Some of the greatest companies have worked on developing a brand voice so recognizable that the name doesn’t even need to be present for visual or auditory brand identification. Take Starbucks, for example. The deep forest green with functional and expressive tones often leads to unconscious brand recognition of consumers and non-consumers alike. Or Nike — all of Nike’s brand and marketing collateral, including the Nike swoosh, is perfectly in sync with their brand voice. Developing a brand voice is essential as it creates consistency, speaks the language of your audience, and shapes your business’ persona.

How To Create a Brand Voice

What exactly is a brand voice? According to HubSpot, a brand voice is a personality your brand takes on in all communications. Brand voice is critical for creating consistency across communication channels and should reflect your company’s mission and core values. We have compiled the latest tips and best practices for developing a brand voice.

Determine Your Company’s Mission Statement

A well-crafted mission statement serves as a framework for setting your company apart from the competition and creating your position in the marketplace and in the consumer’s eye. The primary purpose of these statements is to tell others why the business exists and what makes it stand out from the rest. Some tips for creating a compelling brand mission or value statement include:

  • Think about your company’s core purposes
  • Keep it short, concise, and to the point
  • Think about your company’s goals long-term
  • Don’t make the statement limiting
  • Try applying your statement to a real-world scenario

On top of positioning yourself in the marketplace, your company’s mission statement can help bring your team together to reach a common goal and give you a competitive edge. 

Research Your Audience

Creating a killer brand voice calls for understanding your audience thoroughly. Knowing your intended audience’s likes, dislikes and how to reach them is essential to developing a brand voice. You can get to know your audience through many avenues. Some of the most accurate and efficient ways include:

  • Utilize Google Analytics
  • Create buyer personas
  • Keep an eye on competitors
  • Monitor audience feedback, comments, suggestions, and engagement
  • Experiment through different channels 

It may also be beneficial to determine your brand positioning using the 7 Ps, including product, price, place, promotion, people, processes, and physical evidence. 

Create A Brand Voice Chart

While developing a brand voice, it is always helpful to create a brand voice chart. To begin, gather samples of your content that best represent the voice you want to embody. Then, try describing your brand voice in three words. For example, a medical company may focus heavily on being knowledgeable, authentic, and reliable, whereas a fast-food chain may craft a family-friendly, customer-centric, and witty brand voice. 

Once this is complete, you may begin drafting the chart. The template we suggest is a 4×4 chart with the voice characteristics, a brief description, the do’s, and the don’ts. 

Enforce Consistency

Now that you have tips on developing a brand voice, it is essential to maintain that brand consistency across your marketing communications. Some things to consider are creating a color palette, maintaining font consistency, using appropriate images, setting copy guidelines, and considering the frequency of emails, social posts, and other marketing materials. Another way to enforce consistency after developing a brand voice is to use a marketing/ social media calendar to plan ahead. This may include coordinating multichannel campaigns or helping maintain an overview of everything the team is working on.


TargetMarket has tools to help you and your company develop a brand voice that reflects your mission and core values. We work with you on creating memorable content, recognizable personality, and gripping marketing collateral. Get in touch today to discuss how we can help you grow your business through our comprehensive marketing solutions.

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