brand-voice-guidelines · diff
v1.0.0 to v1.0.0
141 added, 1 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: brand-voice-guidelines
description: Develop brand voice, tone matrices, messaging frameworks, and brand book documentation. Use when the user asks about brand voice, tone of voice, brand guidelines, messaging framework, or brand consistency.
license: MIT
origin: custom
author: Rebecca Rae Barton
author_url: https://github.com/thatrebeccarae
metadata:
version: 1.0.0
category: strategy
domain: brand-identity
updated: 2026-03-18
tested: 2026-03-18
tested_with: "Claude Code v2.1"
---
- # Brand Voice Guidelines
+ # Brand Voice & Guidelines
+ Develop, document, and maintain consistent brand voice across all channels.
+
## Install
```bash
git clone https://github.com/thatrebeccarae/claude-marketing.git && cp -r claude-marketing/skills/brand-voice-guidelines ~/.claude/skills/
```
+ ## Voice vs Tone
+
+ **Voice** = who you are (consistent). **Tone** = how you adapt to context (variable).
+
+ - Voice is your brand personality — it does not change
+ - Tone shifts based on situation: celebration vs crisis, social vs support, blog vs legal
+
+ ## Voice Development Process
+
+ ### Step 1: Audit Existing Content
+
+ Analyze 10-20 pieces of existing content across channels:
+ - What adjectives describe the writing?
+ - What is consistent? What is inconsistent?
+ - How does your audience describe you?
+
+ ### Step 2: Define Voice Attributes
+
+ Choose 3-5 attributes that define your brand voice. Each attribute sits on a spectrum:
+
+ | Attribute | We Are | We Are NOT |
+ |-----------|--------|-----------|
+ | **Confident** | Bold, direct, opinionated | Arrogant, dismissive, preachy |
+ | **Approachable** | Warm, conversational, human | Unprofessional, sloppy, too casual |
+ | **Expert** | Knowledgeable, precise, credible | Jargon-heavy, condescending, academic |
+ | **Playful** | Witty, creative, surprising | Silly, forced, distracting |
+
+ ### Step 3: Brand Personality Archetypes
+
+ | Archetype | Voice | Brands |
+ |-----------|-------|--------|
+ | **The Sage** | Knowledgeable, thoughtful, guiding | Google, TED, McKinsey |
+ | **The Creator** | Innovative, expressive, visionary | Apple, Adobe, Figma |
+ | **The Hero** | Bold, confident, empowering | Nike, Patagonia, Slack |
+ | **The Jester** | Playful, irreverent, entertaining | Old Spice, Mailchimp, Duolingo |
+ | **The Caregiver** | Warm, supportive, trustworthy | Dove, TOMS, Headspace |
+ | **The Rebel** | Provocative, disruptive, direct | Harley-Davidson, Basecamp, Cards Against Humanity |
+ | **The Explorer** | Adventurous, curious, independent | Airbnb, North Face, REI |
+ | **The Ruler** | Authoritative, premium, exclusive | Rolex, Mercedes, Bloomberg |
+ | **The Everyperson** | Relatable, honest, grounded | IKEA, Target, Slack |
+
+ ### Step 4: Create Tone Matrix
+
+ Define how voice adapts across contexts:
+
+ | Context | Confidence Level | Formality | Humor | Empathy |
+ |---------|-----------------|-----------|-------|---------|
+ | Marketing website | High | Low-medium | Light | Medium |
+ | Blog post | High | Low | Medium | Medium |
+ | Social media | Medium-high | Low | High | Medium |
+ | Customer support | Medium | Medium | None | Very high |
+ | Error messages | Low (humble) | Low | Light if appropriate | High |
+ | Legal/compliance | Medium | High | None | Low |
+ | Crisis comms | High | High | None | Very high |
+ | Sales emails | High | Medium | Light | High |
+
+ ### Step 5: Messaging Framework
+
+ ```markdown
+ ## Brand Promise
+ [One sentence: what you promise your customers]
+
+ ## Value Propositions (3-5)
+ 1. [VP 1]: [Proof point]
+ 2. [VP 2]: [Proof point]
+ 3. [VP 3]: [Proof point]
+
+ ## Tagline Options
+ - [Tagline 1]
+ - [Tagline 2]
+ - [Tagline 3]
+
+ ## Elevator Pitch (30 seconds)
+ [2-3 sentences that explain what you do, who you serve, and why it matters]
+
+ ## Boilerplate (for press/about)
+ [Standard paragraph used in press releases, about pages, speaker bios]
+ ```
+
+ ## Writing Style Guide
+
+ ### Grammar & Mechanics
+
+ | Decision | Our Standard | Why |
+ |----------|-------------|-----|
+ | Oxford comma | Yes | Clarity |
+ | Contractions | Yes (we are → we're) | Conversational |
+ | Exclamation marks | Max 1 per page | Not shouty |
+ | Emoji | [Platform-specific rules] | Context-dependent |
+ | Capitalization | Sentence case for headings | Modern, approachable |
+ | Numbers | Spell out 1-9, numerals 10+ | Standard convention |
+ | Pronouns | We (company), you (customer) | Direct and personal |
+
+ ### Vocabulary
+
+ | Instead Of | Use | Why |
+ |-----------|-----|-----|
+ | Utilize | Use | Simpler |
+ | Leverage | Use, apply | Less jargon |
+ | Synergy | Collaboration, combined | Real words |
+ | Best-in-class | Leading, top-performing | Less cliche |
+ | Disruptive | [describe what actually changed] | Show, do not label |
+ | Solution | [name the actual thing] | Be specific |
+
+ ## Voice Consistency Audit
+
+ ### Audit Checklist
+
+ - [ ] Sample 3 pages per channel (website, email, social, support)
+ - [ ] Score each on voice attributes (1-5 per attribute)
+ - [ ] Identify outliers (pages that do not sound like the brand)
+ - [ ] Check for forbidden vocabulary
+ - [ ] Verify tone matches context (support should not sound like marketing)
+ - [ ] Test with the "read it aloud" check — does it sound like one person?
+
+ ## Deliverable: Brand Voice Document
+
+ ### Document Structure
+
+ ```markdown
+ # [Brand] Voice Guide
+
+ ## Who We Are (1 paragraph)
+ ## Our Voice Attributes (3-5 with Do/Don't examples)
+ ## Tone Matrix (context-specific adjustments)
+ ## Messaging Framework (promise, VPs, tagline, elevator pitch)
+ ## Writing Style Guide (grammar, vocabulary, formatting)
+ ## Channel-Specific Guidelines (website, email, social, support)
+ ## Examples (before/after rewrites for each voice attribute)
+ ```
+
+ ## Integration with Other Skills
+
+ - **content-creator** — Brand voice analyzer script validates consistency
+ - **seo-content-writer** — Apply voice guidelines while optimizing for SEO
+ - **copywriting-frameworks** — Use frameworks within your established voice
+ - **social-media-strategy** — Platform-specific tone adaptations
+ - **email-composer** — Maintain voice in professional communications