brand-guidelines

Building a Brand Voice Document

A thorough voice reference covers the following areas. Use this structure to help teams articulate their voice from scratch or to interpret an existing voice configuration.

Brand Personality Profile

Describe the brand as though it were a human being. What character traits define it?

Example: "Our brand is the sharp-but-generous mentor — someone who breaks down hard ideas in plain language, takes genuine pride in your progress, and never condescends."

Communication Attributes (3-5)

Each attribute needs four elements to prevent ambiguity:

• A plain-language definition of what it means in practice
• A boundary statement explaining what it does NOT mean
• A sample sentence that embodies the attribute
• A sample sentence that violates the attribute

Target Audience Profile

• Primary and secondary audiences the brand addresses
• Core concerns and motivations of each audience