Tone of Voice in Branding
Landor recently posted an article on their 8 design principles, one of the points concentrated on “entertaining” as a significant part of design. They stated that ”The best wit always contains truth, and a sideways look can engage and delight an audience. Playful ideas linger in the mind, bring a smile to the face, and make design more memorable.”
Adopting a slightly humorous approach can differentiate you from competitors in your sector. Obviously this won’t apply to all sectors of business, as brands like Goldmann Sachs would prefer to be more reassuring and business-like to instill a feeling of confidence in their investment banking. However if suitable, humour can grab the attention of an audience, tease out a smile and make a lasting impression with memorable wit. Humour can make people stop and think about a brand, remembering it’s message.
To a case in point. “serious**” as a brand treads this line very well. Waste is something that people either get embarassed about, or laugh over. In choosing the latter and taking a light hearted approach basing their brand around being “serious about sh**” “dealing with sh**” and that “sh** happens”. Sales proceeded to rise by 90%, giving them a strong platform to further build their brand upon.
A recent example would be Magners cider, introducing their new campaign in light of the onset of a (hopefully) sunkissed English summer. The campaign features insights into the people who work at Magners. It shows them to be ridiculously relentless when it comes to procuring the apples and it is this commitment that makes the cider so distinctive. In amidst the humour however, is the underlying message that Magners are solely focussed on producing the best tasting cider, alluding to complete dedication to the quality of their product. It is early days but I’m certain that this new campaign will push Magners into the forefront of drinkers’ minds.
Adopting any kind of tone of voice gives you another chance at having something extra in making your brand that little bit different. It could be humour. Your brand could be the one you could imagine going for a cheeky pint with on a lunchtime. It could be the stalwart you can always rely on. Copywriting can really bring your brand down to earth giving a much more engaging experience, making you feel like you have a relationship with the brand, rather than simply using it’s service or products.
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