The
importance of voice
Your brand is more than what you look like. It's what you sound like too, your "voice." Consider…
- Geek Squad takes voice to the edge, with a strong, unforgettable voice that you'll read on their site but also literally hear when you call their toll-free number.
- Motley Fool embraced a new way of speaking to people about investing--one that was empathetic and pedestrian--and people listened.
- Cirque de Soleil gets amazing response rates from their email marketing in part because emails are "sent" from a particular performer.
- TV and radio personalities cultivate their on-air personas through voice.
But for the most part, what I hear (i.e. read) are bland, generic voices that all kind of blend together and become part of the clutter.
Take email marketing, for example. Alaska Airlines promotes specials, but without the excitement I expect from someone offering me a discount on vacation travel. Target is always betting on the "good deal" appeal with their emails, but I haven't noticed any particular voice there. Nordstrom? Same. The message is always "be stylish" but lacks a distinct voice. Land's End on the other hand uses a unique, compelling and appropriate voice in their email marketing, one that's refreshing and enjoyable to read compared to the rest of the crowd.
All these companies have spent big bucks on branding, and they're heavily invested in making sure that brand is accurately represented visually. So why am I harping on voice? Because it's part of branding, and can help you be remarkable, stand out from the competition, and connect with your customers, even more than your logo and corporate colors can. When you have a voice, people can relate to your company. You seem more "real."
Tips
on voice
What is your company's voice? Determine it, then make it
part of your branding guidelines (that fancy schmancy document you got
from the design firm that tells you how to use your logo and corporate
colors).
Make sure that everyone throughout your organization knows what that voice is and uses it. To determine your voice then have Customer Service send out an email with a different tone is a problem. Ditto for your sales reps, tech support, resellers, etc. You make sure your logo is always accurately represented, right? Do the same for your voice.
Finally, remember that your company's voice can not be "made up." It must be an accurate reflection of what your company actually delivers. If your voice is wishful thinking or a falsehood, then you have brand issues, and need to rethink your whole strategy.
Think of your voice as your brand in words.
Until next month,
Sharon
