Today’s blog is contributed by Hannah Clawson, PPR’s Senior Content Writer.
In our modern world, audiences face a daily overload of content and messaging. On purpose or not, each one of us has become an expert (or so we might think) in sensing disorganized and disingenuous messaging. Modern audiences are sophisticated, and brands need to keep messaging fresh, well-defined, relevant, and — most importantly — authentic to stay connected with their markets.
Building or reinvigorating your brand voice is one of the best ways to ensure you represent your brand’s best, most authentic version to the public and differentiate your community from the mass of messaging. It can also be a creative way to get excited about future marketing initiatives.
How can you create or refresh your brand voice? Here are some tips to get you started:
Understand your audience. Who is your brand speaking to? I talk to my friends very differently than I would speak with my grandparents. The vocabulary, tone, and structure I use with either group will directly impact how well they receive the information I’m giving them and if the conversation feels engaging and natural. Define who your brand is trying to reach and study them to create a voice that will best connect with your intended audience.
Brainstorm with your team. Who better to be involved in the process of defining your brand than other team members who live and breathe it every day? Collaborative perspectives from those who support the work will contribute to an authentic presence.
A few questions to ask:
- Why does the brand exist?
- What does the brand stand for?
- What future do you want to create through the brand?
- What does the company value? How can the brand represent those values?
Start with a vision. Once you’ve nailed down the questions above with your team, you can use those core beliefs to help craft an overall vision for your brand. Your brand’s vision will influence the rest of your brand identity. For example, imagine that my brand’s vision is to inspire positive action to address the impacts of climate change. In that case, I will want my brand voice to be inspiring, empathetic, and knowledgeable to help engage others in my vision and influence others to join my cause.
Personify your brand. If your brand were a person, how would you describe them? Playful? Authoritative? Straight-forward? You and your team can creatively envision your voice by creating a fictitious personification of your brand. Likening your brand to a particular celebrity is another helpful way to imagine how your brand would speak and choose the vocabulary and tone they will use.
For example, if my brand values loyalty, trustworthiness, and approachability, I would use Tom Hanks as a model to build a more fleshed-out personification of the brand.
Refreshing or even reminding yourself of your brand voice can be an exciting way to refocus your organization’s vision and content or help make a strategic plan to engage your target audience.
Need help finding your authentic brand voice? Connect with PPR Strategies and let’s begin the journey!
