Find Your Voice
You may have noticed that at Project7 Design, we speak a little bit of our own lingo — great things are magical, kind is cool, and we love to do good things. You’ll hear these words in meetings with our team, read them on our website, and see them in our social graphics. P7 is playful and punny, but seriously committed to doing good things for our clients. In this month’s blog, we’re noodle-ing on the power of a brand’s voice!
What Does Your Voice Say About You?
Have you ever encountered a brand that seemed to suffer from multiple personalities? Maybe their website looks and sounds casual and friendly, but in-person they’re stuffy and formal, and their social media is all over the place. That’s when identifying a voice — one that is used across all touchpoints and mirrors your brand visuals — comes in. Whether it’s playful and cheeky or warm and heartfelt, your brand voice communicates who you are and sets you apart from other brands.
Words and phrases from the p7 brand appear in our culture guide, on our office walls, and even on our front door!
Do You Look How You Sound?
Imagine walking into a store with a vibrant and energetic atmosphere — their logo, colors, layout, and music all work together to create a unique experience you love. But what if the employees spoke in monotone voices and used dry, corporate jargon? It can ruin the whole vibe and lessen the chances that you shop there again.
By aligning the language used by you and your employees, your website copy, and your social media posts, you create a seamless and immersive brand experience. It’s like the perfect harmony between your visuals and your words, ensuring that your audience feels the same energy and enthusiasm across all channels.
Consistency = Trust
Consistency is a golden rule in branding. Most likely you’re already using your logo, brand colors, fonts, and other assets according to standards your design team has established (and if you’re not, let’s talk!) Adding that consistency to your brand voice reinforces your identity, and builds trust and recognition. It’s like that friend who always shows up when they say they will. When your customers encounter your brand in different contexts, whether it’s through customer support or social media interactions, they should feel like they’re talking to the same person.
Once the voice and tone are established, it’s important to look at what aspects of your brand’s personality aren’t working. We like to say that a brand’s style guide is a living document that should evolve with your brand.
Bottom line: finding and embracing a voice that’s consistent with the look and feel of your logo can take your brand to the next level. If you’re ready speak your brand’s language or need an audit, let’s noodle!
When Bravo Greater Des Moines came to p7 for help reimagining their website, they had a great existing logo, but had yet to define and document their voice or visual language. We were thrilled when they asked us to put the website on pause and help them define both of these important aspects of their brand first. We developed an extensive brand guideline document that included voice, visuals, usage, and more that made the website process flow smoothly from content through design.
