Imagine a scene of red trucks with bright lights driving through a snowy forest. What comes to your mind? How about a slogan that says “Just do it”? These are examples of powerful brands that have a strong visual and verbal identity. People around the world can recognize them without even seeing their names. One of the key factors that makes this possible is the tone of voice. In this article, we will explore the role of tone of voice in marketing and how to find your own.
What is Tone of Voice?
Behind every successful brand, there are five essential elements that form its foundation:
core idea that defines its identity;
purpose that goes beyond making money;
set of principles that guide its actions;
distinctive personality that sets it apart from its rivals;
brand voice that expresses its character through words, images and videos.
Tone of voice is the way a business communicates with its audience. It influences how customers perceive and relate to a product. It is present in all forms of communication, such as:
social media posts and comments;
email newsletters and messages;
video clips and ads on various platforms;
slogans and headlines;
news stories and press releases;
internal corporate culture and communication;
customer service scripts and responses.
Tone of voice in marketing is a set of rules and guidelines for creating and maintaining a consistent brand voice. It helps to convey brand values and personality to customers through different channels. Without a clear tone of voice, a business will struggle to stand out in a crowded market of similar products.
When customers see or hear the brand voice, they instantly get the message – this company supports body positivity or follows conventional beauty standards, promotes a healthy lifestyle or encourages living in the moment, cares about the future or focuses on the present. No matter how appealing a product is, if the voice sounds unauthentic or contradicts the customers’ beliefs, they will not buy it. So think about how you “sound”, maybe your brand lacks a voice or has the wrong tone of voice.
Using Tone of Voice in Marketing
A brand that speaks the same language as its customers can build a trustful and lasting relationship. A company’s tone of voice can do the following:
Create a signature and make an impression. It is ideal to have a tone of voice when entering the market and keep it consistent throughout the company’s life. The reader will not recognize you if you joke with them as a friend on social media, but address them as “Dear User” in the newsletter.
Project the image of the company. For example, the image of Mercedes is a man in his 30s, a successful businessman who likes order and comfort. The tone of voice reflects this through videos, photos and posts on social media.
Establish an emotional connection with the target audience, increase their loyalty and expand the market. If a customer likes what your brand stands for and agrees with your message, they will not look for another product. BMW fans are unlikely to ever buy a Hyundai. No matter how better the latter is in quality or how costly it is to service the German brand, aficionados will not abandon their favourite brand.
Stand out from the competition. Red Bull entered the energy drink market with unconventional advertising and became instantly recognizable. Viewers remembered the catchy slogan: “Red Bull gives you wings.” While competitors, Burn and Adrenaline Rush, showed the same type of ads with parties and races, Red Bull drew comic strips.
“Red Bull gives you wings” cartoon commercial with witches
A well-developed tone of voice will help to retain the attention of users and increase sales. It is important that the tone is consistent across all departments of the company, so that a unified image is created for the customer. If the company develops apps for the phone and targets the youth audience, there should be a friendly atmosphere within the team, young and active guys in the customer support department and informal communication on social media. The user notices every little detail, even the company’s dress code speaks volumes.
❗️❗️❗️Don’t miss:
Types of Tone of Voice
Every global brand has a clear way of interacting with its customers. Tone of voice should be customised and suited to the niche. For instance, selling drinks with a formal tone or marketing luxury goods with a cheeky tone would be inappropriate.
There are several types of tone of voice that can be distinguished:
Official. This is the language of large corporations. It relies on brevity, precision and facts. Examples of this category are Microsoft, Google, Apple, etc.
Educational or expert. The company provides advice, shares interesting facts and helps to avoid mistakes. This is suitable for online schools and educational apps.
Friendly. The business talks to the customer as a peer. It can offer advice, but not as an authority but as a friend. The style depends on the age of the audience. Casual respectful communication with humour is preferred.
