7 Awesome Examples of Great Brand Voice (And What You Can Learn from Them)
Chavy Helfgott
Wanna hear a story about 3 blind tests? (see my about section) | Get a year's worth of marketing messaging in 72 hours | Magnetic brand development + copywriting for growing consumer brands | Amateur whittler
You're still not convinced ??. (Yes, ecommerce seller, I'm talking to you).
Sure, all this talk about "personality" and "branding" is nice, and it could probably help. But c'mon - it's the PPC & sales & good pricing that will clinch the deal, right ?????♂? ?
Wrong.
Here are some data points-
?? 96% (!!!) of customers will abandon a site if they can't find the info they need
?? 88% say detailed product content is extremely important to their purchase decision.
Since consumers can't see the product, they're completely reliant on the info you give them.
There's no charming store ambiance. No friendly salesperson to make them happy.
But if your product description makes the consumer FEEL ?? ?? ??stuff, it creates that same personal effect.
Buyers are more likely to:
?? Trust you and your information
?? Like you enough to ignore the lower priced option
If you sound like you actually care about them.
If you connect with them.
If your website and descriptions are fun to read (and not keyword stuffed)
And if you make them smile? You've got them
STILL don't believe me? Whew, you're a tough one.
Here’s what I’ll tell you – the big guys know all this, and they do it. Here's my proof:
Big Boys Don't Talk Fancy: Proof #1
Company: Jack Daniels
Brand Voice: Proud and lyrical
What you can learn from them:
Fun, quirky and shocking are not the only ways to catch attention and convert customers. A poem-like rhythm in web and ad copy can be very powerful.
Big Boys Don't Talk Fancy: Proof #2
Company: Woot
Brand Voice: Wacky
What you can learn from them:
?? Use humor to make mundane products attractive ??
It starts with the name. I mean - Woot?
Continues with the tagline - Deals and Shenanigans. Oh yeah.
And lasts throughout the product descriptions.
Big Boys Don't Talk Fancy: Proof #3
Company: Hermes
Brand Voice: Luxuriously playful
What you can learn from them:
Luxurious doesn't have to be distant and high-falutin'. Hermes manages to portray a high end image while still being straight-forward and even having some fun.
And I'm OBSESSED with the microcopy on their CTA buttons....leave me here while I float in copywriter heaven....
Big Boys Don't Talk Fancy: Proof #4
Company: Casper
Brand Voice: Contemporary and Tongue in Cheek
What you can learn from them:
?? Know your target audience concerns better than they know themselves ??
On social media, in their blogs, all over their famous subway ads - Casper is talking to the heart of the millennial. To their desire for convenience. To the annoyance with pushy Sleepy’s sales people. To their need to have energy for work.
And one more genius thing: While other brands have soft, plush and firm versions - Casper sells only ONE kind of mattress. Less choice, less stress - offering one universal mattress makes them an easy, no-agonizing-necessary choice.
Which makes it a lot more likely that the consumer won't get buyer's fatigue.
Proof that all this really works? They went from $0 to $750 MILLION in 4(!) years.
Big Boys Don't Talk Fancy: Proof #5
Company: Huggies
Brand Voice: Mushy and Warm
What you can learn from them: Mushy seems like a bad thing to stick on a brand. But again - it's all about knowing your target audience. If your customers are new parents that gush and coo over Baby's every movement, then you SHOULD pile on the mush.
Big Boys Don't Talk Fancy: Proof #6
Company: Apple
Brand Voice: Minimalist and Elite
What you can learn from them:
?? Speak your message in the fewest and simplest words possible ??
Other than some anomalies back in the 80s, Apple has embraced minimalism with a passion - and boy has it succeeded.
It's not a Big Boy - it's a very very small boy.
But every piece of this brand is such a gem that I'm including it in my brand voice series anyway. So here goes:
Company: Iceland Wants to Be Your Friend
Brand Voice: Childlike and Tongue in Cheek. (Very very tongue in cheek.)
What you can learn from them: Sometimes you can pick up YUUUGE lessons from a tiny island.
Plus - micro-copy can be very valuable. Don't waste that space! Learn from the Icelandic copy experts.
Building brands for ambitious professionals and growing businesses… brand strategy ?? brand identity design ?? brand building ?? | Published Author ??
5 年Claire Taylor :)
Building brands for ambitious professionals and growing businesses… brand strategy ?? brand identity design ?? brand building ?? | Published Author ??
5 年This happens all too much when agencies take on clients. A team for month 1 then the work experience / intern for the next 2. Gaining experience is valuable but guidance is needed until knowledge is gained #LetsMakeABrew
Conversion Copywriter & Messaging Strategist
5 年So entertaining, so well done!
Content Strategy, Creative Direction & Development
5 年Chavy! I loved this, and found this very insightful and also just fun. I hope you keep sharing!
Behavioral strategist | Social marketer | Designing change for good
5 年All of the examples in the article are ads likely developed by agencies, or at the very least, marketing experts. The trick with brand voice comes when, like in the cartoon, you're trying to translate that voice into ongoing, everyday interactions on social media managed by someone who may or may not have been part of developing that strategy. Or, often, the person assigned to manage social media is a lower-level staff member who may be good at the technical aspects but not as good a communicator. You need someone who understands how to apply that brand voice across online interactions -- not just in prewritten "approved" posts but also in replies to customers.