.jpg)
Tone-of-voice examples: Inspiring brand language from well-known brands
BlogpostsAccording to psychologist Robert Cialdini, speaking the same 'language' as your target audience builds trust. And that trust, in turn, leads to customer loyalty. And guess what? That’s the reason for returning visitors and brand ambassadors.
Applying your brand identity in how you speak to your audience is worth the investment.
But how do you create a unique tone of voice that perfectly fits your organisation? We’re here to help by sharing inspiring tone of voice examples!
Why is having a distinct tone of voice important?
Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s first look at why a strong tone of voice is necessary. Spoiler alert: a tone of voice is important for every brand. This is certainly evident from various tone-of-voice examples of successful companies.
Sell through trust
It all starts with the magical marketing word ‘connection’. Connecting with your target audience is what it’s all about. You can sell the same products as your competitor, but you have an edge if your language resonates more with your audience.
Connecting with your target audience is what it’s all about.
Connecting with your target audience is what it’s all about. It’s about the feeling of trust. You create trust with your audience by being recognisable, wrote psychologist Robert Cialdini in Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. So, you’d better speak the same ‘language’.
Let your team (spirit) speak
Sometimes people ignore it, but it’s not unimportant if you ask us: the tone of voice says something about the people behind the brand. And those people make the brand.
It’s precisely those who ensure that others want to work at your company. A strong tone of voice also makes a significant contribution to employer branding.
Engaging tone of voice examples
A tone of voice that has been carefully thought out. You can recognise it from a mile away. So, take a look at the following tone of voice examples and get inspired by your predecessors.
Coolblue: from humour to preferred brand
“Charging stations: just plug it in.” This and other statements are characteristic of Coolblue’s tone of voice. We dare to say that this brand didn’t necessarily become famous because of the products they sell, but more because of the way they communicate.
Many people have now seen a blue van parked outside with the text “Van. Correct.” And we know it’s spot on: Coolblue has quickly become a preferred brand for many consumers. Even though they’re not always the cheapest.
Tele2: bold and youthful
Tele2 distinguishes itself from other giants in the market (like BT and Vodafone) with a bold and youthful tone of voice. You often see influencers like Roxeanne Hazes in their videos on Instagram and Facebook.
Exclamation marks, capital letters, quirky hashtags, and emojis are all part of Tele2’s style. A bullseye for their target audience.
Exclamation marks, capital letters, quirky hashtags, and emojis are all part of Tele2’s style. A bullseye for their target audience.
Bol.com: playful and recognisable
Bol.com is known for its playful and recognisable tone of voice. Whether it’s advertisements, social media, or their website, the communication is always light-hearted and accessible. Think of slogans like “A solution for everything” and funny product descriptions that make the reader smile.
Innocent Drinks: friendly and approachable
Innocent Drinks has a friendly and approachable tone that perfectly aligns with its health and sustainability brand values. Their communication is often playful and personal, with lots of humour and wordplay. This makes their brand human and approachable.
How to create your own unique tone of voice
Now that you know why a unique tone of voice is important and have some examples in mind, let’s start defining your tone of voice!
Start with your values
A tone of voice is always inherent to your brand values. What do you want to convey? What do you find important? If you haven’t established this before: now is the time!
How do you want to be known to the public?
How do you want to be known to the public? Ask yourself questions like: what are the business goals? Who is the target audience? How do you want to be known to the public? From this, values will emerge that you use to determine your tone. For example, inclusive, focused on sustainable business, and powerful.
Determine an architecture
Architecture in your tone of voice? Absolutely. On each platform, you address a different audience. It’s up to you to apply your tone of voice recognisably everywhere. However, bring nuance so your communication style suits each platform. You do this with an architecture.
List 50 to 100 adjectives that fit your industry. Then divide them into three groups: who your company is, who your company wants to be, and who you are not.
Your focus is on the second group. Add these words to your content strategy. For each channel, note the appropriate words. Finding it difficult to come up with words? Then, you can always look at the dimensions of a tone of voice. Choose a few words from each type that describe your tone of voice:
Make it practical
What is needed for a tone of voice? Exactly. Consistency. Different employees use your tone of voice. Therefore, write a document in which you establish it.
Establish your tone of voice in a document.
Establish your tone of voice in a document. Also, be sure to include examples of sentences you use and those you don’t. This way, every writer understands your expression style. Naturally, you share the document with the writers of your brand.
Develop your tone of voice with an experienced copywriter
Finding it difficult to determine how your brand personality should sound? CopyRobin has 552 copywriters ready to ask the right questions to write your tone of voice.
Tone of voice examples: now it’s your turn
Creating a unique and recognisable tone of voice is crucial for building trust and a strong connection with your audience.
By applying a consistent tone, communication style, language use, and speaking style, you strengthen your brand identity and increase the chances of returning visitors and brand ambassadors.
You can establish and maintain your tone of voice by following these steps:
-
Start with your values: Determine your brand values and ensure your tone of voice reflects them.
-
Determine an architecture: Ensure your tone of voice is recognisable across all platforms, but bring nuance to connect with different audiences.
-
Make it practical: Establish your tone of voice in a document so that everyone within your organisation communicates in the same way.
An experienced copywriter can help you develop and establish your unique tone of voice, ensuring your brand communicates consistently and authentically.