Brand Voice And Messaging

---
name: brand-voice-and-messaging
description: "Build the verbal identity — a voice platform (3–5 attributes, tone-shift rules by context, do-say/don't-say pairs, a term glossary) and a messaging hierarchy (tagline, elevator, value pillars). The half of the brand book a logo tool skips; authored from the strategy brief, applicable by someone who isn't the author."
---

# Brand Voice & Messaging

A brand sounds like something or it sounds like nothing. This skill turns the strategy brief into an
operational voice platform + messaging hierarchy — the verbal half of the brand book. The test is
applicability: someone who is not you must be able to write on-brand copy from it.

> Authored from the `brand-strategy-brief.md`. If no strategy brief exists, stop and route to
> `brand-strategist` — voice without strategy is decoration.

## Workflow

1. **Derive attributes from the archetype + audience** (in the strategy brief), not from a vibe.
2. **Write tone-shift rules** — the same voice flexes by context (error message vs landing headline vs legal).
3. **Author do-say/don't-say pairs** — concrete, side-by-side, the most teachable artifact.
4. **Build the term glossary** — canonical spellings, capitalizations, words to use, words banned.
5. **Set the messaging hierarchy** — tagline → elevator → value pillars → proof points.

## The voice platform

### Voice attributes (3–5, no more)

Each attribute is a word **plus** what it means here **plus** what it is NOT (the guardrail):

| Attribute | Means | Is NOT |
|---|---|---|
| e.g. Direct | Short sentences, active voice, lead with the answer | Blunt or cold |
| e.g. Warm | Second person, human, generous | Cutesy or over-familiar |
| e.g. Expert | Precise nouns, cites the specific | Jargon-flexing or condescending |

Three-to-five. A sixth attribute means the voice has no edges.

### Tone-shift rules

Voice is constant; **tone** shifts by context. Map the register per surface:

| Context | Register | Example move |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing headline | Confident, benefit-first | "Ship the brand, not the debate." |
| Onboarding / empty state | Encouraging, low-pressure | "Nothing here yet — let's fix that." |
| Error / failure | Calm, accountable, actionable | "That didn't save. Here's how to retry." |
| Legal / billing | Plain, precise, no cutesy | State the fact; no jokes on money/legal. |

### Do-say / don't-say

The most-used artifact in a brand book. Concrete pairs:

- ✅ "Start free" ❌ "Commence your no-cost journey"
- ✅ "We lost your file — here's what we're doing" ❌ "An error has occurred"
- ✅ "3 steps" ❌ "A seamless, frictionless experience"

### Term glossary

Canonical spellings/caps + banned words: e.g. "sign in" (verb) vs "sign-in" (noun); product names' exact
casing; ban "leverage/synergy/seamless" if the voice is Direct. This is what keeps 10 writers consistent.

## Messaging hierarchy

```
Tagline        — the 2–5 word emotional anchor (from brand-strategist)
  ↓
Elevator       — one sentence: what + for whom + why different
  ↓
Value pillars  — 3 supporting themes (each a benefit, not a feature)
  ↓
Proof points   — the specific evidence under each pillar
```

Every pillar is a **benefit** ("get to launch in a week"), never a feature list. Proof points carry the
specific ("47 templates", not "lots of templates") — and any performance/number claim that will face a
customer is sourced or flagged.

## Anti-patterns

- More than 5 voice attributes (no edges) or attributes with no "is NOT" guardrail.
- A voice platform with no do-say/don't-say pairs — the abstract-only guide nobody can apply.
- Value pillars that are feature lists instead of benefits.
- Tone that jokes on legal/billing/failure surfaces.
- Banned/preferred words undocumented, so every writer re-litigates "sign in" vs "login".

## See also

- Skill: [`../brand-strategy-and-naming/SKILL.md`](../brand-strategy-and-naming/SKILL.md)
- Template: [`../../templates/brand-strategy-brief.md`](../../templates/brand-strategy-brief.md) (voice section)
- Skill: [`../brand-book-assembly/SKILL.md`](../brand-book-assembly/SKILL.md) (where voice is compiled into the book)