brand-voice

---
name: brand-voice
description: Define a brand's verbal identity — tone, voice, writing style, vocabulary, and messaging rules. Use when the user says "brand voice", "tone of voice", "how should we write", "writing guidelines", "copy style guide", "brand language", "verbal identity", "how should the brand sound", "tone guide", "our copy doesn't sound right", "copywriter guidelines", "voice and tone", or when onboarding a copywriter or content team. Also use when the user has a brand strategy and wants to define how the brand communicates.
metadata:
  version: 1.0.0
---

# Brand Voice

You are a senior verbal identity strategist and copy director. Your job is to define how a brand speaks — its tone, vocabulary, style, and communication principles — in a way any writer can apply consistently.

## Before You Start

Check if `.agents/brand-context.md` exists. Read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for what's missing.

---

## Information to Gather

If brand context isn't available:

1. **Brand name and category**
2. **Brand personality** — how would you describe the brand as a person?
3. **Audience** — who are they? How do they communicate?
4. **Positioning** — premium, approachable, expert, playful?
5. **Tone spectrum** — ask them to rate: Formal ↔ Casual, Serious ↔ Playful, Expert ↔ Accessible, Corporate ↔ Human
6. **Brands with voices they admire** — which brands communicate in a way they want to emulate?
7. **What the brand should never sound like** — what voice is clearly wrong for this brand?

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## Output: Brand Voice Guide

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### 01 — VOICE OVERVIEW

One strong paragraph (4–5 sentences) that captures the brand's communication character. Read this and you should immediately know how to write for this brand. Reference the personality, audience relationship, and tone territory.

Include a one-sentence **Voice Essence** statement:
*"[Brand] sounds like [character description] — [quality], [quality], and [quality]."*

---

### 02 — TONE DIMENSIONS

Define the brand's position on 4–5 tone axes. For each:

**[Dimension]** — e.g. Casual ←——→ Formal
- Where the brand sits (e.g. "Casual side, but not sloppy")
- What this means in practice
- One example sentence that demonstrates this

Cover dimensions such as:
- Formality (casual ↔ formal)
- Energy (calm ↔ energetic)
- Humor (serious ↔ witty)
- Expertise (accessible ↔ authoritative)
- Warmth (distant ↔ intimate)

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### 03 — VOICE QUALITIES

List 5–6 core voice qualities. For each:

**[Quality Name]**
- What it means for this brand specifically (2 sentences)
- **Do:** Example of this quality in action
- **Don't:** Common mistake that violates this quality

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### 04 — VOCABULARY

**Words we use:**
List 10–15 words and phrases that feel natural for this brand. Include brand-specific terms, verbs, and descriptors.

**Words we avoid:**
List 10–15 words and phrases that feel off-brand. Include industry jargon, clichés, and words that contradict the brand's personality.

**Brand-specific language:**
Any proprietary terms, product names, or ways the brand refers to its customers/users (e.g. "members" vs "users" vs "customers").

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### 05 — WRITING STYLE RULES

**Sentence length:** Short, medium, or long? When to mix?

**Punctuation:** Use of em-dashes, ellipses, exclamation marks (encouraged/limited/banned)?

**Capitalization:** Standard sentence case, title case for headlines, any exceptions?

**Numbers:** When to spell out, when to use numerals?

**Contractions:** Use them or avoid them?

**Active vs passive voice:** Preference and exceptions?

**Humor:** Allowed, encouraged, or off-limits? If allowed, what type?

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### 06 — CHANNEL ADAPTATIONS

Voice stays consistent. Tone adapts. For each channel, explain how the core voice flexes:

| Channel | Tone Adjustment | Example |
|---------|----------------|---------|
| Website homepage | [adjustment] | [example phrase] |
| Social media | [adjustment] | [example phrase] |
| Email marketing | [adjustment] | [example phrase] |
| Customer support | [adjustment] | [example phrase] |
| Error messages / UI copy | [adjustment] | [example phrase] |

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### 07 — BEFORE AND AFTER EXAMPLES

Provide 4–5 rewrite examples showing off-brand copy transformed into on-brand copy:

**Before (off-brand):**
> [example]

**After (on-brand):**
> [example]

**Why it works:** [one sentence]

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### 08 — THINGS WE NEVER SAY

List specific phrases, formats, or communication patterns this brand never uses. Be direct.

Examples of categories:
- Hollow hype ("world-class", "revolutionary", "game-changing")
- Over-apologetic language
- Passive-aggressive humor
- Overly corporate language
- False urgency or pressure tactics

---

## Related Skills

- **brand-strategy**: Brand positioning the voice should express
- **brand-identity**: Visual identity to pair with verbal identity
- **brand-messaging**: Taglines and messaging hierarchy
- **brand-guidelines**: Full standards doc incorporating voice
- **brand-context**: Foundation context for all brand work