What’s in a brand? And why is developing a brand voice a vital element of professional success?
Let’s move laterally from what a brand is NOT.
Your brand is not what you say about your business, products, or services, nor is it what you want people to think.
A brand is what your customers actually say about your business to themselves and to one another, whether it’s through grumpy arguments on Reddit, congratulatory Tweets, snarky gossip and rumors about your CFO, or earnest one-on-one discussions over dinner.
For example, Amazon might hope that people praise it for being “innovative” or whatever, but everyone knows that the empire Jeff Bezos built is a little bit evil. And Starbucks might present its products as elite, but everyone knows that all those overpriced venticcinos are basically extra sweet Cool Whip.
Right… So, What’s A Brand?
While your brand is what ordinary people really think about, or associate with, your business, it’s also something ineffable that sits at the very heart of who you are. It’s deep, emotional, and instantaneous. And it overtakes your customer long before reason has a chance to catch up.
Let’s try this exercise: I’ll give you a company name and you think of adjectives, colors, and nouns that are associated with it. Don’t think hard, just whatever comes to mind.
- Nike is… what? Athletic, iconic, swoosh, performance.
- Disney is… what? Family, mouse ears, suburban, middle class.
- Whole Foods is… what? Healthy, expensive, millennials, green.
The brand is that heady mix of adjectives and subcultures and colors that immediately comes to mind when a business is mentioned.
It’s the mood lighting. It’s the atmosphere. It’s something in the air.
In a very real sense, a brand is an experience. We don’t just think about or purchase brands, we live through them.
We Don’t Buy Products or Services—We Buy Identities
In a noisy, crowded, digital world of lightning-fast impressions, 120-character tweets, and superficial interaction, what matters most? Answer: establishing a personal, emotional, and moral connection that means something.
- Millennials will spend $7 for an oat latte from the neighborhood coffee shop.
- Shoppers will pony up extra cash for cucumbers from the local farm.
- Fashionistas will gladly pay more for an organic, ethically made cotton tee.
Isn’t coffee from a chain a better deal? Aren’t cucumbers from the big box grocery store just as tasty? Isn’t it just a shirt?
No, no, and no.
People are no longer shopping exclusively, or even primarily, for products. They’re shopping for meaning. When consumers browse the weekend farmer’s market or order certified organic cotton tees that cost 5 times more (!) than the Target version, what are they really buying? Hint: it’s not coffee or t-shirts. What they’re buying is an identity.
The Rise of Inconspicuous Consumption
There’s a growing class of consumers who are happy to pay higher prices for goods, services, and experiences because they’re committed to fair labor practices and value the slow art of crafting sustainable products, speed and efficiency be damned.
Many are proponents of inconspicuous consumption. Rather than announce their status with designer handbags and glitzy logos, they forgo recognizable brand names and labels altogether, prioritizing a company’s backstory over its advertising.
That canvas NYRB tote bag with the curly head of kale peeking out might cost less than a magazine, but it sends a strong message about its owner: she reads, she’s informed, and she’s not impressed by your Gucci loafers. And if nobody gets what NYRB stands for? So much the better. It makes the tote bag even more exclusive—if you know you know. You know?
These savvy, sophisticated consumers seek products that, first, make them feel something, and second, articulate their own cultural, political, and ethical commitments to those who can read the coded message.
What does this mean for your business? It’s simple: No matter how incredible your product or service, your audience is far more likely to be moved—and to keep coming back—if they connect emotionally, culturally, and morally with your brand. If you’re serious about success, a top priority should be developing a brand voice that reflects your values, goals, and mission.
Identifying and Developing a Brand Voice
First things first: Who are you?
I’ll go first.
I’m Sveta. When I’m not writing, I read history books, visit museums, and take my dog for long runs. Philosophy and literature are my thing.
Let’s say I want to curate a voice that matches and communicates that personality. My brand voice, which comprises the tone of my writing, the language I use, the metaphors, observations, and jokes I reach for, is:
- cheerful,
- educated,
- whimsical,
- and interested in you and your opinion of the current political situation.
Your turn.
What’s your brand’s personality? Are you a playful tech startup, an idealistic research facility, a luxe cosmetics company? Once you’re clear on who you are, you can begin developing a brand voice that both matches and amplifies that identity.
Let’s Personify Your Brand: Brand Voice Examples
When you begin thinking about your brand voice, pretend that your company is a person. Now that brands are addressing customers more intimately and personally than ever before, personifying a brand makes more and more sense.
How would your brand talk? What would it say about itself and its place in the world? Where would your brand shop? What would it do on weekends? Does it eat gluten? Does it believe in ghosts? Whom did it vote for?
