account name. When you use a consistent brand voice, you build that awareness with your audience over time. They learn what your company is about and what to expect when they interact with it. That familiarity leads to brand trust and customer loyalty.

Your company uses its brand voice anywhere it speaks or shares information—including traditional and digital marketing channels. It also includes anywhere that your team members or brand representatives interact with leads, clients, business partners, or shareholders. Examples of some places where you use brand voice in your communications include:

• Customer service calls
• Online advertisements
• TV and radio advertisements
• Print advertisements
• Social media channels
• Company websites
• Internal company communications
• Marketing emails
• Brand content  such as articles, blog posts, videos, and podcasts
• In-store signage
• Press releases and PR announcements
• Shareholder or stakeholder meetings
• New hire and exit interviews
• Conference or convention presentations

Your brand voice might evolve slightly over time, especially if you adopt a relatable or conversational tone. Language trends change. Some words become acceptable or unacceptable to use in certain situations. The invention of new technology or policies may change how all brands reference certain topics. But there is really only one instance where your brand voice may change completely after you’ve established it: during a company rebrand or refresh.

During a rebrand or refresh, your company may overhaul all of its audience signals from visuals, values, and even communication styles. Rebrands may happen to help your company grow with changing social or political landscapes. They may also happen after a decline in business or bad press. In these cases, your team may revisit the brand voice and change it to better align with the company’s new vision.

Related:   How To Rebrand Your Business Without Affecting SEO

Here’s a fun fact: Every brand has a voice, even if it’s not distinct or consistent. If you’re communicating with your audiences, then you’re already using a brand voice. But it might not be the right one to get them to stop and pay attention. Here are a few tips to help you uncover and refine your company’s brand voice to make it more effective when communicating with your audiences.

Be Authentic

The most important thing about your brand voice is that it should be authentic to your company or organization. Once you really understand what your brand voice is, it should come naturally. You should be able to teach it to new hires on your marketing or communications teams with little effort. If you have to force your brand voice in any communications, it’s likely not authentic. 

Listen to how your company leadership and team members talk about the organization when they’re not trying to communicate with the public. This trick may help you find a more authentic brand voice for your organization.

Align With Your Values

Another way to uncover and understand the right brand voice for your company is to look at its values. What does your company stand for? What does it try to provide for its audience, clients, and customers? Your mission statement, goals, and beliefs can help you determine the right way to communicate with your audience. For example, if your brand is environmentally conscious, it would make sense to incorporate words like “sustainability” and “eco-friendly” into your company’s dictionary.

Read the Audience

Though brand voice and brand tone aren’t the same things, they work together to get your brand messages across to the audience. Every communication must have a balance between sounding like your brand and resonating with the people reading your messages. Look at your audience segments and personas to understand who your brand talks to. Some things to consider when reviewing your audience to understand how they talk include:

• Age:  Younger audiences may use more slang than older audiences. If all your communications go toward this audience, you may adopt a more casual brand voice.
• Location:  Is your audience global or localized? Certain areas have their own dialects and ways of communicating that may be beneficial to add to your brand voice.
• Needs:  What is your audience trying to get from your brand? The way you communicate with them differs if they’re coming to you primarily for advice versus for entertainment.

Related:   Audience Profile vs Audience Segmentation: Are They Different?

Adopt a Temporary Model

We’ve all seen brand communications online that are on point. They hit just right, evoke the right emotions, and share exactly the information we want to see. These are the brands you’ll read about below in  the examples section . But these brands likely didn’t start with that perfect, distinct brand voice from the first day. Like brands, authors and writers also have their own unique voices. They use certain words or sentence structures in their writing that differ from others.

When writers learn the craft, their teachers tell them it’s okay to adopt a temporary voice while they’re learning. By that, writing teachers mean you should find an author or journalist’s work that you like and try to write like them. Imitate their style for a bit while you learn the basics and structure of writing. Once you’re more comfortable with the craft, you can adapt and change the temporary tone to fit your own writing style. Brands can do the same thing. 

If you’re trying to develop your brand voice but you don’t know where to start, look for example communications from other brands whose voices you admire. Then discover why you like the way they talk. Is it the words they choose Is it how they respond to audience messages? Maybe it’s the way they structure their sentences or paragraphs in long-form content. Try to write some sample communications in another brand’s voice. Then infuse elements of your company and audiences into them as you learn more about who and what your brand really is.

Use a Template

If you’re still not sure how to find your brand voice, using a template may help.  Brand voice templates  like the one from HubSpot help you look at the basic characteristics of brand voice and vocalize how you want to use them at your company. A simple template lists the voice characteristics and the descriptions of each one. It also gives “do and don’t” sections where you can give examples or additional instructions for the best and worst ways to use that characteristic in your communications.

Using a template helps you narrow in on the characteristics you think are most important to your brand and solidify how you want to use them in your content.

Solidify It in the Style Guide

Once you work through what your brand voice is, it’s time to document it. Adding all the important information about your brand voice into your style guide makes it easier for all your marketing and communications team members to follow it. You can get as detailed as you want with your voice guidelines, but at minimum, make sure you cover the top four elements of character, language, purpose, and tone.

Free eBook:   Why Should You Have a Style Guide?

If you’re looking for examples of brands that really shine when developing distinctive voices, look no further. Here are some companies that have nailed brand voice in their communications:

1.  Apple

All of Apple’s branding is distinctive, and that includes its brand voice. The company uses simple and direct language to introduce all of its products.

It also has separate areas on its website for businesses, educators, healthcare, and government agencies. Each of these pages stays true to the minimalist and direct brand voice while adapting the tone for the right audience.

2.  Mailchimp

Mailchimp not only has a distinct brand voice, but the company actually makes its  style guide available  to the public online. The organization defines its brand voice as:

• Plainspoken
• Educational
• Full of dry humor

Essentially, what these words mean together is that Mailchimp’s voice tries to stay authentic to its audience: small businesses and individuals looking to navigate the sometimes complicated world of B2B and B2C email marketing on their own. You can see examples of Mailchimp’s plain and educational voice across its website and content.

3.  Skittles

Skittles got its reputation as a quirky and strange company after it released its first “Taste the Rainbow” campaign in 1994. The brand embraces these quirks, especially on social media. It often tweets unhinged content written in the first person. The brand also calls out other uses and companies in its content.

4.  Harley Davidson

As a motorcycle company, Harley Davidson has adopted a slightly rebellious, outlaw, and traveler persona for its brand. It uses the language and the to-the-point dictation style of most of its audience. You can find examples of the Harley Davidson brand voice across its advertising campaigns, social media feeds, and website.

Image via  Creativepool

5.  Spotify

Spotify isn’t your parents’ way to listen to music. And the company knows it. Its  brand voice targets millennials  using slightly dramatic and sarcastic humor. Spotify also follows social media trends in its communications while still staying true to its brand voice.

6.  Fenty Beauty

Fenty Beauty is one of Rihanna’s business ventures. Its values focus on providing fun and diverse beauty products that work for people with all skin tones and types. The company adopted elements of the voice of its founder, using language that she does in her own social media posts and content. You can find examples of Fenty Beauty’s brand voice across its website and digital channels.

7.  Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. has been an upscale brand staple in New York City and around the world since 1837. The company plays into that history with its brand voice by focusing on the hallmarks that have kept it in business for so long: quality and timelessness. The brand uses words and phrases that evoke these qualities on its website and social media pages to keep its image consistent across all channels.

