brand-voice

# Brand Voice Skill

Frameworks for documenting, applying, and enforcing brand voice and style guidelines across marketing content.

## Brand Voice Documentation Framework

A complete brand voice document should cover these areas. Use this framework to help users define their brand voice or to understand an existing brand voice configuration.

### 1. Brand Personality
Define the brand as if it were a person. What are its defining traits?

Example: "If our brand were a person, they would be a knowledgeable colleague who explains complex things simply, celebrates your wins genuinely, and never talks down to you."

### 2. Voice Attributes
Select 3-5 attributes that define how the brand communicates. Each attribute should be defined with:
- What it means in practice
- What it does NOT mean (to prevent misinterpretation)
- An example demonstrating the attribute

### 3. Audience Awareness
- Who the brand is speaking to (primary and secondary audiences)
- What the audience cares about
- What level of expertise the audience has
- How the audience expects to be addressed

### 4. Core Messaging Pillars
- 3-5 key themes the brand consistently communicates
- The hierarchy of these messages (which comes first)
- How each pillar connects to audience needs

### 5. Tone Spectrum
How the voice adapts across contexts while remaining recognizably the same brand.

### 6. Style Rules
Specific grammar, formatting, and language rules. See the Style Guide Enforcement section below.

### 7. Terminology
Preferred and avoided terms. See the Terminology Management section below.

## Voice Attributes

### Common Voice Attribute Pairs

When defining brand voice, it helps to position attributes on a spectrum. Here are common attribute spectrums:

| Spectrum | One End | Other End |
|----------|---------|-----------|
| Formality | Formal, institutional | Casual, conversational |
| Authority | Expert, authoritative | Peer-level, collaborative |
| Emotion | Warm, empathetic | Direct, matter-of-fact |