Dialogue It Up! Crafting Your Brand Voice
May 21, 2024If all the world’s a stage, can we use theater principles in the business world?
Angela Santillo, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications at Augury, believes the answer is yes.
As a playwright and theater producer for nearly 20 years, Angela sees the world of acting and business communication as one and the same.
“In theater, you have an objective and something you want from the other person.”
Marketing communication works the same way.
In a recent episode of the Growth by Creativity podcast, we spoke with Angela Santillo about what it means to have a brand voice. She shows us how theater principles can inform brand development.
What is brand voice, and why is it important?
“Brand voice is the verbal personality of the company.”
To develop a brand voice, you need to first know who you are. Who do you serve? What do you provide? And how do you get it to them?
Brand voice specifically focuses on your language and tone.
When playwrights build characters in a play, they need to give them specific vocabularies, tones, and cadences to make them real.
Do the same for your brand.
Ask yourself the following questions:
If your brand were a person…
- How would they walk into a room?
- How would they dress?
- Who would they talk to and how?
- What would they share?
They need to feel real. Companies that excel in this understand their relationship to their audience and are authentic.
Fantastic examples include Wendy’s, which is snarky and funny; Nike, which is bold, direct, and all about achievement; and the National Park Service, which combines education and gorgeous photos with humor and sass.
All communicate with a consistent and targeted brand voice.
What are some ways to brainstorm brand voice?
- Start off with a conversation about what the company is
- Craft 5 real customer profiles
- Ask yourself: What is your relationship with customers?
- Pick 5 images that represent who you are
- Pick 5 music tracks that represent who you are
Make sure there is no disconnect between how you perceive yourself and how your customers perceive you.
"You have to look for where the fracture is happening."
When should I develop my brand voice?
Do it right away! As soon as you know the change you want to make in the world through your product, that’s when you start.
“Humans are wired for story.”
Revisit your brand voice only when a genuine change needs has occurred in your company.
For example, Angela’s company, Augury, updated its mission and vision last year to reflect its expanded portfolio, and this required a brand voice and guidelines refresh.
Can AI help in the process of branding?
"The thing with brand voice is it's about humans communicating to humans, and I think the sincerity of that and the creative expression of that is not something AI can really do."
You can use AI to check that your writing is conforming to your brand guidelines (use this word, don’t use that word), but it can never replace the human element. Being human in technical writing, where the subject matter can be confusing, is especially important.
Humans know emotion, humans know connection. You need to make sure you’re connecting heart-to-heart with your customers.
Summary
Branding is all about understanding who you are and connecting. Be real, talk authentically, and show your customer how you’re the right solution to help solve their problem.
Listen to our full podcast with Angela for additional insights, and connect with Angela on her LinkedIn!
