Very few brands offer something that their competitors do not. That’s why brands are in a constant battle for share of mind. It goes without saying that when a consumer identifies a need, every brand with a solution wants to be the first one they think about. The entire advertising industry is based on this simple fact.

But share of mind has become increasingly difficult to achieve. Mostly because the sheer number of places where brands must capture it has expanded exponentially. For many brands the list is nearly endless–out of home, on store shelves, social media platforms, blogs, forums, publications, television and radio, streaming services, Amazon listings, Google, live events… For most brands, it is simply impossible to cover them all. But many are trying.

That means brands are creating a lot of content, both paid and organic. And because of the rise of AI and automation, we’re seeing an absolute gluttony of content. But what happens when content outpaces our collective capacity for consuming it? It all starts to run together. Our brains begin to fog over. We tune it out. In an attempt to gain share of mind, we’ve paralyzed it. But it’s not just the sheer volume of content. It’s also that in a mad dash to create more of it, everything starts to sound the same.

To stand out in a sea of content, you not only need valuable content, but that content needs to have a clear, identifiable and consistent tone of voice. What is brand tone, exactly? Here is an excerpt from my new book on verbal brand identities, Soul, Inc.:

I’ve heard “tone of voice”, “voice and tone”, “brand voice”… they are all the same thing. This is how you want your brand to sound, and the manifestation of the brand archetype. If your brand were a person, would the conversation be formal or chatty? Does your brand sound like a surfer or a stockbroker?

It is a simple concept but one that is often overlooked. But now, with a constant barrage of content hitting us everywhere we turn, brand tone might be more important than ever. It can be the red thread that runs through every brand communication, from quick social media posts to long-form content series.

When a brand’s tone is well-defined and consistently used, consumers will:

• Have a much easier time identifying your content
• Be more likely remember your content
• Separate your brand more easily from competitors

But the most important benefit of a strong and identifiable brand tone is that consumers will begin to form a relationship with your brand. And that is what share of mind is all about.

There are a few brands out there that do this exceptionally well. Liquid Death, Apple and Skittles come to mind. When you see any content from these brands the tone is unmistakable–kind of like when you see a Dali, you know it’s a Dali. You could close your eyes and ask someone to read an ad from these brands to you, and you would be likely be able to pick them out from any one of their competitors, instantly. Even if they didn’t read the tagline or slogan to you.

The key is defining the tone then expressing and interpreting that tone consistently, through everything the brand creates. Again, from Soul, Inc.:

If I’m shopping for a Rolls Royce, I should be hearing some pretty sophisticated words. If I’m looking at a Harley, I should hear the word “badass” at some point in the sales pitch, at any location.

If your brand is struggling to connect with your audience, or to stand out from the competition, it might be time to revisit the brand’s tone. Let us know. We can help.