Funny and witty. The company uses self-irony, sarcasm and metaphors, but does not turn humour into rudeness. This works well for brands that advertise everyday products – washing powder or food. For example, Old Spice has such a recognizable style that it does not need to write its name at the end of the ad. It is always bright and funny.
Bold. This is humour that often goes beyond wit and balances on the edge of rudeness. Let’s take Fridababy as an example. This brand sells baby and pregnancy-related products, but with a twist. It uses direct and dark humour to promote the reality of parenting and pregnancy, rather than the idealised version. It uses clear and concise language, positive and encouraging words and relevant examples and stories to create a tone that is informative, inspiring and supportive.
Restrained. There are companies that do not need many words. Their style is laconic and recognized by details – colour, lines, music, ambassadors. An example of such positioning is Versace. Gold in advertising, models with unusual looks, luxury in every shot are the signature of the world brand.
Deciding to communicate with your customers as friends is not enough. A friendly tone of voice alone will not make your business stand out. To do so, you need to be different from your competitors and come up with your own “thing”. So let’s talk about how to find your voice.
How to Define Your Brand Voice
You have been in the market for a while, but never heard of brand voice or just didn’t think about developing your own? Don’t worry, we are here to help you!
In 2016, Nielsen Norman Group conducted a study on how tone of voice affects brand perception. The consulting firm identified four tone parameters:
funny or serious;
informal or formal;
defiant or respectful;
enthusiastic or dry.
You need to choose a position for each parameter on a coordinate system. For example, like this:
If you choose a neutral position, your tone will be somewhere in the middle, for instance, between defiant and respectful. Funny and informal means that you can joke with the customer and communicate like a friend, closing the gap. Enthusiastic involves vivid descriptions of the product with an emphasis on emotion. For example, instead of: “In our medical center you can take 34 tests and get results in 24 hours,” you could say: “We care about every client. Your health and happiness are our priority.”
This framework can apply to any business. Try to find your spot on the scale. It will depend on your niche. If you are a large developer, you probably don’t want to joke with clients who have invested thousands of dollars in your building. And if you develop computer games, there is no need for serious formal conversations.
Step-by-Step Guide to Develop Your Tone of Voice
Developing tone of voice has no rules: you can adopt any style, make jokes, create memes, show behind the scenes, use sarcasm and reply to comments cheekily. The main thing is that it matches your target audience and does not imitate your competitors. Those who buy Rafaello sweets will not enjoy the humour of Snickers.
Finding your brand voice involves several steps.
Step 1. Define your company’s values and mission. To spread your idea to the masses, you need to articulate it for yourself first. Nike’s goal is to inspire everyone with sports. They say: “If you have a body, you are an athlete.” This idea is consistent across all communication channels.
Step 2. Figure out who your target audience is. Study your customer’s profile: their age, lifestyle, hobbies, preferences and aspirations. You need to understand their values and then choose your “tone of voice.” If your audience is aged 40-50, you don’t need to have a daring dialogue with them. In this case, formal communication is more appropriate. Large stores selling beauty products always have a respectful tone, since they target an adult paying audience.
Step 3. Describe your company’s personality as if it were a person. Imagine what your brand looks like: is it a man or a woman, how old is it, what is its character, habits, where does it spend its free evenings? Once you find a persona, it will shape the voice that you use to speak to your customers. For example, the face of a luxury perfume brand is an adult, self-sufficient woman of 35-40 years old. She is feminine, but strict, since she had to pursue her dream and overcome many challenges. She loves minimalism in clothes, bright accessories and long-lasting perfumes. You can find her in expensive restaurants or at exhibitions.
Step 4. The last step is choosing your tone of voice. Once you have learned everything about yourself and your customer, it’s time to decide how to communicate with them. To do this, use the Nielsen Norman Group methodology that we mentioned above.
To ensure that your brand voice is conveyed by all employees of your company, you need to align it. Discuss with your managers, marketers and PR specialists what to say and what not to say, what message to post on social media and what to show in advertising. Create a script so that your managers always have it handy.
