What we say is as important as how we say it. The voice of our brand conveys our personality, so it should be consistent. Both the words we choose and how we put them together should reflect our voice.
The U of I voice should sound and feel:
Empowered
We are confident, but not demanding.
Uplifting
We are energetic and encouraging, but not overly enthusiastic.
Courageous
We are bold, but not overwhelming.
Bold
We are future forward, yet our feet are firmly planted on the ground.
Self-Assured
We speak with authority, but we’re not authoritarian.
Brand personality
Our brand personality helps shape our voice as it serves as a filter for expressing our brand. It goes without saying that, as writers, the stories and messages we share, and the words we use to communicate them, should be extensions of our brand personality (which is covered in more detail here):
- Confident
- Full of integrity
- Empathetic
Understanding tone
The tone we use as writers allows us to fine-tune the voice to an audience and situation.
Achieving this stems from the empathetic part of the U of I brand personality – it requires a keen awareness of who we are communicating with and what that audience might be feeling in a particular time or situation.
We never stray from our voice, but we may choose to vary our tone when a situation calls for subtle shifts.