DOMAIN:CREATIVE — BRAND VOICE & MESSAGING FRAMEWORKS¶
OWNER: rick ALSO_USED_BY: jouke (Content), dinand (Content), benjamin (Content), dima (Intake — public-facing), faye (PM Alpha), sytske (PM Beta) UPDATED: 2026-03-28 PREREQUISITE: copywriting-craft.md (writing fundamentals), ux-writing.md (applied voice in UI)
VOICE VS. TONE¶
RULE: voice and tone are different things. Confusing them is the most common brand copy mistake.
Voice is the brand's consistent personality. It does not change between channels, campaigns, or contexts. It is WHO the brand is.
Tone is how the voice adapts to context. A doctor speaks differently at a funeral than at a birthday party, but they are still the same person. Tone shifts. Voice does not.
EXAMPLE: - Voice attribute: "Confident" - Tone in marketing: confident and enthusiastic — "Build something extraordinary." - Tone in error state: confident and calm — "We have identified the issue. Here is what we are doing about it." - Tone in crisis: confident and transparent — "We take this seriously. Here are the facts."
The voice attribute (confident) persists. The tone (enthusiastic, calm, transparent) adapts.
DEFINING BRAND VOICE¶
Step 1: Voice Attributes (3-5 Adjectives)¶
RULE: define exactly 3-5 adjectives that describe how the brand communicates. Not what it does — how it sounds.
PROCESS: 1. Gather stakeholders (founder, marketing, customer-facing staff). 2. Each person writes 10 adjectives that describe how the brand SHOULD sound. 3. Cluster similar words. Vote on the top 5. 4. Refine: replace vague words ("professional") with specific ones ("precise").
EXAMPLE set: Clear, Confident, Warm, Direct, Purposeful
BAD attributes: "innovative" (describes product, not voice), "professional" (too vague), "unique" (meaningless).
Step 2: "We Are / We Are Not" Pairs¶
RULE: every voice attribute needs a boundary. Without the "we are not" side, the attribute is useless.
| We Are | We Are Not |
|---|---|
| Confident | Arrogant |
| Warm | Saccharine or fake |
| Direct | Blunt or rude |
| Clear | Dumbed-down or patronizing |
| Purposeful | Preachy or self-important |
| Witty | Sarcastic |
| Honest | Brutal |
| Enthusiastic | Hyperbolic |
| Helpful | Pushy |
| Calm | Cold or detached |
RULE: 5-8 pairs is the sweet spot. Fewer than 5 lacks precision. More than 8 is unmanageable.
Step 3: Voice Do's and Don'ts Table¶
RULE: abstract attributes only become actionable through concrete examples.
| Attribute | Do | Don't | Example (Do) | Example (Don't) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear | Use short sentences. One idea per sentence. | Use jargon, nested clauses, or hedging language. | "Your trial ends in 3 days." | "Please be advised that your complimentary trial period will be reaching its conclusion in approximately 3 business days." |
| Confident | State things directly. Use active voice. | Use "maybe", "we think", "possibly", or passive constructions. | "This fixes the issue." | "We believe this should potentially resolve the issue." |
| Warm | Use "you" and "your". Acknowledge the person. | Be robotic, impersonal, or form-letter generic. | "Thanks for reaching out. Here is what is happening." | "Your inquiry has been received and is being processed." |
| Direct | Lead with the action or the answer. | Bury the point in preamble. | "To change your plan, go to Settings > Billing." | "There are several options available. Depending on your current subscription tier, you may want to consider..." |
MESSAGING HIERARCHY¶
Structure¶
A messaging hierarchy organizes what the brand communicates from most abstract (brand promise) to most concrete (proof points).
BRAND PROMISE
The single, overarching commitment the brand makes.
One sentence. Unchanging. The north star.
Example: "Make enterprise-grade software accessible to every business."
VALUE PROPOSITIONS (3-5)
The key benefits that support the promise.
Each one answers: "Why should I care?"
Example: "Built for hyperscale from day one."
Example: "ISO 27001 compliant without the enterprise price tag."
Example: "Your own dedicated AI development team."
PROOF POINTS (per value proposition)
Evidence that the value proposition is true.
Data, features, case studies, testimonials.
Example: "Handles 100,000 concurrent users on the same architecture that serves 1."
Example: "Passed SOC 2 Type II audit in Q4 2025."
REASONS TO BELIEVE
The underlying credibility — why the audience should trust this brand.
Track record, technology, team, methodology, partnerships.
Example: "Built by 54 specialized AI agents, each trained in a single discipline."
