Struggling with Brand Voice? Four Ways to Find Yours

It’s never been more important to create an authentic and ownable brand identity. The ubiquity of social media has shone a spotlight on brands that have done the work to create and consistently execute a recognizable brand, while indistinguishable brands struggle to stay afloat in the vast oceans of social feeds.

But it’s not just the brand logos, fonts and color palettes that matter – although they usually get the bulk of the brand team’s attention –  brand voice is also having its moment.

Brand voice is the distinct personality your brand uses in communication. Think of it as the tone your brand takes when speaking to your customers (and potential customers). Arby’s, Red Bull, Skittles, and Dove are just a few of the brands that offer shining examples of the way brand voice can come to life on the social media stage. 

But they didn’t just get there by being clever – they all honed their respective brand personalities by understanding the values and behaviors of their target audience. They did their homework on who buys their products and what gets their attention.

Qualitative research is one key tool you can use to find your brand voice. Here’s how:

1. See Things Through Their Eyes
   The best way to find out what your audience thinks is to ask them. Focus groups, interviews, and surveys can all help your brand understand your audience on a deeper level. By listening to consumers’ opinions, attitudes, and emotions, brands can align their voice to resonate with their audience's preferences.

2. Speak Their Language
   Through conversations and observations, researchers can uncover the words, phrases, and communication styles that effectively engage your specific audience. Remember, you want to sound like a friend or trusted advisor, not a corporate robot.

3. Dig Into Their Values and Beliefs
   Successful brands know how to align with their audience’s core values, beliefs and aspirations. Taking the time to understand what’s important to your audience makes it possible to shape your brand voice in a way that will resonate. 

4. Test, Test, Test
   When you know who your audience is, you can recruit them to give you early feedback on messaging strategies and creative concepts. This iterative process helps in fine-tuning the brand voice to ensure it effectively communicates the desired message and elicits the desired response from the audience.

Ready to bring consumer perspective into your brand voice? Let’s talk.