How Tone of Voice Shapes Brand Perception

Words are powerful. A brand’s style of communication and tone of voice can influence consumers to form lasting impressions, take actions, and build a meaningful relationship with the brand over time.

Brands with a well-articulated tone of voice have the power to convince customers and attract them to the brand.

A brand’s tone of voice is defined as the way a brand speaks. It includes words, order, rhythm, and pace. The tone of voice creates a positive brand representation that drives consumers and clients to form a relationship with the brand, make purchase decisions, or choose to interact with the brand in a crowded marketplace.

We can trace persuasive speaking back to the Greeks who were known for their oratory skills and in particular Aristotle’s ‘Persuasion Triad’. The Greek philosopher determined how the art of persuasion comprises a combination of three appeals; logos - factual references, pathos - emotional aspect, and ethos - moral standing.

How can tone of voice differentiate a brand?

Humanizes the brand
A tone of voice is a part of a brand’s main strategy and expresses its personality and character, carefully curating the brand’s essence through its written communication, and more so, making the company humanistic.

Levels up your brand’s game
Consolidating the brand’s personality via the tone of voice allows the narrative to reach all customer touchpoints, helping to create a synergetic brand communications system that is unique, distinctive, and recognizable amidst its competition.

Builds brand trust
The tone of voice brings familiarity and trust into the brand’s use of language, from newspaper advertisements to social media captions, drawing consumers in through consistent messaging and tone so they relate to the brand’s true essence and gradually start to feel comfortable with the brand.

Makes the brand an influencer
Brands with a well-articulated tone of voice empower the brand to influence its consumer through words — messaging, tonality, and expression — so they are persuaded to think sustainably, ethically and consciously.

Unique Tone of Voice For Brands

Nestaway

A game-changer in India’s rental market, Nestaway celebrates the new consciousness of fast-evolving India. Keeping the tone of voice simple, direct, confident, and young, we developed a communication system that responded to the need to be open, inclusive, and flexible for the millennials and Gen Z renters across the country.

View the full project here.

PMNCH

A 1000+ members partnership, PMNCH actively advocates for the healthcare of women, children, and adolescents, embracing collaborative networks, cultures, and varied perspectives. The tone of voice for the brand stems from their advocacy-based approach to healthcare, empowerment, amplification, unity, diversity, and inclusivity. The word ‘for’ in the identity system allowed for different multiple manifestations such as Together for change, Networks for impact, United for health rights, and many more.

View the full project here.

VIP

Established luggage brand, VIP stands for reliability, heritage, authenticity, and adventure. The tone of voice for the lifestyle market leader is new-age, self-assured, and engaging. Coupled with the color palette, this tone is vibrant and appealing to their new clientele of younger millennials looking for a youthful yet timeless and premium quality travel experience.

View the full project here.

Tips to Develop Your Brand Tone of Voice

Here are some basic tips and guidelines to ensure that your tone of voice fits your brand and message and your consumer's needs and expectations.

Create a Tone of Voice Guide
Organizing the brand’s vocabulary and creating set guidelines about writing styles, grammar usage, syntax, and diction help create a tone of voice
that can be replicated easily by stakeholders - internal writers, external agencies, etc.

Maintain Consistency Across Mediums
Make sure that your brand’s tone of voice remains consistent throughout different consumer touchpoints. Maintaining this will help create continuity in the brand’s communication system across social media, blogs, printed collaterals and advertising, packaging, and merchandise.

Understand Your Industry’s Tone
A brand’s tone of voice is highly dependent on the product or service industry. Building a tone of voice aligned to the market segment is a constructive step towards creating an image that helps your brand
stand out from the competition. A strategic tone of voice will help your
brand communicate differently and gain reliability amongst your consumers and competitors.

Are you seeking a unique tone of voice for your brand? Reach out to our team of brand strategists and creative communicators at [email protected].

Written by Antara Dey
Edited by Sujatha Shankar Kumar
Illustration by Era Namjoshi
Images by Lopez Design Team
Layout by Ajay Sharma

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