Written by Olga Procevska, co-founder of Writitude
Great quality content isn’t just about polished grammar, catchy headlines, or consistent tone of voice — it’s about the environment in which it’s created.
This realization hit us hard after one of our most challenging client experiences.
We failed to improve their content quality.
But this failure taught us more than any success ever could about the deep connection between company culture and external outcomes.
In this blog you’ll find the most of it:
- What was the content quality problem we were invited to address?
- How we tried to solve it?
- What did we include in our tone of voice guide?
- How we approached employee training?
- How CEO’s style of leadership affected team confidence?
- What kind of culture can produce great content?
- What can you learn from us?
The Promise of Potential
When we first met this client, we were optimistic. Their wellness-oriented product was genuinely excellent — one of those rare offerings that practically sold itself.
Their communication team was dedicated and open to improvement, and they recognized the value of great quality content in telling their story.
Yet, their written material routinely fell short of the mark. It lacked cohesion, clarity, and the spark that makes audiences pay attention.
This wasn’t due to a lack of effort.
The team worked hard, often burning the midnight oil to meet deadlines. They just didn’t have the tools or direction to elevate their content to match the brilliance of their product.
Seeing their potential, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.
Building the Perfect Content Toolbox
We approached this project with everything we had. Our first step was to develop a comprehensive tone of voice guide tailored to their brand.
This wasn’t a cookie-cutter document filled with vague instructions like "be professional but fun."
It would be funny, though, because we have argued hard against this ambiguous approach.
No, it was practical, specific, and packed with examples that applied directly to their industry.
The guidelines we created for the client aimed to elevate their brand voice and solidify its premium positioning.
While their original content quality lacked cohesion and failed to convey their product's aspirational qualities, our guide offered a framework to ensure every piece of communication consistently reflected their elevated standards.
Here's a breakdown of the guide's key elements:
Establishing Core Messaging
The foundation of our approach was clarity around the brand's identity and its core messages.
We defined what the product stood for — its superior quality, unique design, and alignment with a premium lifestyle.
We framed the product not just as a functional item but as an integral part of a self-care routine, fostering emotional connections with its audience.
To achieve this, we introduced evocative slogans and multifaceted messages, such as highlighting its role in enhancing daily routines and promoting personal well-being.
Developing a Consistent Tone of Voice
To create a voice that resonated with premium segment, we built the guide around three pillars: strong aesthetic appeal, rock-solid confidence, and elegance with restraint.
The aesthetic pillar emphasized the sensory appeal of the product — its textures, design, and craftsmanship.
Confidence was about assertive, unapologetic messaging, never hedging or comparing to competitors.
Elegance encouraged minimalistic, warm, and refined language, steering clear of clichés and excessive enthusiasm.
Tailoring Communication to Channels
The guide provided detailed instructions on adapting tone and content for various platforms.
For example, social media posts were designed to be direct and scannable, aligning with premium and luxury brands that favor sophisticated yet accessible content.
Meanwhile, website text was formal and inspiring, weaving narratives about the product’s craftsmanship and transformational benefits.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
We included a section on pitfalls to avoid, such as over-explaining benefits, using physiological details, or relying on urgent calls to action.
The emphasis was on fostering desire and exclusivity rather than transactional appeals.
For instance, promotions were framed as rare opportunities to join an elite community rather than as discounts.
Supporting Teams with Practical Examples
To help the client implement these principles, we included detailed examples of how to write engaging copy, structure social media posts, and answer customer inquiries.
The examples were designed to be relatable and actionable, empowering the team to adapt the guide in their day-to-day tasks.
Embracing Visual Storytelling
The guide stressed the importance of visuals in complementing the tone of voice.
Images were to focus on close-ups of the product, capturing its intricate details, premium materials, and symbolic elements.
This approach reinforced the message of handcrafted quality and aesthetic excellence.
Aligning the Entire Team
Finally, the guide included processes for ensuring internal alignment. This covered how to review and approve content to maintain consistency, strategies for handling feedback, and the role of leadership in championing these principles.
The guide was more than a set of rules — it was a roadmap for transforming the client’s communication into a representation of their brand’s premium aspirations.
Despite these efforts, the internal culture proved to be a larger obstacle than anticipated, but the insights gained have informed how we approach similar challenges in the future.
Bridging the Gap Between Guidelines and Execution
To ensure the tone of voice guidelines were more than just a static document, we designed a robust training program tailored to the client’s team.
The goal was to empower every team member to internalize the brand's voice and apply it consistently across all communication channels.
Recognizing that guidelines can feel abstract without context, we prioritized practical, hands-on training that aligned closely with their day-to-day tasks.
The training began with immersive workshops that introduced the three pillars of the tone of voice: aesthetic appeal, confidence, and elegance.
Through interactive sessions, we explained the reasoning behind each principle and used relatable examples to demonstrate their application.
