So you started thinking about defining your tone of voice.
Understanding the brand tone of voice types and how they differ is a great starting point to get insights about your own brand voice.
In this article your will learn about
- Friendly and Easy-going tone of voice
- Empathetic tone of voice
- Super confident and authoritative tone of voice
- Vivid and unconventional tone of voice
- Specialist tone of voice
- Polite and dignified tone of voice
- Self-confident and slightly formal tone of voice
- Humorous and witty tone of voice
- Nostalgic tone of voice
- Tone of voice differences for channels — social media and long-format articles
Where to Start?
If you’re only in the beginning of your journey with your brand voice and are a bit lost — stop. Developing your brand voice is a never-ending story, so it shouldn’t be perceived as something to be set in stone.
Honing your brand voice can start with just one rule. These can be words you never use or, on contrary, would like to always include.
This can be a style guide with some consistency rules like
- Control am/pm Consistency
- Usage of Percentage Sign
- Consistent Word Capitalisation
- Hyphenation Consistency
- Quote Consistency
Or you can start with figuring out the level of formality or friendliness in tone for your brand.
Choice is yours. With some patience and experimentation you will be able to get to the rules that will frame and define your brand voice. That you will be able to automate afterwards.
Friendly and Easy Going Tone of Voice
This is a tone with low formality level, using casual and approachable language. It is best suited for consumer brands with wide appeal.
Informal, bouncy, easy to read and understand — such brands speak in a friendly tone, quickly building trustworthy and warm relationships.
While not every brand needs being so prominently easy-going, it’s important to understand science behind the friendliness in tone.
Example: Mailchimp
Mailchimp’s tone is described as fun but functional, familiar, and warm. Their brand book specifies how to write content:
- Casual: Use contractions and everyday language to create an approachable feel.
- Jargon-free: Avoid technical terms unless absolutely necessary, and when used, explain them simply.
- Encouraging: Use empowering language, encouraging users to feel confident in what they are doing with Mailchimp.
Friendly tone of voice — calibration
Level of Seriousness: High on fun, light-hearted. Level of Respectfulness: Respectful but informal. Level of Enthusiasm (vs Matter of Fact): Highly enthusiastic, engaging.
This tone of voice uses simple, everyday language, incorporating humor and light-heartedness. Experiement, checking the compatibility of your texts with this tone, using Writitude’s free Basic account.
Highly Empathic Tone of Voice
It is best suited for customer support texts, apologies, layoff and crisis management communication.
Empaty First brand voice (as we named it in Writitude) puts emphasis on acknowledging feelings, building trust, creating and maintaining relationships.
Example — Dove
Dove’s tone of Voice is not only empathetic, but also empowering and real. It focuses on authenticity, self-esteem, and natural beauty.
Their tone is compassionate and nurturing, aiming to foster a positive relationship with their audience by promoting self-acceptance and diversity in beauty — “Every woman deserves to feel beautiful. We believe beauty is for everyone.”
Calibration of Empathy First
- Formality Level: Moderate; respectful yet approachable.
- **Level of Seriousness **: Balanced; serious but warm.
- Level of Respectfulness: High; considerate and understanding.
- Level of Enthusiasm: Warm and supportive.
This tone is used a lot by cosmetics and beauty brands. It puts emphasis on understanding and compassion, using supportive and reassuring language. Customer’s well-being and care is in the centre of communication for such brands.
The Tone for Best of the Best
This tone with no shaddow of a self-doubt is best suited for established brands, leaders of their respective industries. It sounds very confident, assertive, dynamic and intense.
Example — Mercedes-Benz
This iconic automobile brand’s tone of Voice can be described as luxurious, sophisticated and confident. Mercedes-Benz communicates with a tone of understated elegance and refined superiority.
It reflects the brand's premium status, focusing on craftsmanship, innovation, and timeless quality. They say — “The best or nothing.”
Calibrating the Best of the Best
- Formality Level: High; professional and authoritative.
- Level of Seriousness: Highly serious; no-nonsense.
- Level of Respectfulness: High; respectful and dignified.
