Brand Voice Analysis and Guidelines Generation
Skill Purpose
Analyze a brand's voice, tone, and messaging across all available channels and generate a comprehensive brand voice guidelines document. This skill examines how a brand communicates, identifies patterns and inconsistencies, and produces actionable guidelines that any writer or marketer can follow to maintain brand consistency.
When to Use
- User wants to understand or document a brand's voice
- User needs brand voice guidelines for a team, freelancers, or agency
- User wants to ensure consistency across marketing channels
- User is rebranding or refining their brand identity
- User wants to compare their brand voice to competitors
- Triggered by
/market brand <url>or/market brand
How to Execute
Step 1: Gather Source Material
To analyze a brand's voice, examine content from multiple sources. Prioritize in this order:
Primary Sources (must analyze):
- Homepage -- The most curated representation of the brand
- About page -- How the brand describes itself
- Product/service pages -- How they present their offerings
Secondary Sources (analyze if available):
- Blog posts (at least 3-5 recent posts)
- Social media profiles (bio, recent posts, engagement style)
- Email newsletters (welcome email, recent sends)
- Customer-facing copy (error messages, onboarding flows, help docs)
Tertiary Sources:
- Job postings -- Reveals internal culture and values
- Press releases -- Formal communication style
- Ad copy -- Paid messaging approach
- Video scripts or podcast transcripts -- Spoken brand voice
Use browser tools or the analyze_page.py script to access web content. For social media, check the website for social links and analyze the linked profiles.
Step 2: Voice Dimension Analysis
Map the brand's voice along four primary dimensions. Each dimension is a spectrum, not a binary.
Dimension 1: Formal <-----> Casual
Where does the brand fall on the formality spectrum?
| Signal | Formal | Casual | |---|---|---| | Contractions | Avoids them ("do not", "cannot") | Uses them freely ("don't", "can't") | | Sentence structure | Complex, longer sentences | Short, punchy sentences | | Vocabulary | Professional, industry-standard | Conversational, everyday words | | Greetings | "Dear valued customer" | "Hey there!" | | Pronouns | Third person ("the company", "one") | First/second person ("we", "you") | | Humor | Rare or absent | Frequent, natural | | Slang/colloquialisms | Never | Occasionally or frequently |
Score: 1 (extremely formal) to 10 (extremely casual)
Evidence required: Quote 3-5 specific examples from the source material that support your rating.
Dimension 2: Serious <-----> Playful
How much levity does the brand inject into its communication?
| Signal | Serious | Playful | |---|---|---| | Tone | Authoritative, measured | Light-hearted, fun | | Metaphors | Rare, conservative | Creative, unexpected | | Exclamation marks | Rare | Frequent | | Emoji use | Never | Sometimes or often | | Wordplay/puns | Never | Enjoys them | | Error messages | "An error has occurred" | "Oops! Something went sideways" | | Self-deprecation | Never | Occasionally |
Score: 1 (extremely serious) to 10 (extremely playful)
Dimension 3: Technical <-----> Simple
How much domain expertise does the brand assume in its audience?
| Signal | Technical | Simple | |---|---|---| | Jargon | Uses industry terms freely | Avoids or explains all jargon | | Acronyms | Uses without definition | Spells out on first use | | Detail level | In-depth explanations | High-level overviews | | Audience assumption | Expert audience | General audience | | Data/statistics | Frequent, detailed | Occasional, simplified | | Examples | Complex, domain-specific | Simple, relatable analogies |
Score: 1 (extremely technical) to 10 (extremely simple)
Dimension 4: Reserved <-----> Bold
How much personality and confidence does the brand project?
| Signal | Reserved | Bold | |---|---|---| | Claims | Hedged ("we believe", "may help") | Direct ("we guarantee", "the best") | | Opinions | Neutral, balanced | Strong, opinionated | | Competitive references | Avoids mentioning competitors | Directly compares | | Personality | Professional, understated | Distinctive, memorable | | Promises | Conservative | Ambitious | | Controversy | Avoids | Embraces when aligned with values |
Score: 1 (extremely reserved) to 10 (extremely bold)
Step 3: Tone Spectrum Mapping
Beyond the four dimensions, map how the brand's tone shifts across different contexts:
| Context | Typical Tone | Example | |---|---|---| | Homepage | [Confident/Welcoming/Urgent/etc.] | "[quote from homepage]" | | Product description | [Informative/Persuasive/Technical/etc.] | "[quote]" | | Blog post | [Educational/Conversational/Authoritative/etc.] | "[quote]" | | Social media | [Casual/Engaging/Promotional/etc.] | "[quote]" | | Error/404 page | [Apologetic/Humorous/Helpful/etc.] | "[quote]" | | Email subject lines | [Direct/Curious/Urgent/etc.] | "[quote]" | | CTA buttons | [Action-oriented/Benefit-driven/Urgent/etc.] | "[quote]" | | Customer support | [Empathetic/Professional/Friendly/etc.] | "[quote]" |
Step 4: Brand Personality Framework
Map the brand to one of five core personality archetypes (brands may blend 1-2):
The 5 Archetypes
1. The Authority
- Characteristics: Expert, trustworthy, data-driven, established
- Voice: Confident but not arrogant, educational, precise
- Industries: Finance, healthcare, B2B enterprise, legal, consulting
- Example brands: McKinsey, IBM, Mayo Clinic
- Key phrases: "Research shows...", "Our experts...", "Industry-leading..."
2. The Innovator
- Characteristics: Forward-thinking, disruptive, visionary, tech-savvy
- Voice: Exciting, future-focused, sometimes provocative
- Industries: Tech, SaaS, startups, renewable energy
- Example brands: Tesla, Stripe, Notion
- Key phrases: "Reimagine...", "The future of...", "We're building..."
3. The Friend
- Characteristics: Warm, approachable, helpful, relatable
- Voice: Conversational, empathetic, inclusive, encouraging
- Industries: Consumer products, education, community platforms
- Example brands: Mailchimp, Slack, Duolingo
- Key phrases: "We get it...", "You've got this...", "Here to help..."
4. The Rebel
- Characteristics: Bold, challenging conventions, irreverent, passionate
- Voice: Direct, opinionated, sometimes confrontational, memorable
- Industries: Lifestyle, fitness, creative industries, direct-to-consumer
- Example brands: Nike, Oatly, Cards Against Humanity
- Key phrases: "Stop settling for...", "The truth is...", "We're done with..."
5. The Guide
- Characteristics: Wise, patient, methodical, trustworthy
- Voice: Clear, instructional, supportive, knowledgeable
- Industries: Education, professional development, tools, platforms
- Example brands: HubSpot, Khan Academy, Ahrefs
- Key phrases: "Here's how to...", "Step by step...", "The complete guide to..."
Assessment:
- Primary archetype: [which one and why]
- Secondary archetype: [if applicable]
- Archetype fit: [Strong/Moderate/Weak -- how well does the brand embody this archetype?]
Step 5: Vocabulary Analysis
Identify patterns in the brand's word choices:
Words They Use Frequently
Analyze all source material and identify the 15-20 most characteristic words or phrases. Organize by category:
Action words: (verbs they favor)
- e.g., "build", "scale", "transform", "streamline"
Descriptive words: (adjectives they use)
- e.g., "powerful", "simple", "enterprise-grade", "effortless"
Value words: (words that reflect their values)
- e.g., "transparent", "sustainable", "inclusive", "innovative"
Industry-specific terms:
- e.g., "workflow", "pipeline", "conversion", "engagement"
Words They Avoid
Identify words that are notably absent or that would feel out of c