July 17, 2023
Every single day, our social media feeds are flooded with countless brands and companies wanting users’ attention. So, how can your brand stand out from the crowd? Well, it all comes down to having a well-defined identity and personality, and the key is maintaining a consistent and authentic tone of voice. Keep reading if you want to know more!
What is brand personality?
Brand personality is all about giving your brand human-like characteristics that consumers can relate to or be attracted to. Successful brands have a strongly defined personality that adds value to their offerings. It should be consistent over time but adaptable in how it’s expressed. For example, these are some brands that I personally think are doing great in showcasing their personality on social media:
Surreal – bold and witty:
Nike – powerful and inspirational:
Innocent – casual and humorous:
How do we define the personality of a brand?
Defining a brand’s personality is like envisioning it as a person or character. While we can add nuances, it’s important to remember that users won’t invest much time in getting to know us, so keeping the personality relatively simple is key – simply imagining the brand as a person helps shape its personality.
And remember, the personality should align with the brand’s values and business mission. Without truth, there’s no consistency.
How do we define the tone of voice of a brand?
The tone of voice (ToV) is how you express the personality of your brand. And it can change depending on context. Imagine this: You’re always “you”, but throughout the day, you naturally express yourself in different ways. Tone allows you to stay true to your brand while adjusting to the nuances of each situation. By fine-tuning your tone to align with your content, you enhance its relevance and meaning. It demonstrates your deep understanding of your audience’s experiences, all while remaining authentically on-brand.
We must understand the nuances of our voice. So, it’s essential to understand what we are and are not, so try this exercise: “We are… but we are not…”
For example:
We are fun but not comedians.
We are friendly but not childish.
We are leaders but not arrogant.
We are casual but not vulgar.
Defining the voice of your brand will be easy if you have defined the personality well. Reflect its attributes in a document that is as clear as possible so that everyone involved in the brand’s communication can assimilate it and be faithful to the established parameters.
Other examples of TOV can be: seductive, challenging, humorous, witty, absurd, youthful, mature, and childlike. But of course, with nuances. To stand out from the competition, your voice must be original, unique, and distinctive.
If your brand needs to be defined for consistency, let’s chat! We can help you develop your brand’s personality and TOV.