Do brands really understand the importance of finding their own unique voice? Online marketing specialists, Brandlective, investigate whether todays brands have lost their identity and offer advice to help them rediscover their marketing voice.

When it comes to communication, people have grown lazy. Our readiness to communicate in depth and openly has diminished over time with the introduction of social media and instant messaging. This superficial, to the point communication is also becoming prevalent among brands – especially for those experiencing unprecedented growth, developing a unique way of speaking to their audience is slowly moving down their list of priorities.

However, Brandlective Communications are warning that to stand out in a competitive market taking the time to define a strong and consistent marketing voice is vital.

Tone of voice encompasses not only the words a brand chooses, but their order, rhythm and pace. This tone should be consistent across all written copy; making the brand instantly recognisable. Brandlective Communications believe there are a plethora of reasons why a well-developed marketing voice is beneficial in business. First and foremost, it paints a picture of the people behind the brand which is integral to building strong emotional connections to an audience. A brand is not a product, it’s the people and its success depends on the ability to communicate the values that lie at its core. Consumers want to know what drives the people behind the brand, what they stand for and how they live their lives. An effective marketing voice should promote desirable lifestyle choices, not just material things.

This isn’t to say that a brand’s tone of voice shouldn’t inspire people to buy products, quite the opposite. The narrative established from a defined tone of voice is an incredibly effective persuasion tool. Often, the way someone says something creates a stronger emotional response than the underlying statement. By recognising people’s sensitivity to language brands can mould their marketing messages to generate specific emotional responses.

Brandlective Communications understand it can be difficult to know where to start when shaping a brand voice. The firm state that a marketing voice needs to be a timeless entity, steering clear of fleeting trends and idioms that may date further down the line. Brands need to consider what they want their legacy to be and what it is they want to tell the world.

Reignite your purpose

Unsurprisingly, profit is a major driving force for brands, but rarely is a business created for profit alone. All businesses start off with a greater purpose, a desire for change and to add value to the world. Brands need to tap into the initial driving force behind their company and reignite their purpose, as these values with shape a consistent message and develop an honest and impactful brand voice.

Formality

Another area that brands constantly struggle with is the balance between informal and formal language. Whilst all brands want to appear approachable, using an informal voice can make certain brands seem unprofessional or out of touch. When communication is in writing, this balance is even more difficult to get right as people are unable to rely on body language or natural vocal behaviours to set the right tone. Only employing people who share the brands core values and understands its purpose is key to hitting the formality mark, Brandlective Communications suggest allowing them to write without restraint as the best course of action for finding an organic balance between a formal and informal voice.

Of course, even for brands that display an informal tone, there will be occasions when they need to pepper their marketing communications with more technical and professional language. Reading this type of content to a test group or someone with a limited knowledge of the business can iron out any confusing or alienating language that could be off putting to the audience.

Whether humorous, emotive or formal, Brandlective Communications believe the most important thing for a brand’s marketing voice to do is to tell a story. Having consistent themes and values running through all marketing content prevents chaotic information into a concise message that delivers strong emotional resonance that customers can relate to in a variety of ways.