Picking a voice for your brand

Teams spend weeks on a logo and five minutes on the voice that will talk to every customer. That voice will be heard more often than your logo is seen, so it deserves at least a meeting.

Start with three words

Write down three words for how your brand should feel: calm, sharp, warm, playful. Every candidate voice gets judged against them.

Test with real lines

Do not choose from the demo sentence. Run your own greeting, an error message and a piece of bad news through each candidate. Brands live in the awkward moments.

Listen on bad speakers

Most people will hear you through a phone or laptop. A voice that shines on studio headphones can turn thin on a cheap speaker.

Ask people who are not on the team

Play three finalists to five customers and ask which one they would trust with their money. The answer is usually obvious and rarely the team favourite.

Moment	What to listen for
Greeting	Does it sound like you mean it
Error	Calm, not cheerful
Bad news	Slower, warmer
Confirmation	Short and certain

Once you choose, stick with it. Consistency is what turns a voice into a brand.