I used to think brand voice was just about picking the right adjectives. Friendly, bold, authoritative: choose your words, write them down, and boom, you’ve got a voice. I thought the real work was in the execution, in making sure everything “sounded” right.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to realise that’s not how voice works at all. Because a brand’s voice isn’t just what it sounds like—it’s what it does. It’s how it moves, how it shifts depending on context, how it guides a reader toward a specific feeling or action. And that comes down to structure, rhythm, contrast, word choice. The details that most people don’t notice, but absolutely feel.
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…
Why do brands need a well considered voice? 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's 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's 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's a verbal brand 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.
Let's explore this by looking at a real life brand voice: GOV
The UK government's GOV.UK website is like that sensible friend who always explains things clearly without making you feel silly. They've mastered the art of straightforward, no-nonsense communication.
Consistency is key, and GOV.UK has worked hard at ensuring cohesion across their entire site. This uniformity makes the site easier to navigate and understand.
With an incredibly diverse audience, GOV.UK have a huge job on their hands. Not only do they have to respectfully navigate highly sensitive topics (like death, disability, illness, or bankruptcy for example), they also have to be transparent enough to tell people exactly what they need to know, so they can easily take action. There is zero room for vagueness or skirting around ambiguity.
The elements of GOV's brand voice
Respectful: they are inoffensive and sensitive to their users needs, backgrounds and circumstances. This shows that that they care and want to help.
Straightforward: their users have accessibility needs or may not speak English as a first language. Remember, they need to be inclusive, so use plain English and avoid colourful language, technical terms, humour and colloquialisms. They’re also conversational but not chatty, casual, or informal, since they still need to speak with authority.
Compassionate: they need to be sensitive (but not sympathetic) to the experiences and needs of all their users.
Neutral: they provide the facts without giving an opinion or judgement.
GOV.UK are all about ditching the jargon and using simple terms and phrases, and short sentences. They’re not about dumbing things down, but about being crystal clear, and inclusive. Their voice is designed to be clear, neutral, and accessible to everyone. Whether someone is applying for a passport, checking tax information, or understanding new policies, the language avoids technical terms and instead focuses on saying something in as simple and direct a way as possible.
For example, instead of saying:
‘Utilise the online portal to commence your application’
GOV say:
‘Use the online portal to start your application." Straight to the point and easy to grasp.’
About as neutral as you can get when talking about death
Navigating the tricky topic of death with subtlety and practicality.
But how do GOV.UK make their content feel human, when arguably their “directness” could come across as slightly robotic? One way is by using the active voice and speaking directly to their reader, using ‘you’ rather than ‘you will be’.
For example:
‘You can prove your English language ability by...' rather than 'You will be assessed on your English language ability'.
Or,
‘Please submit your application’ rather than ‘The application must be submitted by you.’
See how by addressing users directly, the instructions become more engaging and actionable? This consistency enhances readability and ensures the information is accessible to a broad audience.
Actionable guidance
For GOV.UK, it means focusing on what someone can do, rather than what they can’t do or what will be done to them. Being empowering means providing options, next steps and support.
That’s why you’ll see a lot of subheadings and bullet points across GOV’s site. Not only do bullet points make text easier to read, but they help a user break down complex information, maing the information and action steps seem less exhaustive and more manageable.
Look at how their use of bullet points breaks down complex information for people and asylum seekers whose first language may not be English: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.
Notice how even though they’re speaking in a conversational way, there is still an element of authority in their tone. This is achieved through verbs like ‘must’ and ‘always’ which indicate a strong obligation or necessity. There are no ‘might’s or ‘maybe’s in sight.
*You can see a breadown of GOV’s style and how they use content elements like bullet points in their Style Guide.
Inclusivity wins
Given the diverse audience, GOV.UK focuses on being inclusive and respectful. They are careful with language to ensure it doesn't offend or exclude anyone, and never write in a way that could make some think or feel 'this is not for me'. They choose neutral terms to avoid any unintended offense, and are careful about their use of contractions. Contractions like "you're" or "we'll" might seem too informal to some users, so they have to make sure their content meets everyone’s needs.
