Determining a brand’s own tone of voice: how should you do it?

Writing for a B2B market requires a different approach than a B2C market. The specific industry also influences this choice.
Step 2: Who is your target audience? Are you writing for homemakers or for executives in industrial companies? Determine which segment of your target audience makes the purchasing decisions.
Step 3: What are the visual elements of your brand identity? Which colors and fonts do you use, and what feelings do these evoke in your audience?
Step 4: What is the purpose of your communication? Are you writing to inform, persuade, or entertain? There are countless variations within these categories.

Of course, you should allow for some variation within your tone of voice. You might communicate in more detail on your website than on your Facebook page. Or your brand might target both teenagers and parents, requiring you to adjust the tone slightly in some cases. However, the core of your tone of voice should remain consistent. You speak from the same convictions and write based on the attributes that align with the rest of your brand identity.

Keep it simple, to-the-point, and honest. Don’t base your tone of voice on characteristics your brand doesn’t possess. For example, don’t write complex and highly technical blogs if your target audience is a customer support team with limited technical knowledge. Creating false expectations that you can’t fulfill is not “authentic.”

Examples of Tone of Voice from Well-Known Brands

There are countless examples of prominent brands with a recognizable and strong tone of voice. Here are a few brief examples:

Gillette
One of the companies that has its tone of voice exceptionally well-established is the razor giant Gillette. Gillette is known for its technologically advanced shaving products, targeting men. The company’s tone of voice is highly confident. Gillette seems to have no need for arguments to prove that they are the best. Like a great leader, the brand addresses its audience. The most recognizable example of this is the advertisements featuring champions like Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, and Thierry Henry. With this, the brand associates itself and its customers with champions. After all, Gillette is “The best a man can get.”

Mailchimp

Another example of a company with the right tone of voice is Mailchimp. The company even has a whole page about it in their style guide. Mailchimp is friendly and straightforward. Mailchimp is confident but not arrogant. Informal but not sloppy. Funny but not childish. Take a look at their social media channels, and you’ll see informative yet approachable messages combined with humorous images and, of course, Mailchimp’s mascot, Freddie. The website is clear and focused on solutions for the customer. The tone? Informal and approachable but with a clear space for their expertise.

Tony Chocolonely

The third example of a company with the right tone of voice is Tony’s Chocolonely. They target the B2C market and distinguish themselves with their colorful packaging, playful font, and logo. Their communication can also be described as playful. On their website, they use short informal texts like ‘ze zijn er weer’ (they’re back) and ‘maak ‘m lekker zelf’ (make it delicious yourself). To complete the friendly and relaxed atmosphere, they don’t use capital letters in the texts on their website.

Implementing Tone of Voice in Communication

Have you mapped out the steps mentioned earlier? Then you’ve laid the foundation for a successful way of communicating. One of the first and often crucial decisions is whether to use ‘u’ (formal ‘you’) or ‘jij’ (informal ‘you’) in your communication. Do you want to be on equal footing with the customer, or do you prefer a more formal, authoritative tone? And that’s just the first example of all the basic considerations you need to make for a clear tone of voice. Choose what best fits your brand identity and positioning, and ensure consistency in all your communication efforts. A recognizable tone and style make people feel comfortable with your content, making it easier for them to read, share, and understand.

The tone is what gives your content personality and sets it apart. It can transform even the most boring production process into a technological marvel. Utilize the possibilities of language; the psychological effect of this is just as important in the long term as that of color, shape, and imagery.