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Brand Guideline
Voice and Tone
How the brand sounds across all written communications — consistent personality, adaptive tone.
Platform: bothTags: voice, tone, writing, brand, copy
The Rule
Voice is constant across all channels; tone adapts to context. Define voice with 3–5 behavioral adjectives (not aspirational ones). For each, write what it means in practice and what it explicitly is not.
Rationale
Inconsistent voice makes a brand feel like multiple different companies. A defined voice ensures any team member writing UI copy, emails, or social posts sounds recognizably like the same brand.
Specifications
voice Definition3–5 adjectives that describe the brand's consistent personality
tone VariantsHow voice adapts: supportive (errors), enthusiastic (wins), precise (instructions), warm (onboarding)
anti ExamplesFor each voice adjective, document what it is NOT — prevents over-interpretation
application ChannelsUI microcopy, email, marketing, support, documentation — each may have tone variants
Examples
- Direct but not blunt — "Your password is incorrect" not "Wrong password"
- Helpful but not sycophantic — "Here's how" not "Great question!"
- Precise but not technical — "2 items in cart" not "2 CartLineItem entities queued"