8.  Starbucks

Since they became mainstream popular in the 1990s, coffee shops have had a distinctive vibe. They’re a haven for writers, work-from-home-ers, and musicians. Most coffee shops have a relaxed and laid-back atmosphere that makes you want to sit down and stay a while. Starbucks uses all of these stereotypes to craft its brand voice. It uses clear, simple copy that has a creative twist, such as the poems the brand shares on Twitter:

9. Cards Against Humanity

Cards Against Humanity is a word-based card game, so it’s no wonder the parent company has a very distinct brand voice in all its communications. The game is irreverent and a little offensive, and the company adopted the same tone and style for its brand voice. You can find examples of the blunt, “we don’t care” attitude across the company’s website and social channels.

Brand Voice Is Just One Part of Company Branding

Brand voice is just one  element of company branding  you can use to separate your organization from the competition. Your company visuals also help aid your audience in brand recognition and recall. The more ways you can get your audience to remember your company, the easier it is to get them to pay attention to and relate to your messaging. Overcoming these hurdles makes it easier to move people through the stages of the marketing funnel to become paying clients and customers.

CopyPress writer

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What Is Brand Voice and How To Create Meaningful Voice For Your Brand

Creating a unique slogan or brand phrase is only the first part of the marketing process. Every brand owner, wants their audience to remember their unique message by making sure there’s enough message retention in the content to make people act.

Before stepping into your next campaign, think of the way you talk to your customers and how your brand is defined by your brand’s style of communication.

Your brand voice can have any style, as long as it feels true to your brand values and persona—be it authoritative, playful, intellectual, ominous, kind, or fun.

The question here is how to determine your brand’s voice?

If you own a brand and you want to determine its voice then we will help you. Understand and determining your brand’s voice by considering many factors as the first step of a long process.

First, you have to understand what the brand’s voice is and how it’s different from the brand tone.

What Is Brand Voice?

The voice you give to your brand is what shapes its personality. It is responsible for creating feelings and determines what the perception of your brand is like in the audience’s minds. The brand’s voice reflects everything about your brand, from the words, language to the personality, and how you want your brand to be remembered.

If your logo didn’t appear with your content, could your audience identify the content as coming from your brand?

Your brand’s voice is what makes you stand out among other brands and competitors. It is what sets the basic foundation for your content, ads, and even offers. If your audience remembers your brand for its content or personality, then it’s because of its voice.

A brand voice is successful when it causes your audience to connect with, engage in, and most importantly, believe in what you do.

Brand Voice Vs. Brand Tone

In a nutshell, your brand’s voice is the words the brand says, the brand’s tone is how it says it.

The brand’s tone reflects the emotions that the brand wants to deliver to its audience. For example, if you will write a greeting post, your tone must be cheerful and friendly.

The brand’s tone has the ability to vary according to the message but the brand voice is consistent and steady.

Now let’s dig into the core of our article and tell you some factors that can help you determine your brand’s voice.

How to Develop a Meaningful Brand Voice

Brand voice a complete abstraction in our minds. A logo is just a graphic unless and until there is a meaningful promise behind it: a brand promise.

Start by reviewing your brand promise

A brand promise is talking to employees, investors, and partners. These people have already bought into the brand; they need to know what to do to further it. A line designed for these people is going to be worded entirely differently than a tag-line.

The brand promise usually lives within an organization’s documentation, such as a brand book. An organization should communicate the brand promise to anyone who will be doing work to further the brand; this includes all employees as well as external partners such as freelancers, service providers, and retailers.

The brand promise should place the product within the scales of category, quality, and price level, as well as organizational values if applicable.

• Product Category : the type of product or service provided (e.g., Brand X = Modest Fashion)
• Quality : the expected level of quality, or the product qualities customers expect (e.g., Brand X = “build the best product”)
• Price : the part of the market your company occupies (Brand X = enthusiasts, i.e., high end)
• Values : any organizational values which are an essential purchase consideration for customers (Brand X = “use technology to facilitate people’s life”)

We’ve collected 7 of the greatest brand promise examples we’ve ever seen. It just goes to show that a successful brand is a lot more than a logo, icon, or memorable slogan.

• BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine.
• Wal-Mart: Save money. Live better.
• Nike:  To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.
• Coca-Cola:  To inspire moments of optimism and uplift.
• H&M: More fashion choices that are good for people, the planet, and your wallet.
• Starbucks: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.
• Apple:  Think different.

If you are willing to develop a meaningful brand voice, this is where the old cliche “actions speak louder than words” is particularly true. A brand promise is nothing if it’s not followed through with action.

Understand your target audience

Your target audience depends on the product you are selling; so based on this, you need a voice that can easily reach your audience and relate to them.

For example, if your product is for elders, then you must give your brand a voice that speaks of a mature, wise personality. And if you’re selling a product for those of young age, then you will go for fun and maybe sarcastic.

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” — Jeff Bezos

You can gather a group of people, friends, and family or create an online poll and ask your audience how they see you.

Some of the questions you can ask include:

• If our company were a person, what would it sound like?
• Why do you use our services?
• What do you want most from our brand?

The impression the audience took from your brand and product can help you in determining your brand’s voice. Put in mind that your audience can perhaps see things you didn’t notice.

The brand’s responsibilities and values

How do you see your brand? What do you want it to represent? Imagine your brand as a person, how do you want it to be? Do you want it to be fun, cool, and quirky? Or is it confident, bold, and inspiring?

Setting your brand’s personality and characteristics will give you a hint of what its voice should be.

Also, determining your brand’s values and what it stands for is a major factor in determining its voice. The values will tell you more about the personality as it will represent it, and from this point, you can start to shape how the voice is gonna be.

For example, when you think about Nike, you think of someone who is inspiring, strong, persistent, and encouraging.

But when we think of TODO, we think of someone who is sarcastic, funny, and cool.

All of these characteristics can be spotted when you check their content.

Describe the brand in 3 words

If your brand was a person, how would you describe its personality to someone? At this point, talk about how you would describe your competitors as people, too. Is one of your competitors the class bully? Is another the head cheerleader? How do your brand’s personality traits make you different?

Now that you know the brand’s personality and what it speaks for, describe it in 3 words and create a chart of Dos and Don’ts.

After choosing 3 words, create a chart, and start analyzing those 3 words and how you want to express them.

For Example, if you want your brand to be a fun person, then write down the word “Fun” and start listing the ways you want to follow to express the word.

Example: Fun. Description: A person who is funny, friendly, helpful, spreads joy and humor. Dos: Can be sarcastic, follows trends, memes, and uses GIFs in communicating. Don’ts: Depends fully on memes and jokes, and makes fun of a customer.

Get inspired by similar brands

Looking for competitors is necessary when you’re launching a brand. It is what keeps you away from making mistakes. So, when you search for similar brands, you have to focus on their voice but never copy it.

You’re doing this to avoid their mistakes and avoid having the same voice as they do. It is just a step you have to take to make sure you’re going in the right direction.

Remember that the success of your brand relies on its voice; this is how people will remember it, and how it can spread among everyone.

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The Science of Successful Branding: Case Studies and Insights

Successful branding can influence consumer perceptions, build trust, and drive long-term customer loyalty.

Branding is a powerful force in the world of business. It's the art and science of creating a distinctive identity for a product, service, or company. Successful branding can influence consumer perceptions, build trust, and drive long-term customer loyalty. In this article, we will explore the science behind successful branding , exploring key principles and sharing case studies highlighting the strategies and insights that have propelled some of the world's most iconic brands to success.

Branding as an Emotional Connection

At its core, branding is about creating an emotional connection between a brand and its audience. It's not just about logos, colors, or slogans; it's about how a brand makes people feel. Successful brands understand that emotions play a crucial role in consumer decision-making. They tap into these emotions to create a bond that goes beyond the functional benefits of a product or service.

