‘Brand voice’ is a term that sounds simple to understand but upon closer inspection, is quite ambiguous. It is often difficult to define a brand’s voice but consumers recognise it when they see or hear it.
Great brands have personalities that remain steadfast in ways that are important to the organisation without being inflexible or rigid. It is a strategy that defines and guides the way an organisation communicates. Having a well-defined strategy provides an effective way of conveying a brand’s personality and story.
Essentially, brand voice is a strategic tool used to assist members of an organisation in telling the brand story in a consistently compelling way. Establishing a recognisable, consistent brand voice is becoming all the more important as the number of organisations attempting to reach the eyes, ears and dollars of consumers is increasing.
Consumers are also interacting with and speaking about brands at more venues and touch points than ever before (through social media for example). This two-way communication requires a response from brands and the brand voice should bring value and identity to that dialogue by listening and responding in a way that brings a brand’s strategy to life.
Building a brand voice can be a difficult, confusing task but it can be made easier by developing an understanding of the overall strategy of the brand – who it is, what it stands for and where it’s going. Communication tactics and strategy should be developed and staff should be educated about the brand voice and how to use it.
In the end, a brand will be judged on what it says. The way a brand speaks is key to making sure the right consumers are listening to what it has to say.
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