The difference between a point of view and a brand voice
I see a lot of brands that think they have a good brand voice. But what they really have is just decoration. A neatly wrapped collection of words that read well, look pretty, and sound like the part.
But this doesn’t equal distinct. This doesn’t equal stand out. This doesn’t make people feel connected to your brand.
Is this not the most boring brand voice you have ever seen…
Vitality would 100% benefit from more distinctive language to set it apart from other brands in the financial services & insurance sector
Why do brands need a well considered voice, then?
Well, for a few different reasons:
To share their stance with the world
To connect with the right people
To make people feel something
To convert, to lead, to drive change
To keep their comms consistent across teams (product, sales, marketing, and so on).
The truth is, most brands suck at creating a distinct tone of voice. Sure, they create a tone of voice. But it’s not distinct. Instead, it’s a sea of sameness. Over watered words that have lost all meaning. We are friendly. We are professional. We are honest. We are [insert overused tone of voice word here].
There’s no depth. No richness. No consideration. No intention. Seriously, if I see the word “honest” being used to describe a brand voice again I will personally write to the owner of the British dictionary and ask them to put in a disclaimer.
Where’s the tension? Where’s the texture? Where’s the real, human messiness?
Brands struggle with tone of voice for so many reasons.
Fear of being “too much”: This leads to watered-down, generic messaging that sounds technically “right,” but has no soul. No impact.
Safer to conform to industry norms: Instead of standing out, brands mimic their competitors. The result? Bland, forgettable messaging that blends into the noise. But safety is the enemy of resonance. If your voice is safe, it’s forgettable.
A disconnect from strategic roots: A brand voice that’s not anchored in a brand’s strategy becomes performative. There’s no depth, no clarity, no conviction, no alignment.
Starting with tone not truth: Many brands try to define their tone of voice before identifying what they truly care about. This results in messaging that’s surface-level – nice to look at, but emotionally empty.
A lack of understanding: Well, to be honest this last one is exactly why I’ve created my course, Tone Up.
We need to go deeper, like:
→ Warm, with a humour dryer than Merlot.
→ Sharp and polished, with a little bite.
→ Refreshingly candid, yet carefully measured.
These give me much more of an idea about a brand’s personality than generic descriptors, and you can easily see how these make the brand feel more human, not just a collection of buzzwords.
Buzzwords don’t help anyone writing for the brand understand how to connect with its audience. And creating connection is the entire point of having a tone of voice.
Your voice is your identity. It reflects not just what you do, but who you are and why it matters. And when you don’t use your voice as a strategic tool, you dilute your brand’s impact and distinctiveness.
When you don’t use your voice as a strategic tool, you dilute who you are and what you stand for.
What is a point of view: It’s what you believe, what you care about. What you actually do differently – not just promises, but principles you act on.
What is positioning: How your brand is perceived relative to others in your space. Positioning defines what makes you different, and why that difference matters to the people you want to reach. It’s the place your brand holds in someone’s mind.
What is verbal identity: Where your point of view and positioning come to life. It’s the words you use, how you make people feel, your tone, and your personality. And this is the thing that either magnetises people towards you or repels them. A cohesive verbal identity matters. This is what makes you sound unmistakably like you – and not like everyone else. It includes your:
Voice and tone
Language and phrasing
Messaging hierarchy
Brand personality and rhythm
An example of positioning, point of view, and brand voice for Oatly:
Positioning: A rebellious, sustainable alternative to dairy – irreverent and eco-conscious → “It’s like milk, but made for humans.”
Point of view: The world doesn’t need another milk company. It needs a radical shift in how we think about food, farming, and the planet → “Milk is for weirdo’s.”
Brand voice: Playfully rebellious – challenges norms. Uses humour to disarm → “This package contains a liquid that might change everything. Not everything everything, but definitely some things."
Now, for Notion:
Positioning: An all-in-one workspace for thinkers, doers, and teams who want flexibility and simplicity in how they work → “Write, plan, collaborate, and get organised. Notion is all you need.”
Point of view: Productivity tools shouldn’t force you into rigid systems. Creativity and clarity thrive when you build your own workflow → “Tools should adapt to you — not the other way around.”
Brand voice: Minimal, clear, calm, and quietly empowering. Designed to make space for your thinking → “Start with a blank page. Make it yours.”
See how the voices are rooted in the purpose of the brand itself? The voice isn’t merely just decoration. It’s a strategic tool.
A brand voice isn’t a nice to have. It’s your strategic tool for actually creating a real relationship with people.
It’s the difference between forgettable and magnetic. Between being just another brand and being someone’s brand.
It’s not about sounding quirky or playful. It’s about sounding like you – consistently, confidently, and in a way that actually lands with the people you want it to land with.
