Crafting a Unique Brand Voice: Examples & Exercises

Your brand’s voice is how your business speaks, sounds, and connects with customers—across websites, social media, emails, and more. It shapes whether people see you as serious, friendly, edgy, or playful. In this post, we’ll cover why a unique brand voice matters and give you exercises to help you develop one that stands out.

What Is a Brand Voice?

A brand voice isn’t just about using certain words. It reflects your brand’s personality, values, and style. Consider popular brands like Innocent Drinks, known for being witty and laid-back, or Apple, which maintains a polished, minimalist style.

Why It Matters

1. Consistency Builds Trust

   • People are more likely to trust brands that maintain a cohesive tone.

2. Differentiation in a Noisy Market

   • A distinctive voice helps you rise above the chatter of competitors who might be saying the same things in generic ways.

3. Deeper Emotional Connection

   • A well-crafted voice can foster loyalty by resonating with the audience’s language and aspirations.

Four Key Components of Brand Voice

1. Tone

   • Formal or casual, playful or serious, authoritative or friendly.

2. Vocabulary

   • Specific words, phrases, and jargon you use—or deliberately avoid.

3. Pace & Structure

   • Short, punchy sentences vs. detailed, elaborate prose.

4. Emotional Appeal

   • Do you aim to be inspirational, humorous, empathetic, or motivational?

Exercises to Discover Your Brand Voice

1. Adjective Brainstorm

   • List 5 adjectives that describe your brand. (e.g., bold, sincere, adventurous, approachable, innovative)

   • For each adjective, write a short paragraph as if you’re speaking to a customer in that “voice.”

2. Narrative “Test Drive”

   • Imagine your brand as a person at a dinner party. How do they introduce themselves? What kind of stories do they share?

   • This helps you visualize your brand in real-world social scenarios.

3. Draft a Mission Statement in Multiple Tones

   • Take your brand’s mission and rewrite it with different levels of formality (casual, academic, corporate, etc.).

   • Compare which one feels most authentic to your brand.

4. Identify “Off-Brand” Language

   • Sometimes defining what you’re

     not

     is just as important.

   • List words, phrases, or tones you want to avoid (e.g., overly salesy, negative, dismissive).

Real-World Brand Voice Examples

• Mailchimp: Friendly, somewhat playful, and accessible to non-tech audiences.

• Harley-Davidson: Gritty, bold, and freedom-focused.

• TED Talks: Inspirational, educational, forward-thinking.

(Feel free to find an example that aligns with your industry, then analyze what makes their voice effective.)

Tips to Maintain Consistency

• Document It

  • Create a simple brand voice guide that outlines tone, dos and don’ts, and examples.

• Share with Your Team

  • Everyone from social media managers to customer support reps should be aware of the brand voice.

• Review & Evolve

  • Schedule periodic voice check-ins to see if it still aligns with your brand’s direction. Don’t be afraid to evolve as your market or offerings change.

Conclusion

Crafting a unique brand voice is an ongoing process of self-discovery, experimentation, and refinement. The key is to keep your brand’s core values and audience in mind at every step. With the right voice, you’ll stand out in the marketplace, connect deeply with customers, and nurture trust that lasts.