The Right Verbal Identity Elevates Your Branding - Why Language Matters
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We don’t want to sound dramatic, but the words you use can make or break your brand. Before you panic, let us explain.
When it comes to branding, words aren't just tools of communication – they're pivotal to your brand's personality. You’ve probably heard us mention that your brand should be consistent across all customer touch-points, and we don’t purely mean your visual identity. We’re also talking about your verbal identity. The words we choose have the power to shape our brand even further, resonate with key clientele, and set us aside from competitors in the same space.
What Does Verbal Identity Even Mean?
So what is a verbal identity? Well, it’s the way your brand expresses itself through deliberate and intentional language. And while this might sound obvious at first (we get it); verbal identity can often slip through the cracks when you think about the number of ways your brand is communicating on a daily basis. Consider your website, social media, print materials, your client interactions, internal documents – the list goes on. Having a structured, well-versed verbal identity can help your brand to increase loyalty, increase visibility and increase trust.
Let’s break it down:
Your Brand's Voice
Your brand isn't just a logo or a set of colours; it's a living entity with values and beliefs. The words you employ should resonate with these principles and resonate with your target audience. If they aren’t, they need a shake up.
Let’s think about it contextually. If you're a law firm, your tone should exude trust, authority, and professionalism. But in order to avoid sounding like everyone else, you also need a few key words and phrases that reflect your USP. For some criminal defence lawyers, humour is their strong suit. Why? Because it cuts through the monotonous, corporate jargon clients are used to, and strikes a chord of friendship.
Your Brand's Tone
Brand tone is the nuanced variation in the way a brand communicates, depending on the specific situation or audience. It adapts the brand voice to convey different emotions, attitudes, or moods as needed. Brand tone can be adjusted to match the context of a message or the emotional resonance the brand wants to create.
Think of a brand voice as the overall personality of the brand, like the foundation of a house. Brand tone is like the interior decoration – you can change the colours, furniture, and decor (the tone) while keeping the underlying structure (the voice) intact.
Key Words
Cleverly chosen words can create a profound connection with your audience, and consistency in language helps establish a clear and coherent brand identity. Words humanise your brand and make it relatable.
Having carefully chosen words that shape your brand identity helps to guide all verbal and written communications; as well as help new employees and clients garner an understanding of the company.
Standing Out from the Crowd
In a crowded market, your choice of words can be your brand's secret weapon. Avoid the overused industry jargon and clichés that fade into the background. Instead, develop a unique brand voice that captures attention and leaves a lasting impression.
The way your brand speaks has the power to elevate you above and beyond general industry noise, or have you fall victim to it. Through language as much as logos, we shape our identity in the industry.
It’s like David Brier once said,
“If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.”
What we’re trying to say is, every word counts. The language you use defines your brand, connects with your audience, distinguishes you from the competition, and shapes how you're perceived.
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