I see a lot of brands that think they have a good brand voice. But what they really have is just decoration. A neatly wrapped collection of words that read well, look pretty, and sound like the part.
But this doesn’t equal distinct. This doesn’t equal stand out. This doesn’t make people feel connected to your brand.
Is this not the most boring brand voice you have ever seen…
Vitality would 100% benefit from more distinctive language to set it apart from other brands in the financial services & insurance sector
Why do brands need a well considered voice, then?
Well, for a few different reasons:
To share their stance with the world
To connect with the right people
To make people feel something
To convert, to lead, to drive change
To keep their comms consistent across teams (product, sales, marketing, and so on).
The truth is, most brands suck at creating a distinct tone of voice. Sure, they create a tone of voice. But it’s not distinct. Instead, it’s a sea of sameness. Over watered words that have lost all meaning. We are friendly. We are professional. We are honest. We are [insert overused tone of voice word here].
There’s no depth. No richness. No consideration. No intention. Seriously, if I see the word “honest” being used to describe a brand voice again I will personally write to the owner of the British dictionary and ask them to put in a disclaimer.
Where’s the tension? Where’s the texture? Where’s the real, human messiness?
Brands struggle with tone of voice for so many reasons.
Fear of being “too much”: This leads to watered-down, generic messaging that sounds technically “right,” but has no soul. No impact.
Safer to conform to industry norms: Instead of standing out, brands mimic their competitors. The result? Bland, forgettable messaging that blends into the noise. But safety is the enemy of resonance. If your voice is safe, it’s forgettable.
A disconnect from strategic roots: A brand voice that’s not anchored in a brand’s strategy becomes performative. There’s no depth, no clarity, no conviction, no alignment.
Starting with tone not truth: Many brands try to define their tone of voice before identifying what they truly care about. This results in messaging that’s surface-level – nice to look at, but emotionally empty.
A lack of understanding: Well, to be honest this last one is exactly why I’ve created my course, Tone Up.
We need to go deeper, like:
→ Warm, with a humour dryer than Merlot.
→ Sharp and polished, with a little bite.
→ Refreshingly candid, yet carefully measured.
These give me much more of an idea about a brand’s personality than generic descriptors, and you can easily see how these make the brand feel more human, not just a collection of buzzwords.
Buzzwords don’t help anyone writing for the brand understand how to connect with its audience. And creating connection is the entire point of having a tone of voice.
Your voice is your identity. It reflects not just what you do, but who you are and why it matters. And when you don’t use your voice as a strategic tool, you dilute your brand’s impact and distinctiveness.
When you don’t use your voice as a strategic tool, you dilute who you are and what you stand for.
What is a point of view: It’s what you believe, what you care about. What you actually do differently – not just promises, but principles you act on.
What is positioning: How your brand is perceived relative to others in your space. Positioning defines what makes you different, and why that difference matters to the people you want to reach. It’s the place your brand holds in someone’s mind.
What is verbal identity: Where your point of view and positioning come to life. It’s the words you use, how you make people feel, your tone, and your personality. And this is the thing that either magnetises people towards you or repels them. A cohesive verbal identity matters. This is what makes you sound unmistakably like you – and not like everyone else. It includes your:
Voice and tone
Language and phrasing
Messaging hierarchy
Brand personality and rhythm
An example of positioning, point of view, and brand voice for Oatly:
Positioning: A rebellious, sustainable alternative to dairy – irreverent and eco-conscious → “It’s like milk, but made for humans.”
Point of view: The world doesn’t need another milk company. It needs a radical shift in how we think about food, farming, and the planet → “Milk is for weirdo’s.”
Brand voice: Playfully rebellious – challenges norms. Uses humour to disarm → “This package contains a liquid that might change everything. Not everything everything, but definitely some things."
Now, for Notion:
Positioning: An all-in-one workspace for thinkers, doers, and teams who want flexibility and simplicity in how they work → “Write, plan, collaborate, and get organised. Notion is all you need.”
Point of view: Productivity tools shouldn’t force you into rigid systems. Creativity and clarity thrive when you build your own workflow → “Tools should adapt to you — not the other way around.”
Brand voice: Minimal, clear, calm, and quietly empowering. Designed to make space for your thinking → “Start with a blank page. Make it yours.”
See how the voices are rooted in the purpose of the brand itself? The voice isn’t merely just decoration. It’s a strategic tool.
A brand voice isn’t a nice to have. It’s your strategic tool for actually creating a real relationship with people.
It’s the difference between forgettable and magnetic. Between being just another brand and being someone’s brand.
It’s not about sounding quirky or playful. It’s about sounding like you – consistently, confidently, and in a way that actually lands with the people you want it to land with.
© Sarah Fretwell 2026