Case Study: Apple Inc.

One of the most iconic examples of emotional branding is Apple Inc. Apple's brand is synonymous with innovation, creativity, and a sense of belonging. They have mastered the art of making their customers feel like part of a community, appealing to their desire for uniqueness and self-expression. Apple's design aesthetic, sleek product packaging, and marketing campaigns all contribute to the emotional connection that has made Apple a global brand leader.

Consistency is Key

Consistency is a fundamental principle in successful branding. A brand should present a unified and coherent image across all touchpoints, from its website to its packaging and advertising. This consistency builds recognition and trust over time.

Case Study: Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola, one of the world's most recognizable brands, has maintained a consistent image for over a century. The red and white color scheme, the classic contour bottle, and the timeless "Enjoy Coca-Cola" slogan have remained largely unchanged, fostering a sense of nostalgia and reliability. This consistency has allowed Coca-Cola to establish a strong emotional connection with its customers, making it a global symbol of happiness and refreshment.

Understanding the Target Audience

A deep understanding of the target audience is essential for successful branding. Brands need to know who their customers are, what they value, and what problems they need to solve. This knowledge informs branding strategies, ensuring that a brand's message resonates with its audience.

Case Study: Nike

Nike's "Just Do It" campaign is a testament to understanding its audience. Nike recognized that its target demographic, athletes and sports enthusiasts, sought motivation and inspiration. The campaign's message, paired with powerful imagery of athletes overcoming challenges, spoke directly to this audience. The result? A brand that not only sells athletic gear but also motivates people to pursue their dreams and passions.

Storytelling: Creating a Brand Narrative

Storytelling is a powerful tool in branding. A compelling brand narrative can engage consumers on a deeper level, allowing them to connect with the brand's values and purpose.

Case Study: Patagonia

Outdoor clothing company Patagonia has embraced a brand narrative that goes beyond selling outdoor gear. They've positioned themselves as a brand that cares about the environment, sustainability, and social responsibility. Their "Worn Wear" campaign, which encourages customers to buy used Patagonia clothing and repair their old items, reinforces their commitment to reducing waste and protecting the planet. By weaving this narrative into their branding, Patagonia has attracted environmentally conscious consumers who resonate with their values.

Adaptation and Innovation

Brands must evolve and adapt to changing market dynamics, consumer preferences, and emerging trends. Stagnation can lead to irrelevance.

Case Study: Amazon

Amazon started as an online bookstore but rapidly evolved into a global e-commerce and tech giant. Their commitment to innovation demonstrated through products like the Kindle e-reader, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Amazon Echo, has allowed them to stay at the forefront of industry trends. Amazon's willingness to adapt and expand has made it a brand synonymous with convenience and innovation in the digital age.

Cultural Relevance

Brands that understand and embrace cultural relevance can connect with their audience on a deeper level. They tap into what's happening in the world and leverage it to create meaningful messages.

Case Study: Dove

Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign challenged traditional beauty standards and focused on promoting self-esteem and body positivity. By addressing a cultural shift towards acceptance and inclusivity, Dove resonated with consumers seeking authenticity and empowerment. This cultural relevance not only boosted brand loyalty but also led to societal change.

Customer Experience and Feedback

Brands must prioritize the customer experience and actively seek feedback. This helps brands improve their products, services, and messaging based on real-world insights.

Case Study: Zappos

Zappos, an online shoe and clothing retailer, places customer experience at the forefront of its branding. Their commitment to delivering exceptional customer service, including a 365-day return policy and 24/7 customer support, has turned customers into brand advocates. By actively seeking and responding to customer feedback, Zappos continuously refines its approach, resulting in a loyal customer base.

Consistency in Branding

Successful branding requires consistency across various touchpoints. This includes the visual elements of branding , such as logos and color schemes, but it also extends to the tone of voice, messaging, and the overall brand experience.

Case Study: Starbucks

Starbucks has mastered the art of consistent branding. Their green mermaid logo, cozy store ambiance, and the promise of a personalized coffee experience have been replicated worldwide. Customers can step into any Starbucks location, whether in Seattle or Shanghai and expect the same comforting atmosphere and quality coffee.

Sustainability and Responsibility

In an increasingly environmentally conscious world, brands that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility have a competitive edge.

Case Study: Unilever

Unilever, the consumer goods giant, has made sustainability a core part of its branding strategy. With brands like Ben & Jerry's and Dove, Unilever focuses on sustainable sourcing, ethical practices, and reducing its environmental impact. Their commitment to positive social and environmental change resonates with consumers who prioritize responsible consumption.

Adaptation to Digital Channels

In the digital age, brands must adapt to new marketing channels, such as social media, online advertising, and influencer partnerships.

Case Study: Airbnb

Airbnb disrupted the traditional hospitality industry by creating a platform that connects travelers with unique accommodations. They've harnessed the power of digital marketing and social media to reach a global audience, while user-generated content and reviews provide social

proof. Airbnb's success demonstrates the importance of adapting to digital channels and embracing the sharing economy.

The Role of Trust

Trust is the cornerstone of successful branding. Brands that consistently deliver on their promises and provide high-quality products and services build trust, which, in turn, leads to brand loyalty.

Case Study: Toyota

Toyota has established trust by consistently delivering reliable and durable vehicles. Over the years, their commitment to quality and innovation has earned the trust of millions of customers worldwide. This trust has not only resulted in brand loyalty but has also positioned Toyota as a leader in the automotive industry.

Authenticity in Branding

Authenticity is an increasingly vital aspect of successful branding. Consumers are drawn to brands that are genuine and transparent in their communication and actions.

Case Study: Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs, a cosmetics brand, stands out for its authenticity. Founder Pat McGrath, a renowned makeup artist, leveraged her personal brand and expertise to create a cosmetics line known for its quality and inclusivity. Her direct involvement and genuine passion for her products have created a cult following among makeup enthusiasts.

Embracing Change and Innovation

The world constantly changes , and brands that embrace change and innovation stay relevant. This includes adopting new technologies, exploring new markets, and seeking out opportunities for growth.

Case Study: Netflix

Netflix began as a DVD rental service but transitioned into a streaming platform, revolutionizing the entertainment industry. Their commitment to creating original content and adapting to consumer preferences has made them a household name, even as the media landscape continually evolves.

The science of successful branding is a dynamic and multifaceted field. It involves understanding the emotions and needs of the target audience, maintaining consistency, telling compelling stories , adapting to change, and prioritizing customer experience. The case studies provided, from Apple and Coca-Cola to Nike and Amazon, demonstrate how these principles have been applied in diverse ways to achieve remarkable success. Successful branding is not just about creating a logo; it's about creating an enduring and emotionally resonant identity that stands the test of time. It's about forging connections that transcend transactions and lead to lasting brand loyalty.

You Should Know

ThoughtLab is a dynamic and innovative full-service creative agency renowned for its exceptional branding prowess and relentless commitment to thinking outside the box. With a team of visionary creatives, strategists, Web3, and marketing experts, plus decades of superior website design, ThoughtLab consistently delivers groundbreaking solutions that redefine the boundaries of branding and design. They understand that breaking away from convention and embracing bold, unique ideas is vital in today's fast-paced and competitive landscape.

ThoughtLab's approach involves immersing themselves in their client's businesses, understanding their values and aspirations, and crafting tailor-made branding experiences that resonate deeply with the target audience. Their track record of success stands as a testament to their ability to push creative boundaries, captivate audiences, and ensure their client's brands stand out amidst the noise. With a focus on innovation and a passion for excellence, ThoughtLab continues to be at the forefront of revolutionizing the world of branding and marketing. Contact ThoughtLab today.

