Tone of voice

Also known as: ToV

The tone of voice is the style in which a company or brand communicates with its target audience. So literally the voice of the organization. Applying one fixed tone in texts and other forms of communication makes the organization recognizable and helps determine its image. It ensures that the public and existing relations are always addressed in the same way, in line with the identity that the company wants to project.

A tone of voice can be formal or informal, serious or light-hearted, direct or indirect, commercial or informative, technical or accessible. This tone of voice should ideally be applied consistently in all communications, such as brochures, the website, commercials, mailings, emails and other correspondence.

Appropriate and consistent tone

The tone is not only determined by the underlying organization. When done right, a company aligns the style of all external communications with the target audience it wants to reach and activate.

Defining and consistently using the same tone of voice goes beyond simply choosing whether a company tutors customers. Sometimes organizations establish their tone of voice in the form of a persona, an imaginary person who models the company's identity, including its values and attributes that guide all forms of communication. This not only makes it easier to make and keep your own employees aware of it. It also simplifies briefing external parties for specific assignments, such as an advertising agency or copywriter.