Tone Deaf
Tone-of-voice is the style in which you communicate with your audience. Choice of words, underlying emotions, and personality come into play in every piece of media or communication. Something seemingly as simple as an Instagram post or a price banner in your store carries your tone. You decide upfront what you want this relationship to look like and put your best foot forward - always. Do you want things to stay casual? Are you more matter-of-fact and informative? What does your balance of enthusiasm versus assertiveness feel like? Using a tone that remains true to you and your brand creates the environment necessary for your audience to thrive. It also manifests a set of guidelines to adhere to and promotes consistency - you know how much I love consistency!
Sounds pretty powerful, right? Do not let that scare you, it boils down to remaining true to your values, and your audience will appreciate it.
What about when you are the client/consumer/audience and notice something that seems off? Maybe a brand you follow missed the mark on a social media post, or the intention seemed true, but the execution left something to desire. Remember that a brand is a living, breathing thing that needs to be cultivated and nurtured to grow. They may make a mistake, apologize, and learn from it. Or they may continue setting a pattern of faux pas and show their true colors and not be a brand you want to support.
Most of these mistakes are due to not having a decided audience. You are trying to be everything to everyone, which cannot be.
Do I believe a branding agency, whose bread and butter is business-to-business clients who thrive in the traditional 9-5, suddenly cares about moms because it is Mother’s Day? Listen, I’m sure some of them called their moms to wish them a happy day, but they didn't focus on their core audience, and what was left was a tone-deaf message posted to appease the masses (and worse, tick off a select few).
Do I expect a small business that runs a children's resale shop to post something on Mother’s Day? Absolutely! Their core audience is moms and caregivers. I also hope their messaging and overall tone of voice align with that belief every day, not just once a year.
We see it all the time. Large retailers target different demographics during specific months of the year. Consumers aren’t dumb and they will call you out when you miss. Don’t jump on the bandwagon if it doesn’t resonate with your brand’s values! Put your time and efforts into the matters and times of year that pertain directly to you and what you believe in and let the rest ride.
Know your audience, encourage a growth mindset within your brand, and always always always use a consistent tone of voice that is true to you.