GOV.UK avoids government jargon and buzzwords because they know that nobody likes wading through a sea of confusing terms. They aim for clear and specific language—saying ‘Help’ rather than ‘Facilitate’. This approach ensures that the information is accessible and relatable to everyone.
Let’s talk tone
As we know, tone can change depending on the audience, context, and channel of communication. That’s why GOV has the same voice all the time, but their tone varies depending on who they’re talking to, and what they’re talking about. Like in conversation, this is about being responsive and respectful to the person and the situation.
For example, their tone becomes more chatty, informal, and varied when you chat to their virtual assistant, but the rest of their tone is direct, clear, professional and active, as people need instructional and straightforward language that helps them to complete tasks quickly and accurately.
We’ve covered some particularly difficult topics, but what about sexual assault? How do GOV handle that topic?
GOV.UK’s tone stays the same: authoritative, clear, and direct, without dialing up the sympathy (and risking making the situation worse). They remain 100% neutral, using straightforward language to deliver critical information, avoiding jargon and complex terms. For example:
"Call 999 to report a rape or attempted sexual assault, as soon as possible after the crime".
Notice that it is both concise, active, and provides immediate guidance that is actionable to the user—crucial in this particularly urgent situation.
The page also acknowledges the emotional difficulty of the situation and offers reassurance, emphasising the availability of help and the user's autonomy in deciding whether to involve the police. For example:
"If you don’t want to report it to the police... None of these organisations will make you report the assault to the police unless you want to."
GOV are respectful, without patronising the reader, and their practical information empowers users to make informed decisions about what to do next.
Say hello to the brand voice course, Tone Up
Tone Up is designed to do what most tone of voice advice can’t: make it actually usable. Most tone of voice advice stops at description. Words like “friendly”, “bold”, or “human” get written down, but they don’t translate into better writing or clearer decisions. Tone Up closes that gap.
It gives you a practical way to understand how different brand voices actually work, how to choose the right one for your brand, and how to apply it consistently across websites, campaigns, social content, and product experiences.
Built around real-world examples and a clear point of view on how brands communicate, the course helps you move from “we want to sound X” to actually sounding like it, so your brand stops blending in and starts feeling distinct, deliberate, and recognisable.
Who Tone Up is for
Tone Up is built for creatives, brand strategists, copywriters, and founders who want their brand to sound distinct – not interchangeable.
If you’ve ever struggled to:
define a clear tone of voice for a brand
make writing feel consistent across channels
move from strategy into actual execution
or stand out in a crowded market
Tone Up is for you. Inside, we don't treat tone of voice as a set of rules. It treats it as a creative system. If you want your brand to sound clearer, sharper, and more recognisable, Tone Up will show you how to get there.
Any questions?
Gab Lab is a space where brand builders and creatives can learn how to wield language with intention, creativity, and strategic bite. It’s a home for the tools, tactics, and thinking behind brilliant brand communication.
© Sarah Fretwell 2025
Say hello to the brand voice course, Tone Up
Tone Up is designed to do what most tone of voice advice can’t: make it actually usable. Most tone of voice advice stops at description. Words like “friendly”, “bold”, or “human” get written down, but they don’t translate into better writing or clearer decisions.
Tone Up closes that gap.
It gives you a practical way to understand how different brand voices actually work, how to choose the right one for your brand, and how to apply it consistently across websites, campaigns, social content, and product experiences.
Built around real-world examples and a clear point of view on how brands communicate, the course helps you move from “we want to sound X” to actually sounding like it, so your brand stops blending in and starts feeling distinct, deliberate, and recognisable.
Who Tone Up is for
Tone Up is built for creatives, brand strategists, copywriters, and founders who want their brand to sound distinct – not interchangeable.
If you’ve ever struggled to:
define a clear tone of voice for a brand
make writing feel consistent across channels
move from strategy into actual execution
or stand out in a crowded market
Tone Up doesn’t treat tone of voice as a set of rules. It treats it as a creative system. If you want your brand to sound clearer, sharper, and more recognisable, Tone Up will show you how to get there.