Brand Equity: Understanding and Enhancing Your Brand’s Value

Research Outline

Case studies: brand voice, early findings.

• The founders of Harrys started this razor company with a simple model of having one great razor, with cheap blades, and delivered straight to the door.
• Harry was in direct competition with Gillette ( a razor giant company). Gillette's strategy was to include a variety of razor blades with increasing prices to as much as to $6 per blade. Looking at this Harry's decided to sell only one type of blade but with a different brand voice.
• While Gillette brands its razors with names like "Mach" and "Turbo", Harry's uses a more subtle, affable kind of brand voice .
• Harry's used the brand voice as "Unlike the big brands that overdesign and overcharge , we make a high-quality shave that’s made by real guys for real guys… We’ve built Harry’s to reflect our passions and values: affinity for simple design, appreciation of well-made things, and a belief that companies should make the world a better place."
• The tone that Harry used was sufficient enough to convince people that their one razor is preferable to other companies razor. Through this brand voice, Harry was able to convince its consumers that they need not look further for the best razor.
• After opting to the above brand voice, Harry's observed a gradual growth in its sales in just two years, which generated about $200 million in sales in 2017.

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In-depth case study: One Vision for a multi-brand watch retailer

In-depth case study: One Story for Hunter Boot

Aligning the whole company with a new value proposition

In-depth case study: One Voice for Votary

Luxury lifestyle brand: how to reclaim your brand’s DNA

John Lewis Partnership E-commerce writer training

Mulberry: How do you introduce your past to a new audience

Christie’s: Working with the world’s most prestigious auction house

Twinings’ Ovaltine

Glint: How do you use language to launch a new global

Portas: How do you stand up for intuition?

Eagle Genomics Homepage copywriting

GLTC: It’s not enough to change the strategy. You have to change your culture to match your strategy.

SABMiller: Quenching a client’s thirst for NPD

B&Q: A change of strategy needs a change of behaviour

Vauxhall: How do you get 200 people to speak with one

easyCar Club

Global Jeweller: When should a brand grow beyond its Founder?

Digital Agency: Aligning the stories of the CEO, the European Creative

Luxury Fragrance: A globally-famous Founder’s startup story – second-time around

Ultra-Luxury Hospitality: How to name the world’s greatest hotel

Christie’s: International Real Estate

Pharma Startup: How brand narrative adds margin in a commodity b2b

Hunter Boot: From mudwalk to catwalk

Votary: A personal luxury strategy for an overcrowded category

Vauxhall: How do you speak British?

Fine Jeweller: A fast-growing global brand needs one story, one voice

GF Smith: From paper company to creative partner

Belstaff: re-positioning a British Brand in the global market

Paraiba: How do you launch a brand if you’ve never launched

Teknavo: How to talk tech to CEOs

Mobispot: How language helps you pivot from B2C to B2B

Fred Perry: What is a brand book really for?

McQ: A contender, not a pretender

Text analytics reveals what people really think of your staff

Fred Perry: It’s not about the price tag

Adstream: How do you sell tech to Creatives?

Reminding a catalogue company that they were never just a catalogue

When a word is worth $50,000

Votary: From brand strategy to naming architecture

Votary: A natural product needs a tone of voice that sounds natural

Hunter: Everyday Pioneers

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• B2B social media case studies
• Social Media Management
• Social Media Marketing

B2B Social Media Marketing Case Studies to Inspire You

Written by Anna Sonnenberg

Published Apr. 18 2022

Table of Contents

Managing social media for business-to-business (B2B) companies or agency clients often seems more challenging than marketing directly to consumers. From choosing the most effective channels to deciding on the right tone of voice to creating compelling content, B2B social media marketing requires a unique approach.

So how can you successfully market a B2B company using channels like Facebook , LinkedIn, and Twitter? Check out three B2B social media case studies to inspire your strategy—no matter what stage of the sales funnel you need to target.

What Is B2B Social Media Marketing?

Strictly speaking, social media marketing for B2B companies isn’t too different from promoting business-to-consumer (B2C) organizations. Both types of companies use a variety of social channels to publish content, engage customers, and aim to get conversions. And both B2B and B2C companies tend to leverage a mix of paid and organic social media.

Even so, as you’ll see in the B2B case studies, social media marketing strategies require a few important adjustments for targeting a B2B buyer.

Let’s look at a few of the key differences.

Social channels

There’s no definitive list of social channels that B2B organizations can or can’t use. Choosing the right channels for your company is generally a case-by-case situation that requires audience and market research.

But some social channels naturally work better for B2B businesses because of their user base and native tools. For years, LinkedIn and Facebook have stood out as the most popular B2B marketing channels . However, many businesses also use Twitter to connect with customers and YouTube for long-form video.

Target customers

When marketing their products and services, B2C companies generally speak directly to individual customers. These target customers can make their own decisions for themselves or their families.

In contrast, B2B companies target other businesses. To get buy-in from companies or departments, marketers typically have to target decision makers with various levels of authority.

Tone of voice

Don’t assume that B2B marketing has to sound stiff or formal. After all, B2B marketing material often targets chief executive officers (CEOs) and other powerful decision makers.

But there’s no rule that B2B content has to sound stuffy—or that it can’t include emojis. Instead, B2B content should use a brand voice that fits your company’s image and values. And keep in mind that conversational content is almost always the best way to connect with the human decision makers you’re targeting.

Content tools

As a social media manager, you can access the same set of tools whether you’re working with a B2B or a B2C company. However, some tools are much more valuable for B2B marketers because of the sales cycles and decision-making processes involved.

Some of these B2B content tools include the following:

• Lead magnets that encourage prospects to provide their contact details in exchange for a high-value asset. For example, you may offer case studies or white papers.
• Webinars and product demos that require prospects to register to access exclusive knowledge or a closer look at your product.
• Native lead forms that allow prospects to request more information about your products and services without leaving the social media platform.

Use Cases for B2B Social Media Marketing

Now you’ve got an idea of how B2B content often looks and sounds. But what are the most effective ways to use it? Before we delve into social media B2B case studies, let’s look at how to align this content with your sales funnel.

Boost awareness

Is your business new to the market or seeking to expand its customer base? In either case, increasing awareness is essential for growth.

With awareness-focused social content, you can introduce your business to new products. You can also put your products and services on potential customers’ radar. Over time, you can highlight features and benefits to make prospects aware of the value your business offers.

Take a look at the ClickUp Facebook ad above, which is great for brand awareness. The eye-catching creative uses a succinct tagline to tell prospects exactly what the app does. The subheading lists three key aspects of the productivity app, so people instantly understand how it works.

The caption uses a CTA that encourages prospects to use the app to boost productivity. And it seals the deal with a pretty impressive takeaway: The app can help you “save one day a week.”

Establish trust

Most B2B companies aren’t selling frivolous items. Instead, the products and services that these companies offer can make a measurable impact on their customers—helping them work more efficiently, produce better results, reach higher goals, and grow their own businesses.

That’s why establishing trust should be a key part of any B2B company’s marketing strategy. You can use channels like Facebook and LinkedIn to share social proof, publish thought leadership, and communicate your company values.

The Outreach Facebook ad above seamlessly handles credibility. The creative boldly confirms the company’s status as an industry leader. The caption quotes a well-known third-party source to communicate the company’s position in the industry, effectively building on preexisting trust.

The ad points to a third-party report prospects can download learn more about Outreach. By offering this report in exchange for prospects’ contact details, the company can begin collecting and qualifying leads.

