Here’s a quick intro to Voice and Tone:
Voice is how a brand sounds. If you think about a person’s voice, we all have distinct qualities; maybe your voice is low-pitched, or nasally, or maybe you over-enunciate certain syllables.
Each characteristic communicates something about you to a listener, and its the same with a brand. Clearly articulating your brand voice helps you create a strong identity that your customers can connect with.
Voice doesn’t typically change much unless an entire brand personality changes.
Tone is how a brand sounds in specific contexts. The difference between voice and tone is subtle, but tone has more to do with who you are speaking to, and in what circumstance.
You probably use different terms, or speak more casually with a friend than a parent or caretaker. You may speak more formally or graciously to a manager at your office than on a zoom meeting with a coworker.
Tone also changes based on mood and emotion. Your tone changes when you’re talking to someone who is laughing compared to when they are crying. You might speak a certain way to someone who is rushed compared to someone who is relaxed.
Tone can change more easily while staying on-brand.
Our readers come from all backgrounds, and from many parts of the world. Whether they are security enthusiasts, activists, women in tech, freelancers, heads of the family, or tech grandparents, we want to speak to them in a way that conveys confidence, trust and enthusiasm in our products.
Users could be
We are
Our brand says that we are Bold, Unique, Simple, and Human. The way this comes to life specifically for our voice and tone is through these voice and tone principles:
Confident - we are steady when talking about complicated things because we understand them well.