The American Marketing Association defines a brand as, “a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” While a brand is about distinction, it’s not just differences in products or services. Instead, a brand is about the unique perceptions and experiences you want to be known for in the marketplace. In other words, your brand defines what you want people to think of when they hear your company name.
When it comes to B2B branding, “professionalism” might come to mind before “personality.” While your brand should define and address the goals of the business, brand positioning should also reflect the human element of an organization. After all, people make up the business. If you’re not consistently reinforcing your brand through marketing communications, you are missing important opportunities to build engagement and relationships. In the process, make sure your brand tone and voice resonate on a human level. The best way to find that voice? Start from within.
Four Questions to Define Your Brand
- How does our company mission drive the tone of our brand?
It’s important to understand that your brand’s voice shouldn’t have to be invented from the ground up. Instead, it may simply need to be uncovered and cultivated. It likely already exists within your company’s mission and vision statements. A mission statement identifies why you are in business and who your products and services serve. It reflects the “who,” “what” and “why” of your company. The company vision articulates what a company looks like once it achieves the success it seeks. How does this shape the way you communicate? What tone reflects and showcases the company’s values? For example, the mission of TOMS shoes is to help improve lives through business. This core value is embedded into every marketing message that communicates the “One for One®” model that donates one pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair of shoes purchased.
- Who is our target market?
Any marketer will tell you that a major key to success is understanding your target markets. This means knowing their needs and challenges, so you can offer valuable solutions. But that’s not all. It also requires a thorough understanding of where, how and when they like to communicate. Certain types of buyers and potential buyers may have tone preferences, but they also congregate on certain platforms, read specific publications and come from diverse backgrounds, demographics or age groups.
Mailchimp is a great example of a brand crafting marketing messages based on a rich understanding of its target market. As stated in their style guide, “We’ve walked in our customers’ shoes, and we know marketing technology is a minefield of confusing terminology. That’s why we speak like the experienced and compassionate business partner we wish we’d had way back when. We want to educate people without patronizing or confusing them.” Understanding the experience and preferences of your clients gives you a leg up on producing a brand that matters.
- How is our company different from the competition?
Understanding what sets your organization apart helps shape the language, tone and impression of your brand and your corporate differential. “When you write like everyone else,” says Jason Fried on Inc., “you’re saying, ‘Our products are like everyone else’s, too.’…Would you go to a dinner party and repeat what the person to the right of you is saying all night long? Would that be interesting to anybody?” In other words, lean into your corporate differential, but also tap into your company’s quirks and personality.
For example, there’s plenty of competition in the telecommunications market. T-Mobile differentiates itself from its competitors by catering to a smaller, younger and a more urban niche audience that bucks the idea of being “tied down” to a single provider. Its messaging and exclusive offers (paying early termination fees for new customers) speak directly to the pain points of its target audience. Use testimonials and case studies to showcase company culture or let clients speak for themselves and share their experience of doing business with you.
- How do we want our company perceived?
Words are the foundation of your marketing communications and, when used effectively, they can shape the way your brand is perceived. Here are some examples of brands and the tone of voice they have identified for themselves:
- Starbucks—functional (easy to read, easy to order) and expressive (tells a passionate coffee story)
- Coca-Cola—positive, friendly and down-to-earth
- Old Spice—humorous and masculine.
Ideally, your marketing voice and style will stay consistent across all marketing channels. That said, different types of content call for different tones. Blogs can be more playful and conversational due to their short-form and frequent nature. A white paper or ebook might be more professional and use industry-specific terminology, but still offers a lot of freedom. An article or a press release may need to fit specific format and style requirements. Consider how your tone may have to shift according to content medium and create a brand style guide that helps keep the tone of voice consistent.
Connections Matter
While consistency, professionalism and brand alignment are all important, it is essential to keep the individual in mind when articulating and reinforcing your brand through marketing content. Make sure your messaging emphasizes the human element. B2B content that connects with the human in mind while still sharing value and expertise can set your company apart from the pack.
