Brands that are totally killing it with voice, tone & style (and how you can, too)
There’s a reason certain brands are killing it in today’s ever-evolving market and economy: It’s their consistency.
Yes, it’s consistency in delivering new content their audiences expect, but more importantly, it’s consistency in their marketing voice, tone, and style.
Think about commercials and content you enjoy from brands today. Whether it’s the humor they use across their commercials or the way they make you, the customer, feel like the center of their universe, you likely find yourself paying attention to what they have to say, from the TV screen to social media posts. Here are a few of my favorites.
While you’re here, leave a comment about some of your own favorite brands and why you feel drawn to them — I love hearing about other brands that are killing it!
Cards Against Humanity — Stand-up comedy in a box
The royalty of snark and dark humor, the creators of Cards Against Humanity seem to draw fans from all over the country, if not the world. And their missions outside of selling their expansion packs include raising awareness on policial issues like voting registration (and poking fun at U.S. politics, too).
Their emails might be — no, I can say definitively that they are — my favorite thing to get in my inbox. Why? Because they’re short, punchy, and oh-so-standard CAH voice.
Check out this LOL-worthy email from the CAH team for their Dad Pack expansion.
I’m a big fan of weird humor. I grew up on Johnny Carson, Sam Kinison, and many other stand-up comics, thanks to my mother’s insomnia and my genetic predisposition to the same disorder. CAH fits my sense of humor to a T, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
And because of this consistent humor — no matter how dark and off-the-wall— I’m likely to buy their expansion packs, read their blogs, and invest my time in the emails they send. Why? Because I love this brand.
BarkBox — Speaking the four-legged love language
Full disclosure: I don’t have a dog. But I have many friends and colleagues who do and swear by everything BarkBox has to offer, including their customer service and marketing efforts. They also kill it when it comes to their style.
If you wanna see extra layers of their fun tone and voice, check out their monthly themes page and the cute, quirky, pun-loving names they have for their boxes.
Friends who’ve interacted with BarkBox love how they personalize their communication with customers, from on-the-phone to chatbots. How do they do this? Because the first step in getting signed up is not BarkBox asking for your name or email, but your dog’s name. This sets up the conversations to ask how Patches, Snowflake, Teddy, or George is doing and what he or she needs, before asking about you.
It’s a pet company, so why not start the conversation with the pet from the get-go?
What I also love about BarkBox, even as a non-dog owner, is how much they enjoy their community and shoppers. While yes, the human/feeder/master is the one who opens the box, it’s the furry ones who enjoy what’s inside. And they’re not afraid to share these photos on their website, their social media, and beyond. Dogs are their business, and if you love your four-legged friend as much as they do, you’re in good company.
Slack — Clarity is the moral of their story
When Slack released their new logo in January 2019, there were varying reactions across the social spectrum. And despite some criticisms, ribbing, and — ahem, different takes on the logo — Slack kept a good sense of humor about the whole thing. Just check out the Twitter responses from their announcement.
But my favorite part of their rebrand efforts was the blog post that was so succinctly transparent about what led them to the logo launch.
I love this approach. Instead of just changing the logo and saying “Hey! Look at us now!” they actually took the time to describe why they did it.
Making life easier for busy folks is Slack’s bread and butter, and their documentation — from their tour of the app to the content on their website — is proof of this. Slack’s API documentation even notes that if you stay “clear, concise, and human, you can’t go wrong.”
Even their release notes and customization options — places that are often stuck in development lingo — use the easy-to-understand voice of Slack that’s clear, approachable, and oh-so-friendly. Tiny microcopy that could be so easily overlooked gets the right TLC from the Slack team of writers and content strategists.
I absolutely love their start-up messages. Whether it’s a thank-you note or an inspirational quote, Slack never just leaves a clock or a loading icon by itself. They communicate every step of their journey with their ever-consistent tone and voice.
Fridababy — The practical answer to the unsexy side of parenthood
Just as I’m not a dog owner, I’m also not a parent. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a great brand voice when I see it. And that’s why Fridababy made this list.
This company is focused on providing practical solutions to parenthood’s sticky situations, from booger snuffers and butt creams to toothbrushes and “the gasspasser.” The names of the products are clear with what they do, and their mission is simple:
Throughout the Fridababy website, you’ll find examples of this relaxed, real, no-bullshit tone of voice with a slice of humor for good measure. It doesn’t talk down to parents, nor does it glorify them.
Even though I’m not a mother myself, I read this site and thought, “They don’t have time for any of this. Even the web designer has a hungry toddler on their knee and just wants to get on with their day.”
And isn’t that parenthood? I marvel at my friends with children — their ability to multi-task, check off their to-do list, all while keeping healthy, happy, growing children moving through the world with ease. They might not feel they’re doing it right, but I can tell they are. And it’s because of brands like this. This isn’t an Instagram filter on parenthood — this is the real deal.
Dollar Shave Club — Blunt, unlike their blades
Shaving isn’t a particularly luxurious process in our day-to-day life, despite the commercials of cleanly shaved legs or faces rolling around the sand on romantic beaches. Shaving is sometimes done in a rush, with a couple of cuts along the way. It can be a downright pain in the rear.
But Dollar Shave Club (DSC) doesn’t play into the luxury angle like the other companies might, but they also don’t flat-out admit that it can be a chore. Instead, the hang in reality: We know you have to shave, so why not make it convenient and comfortable?
