Whether your company is B2B or B2C, when it comes to finding your brand voice, consistency is important. It’s just not the only thing that’s important. To connect with customers, your brand voice should be three things.

1. Consistency overload.
YOUR BRAND VOICE:

2. When it comes to branding,
consistency is important.

3. But face it.

4. Thank you. We care and are listening
Customers may recognize your brand
and still not want to listen to you.
And too much
consistency
is robotic.

5. blah blah blah blah blah bblah blah blah blah blah b
Your brand voice could be that
personality at a cocktail party
that you always avoid.
Dull. Boring. Always telling the same story.

6. Creating a compelling brand voice
takes more than consistency.

7. You do it by being:
simple. authentic. inspiring.

8. consistently
simple. authentic. inspiring.

9. simple.
1

10. 1 Some brands know:
short works better.
Oil of Olay : OLAY
Dairy Queen : DQ
Kentucky Fried Chicken : KFC
Coca-Cola : Coke
simple.
1

11. Talk like a person.
When a short word works, use it.
Use short sentences and short
paragraphs.
simple.
1

12. Say half of what you
think you need to say.
simple.
1

13. hah
Corporate
buzz words
make people
zone out.
Don’t use them.
simple.
1

14. huh?
core competencies
action items
deliverables
knowledge bases
functionalities
scalable
user-centric
mission-critical
value-added
solutions-based
Leverage
Facilitate
Productize
Synergize
Cultivate
simple.
1

15. what?
core competencies
action items
deliverables
knowledge bases
functionalities
scalable
user-centric
mission-critical
value-added
solutions-based
Leverage
Facilitate
Productize
Synergize
Cultivate
simple.
1

16. core competencies
action items
deliverables
knowledge bases
functionalities
stop!
scalable
user-centric
mission-critical
value-added
solutions-based
Leverage
Facilitate
Productize
Synergize
Cultivate
simple.
1

17. Think about it.
Do you Google this:
– or –
– or –
“enabling enterprise collaboration”
“working without silos”
“company team building”
simple.
1

18. When people
search, they use
plain English.
Simple.
“company team building”
simple.
1

19. Simplicity keeps
people engaged
so they continue
reading.
And then you need to be…
simple.
1

20. authentic.
2

21. Just be honest.
Don’t say a form is short when it’s not.
Don’t say a process is easy when it’s not.
authentic.
2

22. Say it’ll take a little
time, and show them
why it’s worth it.
authentic.
2

23. Honesty is unexpected.
Sometimes it’s
even shocking.
And that’s the point.
authentic.
2

24. Being honest
gets people’s
attention.
But even more important,
it earns their trust.
authentic.
2

25. Engage your
audience with
simplicity.
Build trust with
authenticity.
And then you have to get
them to care by being…
authentic.
2

26. inspiring.
3

27. What difference
do you make in
your customers’
lives?
inspiring.
3

28. You aren’t
selling products
and services.
You’re selling the feelings
customers get when they
use your stuff.
inspiring.
3

29. To be a part of your
customers’ lives, you have
to talk to them about life:
... real human benefits.
... what’s in it for them.
Not how awesome
you are.
inspiring.
3

30. Because it’s not just about
getting people to respond
to your call to action.
( People can click
or opt in without
ever becoming a
customer. )
inspiring.
3

31. inspiring.
3 It’s about getting
people to care.
EMOTION DRIVES
DECISIONS.
And it’s the emotional
connection to your
brand that keeps them
coming back.

32. Simple. Authentic. Inspiring.
Master these, then apply consistency – but in a flexible way

33. Because almost every rule has an exception.
We always…
We never…

34. Example.
You should
almost always
write in active
voice,
but there are exceptions.

35. A stranger stole my identity!
(active, but über awkward)
My identity was stolen!
(passive, but ok)

36. Follow rules,
but don’t check
your common
sense at the door.

37. A unified voice
doesn’t mean that
everything you do
is identical in style.

38. The way you talk in a job interview is
different from how you talk at a party.
So the way you represent your brand
on social media will be different than
in a formal presentation.

39. Consistency
is good.
Just check yourself,
before you wreck yourself.

40. Self-assess your
Collect a sampling of recent work
and ask yourself…
brand voice.

41. Is it easy to read?
Avoid multi-syllable words, and
words that really aren’t words—
like productize and incentivize.
Trim long, dense paragraphs.

42. Are you straightforward
with the facts, or is there
“positioning” going on?

43. Are you focusing
on what’s in it for
the customer?
Avoid talking mostly about
product or service details.

44. Does it get straight
to the point, or do
you have to dig for
the main takeaway?

45. “Today you are you,
that is truer than true.
There’s nobody else
who is youer than you.”
– Dr. Seuss

46. © 2015 ODEN. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Oden is a marketing communications firm that specializes in B2B strategy,
content development, design, and technology. We are creative, but not just
in the sense of being innovative or clever. We create tangible results for our
clients—in the marketplace and on the bottom line. That takes more than
cleverness. It takes the ability to efficiently handle the details of even the
most complex multimedia, cross-channel, mixed-audience projects.
Our experience spans diverse industries and includes both Fortune 500 corporations and midsize businesses,
including FedEx, FedEx Office, Thomas & Betts, International Paper, Hilton Worldwide, PGA Tour, and
The Metropolitan Bank, among others.
Want to leverage your unique position in the marketplace? Create demand? Take advantage of emerging
opportunities? Oden can help you adapt, progress, and remain relevant in a constantly changing
business environment.
Contact us at hello@oden.com or connect with us:
@ODENmemphis
/odenmemphis
/oden
/odenmemphis
blog.oden.com
Did you get this presentation from a friend? Join our email list.