Why Does Global Brand Voice Matter?

Have you ever encountered someone whose personality seems to change entirely depending on the situation? It's unsettling. You’re still talking to the same person, but it doesn’t feel that way.

On the other hand, some people are the opposite. They’re genuine and authentic, no matter the context. There's a continuity in your interactions, and no matter what you talk about, it always feels comfortable.

The same principle applies to brands. Some have a distinct personality—you can recognize them by their voice and message, even if you can’t see their name or logo. Other brands are like chameleons, tailoring their messages to different audiences with varying tones and styles. In doing so, they dilute their brand personality and erode customer trust.

What’s the Difference?

It all boils down to the consistency of a company’s brand voice. The first type of brand communicates with a unified voice, no matter the language or market. The second doesn’t.

What is Brand Voice?

Brand voice is the personality a company presents to the world. It conveys a distinct attitude, style, and set of values.

Some find it helpful to think of brand voice as a character. If your company were a person, what would their name be? What would they wear? How would you describe them to a friend?

The clearer your brand voice, the more easily you can answer these questions. Try it with companies that have a well-known brand identity, like Disney or Goldman Sachs. Imagine putting these two "personalities" in the same room—it's clear that they have very different voices.

What Are the Benefits of a Distinct Brand Voice?

Proactively developing a unique brand voice offers numerous advantages for your business. Some of the key benefits include:

1. An Identity That Consumers Can Recognize Just like strong personalities help people stand out in a crowd, a distinct brand voice helps set your company apart from competitors. When your brand has a personality that’s easily identifiable, customers are more likely to recognize and choose you.

2. Stronger Customer Relationships People with open, inviting personalities naturally build stronger connections over time. The same goes for your brand. A consistent brand voice helps reinforce your company’s personality, values, and aesthetics in every piece of content.

   As your audience gets to know your brand better, they learn what to expect from you. This familiarity fosters trust and creates a sense of loyalty to your brand.

3. Memorable Brand Traits Just as people have unique traits that others associate with them, your company can develop specific characteristics that customers will remember. If your brand voice remains consistent, these traits will help customers recall your company and its values.

   For instance, Coca-Cola’s brand voice is joyful, genuine, and friendly. Coca-Cola is all about connection and sociability, and that message comes through in every advertisement. When people purchase a Coca-Cola product, they’re not just buying a beverage—they’re buying an experience.

4. Cost-Effective Marketing When your branding is consistent, you don’t have to explain your brand’s personality every time you create new content. Consumers have already learned who you are through repeated exposure to your brand.

   Take Apple ads, for example. From the iconic silhouettes used in early iPod ads to the sleek, minimalist visuals of the latest iPhone campaigns, Apple doesn’t need to spend time telling you what to expect. Their entire brand—from packaging to website—communicates their style, innovation, and simplicity.

Global Brand Voice

Apple’s brand clarity is an excellent example for global companies. Because their branding relies so little on verbal descriptions, it easily crosses borders. Of course, not every company can be Apple—but every global brand can create a consistent brand voice across campaigns.

The key to a global brand voice lies in having a flexible content framework and universal core characteristics. Your imagery should be iconic, and your message should be able to transcend cultural differences without losing its core meaning.

Creating an effective global brand voice requires thoughtful planning. Here are some strategies to help you ensure consistency in the global marketplace:

1. Choose Adjectives to Describe Your Voice

Select a few pieces of existing content your company has produced (ideally from different types of media), and identify three traits that describe each one.

Your content could be quirky, academic, hip, or traditional. Once you’ve selected three adjectives, create a list of “dos” and “don’ts” for each.

For example, if your brand voice is “quirky,” you might encourage writers and designers to be irreverent, but not sarcastic. If your brand is more academic, your guidelines might stress authority, without being condescending.

The more detailed your descriptions, the easier it will be for your localization team to maintain consistency across different markets.

2. Create a Style Guide and Glossary

Brand voice descriptors are a great starting point, but you can be even more helpful by providing a comprehensive style guide. This typically includes:

• Voice and tone guidelines
• Grammar and usage instructions
• Preferred sentence structures and writing styles
• Recommended visual types
• Formatting standards

For B2B businesses, you might also need a glossary of terms. These glossaries provide approved translations of industry-specific terms, ensuring your message remains clear across languages.

3. Develop Global Design Templates

Visual content is just as important as verbal communication when it comes to brand consistency. By creating design templates for your localization team, you can ensure your campaigns stay consistent across markets.

Templates also give you the chance to specify visual elements such as color schemes and imagery, which will help preserve your brand voice when content is localized.

4. Provide Creative Briefs

When a campaign is localized, creative professionals often need to develop new content to make the campaign feel as authentic in the new market as it did in the original.

Support your localization team by providing clear, detailed creative briefs. Key components include:

• A description of the target audience
• The primary campaign message
• The desired audience reaction
• An overall brand voice description

These elements will help your localization team understand the intent behind each piece of content while ensuring consistency with your brand voice.

5. Review Templates, Style Instructions, and Vocabulary with Your Localization Team

Your localization team plays a critical role in ensuring that your style and content choices are culturally appropriate. They’ll help make sure your chosen adjectives resonate with local audiences and avoid any unintended social faux pas.

This process also ensures that your message will be communicated clearly in the new market. Without attention to these details, much of the meaning could be lost in translation.

Key Takeaways

• Your brand voice is your company’s personality. The more consistent it is, the better customers can get to know you.
• A strong brand voice helps you create a clear identity and build deeper connections with customers.
• Global companies must ensure their brand voices remain consistent across different markets.
• You can maintain consistency in your global brand voice by working closely with your localization team.

At Arrow Translation, we are committed to helping you retain your brand’s unique voice as you enter new markets. Reach out to us today to learn how our services can help you preserve the core attributes of your brand as you go global.

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