Developing a Unique Brand Voice
Being conversational and customer-centric is not enough for your brand voice. To stand out, you need a distinctive voice that defines your brand’s unique identity and builds a sense of authenticity with customers. Research has shown that 65 percent of consumers are more likely to shop with brands they feel are authentic.
The Importance of Authenticity
Authenticity is increasingly important in sales, and developing a unique brand voice is crucial in achieving this. However, getting there can be challenging. Your team may spend hours debating whether your brand is more like Beyoncé or Freddie Mercury. To overcome this, brand voice exercises can help channel creativity and develop a content strategy that hits all the right notes.
Brand Voice Exercises
Here are a few brand voice exercises to try at your next brainstorming session:
Choose a Celebrity Spokesperson
Think about which celebrity you’d pick to represent your brand. Have everyone on your team jot down three celebrity spokespeople they’d recommend for your brand. This exercise lets you lean into your brand’s identity or playfully subvert it. For example, if you’re Coca-Cola, you might suggest Tom Hanks, while Capital One might pick Martha Stewart.
Describe the Opposite of Your Brand
If you have an established strategy, it’s easy to get comfortable describing your brand voice with the same handful of adjectives. To combat this creative stall, have your team think about what your brand is not. For instance, Ikea is minimalist but not boring, while Patagonia is eco-conscious but not preachy.
Go to a Hypothetical Dinner Party
If your brand could come to life as a person at a dinner party, who would you be? Let’s try this one with airlines at a dinner party. Delta might be the dependable, well-traveled guest, while JetBlue makes everyone chuckle by sharing the latest memes.
Read Your Social Media Posts Out Loud
This exercise is often practiced by novelists and fiction writers. If a person who doesn’t work as a writer feels odd reading a character’s dialogue aloud, that tells the writer the copy may need work. Take turns reading tweets, LinkedIn posts, and Facebook updates out loud to see if your messaging sounds too robotic or if you’ve peppered in too many exclamation points.
Study Your Audience from Afar
Social media marketers are eager to talk to their audience and build a sense of community. However, simply reading—without commenting or interjecting—can be a helpful brand voice exercise. It teaches you what your customers actually sound like and gives you ideas for tailoring the way you communicate with them.
What You Say and How You Say It Matters
There’s no right way to do these brand voice exercises. However, you do have to decide how closely you want your brand to sound to your target demo. Some consumers might enjoy being addressed by brands who see them as equals, while many others follow brands in a more aspirational sense that warrants authority and professionalism.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Often Should I Do a Branding Exercise and Update My Brand Voice?
It’s a good practice to review and potentially update your brand voice annually or whenever significant changes occur in your market or business strategy.
What If My Team Has Conflicting Views on the Brand Voice?
If there are differing opinions, consider using a structured approach to decision-making, such as voting or consensus-building sessions. Clear guidelines and objectives can help align the team and focus on what best represents the brand’s goals.
How Do I Ensure That My Brand Voice Remains Consistent Across Different Platforms and Channels?
Consistency can be achieved by creating a detailed brand voice guide that outlines tone, style, and messaging rules for each platform. Regular training and audits will help maintain uniformity across all channels.
Conclusion
Developing a unique brand voice is crucial in today’s competitive market. By trying out these brand voice exercises and regularly reviewing and updating your brand voice, you can create a distinctive voice that resonates with your audience and sets you apart from the competition. Remember, what you say and how you say it matters, so take the time to get it right and make your brand voice shine.