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Inspired by Remy's excellent takeover on communication style, I'm sharing some of my favourite resources on tone of voice this week. To recap: tone of voice isn't about what you say; it's about how you say it. How we express ourselves says something about who we are and what we believe in. Non-profit or startup, every organization has an identity and a mission; that mission and identity should affect how an organization communicates with its end users.
Here are three mission-driven brands (for-profit and non-profit) that have used tone of voice to their advantage in very different ways 👇
#1 Monzo’s tone of voice guide
Let’s face it: traditional banking lingo is off-putting, downright confusing even. On a mission to make banking easy, Monzo developed a tone of voice around simplicity, transparency, and positivity. That’s why they avoid technical terms, keep their sentences short, and sprinkle in plenty of emojis ✨
“Every word is a chance for us to make a connection with someone, go beyond what they’d expect from a bank and brighten their day […] When we say ‘terminal’ do we mean ‘card machine’? When we say ‘funds’ do we mean ‘money’? When we say ‘reversal’ do we mean ‘refund’? And if not, do we explain why?”
In the spirit of transparency, Monzo made their guidelines public. It’s a brilliant blueprint for inspiring and steering a team in all things tone of voice.
#2 Scouts’ tone of voice revamp
It’s never too late to evolve your tone of voice. Following a rebrand in 2018, something about the Scouts’ new identity still seemed too corporate. Turns out, that was all due to their language. So they went back to the drawing board:
“When you’re in a hall or a room for a Scout meeting, it’s bubbling over with warmth, kindness, fun and energy – yet often that was missing from the way we communicated. Our language was full of phrases like ‘ensure’, ‘facilitate’, ‘as soon as practicable’ and ‘subject to confirmation’. The tone of voice has helped us be truer to what the Scouts is really like. It’s helped free us.”
— Chris James, Scouts Brand & Ambassador manager
Brand identity isn’t just about fonts and imagery. It’s about blending visual and verbal elements in a cohesive way.
#3 Tony’s Chocoloney tone of voice challenge
Having a serious mission doesn’t have to mean a serious tone of voice. Since 2005, Tony’s Chocoloney has been committed to making chocolate 100% slave free. By adopting a fun and conversational tone of voice, the Dutch chocolate brand has succeeded in making their customers feel part of the solution:
“For those enjoying chocolate as a luxury treat in the UK, the people at the start of the supply chain in Ghana and Ivory Coast can feel far away and the problem can seem too big – our communications hopefully help to reduce that gap and make the problem more accessible.”
— Nicola Matthews, Tony's Chocolonely UK Marketing Manager
There’s a fine line between fun and flippant. But with careful thought, a playful voice can be a powerful tool for raising awareness on important issues.
Hope these examples are useful! I could talk about tone of voice all day, so if you have questions, feel free to reply to this email or:
Take care,
Lauren