Brand Voice Framework

Voice vs. Tone

Voice = Brand's personality (consistent) Tone = How voice adapts to context (variable)

Example: A friendly brand (voice) might be celebratory in a win announcement but empathetic in a support response (tone).

Voice Dimensions

Tone Spectrum

Formal ←――――――――――――――→ Casual
[Legal docs]     [Social media]

Language Spectrum

Simple ←――――――――――――――→ Complex
[Consumer]       [Technical B2B]

Character Spectrum

Serious ←――――――――――――――→ Playful
[Finance]        [Entertainment]

Emotion Spectrum

Reserved ←――――――――――――――→ Expressive
[Corporate]      [Lifestyle brand]

Voice Development Process

Step 1: Define Personality Traits

Choose 3-5 traits that describe your brand:

Confident, not arrogant
Friendly, not unprofessional
Knowledgeable, not condescending
Innovative, not gimmicky
Authentic, not casual

Step 2: Create Voice Chart

Trait	Description	Do	Don't
[Trait]	[Meaning]	[Example]	[Example]

Step 3: Context Adaptation

Context	Tone Shift	Example
Social media	More casual	"Hey there!"
Support	More empathetic	"We understand..."
Legal	More formal	"In accordance with..."
Sales	More confident	"You'll see results..."

Voice Testing

Ask these questions:

Does this sound like our brand?
Would a competitor say this?
Does it resonate with our audience?
Is it consistent with our values?

Voice Guide Template

markdown

## [Brand] Voice Guide

### We Are
- [Trait 1]: [Description]
- [Trait 2]: [Description]
- [Trait 3]: [Description]

### We Sound Like
[Example phrases]

### We Don't Sound Like
[Anti-examples]

### Sample Rewrites
Before: [Generic copy]
After: [Branded copy]