Generate leads

Once prospects trust your business and understand what it offers, they may be ready to take the next step. When you turn prospects into qualified leads, you can start nurturing your relationship with more targeted content.

Social channels offer countless opportunities for organic lead generation . After all, you can easily post links to lead magnets and webinars on your social profiles. But these channels are particularly effective at paid lead generation. For example, channels like LinkedIn and Facebook offer high-performing native lead ads.

Above, the Facebook ad by IT Glue offers a helpful checklist to prospects seeking to automate IT processes. This simple lead magnet is great for helping prospects solve a problem while learning more about the company.

Below, the Miva, Inc. LinkedIn ad takes a similar approach. In exchange for prospects’ contact information, it offers a downloadable five-step assessment designed to guide people through problem-solving.

Convert prospects

In many cases, you can use social media content to give prospects that final nudge from qualified lead to happy customer. Depending on the nature of your product or service, linking to a free trial, a paid subscription, an e-commerce page, or a sales page could drive conversions.

When you want prospects to convert, you need to think about creative ways to incentivize them. Free add-ons, limited-time offers, and limited-quantity discounts can all prompt qualified leads to take that final step.

Above, the Cardata LinkedIn ad captures prospects’ attention with a promise to streamline vehicle reimbursement calculations. The copy and creative both feature social proof that inspires trust, and the CTA prompts prospects to give the app a try.

Below, the Shopify Facebook ad catches prospects’ eyes with a promise to help scale their businesses. The caption lists several features e-commerce business owners are likely to need, and the creative prompts them to get started with a free trial.

Support customers

Once you convert customers, you can use social media to help them maximize the value from their purchase. It’s a good idea to think beyond customer support and brainstorm ways to help customers use your product or service more effectively.

For example, you can share advanced tips to help customers get more out of your product or service—and pique the interest of prospects at the same time. You might also discuss your loyalty program or spotlight longtime clients. These tactics allow you to give clients the accolades they deserve while also turning them into advocates for your business.

Above, the LinkedIn ad by Elementor targets people who are already familiar with the company’s website builder. By introducing a new product, the company can upsell to existing customers and deepen the relationship.

Three B2B Social Media Case Studies to Inspire You

Wondering how real-life B2B companies have applied these tactics on social media? Take a look at three B2B social media marketing case studies to get ideas for your business’s own strategy.

1. Turface Athletics and Profile Golf

Turface Athletics and Profile Golf, two brands under the Profile Products umbrella, worked with Elevation Marketing to address social media engagement for their B2B profiles. Take a look at what they achieved.

Both brands are well-established in their respective niches. Turface Athletics provides field maintenance products for athletic fields, and Profile Golf specializes in golf course maintenance solutions.

Despite their strong positions in their respective markets, both brands were experiencing low engagement across social media channels. Although the brands published social media content consistently, they did so from a single company profile on a limited range of channels.

As a result, the B2B company struggled to increase awareness or drive consideration among new potential customers. That meant they weren’t leveraging social media marketing effectively or using available tools to reach business goals successfully.

First, the agency conducted market research to get up to speed on industry trends and competitor strategies. The agency also performed a social media audit to review past performance and assess best practices for positioning the brands going forward.

After the preliminary research and audit phase, the agency determined that the brands would benefit most from a full-scale social media strategy across major channels. The agency proposed to plan engaging content designed to attract the brands’ target audiences.

In addition, the agency proposed to create distinct brand presences for Turface Athletics and Profile Golf on Twitter and Facebook. Doing so would allow the two brands to differentiate themselves, reach more relevant audiences, and (periodically) share or distribute each other’s content to increase reach and engagement.

The agency also designed an influencer marketing program to improve the brands’ Instagram presence. Ideally, partnering with influencers would give the brands access to more lifestyle photography while improving brand loyalty.

Over a six-month period, both brands saw impressive growth across all social media channels. The Turface Athletics Facebook page saw a 268% increase in engagement and a 44% increase in impressions, which suggests that the content truly resonated with the target audience. The strategy also drove 74% more web visits, a significant increase to the brand’s web  traffic.

During the same period, content for the new Facebook page and Twitter profile for Profile Golf generated nearly 35,000 impressions. It also drives a 253% increase in web visitors.

Ultimately, building out new B2B social profiles and attracting followers can be resource intensive. But this case study shows that creating content that truly resonates can build brands and reach marketing goals effectively.

Semrush, a software as a service (SaaS) company specializing in search engine optimization (SEO) tools, worked with Walker Sands to improve its Twitter presence.

As a long-established brand in the SEO space, Semrush already had a presence on Twitter. However, the SaaS company had struggled to differentiate itself from its many competitors. As a result, brand recognition, product awareness, and conversions weren’t as high as they could be.

By partnering with Walker Sands, Semrush aimed to improve engagement and increase brand loyalty. The SaaS company also wanted to set itself apart from competitors.

First, the agency used a combination of social listening and competitive research to pinpoint industry trends and understand how similar brands were using Twitter. Using this research, the agency recommended that Semrush adjust its brand guidelines for this social channel, essentially creating a separate, humor-focused persona for its Twitter profile.

To fine-tune this new brand voice, the agency developed Twitter content based on product and industry topics and recurring themes. The agency balanced content that promoted Semrush products with tweets that appealed to the brand’s audience of experienced digital marketers.

In addition, the agency used social listening tools to monitor and chime in on trending topics. This tactic allowed Semrush to join viral conversations and discuss relevant news in a timely fashion—further increasing the brand’s reach.

Semrush began to realize results quickly. In the first month, the social media marketing plan generated over 250,000 impressions and nearly 18,000 engagements. The engagement rate exceeded 7%, demonstrating how well the content resonated with the target audience.

Although Semrush is in a crowded space with numerous well-established competitors, the brand was able to distinguish itself on Twitter. As a result, Semrush improved brand sentiment and gained share of voice.

3. Collective Data

Collective Data, a fleet management SaaS company, worked with Sculpt to streamline its lead generation process and improve its lead conversion rate.

The SaaS company aimed to expand its presence in a specific market and secure more qualified leads across the nation. However, the marketing team’s activities didn’t necessarily align with the sales team’s ambitious goals.

First, Sculpt worked with Collective Data to outline buyer personas for the newly expanded market. The agency also mapped out the customer journey to identify key points to target or remarket to the new audience. To establish goals, the agency set cost-per-lead and cost-per-demo targets for the company’s campaigns.

To reach the company’s target audience of law enforcement professionals, the agency worked with Collective Data to build LinkedIn ad campaigns. The company focused on LinkedIn’s native lead forms, which allow prospects to provide contact information without leaving the platform.

To get more value from their efforts, the agency launched paid search and display remarketing pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns using Google Ads. The SaaS company also invested in conversational marketing tools to engage potential customers on other channels and guide them through the sales funnel.

As a result of these combined efforts, Collective Data achieved an 8-12% lead conversion rate from online advertising. Compared to the SaaS company’s previous lead acquisition methods, these efforts decreased the average cost-per-lead by 70%. In addition to helping the B2B company expand into a new market, this outcome contributed to a significant cost savings.

Aligning marketing and sales isn’t always a smooth process. By clarifying customer personas and journey maps from the beginning and setting up complementary cross-channel campaigns, the agency successfully partnered with Collective Data to improve leads and conversions.

Wrapping Up What We’ve Learned About B2B Social Media Marketing

From boosting brand awareness to generating leads, these B2B social media case studies illustrate how businesses can reach target audiences and get results using the right channels. Use these case studies and use cases to guide your team in developing an effective social media strategy for your B2B company or agency clients.

