brand-voice
Transform brand and corporate writing into clear, respectful communication that sounds human while maintaining professionalism.
Note: Examples in this skill use specific brands (like Aesop, Intuit) for clarity, but all principles apply universally to any brand or organization.
Core Philosophy
Formality with warmth. Respectful and considered, with splashes of wit where appropriate. Never cold, never casual.
Clarity over cleverness. If you choose to be ambiguous or complex, do it for a specific reason. Default to clear.
Precision over excess. Use the exact word needed. Adjectives and adverbs should earn their place.
Talk to your friends. Pick the conventions of everyday conversation over the grammar book. Less formal and by-the-book than a newspaper—and that's OK.
Be clear and precise. Customers look to you for answers. Be as definitive and precise as you can. Use simple terms consistently.
Voice Foundations
These principles from long-form technical writing apply equally to brand communications:
Concrete before abstract. Lead with the specific, then explain the concept. Show what the product does before naming what category it belongs to.
Tension acknowledged. If tradeoffs exist, name them honestly. "This takes longer to absorb, but lasts through the day" is more trustworthy than claiming perfection.
Reader as peer. Assume intelligence. Never condescend. Never over-explain. Respect their time and attention.
Say what you mean. If you wouldn't say it to someone's face, don't write it. If it sounds like a template, rewrite it.
Word Discipline
Precision First
The more precise your nouns and verbs, the less qualification they need.
Weak: "She screamed loudly"
Strong: "She screamed"
Weak: "Very effective moisturizer"
Strong: "Effective moisturizer" (or name the specific effect)
Adjectives and Adverbs
Use sparingly. Main offenders to eliminate:
- "Very" and "really"
- Contextually unnecessary qualifiers ("whispered quietly," "screamed loudly")
In marketing copy, when adjectives appear, they must be precise and purposeful.
Forbidden Words
These cheapen what you're describing or sound like generic marketing:
- Luxury / luxurious
- Natural / organic (unless literally describing ingredients)
- Perfect (except as proper noun)
- Incredible / extraordinary / unprecedented
- Ultimate / supreme / premier
- Beautiful / exquisite / sublime
- Outstanding / excellent / superb / sensational
- Quirky
- Really / truly / very
- Love / soul (in commercial contexts—these words deserve better)
Beloved Words
Reach for these when appropriate:
- Appealing, considered, composed
- Effective, efficacious
- Fortify, nourish, purify, refresh
- Pleasant, suitable
- Rigour, science
- Sincere, gracious
- Tidy, orderly, utilitarian
- Botanical, emollient
- Aroma (not "scent" or "fragrance" when avoidable)
Use With Consideration
These require thought before deployment:
- Elegant, refined, striking
- Ideal, immaculate, meticulous
- Artful, astute, consummate
- Indulgent, alluring
See references/word-lists.md for complete vocabulary guidance.
Voice and Structure
Active vs. Passive Voice
Default to active for directness:
- "The consultant recommended this cream" (active)
- "This cream was recommended" (passive)
Use passive to maintain formality or put the client first:
- "You are warmly invited to the launch" (passive, client-centered)
- "We invite you to the launch" (active, company-centered)
Person and Pronouns
Use "we" when speaking as the company:
- "Let's get started. What's your email address?"
- "We'll help you create professional-looking invoices."
- Exception: When referring to the actual product (especially in marketing), use "it" not "us"
Use "you" when addressing customers:
- "You added 5 new customers this month!"
- "See a snapshot of where you stand."
- Buttons can use first person to represent the customer's voice: "I agree" or "Add customers"
Use third person for others, keep it gender neutral:
- When referring to someone other than the customer
- Avoid "she/he," "s/he," or "one"
- Use "they/them/their" when gender is unknown
Sentence Construction
Be concise. Polite formality ≠ wordiness. Use the words you need, no more.
Avoid jargon and waffle. If a simpler word works, use it.
- "Utilize" → "Use"
- "Leverage" → "Use" or name the specific action
- "Circle back" → "Return to" or "Revisit"
End sentences with prepositions when natural:
- "What are you looking for?" (not "For what are you looking?")
- "Who should this invoice go to?" (not "To whom should this invoice go?")