Creating a brand persona might feel silly at first, but the more completely human your brand voice is, the more it will resonate with your audience.
Drawn from years of working with clients across dozens of industries, helping them in developing a brand voice, here’s a handy (and gently satirical) list of personified brands, with effective voices to match:
The Tech Bro
The tech bro is a hero. He (or she) believes firmly that automation will redeem the excesses of capitalism. Competent and hip, the tech bro drives a Tesla or plans to and always has an Air Pod Pro in one ear.
He looks you in the eye when you talk, walks fast, and wakes up early to meditate. He’s totally a fan of startup culture, uses words like “bandwidth” and “scrum”, and is DEFINITELY looking for VC funding.
Brand Voice: Confident, imaginative, assertive
“Here to shake things up.”
The Coach
The Coach is productive. Before you brushed your teeth this morning, she already recorded a master class, sent off a dozen emails, and wrapped up a hot yoga sesh.
You didn’t know she teaches yoga and volunteers at the local nonprofit every morning? Yeah, it’s no big deal, it’s just a matter of time management.
The Coach will teach you to be successful. She will show you how to work a room full of stakeholders because she believes in you and all of your dreams. Except for the one where you no longer have a daily schedule, lunch meetings, or productivity benchmarks—I mean, that’s sort of like not living.
Brand Voice: Reassuring, energetic, trustworthy
“I help you get shit done.”
The Hipster
Nothing mainstream will do for the hipster, who shops at Urban Outfitters, believes in the artisanal craft of cocktails, and has just launched a soap-making co-op. It’s not exactly a co-op, though—he doesn’t believe in labels.
The Hipster lugs a 17-inch-screen Mac to coffee shops where he orders the organic free-range chicken sandwich. In all seasons, he rocks a beard or a beanie—usually both.
Brand voice: Hip (duh).
“We so get it.”
The Insta Fashionista
The Insta-Nista just had her gel nails done. She also just returned from Fashion Week in Milan, and she needs, like, just a little bit of help with content creation for her social media and stuff?
The problem: her competitors also just returned from Fashion Week in Milan, so she needs to do something, like, really different, while still being on-trend? Right? And, so, um, what’s another word for “couture”?
Brand Voice: Exclusive, sassy, aspirational
“Work it.”
The Beauty Blogger
The Beauty Blogger will explain why you—yes, you, with the skin—need to wear a minimum of SPF 30 every single day and by god, you will be converted.
You will be dazzled by his luminous skin, which glistens enticingly, like a cross between a mermaid’s tail and a steamed dumpling (it’s called dewy, btw). The Beauty Blogger follows Dr. Dray on Instagram, takes fish oil supplements, and needs clever scripts for unboxing videos and product reviews.
Brand Voice: Personalized, transparent, educational
“Glow you away.”
The Entrepreneur
The Entrepreneur knows what you need. He’s zeroed in on his target audience’s age, location, and dietary preferences, and talks incessantly about your “pain points” and his company’s “solutions”.
The Entrepreneur has created a truly unique, one-of-a-kind value add that you won’t find anywhere else on the planet. His competitors? He doesn’t want to talk shit, but honestly? They kind of suck.
Brand Voice: Inspiring, competent, relatable
“It’s Go Time”
The Mom
The mom is perfect.
She’s up at 5 am prepping carrots and celery sticks, hair coiffed, brows groomed. Her children, Kroyden and Tangerine, already show signs of being gifted. They wore 100% organic cotton matching pajama sets to open presents on Christmas morning.
The Mom listens to ALL the mental health podcasts, is big on Attachment Parenting, and is worried about BPA plastic and too much screen time. She started her blog to help America raise healthy, happy kids. And what’s wrong with saying the pledge of allegiance? Twice?
Brand Voice: Honest, practical, funny
“Life’s crazy. You don’t have to be.”
The Guru
Ever seen an aura, heard from your Higher Self, or travelled astrally? No? Well, the Guru will love you anyway.
Patient and ethereal, the Guru floats through life, supported by guardian angels, divine wisdom, and a little bit of THC on their way to building a metaphysical consulting practice.
It’s not about the money, though. Spirituality is a calling, not a job. If you ask why the yoga retreat in Cancun starts at $2k, the Guru will explain that such questions come from a scarcity mindset. Just sit with that feeling until it passes.
Brand Voice: Tranquil, inclusive, kooky
“I see spirit people.”
Meet Your Brand and Take It Out For Drinks
Bottom line: developing a brand voice comes down to making your business sound as human as you do. Every time you sit down to create content, stop and ask yourself: is this how your brand would say it?
Don’t ventriloquize. Help your brand find its authentic voice, and then let it speak for itself. It knows what to say.