How to find your brand’s voice

Brands that communicate successfully are successful brands.
That’s according to Melissa Lafsky of content strategists Contently.
But just how can you make your brand stand out?
First of all, know what it is. Philosopher Alain de Botton provides this definition: “Essentially a brand is a constellation of qualities, it is a personality in the material realm.www.thebookoflife.org/what-is-a-good-brand/

What makes a great brand?

A good brand is not about mere recognition.
The truly great brands do something admirable in human terms. Mercedes is an example of a great brand. Mercedes signifies precision German engineering, reliability, style, comfort and high-end good looks. Mercedes is aspirational. It sets a standard.
We admire great brands because we understand clearly what they represent. And we need whatever it is they bring to the marketplace.
Economies rely on strong, recognisable brands.

A brand has an identity

Every brand has an identity. And a strong brand has a strong identity.
A brand can be quirky or courageous. Or it can trade on authenticity and on the values of the past. An example is Levi Jeans, rooted in the frontier spirit of America.
A brand can be youthful, or rooted in history. It can trade on innovation or be anchored in established values.
A brand presents a vision of life.
As Alain de Botton puts it: “A brand doesn’t only symbolise a set of ideas. It makes these ideas reproducible and universal.”

A brand is replicable

So a brand remains itself, even when replicated in far-flung corners of the globe.
The brand’s tone of voice can emerge only from the brand’s defining characteristics. Anything else would be inauthentic.

 

Refining and defining your brand’s tone of voice is a major undertaking. For instance, Brand Ireland has been transformed in recent decades.

Brand Ireland

Brand Ireland has moved from picture-postcard thatched cottages to cutting-edge digital innovation.

Find business voice: Intel factory floor

Modern Ireland: the Intel factory floor

Find business voice: picture postcard Ireland

Postcard Ireland: turf and donkeys

 

Content strategy for effective communication

An effective content strategy involves figuring out which areas your business can write about with knowledge and authority.

Let brand journalists tell your story

The next step is crafting this institutional knowledge into readable, sharable posts. The key is producing content that will entice readers to like and share.

Find your business voice using brand journalism

How can your business’s institutional knowledge and authority be translated into stories that find an audience? This is where specialist brand journalism can help. It’s not easy to produce great content in a consistent tone of voice.

Every business has a story

At Clear Eye, we can help. Clear Eye is a global brand communications agency that helps you find your voice.
Email margaret@cleareye.ie if you want to find out how brand journalism can help you tell your story. You can find your business voice using brand journalism.
Let your voice be heard.  It’s a crowded marketplace. You can amplify your offering using brand journalism to tell your story.