Tone of Voice Is Not a Trend

If the plan for your brand is to connect with people (as it should be), then it helps to be:

a) Speaking their language, and

b) Standing out from the crowd.

Unfortunately, in an attempt to hit point B, brands often forget point A – and that’s a problem. Because when standing out is your starting point, you lose sight of your audience. Your focus shifts to ‘what’s trendy’ rather than ‘what’s right’, and your copy follows suit. 

The result is a tone that feels fashionable at best, forced at worst. 

After Innocent Drinks struck gold with their quirky tone, brands across the globe took it as a cue to “speak like Innocent.” The same thing happened with Old Spice. One memorable ad got businesses worrying that they were too boring; tone of voice guides were tossed into the trash in favour of one rule: “Be Different!”

For a while, it felt like every brand wanted to be your kooky friend. Just like the episode of the Simpsons in which a self-help guru tells his followers to emulate Bart’s care-free antics, everyone wanted in on the ‘chatty’ tone. But the chatty tone wasn’t right for every brand. Why? 

Because tone of voice isn’t a trend to tap into.

Innocent didn’t arrive at their tone by aiming for ‘twee’ out of nowhere. Instead, they spent years crafting a tone of voice that reflected their friendly, informal culture. They chose to communicate in this tone because playfulness was something they’d built their business around. 

Their copy and content comes across as chatty because their intention was to highlight the personalities both behind the brand and within their customer base. In other words, it made sense. 

On that basis, the chatty tone could be right for your brand.

But it has to come naturally. 

Dead Happy is a great example. The life insurance firm is aiming for the younger customer; their whole brand has been built around the idea of rebelling against the traditional market. 

Phil Zeidler, Dead Happy co-founder, said: ‘Traditional life insurance is overpriced, complex and dull. We’re trying to break new ground in how death is talked about, to help people plan for what happens when they die – without resorting to “project fear”. 

Yes, it’s shocking to read an insurance provider asking people to make ‘Deathwishes’ as part of their cover. But for a brand who is marketing to a younger audience with a vision to make life insurance less boring – a brand who deliberately uses a skull as their logo – a provocative tone of voice is spot-on. 

Similarly, Dollar Shave Club’s direct and punchy tone doesn’t feel try-hard because convenience, comfort and honesty are what they’re known for. They’re going against luxury shaving brands, so it makes sense for their business to communicate in a way that’s blunt with a pinch of humour. And it works for them.

Because a tone of voice shouldn’t be something your brand just stumbles upon.  It’s a projection of your personality. It’s a written representation of your values. 

If you have to try to be different, you aren’t being true to your brand.

Yes, your brand’s tone should be recognisable. But it’s possible to go overboard. If your tone takes priority over your message, the key takeaway will be lost to overly-stylised language – whether that’s playfulness, shock value or something else entirely. And remember, a quirky tone of voice isn’t a substitute for an authentic personality – customers will know it’s false the moment they start dealing with your brand.

So, whether you’re just starting out or going through a rebrand, don’t aim to be distinctive. Standing out is simply the consequence of crafting a tone that reflects your values and resonates with your audience.

Instead, aim to tell the truth. Do that, and you’ll arrive at a tone that is as unique as your brand – without copying anyone else’s.