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The misunderstood case of “brand voice” in social media

by arikhanson | Jul 23, 2015

When you think of companies that have nurtured a great “brand voice” on social media, which organizations come to mind?

According to my research, the “experts” will tell you the list looks something like this:

Sharpie ( accounts dead, btw )

DiGiornia Pizza

As I continued to dig in, I noticed a striking trend. All these brands that people were lauding as having great “brand voices”–they were all snarky, hip, young, energetic voices.

They all involved witty–and oftentimes–funny language.

They all involved a degree of humor.

They all were fun, light and airy.

By looking at these lists and case studies, one would think you’d HAVE to be young, witty and funny to establish any kind of successful brand voice on social media.

But, we know that’s simply not true.

However, it does appear to be a myth under which many people are operating (the recent Chevy product launch seems to be a perfect example).

Clearly, not all brands need to have a snarky, witty and/or humor-filled voice on social media to be effective.

A good, consistent brand voice should be a reflection of your brand and your brand values.

It should be your brand personality described as an adjective (I read that somewhere–can’t find the source right now, so this isn’t my line, but I like it).

Really, your brand voice should be boiled down to a few simple words.

For example, I think Tiffany & Co. has a great brand voice on social.

I would describe it as: Simple. Elegant. Refined.

Notice the brevity in the text. Notice the simple product shot. Notice the white space. Notice the words they use.

And, notice what they’re NOT. Funny. Witty. Snarky. Targeting 20-somethings.

Or, what about Life Time Fitness?

Here’s a brand (love to pimp my friend Tony Saucier’s work) that’s voice can be summed up in two words: motivation and inspiration.

Again, nothing overly witty or funny here. Sure, Life Time’s voice is light-hearted in spots (they are a fitness/wellness brand, after all!). But, I’d hardly put it in the same bucket as Oreo. Life Time Fitness appears to be more aligned with its “real life” brand–which focuses on wellness, motivation and health.

Or, what about Hilton on Twitter? It’s @HiltonSuggests account’s voice can be summed up in ONE word: Helpful. Not funny. Not cute. Helpful.

Nothing fancy going on with Hilton’s voice here. They’re all about helping the customer–and using language that’s clear and effective. Not language that’s “on fleek,”

So, I’m here today to stand up and say, you don’t need a cute, fun, witty voice on social to be effective.

But, you do have to be your own brand. Aligned with your mission. Speaking in a tone and style your customers will appreciate and understand.

That’s what makes a good “voice” within the social media world.

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[Case Study] Choosing The Right Brand Voice, Esports Edition

Brand voice...

Get this right, and your brand will be adored by your fans on social media.

Get this wrong, and your brand will be seen as a the cringe parent who tries just a little too hard to be "cool."

The difficult part for creatives like you is that the "right" voice for one brand can be the worst possible option for another. So, to help you get clear on this, let's discuss two esports organizations that are in the same league, but have polar opposite identities on Twitter — the ATL Reign and the Dallas Fuel.

Who knew trolling your fans could make them love you even more?

Danny Berger, former head of content & socials for the Reign, said on a recent episode of the Esports Economics podcast that his approach on Twitter was to lean into the more aggressive, trolly side of the esports community.

He was okay with actively calling out the fan base (all in good fun), posting sponsored content in the form of a meme, and taking more risks in general with content. What makes his approach effective, rather than being just another brand who wants to sound like Wendy's?

It's authentic to the audience. Gaming culture is filled with memes, trolling, & dark humor — and Danny chose to lean into that. It isn't surprising that followers of the Reign are glad that a brand account is being real with them.

Also, let’s be clear. Not every post a "troll" post. There's an appropriate balance of memes, traditional branded content, and support for the audience.

In my opinion, the brand account takes on the voice of most gamers. There's a level of respect among members of the gaming community, but they aren't afraid to go back and forth with each other from time to time (a lot of the time, actually).

So, when Danny tweets on behalf of the brand, it comes across like just another member of your Xbox party. Or Play Station. Or PC. You get the point. This makes it easier for audience members to relate with the account, engage in conversations with the Reign social account as if it were a friend.

With that said, the support for this approach isn't universal. On the podcast , Danny discussed how he would get messages from angry fans (or fans of other teams) saying how they hate his guts, and all the other amusing things anonymous Twitter accounts with anime profile pics say. But, this doesn't shake his strategy.

Thing is, regardless of your approach, you're going to have haters. The Reign's social accounts could take on an opposite brand voice, and still receive unsolicited hate. There's no escaping it, especially in gaming.

Instead, Danny stays true to their brand voice. It's real. It's authentic. It attracts the desired audience members, and repels those who don't quite fit the culture. He understands that you can't please everyone — and if you try, you end up pleasing nobody. So, why not spend time nurturing the relationship with diehard Reign fans?

Most importantly — despite the occasional troll or rick-roll, Danny would create massive amounts of goodwill by surprising members of the audience with gifts in the DM's, like free Overwatch skins and in-game accessories.

Again, there's a level of mutual respect between the brand and the audience — so much so that ATL Reign fans would proactively message Danny to show their appreciation for how he runs the social account.

(Also - if you want to listen to the full podcast with Danny, find it here)

The most wholesome Twitter account in the Overwatch League

Now, for a different approach. While the Reign takes a more aggressive approach, another OWL team, the Dallas Fuel, leans more on the "wholesome" side of the spectrum.

To be transparent, I haven't had the social media manager from the Fuel, Lindsay Caudill, on the show (I'd love to make that happen, though). So, this analysis is based only on what I've on Twitter. I do believe there's enough material there to write this, but I'll be sure to clarify speculation from fact as we go forward.

One strategy that I've seem her use quite a bit is posting a tweet with a question (i.e. "How's everyone's day today?") and then spend time in the replies engaging with fans.

Along with questions, they'll also post content like the tweet below, and again spend time in the replies engaging with fans. See a theme here?

It's difficult to describe in text, but hopefully you can see the contrast in the tone of voice used by the two accounts. Here’s the intriguing part — as we'll discuss in a second, one isn't inherently "better" than the other.

Something else that's interesting is that Lindsay appears to break the fourth wall when engaging with fans on the Fuel brand account. In the replies on tweets from the team, fans address the response to the "Dallas Fuel social person."

Fans appreciate this when done skillfully, since they’re engaging with an actual person, rather than an abstract entity that is a “brand.” We know how fans can feel about cringe-worthy brand accounts…

And, like Danny with the Reign, she also spends ample time in the DMs surprising fans with merch giveaways, in-game codes for skins, and just messaging fans to make their day. Such a simple strategy that goes a long way. Seriously, if you're not doing this — you should start.

Now, to answer the question you’re here for…

Which approach to brand voice is better?

Well, it depends. As you've seen in this breakdown, both approaches to brand voice are effective. Both have fans actively engaging on their tweets in a positive manner.

The proper question is which approach is better for your brand?

And the approach that's best for your brand is whatever approach attracts the right people to your brand. Like we saw with the both Reign and the Fuel, each brand voice resonates with a different type of person. Some enjoy a more sarcastic tone, whereas others prefer a more wholesome vibe. They're both effective, just not for everyone. So, ask yourself:

Who do you want consuming your content and buying from you?

What type of people do you want to be interacting with on a daily basis?

What type of culture do you want in your brand?

Once you determine that, finding your brand voice gets easier — still difficult, but easier.

A heuristic that you can use to make this even simpler is to give an identity to your brand. You don't have to share this publicly with your audience, but internally, it can help you and your team create more structure and predictability around your brand voice.