- If you'd never say it in conversation, don't write it that way
Use everyday contractions:
- "We'll help you" not "We will help you"
- "You're invited" not "You are invited"
- Contractions make writing feel more conversational and human
Use simple verb tenses:
- Prefer present and simple past over perfect tenses when possible
- "We sent your invoice" not "We have sent your invoice"
Think before writing. Clarity of writing follows clarity of thought.
Email and Business Writing
Structure
- Reference (if applicable): "I refer to your letter of," "Following our phone call"
- Reason for writing: "I am writing to confirm/advise/inform/thank you for"
- Request or elaboration: "Could you please let me know if..."
- Desired outcome: "We would be grateful for," "Please forward to"
Before Sending
Check:
- Structure: Logical flow? Would headings or lists help?
- Meaning: Clear and unambiguous? Have you considered the reader's context?
- Concision: Could you say it in fewer words?
- Tone: Too abrupt? Too effusive?
- Attachments: Did you mention them? Are they attached?
Protocols
- Avoid "blind" copying (BCC) of emails
- Think before forwarding: Is this information confidential? Who are our suppliers? What's in development?
- Consider the reader: Is English their second language? Do they have context?
What to Eliminate
Marketing Clichés
- "Excited to announce," "thrilled to share," "proud to present"
- "Best-in-class," "robust," "scalable" (unless literally discussing system scaling)
- "Seamless," "frictionless," "effortless"
- "Game-changer," "revolutionary"
- "Synergy," "align," "circle back," "leverage," "utilize"
Passive Voice Hiding Agency
When appropriate, name who does what:
- "Mistakes were made" → "We reformulated it"
- "It was decided" → "Our team chose"
- "This product is loved" → "Customers return for this product"
Throat-Clearing
- "In today's rapidly evolving landscape..."
- "It's worth noting that..."
- "Without further ado"
- "At the end of the day"
- "Let's dive in"
Exclamation Points
Use extremely sparingly. One per piece maximum. If the content is exciting, the reader will feel it without punctuation shouting.
Rhetorical Excess
If you ask a rhetorical question, answer it plainly or don't ask it at all.
Weak: "What does this mean for you? Everything!"
Better: "This changes how you approach [specific thing]."
Hyperbole Without Evidence
- "Revolutionary," "unprecedented," "game-changing" (unless you can prove it)
- Inflated stakes that don't match the actual claim
- Superlatives without specifics
Formatting Guidance
Lists and Bullets
Use when genuinely helpful for parallel items. Don't default to bullets when prose would be clearer.
Paragraphs
Keep them digestible. One main idea per paragraph.
Headings
Use to guide the reader through longer documents. Make them descriptive, not clever.
The Human Test
Before finalizing, ask:
- Is it clear? Will the reader understand immediately?
- Is it concise? Could you say it in fewer words without losing meaning?
- Is it respectful? Does it treat the reader as intelligent?
- Is it considered? Have you thought about word choice, not just defaulted to the first phrase?
- Does it sound human? Would a real person say this, or does it sound like a corporate template?
- Is it honest? If there's a tradeoff or limitation, have you acknowledged it?
- Would you say it to their face? If not, rewrite it.
Extended Guidance
See references/word-lists.md for complete vocabulary guidance organized by category.
Credits and Inspiration
This skill is inspired by and adapted from:
Aesop's writing guides: "The A-Z of written communication at Aesop" and "Aesop Digital Writing Guide"
- Core philosophy of formality with warmth, clarity over cleverness, and precision over excess
- Vocabulary preferences and word discipline principles
- Email and business writing protocols
- Emphasis that "clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought"
- "Talk to your friends" - conversational over grammar-book formal
- "Be clear and precise" - definitive language improves comprehension
- Person and pronoun usage (we/you/they)
- Natural sentence construction (ending with prepositions, contractions, simple verb tenses)
- Global thinking and inclusive language
Voice foundations from The Composable Codex by Alison Presmanes Hill
- Concrete before abstract thinking
- Honest acknowledgment of tradeoffs and tensions
- Reader as peer (assume intelligence, never condescend)
- Directness and warmth over corporate distance
This skill adapts these principles for brand and corporate writing contexts, combining Aesop's respectful formality, Intuit's conversational clarity, and the honest directness of technical writing that respects the reader's intelligence.