How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Your Tone of Voice
There are no clear metrics that measure how authentic your tone of voice is. But by understanding your business well, you can use the following methods to evaluate it:
Brand recognition. If people recognize your logo and name, that’s a success. And if they also remember your slogan or associate your colours with your brand, that means you have achieved your mission.
Social media engagement. If people mention you more often on social media, take pictures with your product, ask questions, write comments, that’s a good sign. For example, if your post or ad goes viral and people are talking about it on Twitter. To track this, you can use tools like Google Alerts or Mention.com.
Brand collaborations. If you start working with other brands, you will get more exposure and opportunities. You will also receive more offers to collaborate with others.
Maybe there will be people and companies who will try to “hype” your success, imitate you or mock you, but that’s still a sign of success. This happened, for example, to IHOP, the International House of Pancakes, who temporarily changed their name to IHOb, the International House of Burgers, in 2018.
The stunt was meant to promote their new line of burgers and attract more customers for lunch and dinner. The name change sparked a lot of jokes and memes on social media, as well as reactions from other fast-food chains. Some customers also expressed their disappointment and confusion over the change.
IHOP later revealed that the name change was a prank and reverted back to its original name, but claimed that the campaign was successful in boosting its burger sales.
Should You Change Your Tone of Voice?
When a business sticks to a single style and conveys a consistent idea, people feel like they are talking to the same person. Sudden changes in tone can be jarring for customers. You will lose your identity if you switch from “Dear Customers” to “Hi Guys.” Of course, not every tone of voice development is successful and sometimes you need to reinvent yourself to stay in the game.
Here are some reasons why you might want to change your tone of voice:
The company is rebranding – changing its name, slogan, logo and text. Then you need to overhaul your social media, website and style as well.
The old tone of voice stopped working. A new competitor entered the market and snatched your audience, your reach is dropping and your sales are declining. Maybe the old techniques are outdated and you need a fresh start, but changing your voice is not a magic bullet. Maybe the problem lies elsewhere – your product is obsolete or the idea you supported before no longer resonates.
Your business values have changed – the world is changing and the social agenda matters. Previously, BMW and Mercedes ads featured only men, but now you can see successful women on their blog.
Another example is Calvin Klein who had models that fit all beauty standards until 2018.
Deep Euphoria commercial by Calvin Klein
Then they introduced “plus size” girls on their covers and their ratings skyrocketed. Although the fashion house has many haters, they now promote a healthy attitude towards the body, which broadens their audience.
“What do you say to uplift yourself?” commercial by Calvin Klein with Francesca Scorsese
You can rewrite your brand’s tone of voice, but you need to rethink your company’s policy: come up with a new way of communication, the style of publications and advertising. Your team must learn to work with the new message. When you change everything, be prepared that the customer will have two options – adapt and embrace the new or leave.
Common Mistakes When Creating Tone of Voice
Now that you know how to develop a tone of voice, let’s talk about some pitfalls that can alienate your audience.
Here are the TOP 5 mistakes that can make your brand voice unheard:
Copying. When you borrow ideas from your competitors, it shows. You don’t need to follow their footsteps. The purpose of tone of voice in SMM is to differentiate your business from others.
A sudden change in tone. If your company’s mission and values have changed, you don’t need to introduce a new style overnight. Changes should be gradual, while keeping the basics.
Uniformity of responses. When you choose to communicate with your customers in a fun and humorous way, it doesn’t mean that you should joke all the time. Sometimes employees get carried away and respond with humour even when the customer needs serious advice.
Lack of rules for your tone of voice. To make sure that all your staff understand the direction your business is heading, you should create a short guide. It should include a portrait of your target audience, the values and mission of your brand, a response script, examples of posts on social media that fit your style and those that don’t.
Inconsistency between your brand voice and your internal corporate culture. When you project positivity, you should have the same atmosphere in your team. If there are tense relationships, scandals and a strict system of fines in your office, your employees will not be able to share happiness and joy. If you are in a luxury niche, everyone should follow a dress code.