For example, on another Esports Economics podcast episode, Andrew Exler (Director of Content for Lost Tribe Esports) said that their brand voice on social media emulates that of "your favorite camp counselor." It's relevant to a younger audience, while also maintaining a respectful tone.

Back to the two brands in discussion today — their approaches to social are more similar than they are different. They both:

Encourage engagement from fans

Actively respond to comments and mentions

Surprise fans with free gifts

Something else that stands out in both approaches is that each account takes on the voice of their social media manager. I’m not sure if this was Lindsey’s intention with the Fuel, but, I can confirm from Danny’s podcast episode that this was his approach on the Reign account.

When done correctly, as in these two cases, it helps give the account a feeling of even more authenticity. It sounds like a human being, not a corporate robot.

The main piece that differs is the tone of voice they use to get from point A to point B. Oh, and they stay ultra consistent to that tone of voice. There's no swinging back and forth between 16 different personas, like character from Split .

When you see a tweet from the Reign, you know it's the Reign. The same goes for the Fuel.

And remember, even if you choose to be more sarcastic and snarky, remember — still treat your audience with respect. There's a fine line between joking around and offending someone. Danny does an amazing job of pushing the limits of the Reign's content, without crossing that line. So if you plan on going that route, you'd better have a handle on it, too.

What about solo creators?

Well, this one's easy — be you.

Unless you like the idea of putting on a front for decades, just talk like you normally talk. Of course, know your boundaries and how they can affect career opportunities.

But, as long as you're not saying anything problematic, just be yourself. That way, you'll attract the type of people you want to be engaging with. This benefits your audience, your career, and most importantly, your mental health.

Final Thoughts

Before we wrap up, I want to reiterate — these two examples aren't the only options for your brand voice. Your brand can go in infinite unique directions, I more so wanted to highlight that contrasting approaches can work.

And remember, even with different tones of voice, the same principles apply. Encourage engagement with fans, and make your brand feel relatable to them.

Also, shoutout to both Danny and Lindsey for doing amazing work on their respective team’s social content!

Going away from this, I'd love for you to hit me up on Twitter and let me know how you go about developing your brand voice. And of course, if you have any questions, let me know.

Lastly, if you enjoyed this (and only if you enjoyed this) be sure to share it on your Twitter TL and tag me. I'd appreciate that big time 🙂

See you in the next article!

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Spotify Branding Strategy and Marketing Case Study

Analysis and examples of spotify’s identity, positioning, key messages, tone of voice, brand archetypes, customer benefits, competitors, and marketing content..

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Brand Overview

• Entertainment & Media

Business Type

Software Service

https://www.spotify.com

Target Customer

Music & Audio Content Fan

Primary Need ( Job To Be Done )

Access all my favorite music and audio content no matter what device I’m using

Brand Visual Identity & Content

Primary brand colors, brand typefaces.

• Spotify Circular

Hero Content

Hero Content Type

Illustration

Content Features People

Brand messaging, key messages, benefit or feature focus, tone of voice, brand archetypes.

( Learn More About Brand Archetypes )

Everyperson

Brand Positioning ( Elements of Value )

( Learn More About The Elements of Value )

Aspirational

Affiliation & Belonging

Fun & Entertainment

Brand Benefits

Immediate access to all the music and audio content I enjoy in one location

Easy way to share music with others to build personal connections and feel a sense of belonging

Source for discovering new music and audio content to expand my interests and enjoyment

Competition

Key competitors.

Apple Music , YouTube , Amazon Music, Tidal, Pandora, Deezer

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World Leaders in Research-Based User Experience

The impact of tone of voice on users' brand perception.

August 7, 2016 · Updated Jan. 30, 2024 2024-01-30

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As web content professionals, we know that how we communicate with our users is just as important as what we’re communicating. But often, it’s difficult to predict and demonstrate exactly how our tone of voice might affect our users.

In a two-part study, we tested pairs of nearly identical website content. In each pair, the only aspect that we varied was the tone of voice used. We found that there are indeed measurable effects of tone of voice on users , specifically on users’ impressions of an organization’s friendliness, trustworthiness, and desirability. We also found that a user’s impression of an organization’s trustworthiness is a strong predictor of their willingness to recommend that brand .

In This Article:

The tone of voice samples, key takeaways, evaluate your tone of voice, methodology.

We began by identifying 4 core dimensions of tone of voice . Each dimension can be thought of as a 3-point scale, with a neutral midpoint. They can be used to create comparable tone profiles for content. Tones could fall at either extreme of each dimension, or somewhere in between:

• Funny vs. serious
• Formal vs. casual
• Respectful vs. irreverent
• Enthusiastic vs. matter-of-fact

We used those 4 dimensions to design 4 pairs of tone-of-voice samples, with 8 samples in total.

Each pair of samples was nearly identical — the same presentation, topic, context, and details. The only things we varied between the pairs was the tone and the name of the fake organization. The pairs were:

• Two landing pages for fake insurance companies, highlighting the features of their auto-insurance services and encouraging users to get a quote online
• Two patient-care pages for fake hospitals , explaining the importance of their high-quality care
• Two landing pages for fake banks , listing the benefits of their personal checking accounts
• Two homepages for fake home - security systems , providing an overview of their available services

Each tone sample was written as realistically as possible. The language used came from real-life websites, but was adapted to remove any extraneous differences that could become confounding variables. For example, both of the bank pages had to have identical APY rates, because if one had a better rate than the other to prevent participants from responding more favorably to that detail, rather than the tone.

We designed the samples to create a variety of tone profiles , described in the following table.

The tone pairs were developed based on real-life content from actual web pages. We examined the tones of those real-life pages, and then combined excerpts from the real copy to create the fictional tone samples.

We used a manipulation check to verify that the variations in tone between the two samples in a pair were perceptible and aligned with our definitions. We surveyed 50 Americans aged 18 or older. They answered 2 Likert-rating-scales questions for each tone sample, indicating their agreement with the following two statements:

• “The website is friendly.”
• “The website is formal.”

The results are discussed in more detail in our article on the dimensions of tone of voice and strongly confirmed that the tonal qualities of each pair were perceived as different.

Tone of voice has measurable qualities and measurable impact on users.

There will always be subtle differences in individual interpretations of tone. What sounds “witty” to one person will sound “corny” to another. But our findings suggest that:

• there are quantifiable qualities of tone (like friendliness and formality);
• those aspects have measurable impacts on user’s impressions of brand personality (like the friendliness and trustworthiness of the brand); and
• those impressions significantly influence users’ willingness to recommend a brand .

Measurements of desirability (like NPS) are critical to brand success, and can be very difficult to improve — but these results show that the tone of your content can influence that desirability .

Trust and credibility are essential.

A multiple regression analysis of our survey data with friendliness and trustworthiness as the independent variables showed that both factors were statistically significant predictors of desirability (willingness to recommend). However, trustworthiness is a much stronger predictor of desirability, across all the industries.

On average, 52% of the variability in the desirability scores is explained by trustworthiness . Friendliness only explains an extra 8% of the variability in the desirability scores when we add it to the regression analysis. This confirms what we would expect — that users’ perceptions of trustworthiness are critical to their decisions whether or not to interact with an organization (make a purchase, use a service, etc.) But it is surprising that trustworthiness may be so much more important than friendliness. Tone of voice is a powerful tool for influencing that perception of trustworthiness , and the right tone to evoke trust will differ based on your users and their concerns. Make sure you convey a sense of trust in all aspects of your site.

A playful tone won’t work well for everyone.

