Your team is divided on the brand's tone and voice. How can you unify their interpretations?
When your team can't agree on the brand's tone and voice, it's crucial to steer towards consensus. Here's how to synchronize their interpretations:
- Establish a clear brand style guide that includes examples of the desired tone and voice.
- Conduct workshops to discuss and practice writing in the brand's voice.
- Regularly review communications to ensure consistency and provide constructive feedback.
How have you successfully unified your team's approach to your brand's tone and voice?
Your team is divided on the brand's tone and voice. How can you unify their interpretations?
When your team can't agree on the brand's tone and voice, it's crucial to steer towards consensus. Here's how to synchronize their interpretations:
- Establish a clear brand style guide that includes examples of the desired tone and voice.
- Conduct workshops to discuss and practice writing in the brand's voice.
- Regularly review communications to ensure consistency and provide constructive feedback.
How have you successfully unified your team's approach to your brand's tone and voice?
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Frankly, it doesn't matter what your team thinks; it matters what consumers, who you hope to turn into customers, think. No amount of internal navel-gazing makes up for a positive consumer reaction.
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First and foremost the teams need to explore the raison d’être of the brand - why does it exist? as with humans, purpose creates synchronicity of actions that works at both conscious and unconscious levels. Once that happens, the teams will start to voice their own interpretations via a tone of voice for the brand. The job of the leader is to transverse these onto the global vision and create consensus. A lot of negotiation and agreement techniques to end up with one single voice.
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An existing brand would usually already have established a standard tone of voice, which immediately constrains how far they can deviate from their existing personality. After all, a brand can’t afford to be seen as a split personality, which would be pretty confusing for its consumers. A new brand should choose a tone of voice that will differentiate it from its competitors and make it stand out in the category, while staying true to its vision & raison d’être. For this, the basic tasks of analysing the personalities and tone of voice of competitors would be the first step, which would help to short list the possibilities. Then, the brand should ideally test consumer response to this before finalising the tone.
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You go back to the basics on your brans values, what it stands dor and once all is aligned you move forward with unified approach
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1. Define the brand's tone and voice through workshops with stakeholders. 2. Identify current interpretations by surveying team members and reviewing content. 3. Establish shared understanding via workshops. 4. Develop concise tone guidelines with examples and train team members. 5. Monitor content regularly and refine guidelines based on feedback. Utilize resources for support. Benefits include a consistent brand image, improved engagement, and challenges include resistance to change, lack of resources, and inconsistent application.
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To unify your team’s interpretation of the brand's tone and voice, start by creating a detailed brand guide that clearly defines the brand’s personality, with specific examples. Hold workshops and training sessions to educate your team, using real-life content examples to illustrate the desired tone and voice. Regular feedback and review sessions will help ensure everyone stays aligned. Foster a collaborative environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and asking for input. Continuously monitor content output for consistency, and be open to making adjustments based on feedback. This structured yet flexible approach will help create a cohesive understanding of your brand's voice.
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- Start with revisiting the brand book to check what has been the intended brand tone & voice. Assess how close or far from it you are. - Check from consumer callbacks if the brand tone they perceive is in keeping with what it was intended to be. - If not then course correct. - Conduct regular exercises to assess different communication material being in line with the aligned brand voice before it is launched in the market.
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Involving the team in shaping the tone and voice and grounding decisions in the brand's identity, we must create alignment and ownership across the group. An affiliated strong team with the brand can turn the tables and a clear message will go in the market place that Voice and tone is One.✌
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Get everyone on the same page by locking down a style guide with real examples. Workshop it, practice it, and keep feedback flowing. Consistency isn’t a one-and-done—it’s a team sport.
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Develop a comprehensive style guide that outlines the desired tone and voice, complete with examples. This serves as a reference point for everyone, ensuring clarity and consistency. Organize workshops where team members can collaboratively discuss and practice writing in the brand's voice. This hands-on approach fosters understanding and allows for real-time feedback. Implement a routine for reviewing communications across channels. This not only reinforces consistency but also provides opportunities for constructive feedback and adjustments.
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