- Level of Enthusiasm: Matter of fact, confident.
This tone uses sophisticated and polished language. It emphasases quality and excellence. In general, it is a confident and authoritative tone.
Unconventional Tone of Voice
Vivid and unconventional tone is best suited for fashion and niche brands, disruptive startups. But also any product that simply stands out.
This tone is non-conservative and intense. Using imaginative and playful language, it avoids cliches and aims at creating a vivid and lasting impression.
Example — Hermes
Every brand will do their unconventional their way. Whether through wit, irreverence, or unexpected storytelling, developing own kind of uniqueness in brand voice is a precise work on consistent and highly creative copy.
Brand voice of Hermès is refined,elegant and timeless. The brand embodies French luxury with a tone that is sophisticated, classic, and yet almost poetic.
They speak with minimalism, letting the exclusivity of their craftsmanship and heritage shine through the subtlety of their storytelling.
All you need is a dream and an encounter… _… for a creation to come alive. It could be a childhood dream, a crazy dream, or a dream of recreating a lost object. Hermès’ artistic directors, artisans, designers and engineers are here to listen, discuss, and bring dreams to life. Little by little each dream takes shape, becomes a sketch, a blueprint, a mock-up. The teams select exceptional materials, refine the design, and develop a prototype. Then the time comes to make it real. This is how each Hermès bespoke object is created.
They even made a canoe speak, as if superior craftsmanship would bestow a soul on an object.
Calibrating the Vivid and Unconventional tone
- Formality Level: Low to moderate; creative and unique.
- Level of Seriousness: Can be high on fun (if uniqueness is achieved on that department) or not, but the emphasis is on creativity.
- Level of Respectfulness: Respectful but unconventional.
- Level of Enthusiasm: Can be either highly enthusiastic or matter of fact, but the emphasis is on the imaginative.
This tone of voice uses bold and imaginative language, breaking traditional norms. It’s highly engaging and memorable.
Tone of Voice for Specialist Brands
Specialist Talk (that’s how we call this tone in Writitude) is used in cases when your audience is as knowledgeable as you are. Think of medical organisations, engineering companies and finance.
It allows long sentences and complex terms, while ensuring your text is actually readable.
Example — IBM
Professional, analytical and forward-thinking, IBM’s tone is precise, data-driven, and authoritative. It reflects its status as a leader in technology and innovation.
The brand focuses on solutions and future possibilities with a calm, confident tone that appeals to business and tech professionals. IBM is “building smarter solutions for a smarter planet”.
Calibrating the Specialist Talk
Formality Level: High; technical and precise.
**Level of Seriousness **: Serious; expert-driven.
Level of Respectfulness: High; respectful and informative.
Level of Enthusiasm (vs Matter of Fact): Matter of fact, informative.
This tone uses of industry-specific jargon without sounding incomprehensible. Brands using it create detailed and informative content, sounding authoritative and expert.
Polite and Dignified Tone of Voice
Best suited for embassies, government institutions this tone is conservative, very polite and considerate. It allows no informality and puts emphasis on demonstrating respect.
Example — Ritz-Carlton
Polished, elegant but warm, Ritz-Carlton’s tone is a perfect balance of luxury and hospitality.
It is gracious, sophisticated, and customer-centric, reflecting the brand’s commitment to exceptional service and unforgettable experiences, “creating memories that last a lifetime.”
Calibrating Polite and Dignified tone
- Formality Level: High; courteous and refined.
- Level of Seriousness: Balanced and serious.
- Level of Respectfulness: Extremely high; respectful and considerate.
- Level of Enthusiasm: Balanced; warm and dignified.
This tone uses courteous and refined language. It puts emphasis on customer respect and dignity.
Self-confident and Slightly Formal Tone of Voice
Best suited for banking, premium and luxury brands, as well as global companies, this tone is conservative, articulate and assertive. It allows only slight informality.
Example — BMW
Dynamic, confident and performance-driven, BMW's tone is bold and energetic. It is focusing on driving performance, innovation, and the thrill of the road.