Participants in both phases of the study agreed that Alpha (the auto-insurance sample whose tone profile was playful and informal – see Table 1) was friendlier than the more serious sample, Beta. (In the online survey, Alpha was rated as friendlier by a difference of 0.3 points ± 0.2 on a 5-point scale.) Despite this, respondents were no more likely to recommend Alpha, and actually rated Beta as more trustworthy than Alpha by 0.3 points.

A playful tone for a serious industry has the potential of creating pleasant surprise and helping a company stand out from its competitors. However, in this situation, the friendliness and irreverence actually undermined users’ perceptions of trustworthiness and professionalism.

People don’t expect car insurance to be fun, and this particular humorous tone came on too strong for the topic. “The speech is too chummy,” one participant pointed out. “The friendliness kind of takes away some of the credibility.”

If you’re frequently hearing feedback from your stakeholders like, “Make it exciting!” or “Add a joke,” bear this example in mind. An exciting, chummy, or funny tone of voice won’t be ideal for all organizations.

Even traditionally dry industries like finance can benefit from a little conversational language.

Serious doesn’t necessarily have to be cold and formal. In the quantitative phase of the study, the more casual bank, Delta, was perceived as friendlier (0.7 points ± 0.2 on a 5-point scale) and more trustworthy (0.3 ± 0.1) than its serious counterpart Gamma. Respondents were more likely to recommend Delta to a friend (0.4 ± 0.2).

Participants in the qualitative phase described Delta as “approachable” and “straightforward,” and described Gamma as “dull” and “intimidating.”

Don’t let a humorous tone get in the way of actually communicating with your users.

In the online survey, respondents rated the humorous tone of the home-security site Theta as friendlier (0.5 points ± 0.2 on a 5-point scale) and more trustworthy (0.4 ± 0.1) than Kappa’s. Respondents were also more likely to recommend Theta to a friend (0.4 ± 0.2).

One participant in the qualitative phase enjoyed the humor in Theta, and found Kappa to be too heavy. “’Make Home Feel Safe Again,’” she read. “Like it wasn’t safe before?” But three other participants really disliked Theta. One participant said she found the humorous headlines to be “corny,” and another said, “They need to get more to the point.”

This tone-sample pair illustrates the fact that humor can be a powerful way of differentiating you from your competitors — as long as your users actually find it funny. Humor is extremely risky , because when it fails, you annoy and alienate your users.

In particular, don’t let your attempts at humor get in the way of actually communicating to users the information they need to know. Theta used headlines like “Where there’s smoke, there’s us” (a verbatim headline from a real home-security website). Funny or clever headlines often fail to serve the actual purpose of headlines — letting users know what information is located below the headline.

Consider the emotional needs of your users when choosing a tone.

In the qualitative study, the more casual and enthusiastic hospital, Zeta, was perceived as friendlier than Epsilon (a difference of 0.5 points ± 0.2 points on a 5-point scale), and marginally more trustworthy than Epsilon ( p =0.05). In the qualitative phase, users unanimously preferred Zeta over Epsilon.

In this scenario, Zeta’s friendliness without an attempt at humor seemed to reassure users during a potentially stressful situation. One participant in the qualitative study compared the difference between Zeta and Epsilon to the difference between a doctor and a nurse. She described Epsilon as “businesslike,” and said that in her experience “nurses have more of a bedside manner.”

Remember to consider the concerns of your readers and their emotional state when choosing a tone. If your users are nervous patients preparing for surgery, do you really think they’d prefer a formal tone? If your users are arriving frustrated at an error page, do you really think they want that error message to be a joke?

The best tone for your content will depend on your users, your message, and your brand.

Across all of the tone samples tested, we saw that casual, conversational, and moderately enthusiastic tones performed best , though they do not necessarily need to be combined. As we saw with Delta and Gamma, a conversational but serious tone can be successful for a bank.

Choosing a tone of voice is a tricky game of balancing your brand’s personality and priorities. There’s no one solution for every situation. As we saw with Alpha and Beta, it’s possible to choose a tone that makes your brand seem friendly, but still doesn’t make your potential customers more likely to choose you.

The best way to know what will work for you is to evaluate your tone of voice with your users.

Your users’ context is hugely important, and it’s not always easy to predict. You might think people respond to a grandiose and professional tone for a hospital, because it inspires confidence. But many participants found that a light, conversational tone conveyed empathy, which was meaningful to them. Remember, you are not your user . Your predictions of how your users will react to your tone may be off. As much as possible, test with representative users to help you evaluate your expectations.

Interpretation of tone is intensely personal and individual. You'll always have a few people that hate or love a tone unexpectedly, but you have to listen to the comments to understand overall themes across many participants.

Since there is substantial nuance in the tone-of-voice interpretations (and users’ associated preferences), we recommend that you don’t rely solely on quantitative metrics like the ones we've discussed here.

Quantitative data is useful for measuring whether users can perceive your intended tone, and comparing such numbers between alternate proposed pieces of writing. Qualitative research is much better for understanding why users like certain forms of communication, as well as getting deeper insights into how they interpret your content. For these insights, be sure to conduct qualitative user studies where customers will say something about your content, not just score it.

If you find that your users are frequently commenting on the visual design, interaction design, or features of your UI when you want them to comment on tone, you have to be patient. You shouldn’t just direct your users to talk about the tone of voice , because you’ll risk biasing them.

To encourage user comments about the tone of voice:

• Try eliminating distractions by creating wireframes or simple text excerpts of your content (as we did for this experiment).
• Ask your users prompting but vague questions, such as “If this website were a person, who would it be? Why?,” to get them thinking about the personality of the writing.
• Try a modified product-reaction test , by asking your users to select descriptions from a list of tone words.

Our study had two primary phases .

• Qualitative in-person user testing
• Quantitative online survey, using UserZoom and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk

We should pause here and acknowledge the very real challenges of evaluating writing through user research. Many users are prone to make comments related to aspects of visual design or information architecture, but aren’t inclined to think about the writing. To eliminate potential distractions, we presented the tone samples in two stripped-down formats: simple wireframes for the qualitative phase, and text excerpts for the quantitative phase.

During the qualitative testing , we gave users scenarios (e.g. “Imagine your friend is preparing for minor surgery. You’ve offered to help your friend decide which hospital to visit for the surgery.”) and showed them the wireframes. We asked them to think aloud and share their thoughts on the wireframes.

In the quantitative survey of 100 American users over the age of 18, we asked the respondents to rate each sample on three 5-point Likert scales. In each scale, we asked the respondents to indicate their impressions of the organization itself, not their impressions of the writing. We were interested in measuring respondents’ perceptions of the brand’s :

• Friendliness
• Trustworthiness
• Desirability (whether they would recommend the product or service to a friend)

We selected these three factors as the most important aspects of users’ impressions that we expected to be influenced by the tone of voice used in the writing. Of these three, desirability is the most important: a user’s indication of willingness to recommend a brand is a strong predictor of the success of that brand (which is partially why the Net Promoter Score, NPS, is so popular). Desirability is derived subjectively by each customer from those product and service qualities that we do have the ability to design, such as the tone-of-voice manipulations in this study.

Tone of voice is a complicated and nuanced aspect of your digital copy. However, as this study shows, the impacts of tone on brand perception are significant enough to merit your attention. Tone of voice can and should be tested, just like other pieces of the user experience.

Related Topics

• Branding Branding
• Content Strategy
• Writing for the Web

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Joe Biden today announced that he is directing the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on $18 billion of imports from China – including increasing the tariff on steel products to 25 percent and quadrupling the tariffs on electric vehicle (EV) imports from China to 100 percent. Kevin Dempsey, president of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), applauded the announcement:

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