Verbal brand identity is the counterpart of visual identity. It encompasses the choice of words, phrases, slogans, taglines, stories and narratives a brand uses to communicate its message and connect with its customers. Verbal identity also includes the tone of voice, the attitude and the emotion a brand conveys through its language. For example, a brand can have a friendly, humorous, authoritative or inspirational tone.
Developing a verbal brand identity is crucial in creating a memorable and distinctive voice for your business. Verbal brand identity defines how you communicate your brand values, personality, and promise through words. It includes elements such as your brand name, tagline, tone of voice, messaging, and storytelling.
Why is it important? Because words matter. Words can evoke emotions, inspire actions, and shape perceptions. Words can also differentiate you from competitors and connect you with your target audience. Verbal identity helps you to:
- Establish credibility and trust with your customers;
- Express your unique value proposition and competitive advantage;
- Build loyalty and advocacy among your fans and followers;
- Create a consistent and coherent brand experience across all touchpoints.
How do you develop verbal brand identity?
1. Define your brand purpose. What is the reason why your brand exists? What problem do you solve? What value do you create for your customers? What is your vision and mission? Your brand purpose should be clear, concise, and compelling.
2. Identify your brand personality. How do you want your brand to be perceived by your customers? What are the traits and characteristics that define your brand? Are you friendly, formal, playful, serious, witty, or something else? Your brand personality should be aligned with your brand purpose and resonate with your target audience.
3. Choose your brand’s tone of voice. How do you want to sound when you communicate with your customers? What is the mood and attitude that you want to convey? Your tone of voice should reflect your brand personality and adapt to different situations and contexts. For example, you might use a more casual tone on social media than on your website or in an email.
4. Craft your brand messaging. What are the key messages that you want to communicate to your customers? What are the benefits and features of your products or services? What are the stories that illustrate your brand values and promise? Your brand messaging should be relevant, engaging, and persuasive.
5. Test and refine your verbal brand identity. How do you know if your verbal identity is effective? You need to test it with your customers and get feedback. You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups, or online tools to measure how well your identity resonates with your audience. You can also monitor how well it performs in terms of conversions, retention, referrals, and other metrics. Based on the results, you can refine and improve your verbal brand identity over time.
Conclusion
Developing verbal brand identity is not a one-time project but an ongoing process. It requires creativity, strategy, and consistency. Following these steps, you can create the identity able to make your brand stand out and speak to your customers.
Visual brand identity and verbal identity are both essential elements of a successful branding strategy. They work together to create a holistic and coherent image of a brand that resonates with its target audience. Strong visual and verbal brand identity can help a brand to achieve its goals and objectives in the market.