The language it uses is aspirational but practical, reflecting BMW’s position as a high-performance luxury car brand — “Sheer driving pleasure.”
Calibrating the Self-confident and Slightly Formal tone
- Formality Level: Moderate to high; assertive and articulate.
- Level of Seriousness: Balanced — confident but approachable.
- Level of Respectfulness: High; respectful and authoritative.
- Level of Enthusiasm (vs Matter of Fact): Balanced; confident and engaging.
The brands speaking in the Self-confident and Slightly Formal tone uses articulate and assertive language. It is confident and slightly formal tone and balanced and engaging communication.
Nostalgic Tone
Nostalgic tone is a variety of a friendly tone that is aimed at creating a sense of happiness and togetherness.
It spreads positivity through celebrations and shared moments of joy.
Example — Levi’s
Levi’s uses a nostalgic tone that evokes feelings of heritage, freedom, and the spirit of American culture. Authentic and timeless, the tone uses the language that often reflects classic simplicity.
In this way Levi’s establishes strong connection to iconic, everyday wear — “Crafted with the same care since 1873.”
Calibrating nostalgic tone
- Formality Level: Moderate; warm and reminiscent.
- Level of Seriousness: Balanced; sentimental and engaging, can be with a hint of fun.
- Level of Respectfulness: High; respectful and warm.
- Level of Enthusiasm vs Matter of Fact: Warm and engaging.
Engaging and warm, the nostalgic tone of voice uses warm and reminiscent language. Its emphasis is on nostalgia and sentimentality.
Humorous and Witty Tone of Voice
This is a perfect choice for innovative startups and many B2C companies whose DNA and product allows for some fun.
Wit oftentimes captures attention and turns copy into memorable messages that start living a life on their own.
Humour makes a company appear more relatable. Smart, sometimes unexpected, use of clever twists, puns, or satirical comments that amuse capture attention and are memorable.
Such content often stick and make companies resonate with audience that appreciates a funny note.
Example — Dollar Shave Club
Bold, humorous and direct, Dollar Shave Club’s tone is cheeky, irreverent, and highly conversational.
It combines humor with direct, no-nonsense messaging, positioning itself as a challenger to more traditional, expensive grooming brands.
Calibrating humorous tone
- Formality Level: Low; playful and engaging.
- Level of Seriousness: High on fun and humor.
- Level of Respectfulness: Respectful but playful.
- Level of Enthusiasm: Highly enthusiastic and witty.
Humorous is a highly engaging and memorable tone. It reaches this effect through the use of playful and witty language.
Changes in Tone for Social Media And Long-read Blog Articles
No matter what tone path your brand will start walking, there are some changes you’ll need to apply when communicating in a certain channel.
For social media channels
In social media brands usually use lower formality level. They sound more conversational, approachable and engaging.
It’s important to stay respectful and considerate, while being enthusiastic and interactive.
As an example, look at how Netflix adopts a casual and engaging tone, often witty and lighthearted.
They communicate in a relatable way, using pop culture references and humor to connect with a wide audience while keeping it approachable and fun.
For long-form content
For such texts like blog articles, for example, companies often choose to communicate in a more formal tone. Although, there are also many examples when the tone is extremely conversational and informal.
The reason — it’s just easier to read it. The content needs to be informative and educational. Yet, it also has to be engaging.
Also, very often such content is being written transcribing the audio files from the latest blog or an interview with an expert or client.
Taking Hubsopt’s blog as an example, their tone is informative and helpful, but casual enough to be approachable.
The brand focuses on providing value with clear, actionable tips on marketing, sales, and business growth. To provide such value, the emphasis should be on thoroughness and depth.
Using Writitude Wizard to Set Up Your Brand Voice Guide
Yes, you can use Writitude’s Tone Wizard to go through the first important decisions that you need to make regarding you tone of voice. The tool will help you set up your custom tone of voice guide in just about five minutes.
And we hope that the above examples, covering a broad range of tones, and showing how different brands tailor their communication to their audience and positioning will help you make these decisions with more confidence.
Don’t forget to test your tone of voice. It’s always better to first add a small number of rules and then slowly add new ones.