For instance, employees analyzed existing content, identified gaps in adherence to the new tone, and practiced rewriting pieces to align with the guidelines.
This approach made the principles tangible and actionable, building confidence in their ability to execute the brand's voice.
We also provided personalized coaching sessions for employees in content-heavy roles.
By addressing individual challenges and reinforcing strengths, these sessions ensured that everyone had a clear path to mastery.
In addition, role-specific templates and cheat sheets served as quick references, reducing ambiguity in high-pressure scenarios like responding to customer inquiries or crafting social media posts.
And for a brief period, it seemed to work.
A False Dawn
Their content improved significantly.
Blog posts were sharper and more engaging. Social media captions resonated with their audience. Internal communications reflected a newfound confidence in their brand’s identity.
We celebrated these early wins, confident that we had made a lasting impact. But as time went on, the cracks began to show.
Content started slipping back into old patterns. Team members who had once been enthusiastic grew hesitant and disengaged.
Our carefully crafted tools and processes were still there, but no one seemed able — or willing — to use them effectively. Something deeper was holding them back.
The Root Cause
The more we dug, the clearer the problem became. It wasn’t a lack of skills or resources. It wasn’t even resistance to change.
The root cause lay in the company’s toxic internal culture, which was poisoning every attempt at progress.
At the center of this dysfunction was the CEO. A notorious bully, their leadership style was a chaotic mix of micromanagement, erratic mood swings, and arbitrary decision-making.
Employees were routinely harassed for following boss'es own instructions, only to be reprimanded when abruptly their mind was changed.
This culture of fear and unpredictability made it nearly impossible for the team to focus, let alone thrive.
For example, one week the CEO would demand an aggressive marketing tone, only to berate the team for being “too pushy” the next. Content plans were scrapped without explanation. In such a volatile environment, no amount of guidance could stick.
The CEO’s behavior didn’t just impact morale — it actively sabotaged the team’s efforts.
Employees were more focused on avoiding the management's wrath than on creating great content.
Some avoided taking initiative altogether, fearing they’d be penalized for stepping out of line.
How could anyone produce their best work under these conditions?
The Lesson: Content Reflects Culture
Y’all know this “culture eats strategy for breakfast”? It may be banal, but boy, is it true! A brand’s content is intimately connected to the company’s culture and no guide can change that.
Think of content quality like a plant. You can provide the best seeds (tools), water it regularly (training), and ensure it gets plenty of sunlight (support).
But if the soil is poisoned, that plant will never thrive. In this case, the company’s toxic culture was the poisoned soil, undoing all our efforts.
Why Culture Matters for Content
Company culture influences content in three main ways that can sometimes be hard to realize:
Consistency Requires Stability
A strong tone of voice depends on consistent messaging, which in turn requires stable leadership. When priorities shift unpredictably, consistency becomes impossible.
Creativity Thrives in Safety
Fear stifles creativity. Teams need to feel secure enough to experiment, take risks, and express ideas without fear of backlash.
Alignment Starts at the Top
Leadership sets the tone for the entire organization. If leaders can’t commit to a strategy, neither can their teams.
Moving Forward: Lessons for Others (and Ourselves)
Looking back, there were signs we missed. While we recognized some red flags during our initial meetings, we underestimated the impact the CEO’s behavior would have on the project’s success.
This was our failure: we didn’t account for the profound influence of culture on outcomes.
For other organizations looking to improve their content (or any aspect of their business), here are some key takeaways from our experience:
1 Assess the Cultural Landscape
Before diving into strategy, take time to understand the company’s culture. Are employees empowered to succeed?
Is leadership aligned and supportive? Identifying potential barriers upfront can save time and effort down the line.
2 Secure Leadership Buy-In
Change starts at the top. Without genuine commitment from leadership, even the best strategies will falter. Leaders need to model the behaviors they want to see in their teams.
3 Prioritize Psychological Safety
Teams need a safe environment to thrive. Address issues like bullying, micromanagement, and fear of failure before focusing on tactical improvements.
4 Set Realistic Expectations
Improving content quality isn’t just about tools and training — it often requires addressing deeper organizational issues.
Be honest about what’s possible within the existing culture.
5 Know When to Walk Away
In some cases, the cultural barriers may be too great to overcome.
As much as it hurts to walk away from a project, it’s better than pouring resources into a situation where success is impossible.
The Silver Lining
While we couldn’t improve this client’s content quality, we came away with a deeper understanding of the challenges organizations face.
This experience has shaped how we approach future projects, ensuring that we prioritize culture alongside strategy.
For those who find themselves in similar situations, remember: it’s not just about words. It’s about the environment that shapes those words.
If the foundations aren’t healthy, no amount of effort will yield the results you’re looking for.
Have you faced similar challenges where internal culture held back potential?
We’d love to hear your stories and insights — because the more we share, the more we can learn from each other.
Reach out to us at [email protected]!
.. and try Writitude for free!
