Brand Voice and Tone

Voice is who the brand is. Tone is how the brand adjusts to context. Both are brand decisions; both belong in the guidelines. Most "we need a brand voice" requests get answered with vague adjectives ("Bold. Friendly. Trustworthy.") that don't constrain anything.

This skill defines voice as a constraint, not a label — and tone as a register the brand shifts within while remaining recognizably itself.

Pair with [[brand-strategist]] (positioning that informs voice), [[brand-identity-system]] (visual register that voice must match), [[brand-guidelines-composer]] (assembly of voice into the guidelines deliverable), and [[ai-tells-forbidden-patterns]] (filler-words bans).

When to use this skill

• Defining brand voice for a new brand.
• Refreshing or evolving brand voice for an existing brand.
• Applying brand voice to specific copy (web, deck, document, email, ad).
• Auditing existing copy for voice drift.
• Briefing copywriters or content teams.

What this skill is NOT