Developing a tone of voice for your company is a complex task that requires constant monitoring. It is better to assign a person who will oversee your social media, blog, advertising and determine how well they match your style.
Top 10 Best Examples of Tone of Voice
Tone of voice in BMW and Red Bull marketing campaigns shows how brands can communicate with their customers in various ways. Here are some more examples of different tones of voice:
Oreo
It is a cookie brand that has a distinctive voice on social media. Oreo’s voice is playful, clever and engaging. It often uses life hacks and stories to advertise its product, such as showing how to make Oreo ice cream or celebrating Oreo’s birthday. Oreo also interacts with its fans and other brands, creating a friendly and fun community.
Dove
Dove promotes the idea of inner beauty and a healthy attitude towards your body. Their campaigns inspire people to accept themselves as they are. Their powerful message resonates with millions of customers who share their values.
ING
This is a bank that uses a friendly, simple and optimistic tone of voice. It speaks to its customers as partners, not as numbers. It uses everyday language, avoids jargon and explains things clearly. It also shows enthusiasm and confidence in its products and services. For instance, their “Do Your Thing” campaign was about encouraging people to do more of the things that move them, whether in their personal or professional lives. This slogan was used as a global tagline consistently across all communication channels. The campaign featured stories of people and companies that were “doing their thing” in different sectors and regions, such as sports, education, hobbies (and the list goes on) with ING’s easy, smart and personal banking solutions.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s is a fast-food chain that is known for its witty and sassy tone of voice on social media. It often mocks its competitors, especially McDonald’s, with clever comebacks and roasts. For example, when McDonald’s announced that they would use fresh beef in some of their burgers, Wendy’s questioned why they would still use frozen beef in most of their burgers in all of their restaurants.
Harley Davidson
The company is not wordy with its audience. It uses visuals, videos and short phrases to express the desire for freedom, speed and travel. The ads show long roads, professional equipment and a simple phrase – “Just go”. Product descriptions on the site are brief, but appeal to the emotions of the buyer, for example: “Unlock the racer within” or “Get ready to ride.”
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola spreads positivity and friendliness to the world and its signature is red trucks, mittens, a scarf and snow. The company has a wide target audience: it has made the soft drink a symbol of both the hot summer and the festive winter. Its tone of voice is consistent across all channels – it shows happy relationships and strong family ties that Coca-Cola always accompanies.
Merci
Merci positions its chocolate as a way of expressing gratitude. In its ads, it uses techniques that evoke compassion and sympathy. For some people, empathy is more powerful than humour. That’s why the brand stands out among its competitors.
Duolingo
The company has a wide target audience, since both children and adults use its app to learn foreign languages. It’s hard to tell who Duolingo is on social media, but the brand definitely has its own style and its bird symbol has personality.
It interacts with users in a humorous way and always catches up with the latest trends to create a funny post.
Hyundai
Hyundai sticks to its traditions and showcases Korean culture. It uses an educational style. In its posts, it talks about its old and new cars and displays the authenticity of the Asian world.
Skittles
Skittles communicates with humour and sometimes cheekiness. It actively uses irony and sarcasm in its posts. Its ads are always funny and memorable.
Do you also remember the giraffe that has Skittles instead of milk? This ad came out 13 years ago and the brand still keeps the same tone of voice.
You may find something suitable for your company in these examples. The main thing to remember is that your voice is not the only factor for your success. Thanks to your tone of voice, you can convey your mission to your customers.
Conclusion
A well-designed tone of voice will highlight the brand’s authenticity and uniqueness. It will make the product stand out without mentioning its name. To achieve this, the tone should match the company’s DNA and communicate its main idea through text, visuals and advertising. Remember that tone of voice and its message are a powerful weapon in the hands of a marketer that can strengthen the bond with the customer and widen the scope of influence.