Messaging Hierarchy Rules¶
RULE: the brand promise is one sentence. If it needs a paragraph, it is not sharp enough. RULE: value propositions are benefits, not features. "Hyperscalable architecture" is a feature. "Grows with you from 1 user to 100,000 without migration" is a benefit. RULE: every proof point must be verifiable. No vague claims. RULE: the hierarchy flows downward: promise -> value props -> proof points -> reasons to believe. Marketing uses all four layers. A tweet might only use one. RULE: update the proof points quarterly as new evidence emerges. The higher layers change rarely.
MESSAGE ARCHITECTURE (BLOOMSTEIN METHOD)¶
What It Is¶
A message architecture (Margot Bloomstein's framework) is a prioritized set of brand attributes — terms, phrases, or statements — arranged hierarchically to convey messaging priorities and communication goals.
It differs from a messaging hierarchy in focus: a messaging hierarchy defines WHAT to say. A message architecture defines HOW it should feel.
The BrandSort Process¶
- Compile adjectives. Prepare 80-100 cards, each with a brand attribute word (e.g., "trustworthy", "innovative", "bold", "approachable", "precise", "playful").
- Stakeholder card sort. Each stakeholder sorts cards into three piles:
- "Who we are now"
- "Who we want to be"
- "Never us"
- Cluster and prioritize. Group the "who we want to be" cards into 3-5 themes. Rank the themes by importance.
- Write the architecture. Formalize the top themes as a prioritized list, with the most important attribute at the top.
Example Message Architecture¶
1. TRUSTWORTHY — security, reliability, transparency, competence
2. EMPOWERING — enabling, educational, supportive, tool-giving
3. PRECISE — accurate, detail-oriented, data-driven, no fluff
4. APPROACHABLE — warm, plain-language, human, non-intimidating
5. FORWARD-LOOKING — innovative, modern, progressive, future-ready
RULE: the hierarchy IS the priority. When trustworthy and approachable conflict (e.g., disclosing a security incident), trustworthy wins because it ranks higher. RULE: "never us" cards are as important as "who we want to be" — they define the boundaries. RULE: revisit the architecture annually or after a major brand pivot.
How the Message Architecture Guides Work¶
| Decision | How the Architecture Guides It |
|---|---|
| Homepage headline | Must reflect #1 attribute (trustworthy) before any other |
| Social media voice | Lean into #4 (approachable) but never at the expense of #1 |
| Error messages | #1 (trustworthy) + #4 (approachable) — honest, warm, clear |
| Sales copy | #2 (empowering) + #3 (precise) — show what they gain with specifics |
| Crisis communication | #1 (trustworthy) dominates — transparency, facts, accountability |
| Blog content | #2 (empowering) + #5 (forward-looking) — teach, inspire |
VOICE ACROSS CHANNELS¶
The Principle¶
RULE: voice stays consistent. Tone adapts. Formality level adapts. But the underlying personality is recognizable everywhere.
Channel-Specific Adaptations¶
| Channel | Formality | Length | Personality Expression | Typical Tone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website (homepage) | Medium | Concise | High — this is the brand's front door | Confident, benefit-focused |
| Website (docs/help) | Low-medium | As long as needed | Low — utility first | Clear, precise, helpful |
| Email (marketing) | Medium | Short-medium | Medium-high | Enthusiastic, personal |
| Email (transactional) | Medium | Brief | Low | Factual, clear |
| Social — LinkedIn | Medium-high | Medium | Medium | Professional, thoughtful |
| Social — Instagram | Low | Very short | High | Visual-first, casual, human |
| Social — X/Twitter | Low | Ultra-short | Medium-high | Punchy, conversational |
| Blog posts | Medium | Long-form | Medium | Educational, authoritative |
| In-app UI copy | Low | Minimal | Low | Functional, clear (see ux-writing.md) |
| Customer support | Medium | As needed | Medium | Warm, empathetic, solution-focused |
| Press releases | High | Structured | Low | Formal, factual |
| Investor comms | High | Structured | Low | Precise, data-driven, confident |
RULE: the same news (e.g., a new feature launch) sounds different on LinkedIn than on Instagram. The facts are the same. The delivery adapts.
EXAMPLE — same announcement, different channels: - LinkedIn: "We are launching real-time collaboration. Here is why it matters for teams managing complex projects, and the engineering decisions behind it." - Instagram: "Real-time collab is here. Build together, ship faster." [with visual] - Email: "New: real-time collaboration. Your team can now edit together in real time. Here is how to enable it." - In-app: "New: Real-time collaboration. Enable it in Settings > Team." [banner]
BUILDING A VOICE DOCUMENT THAT WORKS¶
Why Most Voice Guides Fail¶
Most voice guides fail because they are: 1. Too abstract — "Be authentic" means nothing without examples. 2. Too long — a 40-page PDF that nobody opens. 3. Written once, never updated. 4. Not integrated into the workflow — they live in a Google Drive folder, not in the tools people use.
