The Importance of Nailing your Business’s Tone of Voice

Ten years ago, when I first wrote about tone of voice – that’s the words and language you use to express your brand, the challenge for most businesses was finding the time and clarity to define it.

In 2026, the challenge is very different.

Large language models (LLMs) have made it easier than ever to produce content. But they’ve also made it very easy to sound like everyone else. It’s not necessarily bad writing. It’s just not distinctive. And in today’s crowded marketplaces, that’s a problem. Standing out has never mattered more.  

That’s why your business’s tone of voice (TOV) is now one of the most valuable marketing assets you own. And I’m not talking about a set of neat adjectives in a brand document. I mean the creation of a clear, usable framework that guides how both humans and machines write on behalf of your business.

So, how much time and energy have you put into defining your business’s TOV? I’d put money on the fact you’ve devoted far more attention to your logo and visual identity than to the impression you’re creating through the words you use to present your business. 

In this blog I’ll explain why your TOV matters more than ever and what you need to consider when defining your brand’s voice.

A refreshing read
I’ll start with the example of Innocent Drinks. 

Unless you were hiding under a rock when Innocent spilled onto the scene as British-born smoothie brand in the late 90’s, you can’t have failed to notice its marketing. Back in 1999, the clever people at ‘Fruit Towers’ shunned traditional marketing language and took TOV to a whole new level - presenting Innocent as a refreshingly friendly, fun and socially aware UK brand. 

Innocent’s chatty, playful voice echoes through every customer touch-point, from packaging and advertising to digital channels. That cross channel consistency is key. Your TOV needs to be as familiar to your customers as your logo. Familiarity breeds trust and trust drives sales!

What Innocent did instinctively back in the 90’s is exactly what many businesses are now struggling to systemise, especially as content creation is increasingly delegated to tools rather than people.

Find a voice that resonates with your audience

Of course, Innocent’s chatty TOV isn’t necessarily going to be right for your business or audience. You need to a voice that reflects your brand and its values, and builds familiarity and trust with your customers and prospects. 

The best place to start is by profiling your customers to understand what makes them tick and what they care about. For advice on how to go about this, read my blog on the importance of customer profiling.

You also need to be clear on your company’s brand values. What does your business stand for? What’s important to your customers? Try to distil these down to a small number of words and phrases that genuinely describe your company.

When you get your TOV right, you’ll connect with your customers on a level that many of your competitors will never reach. That’s because words are incredibly powerful. They can invoke emotion in a way that colour and typeface simply can’t. 

So I implore you, take your TOV as seriously as you do your company’s visual identity - and make sure anyone or anything that’s writing for you, understands it.

If your business has something important to say, you need to make sure it doesn’t get lost amongst the generic AI din. Let me help you define your brand values and tone of voice in a way that works for humans and for LLMs. Get in touch. I'd love to help!