Based on the commercial above, their blades are f***ing great. And toddlers can shave your head.
When humor is part of your brand — but not the focal — you can do a lot of good. Just check the comments on the commercial to see the appreciation from DSC members and admirers.
From a product standpoint, they describe the essence of what makes each thing unique, from their lotions and washes to their razors themselves. And when it comes to their lotions and washes, it’s not just a list of products. Check out this thorough, user-first page about their 2-in-1 face and body wash:
I really love their Twitter, too, which is a combination of polls (e.g. “Do you poop at work?” — inquiring minds want to know!) as well as charitable fundraisers and fun, seasonal facts. They also pack it with useful, shower- and bathroom-related information, such as:
Mailchimp — Be clear, good, and change the world
Mailchimp is one of the champions of consistent brand voice, much like Slack. In the marketing world, their role is to make sending emails easy-as-pie with no fuss. And to help their small-, medium-, and large-sized businesses accomplish that, they provide a voice and tone that’s clear and friendly, but professional.
“We write the same way we build apps: with a person-first perspective,” opens their Writing About People section of their content style guide. The page goes on to describe how to address age, disability, gender and sexuality, nationality and heritage, and more.
The takeaway: Don’t.
“Being aware of the impact of your language will help make Mailchimp a better place to work and a better steward of our values in the world,” it reads.
Their homepage feels like a one-on-one conversation. As I write this, the first banner reads, “Your business was born for this,” and lower on the page, “What you can do with Mailchimp,” and “You’ll be in good company,” which provides a list of big-time brands that use their service.
What’s so great about this? Their homepage talks to me. It doesn’t talk to “business owners” or “people who want more customers.” It talks directly to me and assures me they have the solutions I need.
The idea of you-focused language has been a drum that’s been beaten hard in the world of web content writing, but it still amazes me how few companies really embrace this approach to writing.
“Web users don’t read websites in groups,” I remember being taught early in my web career. And it’s true. You’re connecting with one other person, so why not make it feel personal — like you’re trying to build a real connection? You wouldn’t use third-person language while talking to a friend in a coffee shop, so don’t do it on the web, either.
Good on you, Mailchimp, for making every visitor feel like part of the Mailchimp team and striving to make the world a better place.
How to find your voice
Who you are must come from within. Yes, that sounds like a fortune cookie, but what it means is your organization has to start inside your walls with who you want to be and how you want to position your brand voice.
Here are some tips to help you identify your brand voice.
By maintaining your fundamental beliefs across content, advertising and social media posts, you create similar experiences. These recognizable actions help drive people through your marketing funnel. — Alex York, Sprout Social
Identify who you’re talking to
First thing’s first: Who’s your audience? What personas are you targeting? Are you trying to reach young, working mothers? Retired, restless men? Millennial professionals on-the-go? Knowing who you’re trying to reach will set the standard for your voice and tone.
Review the content you have today — all of it
Skip the mission statement. Look at your company’s tagline as a start, and think about how you talk to your customers on the phone or by mail. Look at the content on your website: How does it sound? Where are the inconsistencies? Once you find them, jot them down and brainstorm how to improve what you have with a more consistent voice, tone, and style.
Get everyone in the room and brainstorm
After you’ve reviewed existing collateral, ask your team members what they like or don’t like about the tone today. Does it feel stuffy and stiff? Does it use too much conversational humor that might be flying over the head of your target audience? Do we need to do more user testing to find out what resonates? (It’s OK to say ‘yes!’ to user testing!)
Try to define your brand voice in three words.
According to Content Marketing Institute, try to narrow down your voice style in three words. You can also try to use something more succinct, such as:
- Conversational, but not casual.
- Professional, but not patronizing.
- Educational, but not instructional.
- Quirky, but not bizarre
After you’ve talked about these, define — as a team — what these definitions mean in context to your brand. For example, “not patronizing” might come in play with the reading level. Educational might mean a more casual attempt to share knowledge, without sounding like a manual.
If you find common ground — like you want to be conversational but still professional, light humor (but in blogs and content marketing only), and have a reading level in mind to target all content for, great! You’re on the right track.
Start building your style guide
Your team has all agreed what your voice should be. Want to be conversational? Great. Write it down. Want to speak in second-person (“you” and “we”)? Good. Write it down. Hoping to aim your content at a 6th-grade reading level for simplicity? Excellent. Now what? You guessed it: Write it down.
Recording the direction of your organization or brand voice is part of putting together a comprehensive style guide that should be shared across the business. From content writers and website developers to customer service representatives or email marketers, the voice of your company should be consistent across every consumer interaction.
Revisit your style guide — often
As your brand messaging evolves or new competitors come into your market, it’s good to take a look at the chart and refresh it with new examples. — Erika Heald, Content Marketing Institute
As Erika Heald says above, you should keep an eye on your competition and trends in your marketplace. As your audience needs and priorities shift, so might your style guide, tone, and voice. What was once a playful, casual style might need to become more polished if you expand your reach into more professional spaces. Or, as you become more solidified in your business strategy, you may have opportunities to relax and connect on more one-to-one levels of conversational content.
And as always, keep your team involved with these changes. Don’t be afraid to dust off your old content and see how it stacks against changes in the industry. Where your content has room to grow, so does your team and how you work together.