The One-Page Voice Chart¶
RULE: the core voice guide fits on one page. Extended documentation can exist, but the essentials are one page.
VOICE CHART TEMPLATE
====================
BRAND: [Name]
VOICE IN THREE WORDS: [Adjective], [Adjective], [Adjective]
WE ARE: WE ARE NOT:
- [attribute] - [boundary]
- [attribute] - [boundary]
- [attribute] - [boundary]
- [attribute] - [boundary]
- [attribute] - [boundary]
WORD PREFERENCES:
Use | Instead of
-------------|-------------
[preferred] | [avoided]
[preferred] | [avoided]
[preferred] | [avoided]
[preferred] | [avoided]
[preferred] | [avoided]
SAMPLE COPY:
Success: "[example]"
Error: "[example]"
CTA: "[example]"
Welcome: "[example]"
Support: "[example]"
Extended Voice Documentation¶
Beyond the one-page chart, a complete voice system includes:
- Voice Chart (1 page) — the quick reference. Printed, pinned, shared.
- Tone Matrix (1-2 pages) — maps tone shifts per scenario and severity.
- Word List (ongoing) — preferred terms, banned terms, with rationale.
- Copy Examples Library (ongoing) — real approved copy organized by scenario type.
- Channel Adaptation Guide (1 page) — how voice flexes per channel.
- Review Checklist — 10-item checklist for any copy review (see below).
Voice Review Checklist¶
- [ ] Does this sound like our brand? Read it aloud — would a user recognize it as us?
- [ ] Does it match the message architecture priority? (Attribute #1 should be most evident.)
- [ ] Is the tone appropriate for the context? (Error copy should not sound like marketing.)
- [ ] Are we using preferred terms from the word list?
- [ ] Is it as short as it can be without losing meaning?
- [ ] Does it lead with the benefit or the action, not background?
- [ ] Is it free of jargon, hedging language, and corporate speak?
- [ ] Does it work for the channel it will appear on?
- [ ] Would a new user understand it without prior context?
- [ ] Has it been tested aloud? Does it sound human?
ANTI-PATTERNS¶
ANTI_PATTERN: defining voice as a list of values ("integrity, innovation, excellence") FIX: values describe what the company believes. Voice describes how it speaks. A company that values "innovation" can still sound boring if the voice is not defined separately.
ANTI_PATTERN: voice guide that is only positive ("We are friendly, warm, helpful") FIX: include the "We are not" boundary. "Warm but not saccharine." Without boundaries, warm drifts into twee.
ANTI_PATTERN: copying another brand's voice wholesale FIX: voice must be distinctive. If you sound exactly like Mailchimp, you are not Mailchimp — you are a copy. Define what makes YOUR voice different.
ANTI_PATTERN: having one voice for marketing and a completely different one for product/UI FIX: the voice is the same. The tone and formality adapt. A user who encounters marketing and then the product should feel continuity, not whiplash.
ANTI_PATTERN: voice guide written by an agency, handed off, and never internalized by the team FIX: the team that writes the copy must own the voice guide. Workshop it together. Update it together. If an agency builds it, the team must co-author it.
ANTI_PATTERN: no voice guide at all — "we just know how we sound" FIX: what happens when the team doubles? When a new copywriter joins? When an AI agent writes on your behalf? Implicit voice does not scale. Document it.
VOICE IN AN AGENTIC CONTEXT¶
CONTEXT: GE's agents (including Rick) write copy on behalf of client brands. This creates a unique challenge: the agent must suppress its own "voice" and adopt the client's voice.
RULE: every client project begins with a voice definition exercise. No copy is written until voice is documented. RULE: the client's voice chart is stored in the project wiki and injected into every agent's context when working on that client. RULE: voice consistency is tested by having a different agent (not the original writer) review copy against the voice chart. RULE: when the client has no existing voice guide, Rick leads the BrandSort exercise and produces the voice chart as a deliverable BEFORE any campaign work begins. RULE: agents must NEVER inject GE's own voice into client work. GE's voice is for GE communications only.
REFERENCES¶
- Bloomstein, Margot. Content Strategy at Work. Morgan Kaufmann, 2012.
- Bloomstein, Margot. Trustworthy. Page Two, 2021.
- Flaum, Sandra and Flaum, Jonah. "The 100-Day Communications Plan." (messaging hierarchy model)
- Nielsen Norman Group. "The Four Dimensions of Tone of Voice." nngroup.com.
- Mailchimp Content Style Guide: styleguide.mailchimp.com (widely referenced industry benchmark).
- Shopify Polaris Content Guidelines: polaris.shopify.com/content.
- Google Material Design Writing: m3.material.io/foundations/content-design/overview.
- Erika Hall. Conversational Design. A Book Apart, 2018.