Brand Voice Manager

• Brand voice definition and documentation
• Voice consistency checking
• Tone and style guidelines
• Messaging framework creation
• Vocabulary and language rules
• Brand personality articulation
• Voice training for content teams
• Content alignment audits

NOT handled by this skill:

• Visual branding → This is voice/copy only
• Creating content → Use appropriate writer skills
• Logo/design guidelines → Text/voice only

Brand Voice Components

1. Brand Personality

Define your brand as a person:

## Brand Personality

**If our brand were a person, they would be:**
- [Age range, appearance, lifestyle]
- [Profession or expertise area]
- [Personality traits - 3-5 words]
- [How they speak and communicate]
- [What they value most]

**Personality Traits:**
1. [Trait 1] - [How it shows up in content]
2. [Trait 2] - [How it shows up in content]
3. [Trait 3] - [How it shows up in content]

2. Tone Spectrum

Define tone across different contexts:

3. Voice Attributes

Define 3-5 core voice attributes:

## Voice Attributes

### 1. [Attribute Name] (e.g., "Confident")
**What it means:** [Definition]
**How it sounds:**
- DO: [Example phrase]
- DON'T: [Counter-example]

### 2. [Attribute Name] (e.g., "Approachable")
**What it means:** [Definition]
**How it sounds:**
- DO: [Example phrase]
- DON'T: [Counter-example]

### 3. [Attribute Name] (e.g., "Expert")
**What it means:** [Definition]
**How it sounds:**
- DO: [Example phrase]
- DON'T: [Counter-example]

4. Language Guidelines

Vocabulary

## Vocabulary Guidelines

### Power Words (Use Frequently)
[List of brand-aligned power words]

### Words to Avoid
[List of off-brand words/phrases]

### Industry Jargon Policy
[When to use, when to explain, when to avoid]

### Competitor Words to Avoid
[Terms associated with competitors]

Grammar & Style

## Grammar & Style

### Contractions
[Use: yes/no, when]

### Sentence Length
[Guidelines for sentence structure]

### Paragraph Length
[Max lines/sentences per paragraph]

### Point of View
[First person (we/I), second person (you), third person]

### Active vs Passive
[Preference and when to use each]

### Oxford Comma
[Yes/No]

### Capitalization
[Title case rules, brand name rules]

5. Messaging Framework

## Core Messaging

### Tagline
[Primary brand tagline]

### Value Proposition
[One-sentence value statement]

### Elevator Pitch
[30-second version]

### Key Messages (3-5)
1. [Message 1]
2. [Message 2]
3. [Message 3]

### Proof Points
- [Proof point 1]
- [Proof point 2]
- [Proof point 3]

### Differentiation Statement
[How we're different from competitors]

3-Mode Workflow

MODE 1: PLAN

1. Understand Brand Context

   - Existing brand guidelines?
   - Target audience(s)?
   - Competitive positioning?
   - Content examples to analyze?
   

2. Audit Existing Content

   # Analyze existing content for voice patterns
   python scripts/content/analyze_brand_voice.py \
     --folder references/examples/ \
     --output output/analysis/voice_audit.json
   

3. Document Plan

   ## Brand Voice Plan
   
   ### Current State
   - Existing guidelines: [Yes/No]
   - Content consistency: [Low/Medium/High]
   - Key gaps: [List]
   
   ### Deliverables
   1. Brand personality definition
   2. Voice attributes (3-5)
   3. Tone spectrum
   4. Language guidelines
   5. Messaging framework
   

MODE 2: CLARIFY

Discovery Questions:

• "Describe your brand as if it were a person - who are they?"
• "What 3 words should people use to describe your brand?"
• "What tone do competitors use that you want to avoid?"
• "Who is your target audience?"
• "What values does your brand stand for?"

Style Questions:

• "Formal or casual? How casual?"
• "Use humor? What kind?"
• "Use emojis in content?"
• "First person (we/I) or third person?"

Differentiation Questions:

• "What makes your brand voice unique?"
• "Any words/phrases competitors overuse?"
• "What's your 'anti-voice' - what you never want to sound like?"

MODE 3: IMPLEMENT

1. Create Voice Guide

   python scripts/content/generate_voice_guide.py \
     --brand "Brand Name" \
     --output references/brand-voice/
   

2. Document All Components

   • Brand personality
   • Voice attributes
   • Tone guidelines
   • Language rules
   • Messaging framework

3. Save Files

   references/brand-voice/
   ├── brand-voice-guide.md       # Full guide
   ├── tone-guide.md              # Tone spectrum
   ├── messaging-framework.md     # Core messages
   ├── vocabulary.md              # Word lists
   ├── do-dont-examples.md        # Examples
   └── quick-reference.md         # One-page summary
   

Voice Consistency Check

Checking Content Against Brand

# Check content for brand alignment
python scripts/content/check_brand_alignment.py \
  --content output/content/draft.md \
  --guidelines references/brand-voice/ \
  --output output/analysis/alignment_report.md

Alignment Report Format

# Brand Voice Alignment Report

## Content Analyzed
[File/content identifier]

## Overall Score: [X/10]

## Voice Attribute Alignment
| Attribute | Score | Notes |
|-----------|-------|-------|
| [Attribute 1] | X/10 | [Notes] |
| [Attribute 2] | X/10 | [Notes] |
...

## Issues Found

### Tone Issues
- Line [X]: "[Quote]" - [Issue description]
  - Suggested: "[Rewrite]"

### Vocabulary Issues
- "[Word used]" → Suggest: "[Brand-appropriate word]"

### Style Issues
- [Issue and recommendation]

## Recommendations
1. [Recommendation 1]
2. [Recommendation 2]
...

Brand Voice Guide Template

# [Brand Name] Brand Voice Guide

## Our Brand Personality

[Paragraph describing brand as a person]

**If [Brand] were a person, they would be:**
- [Description]

**Personality Traits:**
- [Trait 1]: [Description]
- [Trait 2]: [Description]
- [Trait 3]: [Description]

---

## Voice Attributes

### 1. [Attribute] - [Tagline]
**Definition:** [What this means]
**In practice:**
- ✅ DO: "[Example]"
- ❌ DON'T: "[Counter-example]"

### 2. [Attribute] - [Tagline]
...

---

## Tone by Context

| Situation | Tone | Example |
|-----------|------|---------|
| Social media | [Tone] | "[Example]" |
| Email marketing | [Tone] | "[Example]" |
| Support | [Tone] | "[Example]" |
| Sales | [Tone] | "[Example]" |

---

## Language Guidelines

### We Say / We Don't Say
| Instead of... | We say... |
|---------------|-----------|
| [Off-brand] | [On-brand] |
| [Off-brand] | [On-brand] |

### Power Words
[List of brand-aligned power words]

### Words to Avoid
[List of off-brand words]

---

## Writing Style

- **Contractions:** [Yes/No]
- **Point of view:** [First/Second/Third person]
- **Sentence length:** [Short/Medium/Varied]
- **Emoji usage:** [Never/Sometimes/Often]
- **Humor:** [Never/Subtle/Frequent]

---

## Core Messages

### Our Promise
[Value proposition statement]

### Key Messages
1. [Message 1]
2. [Message 2]
3. [Message 3]

### Elevator Pitch
[30-second pitch]

---

## Examples in Action

### Social Post
**On-brand:**
> [Example post]

**Off-brand:**
> [Counter-example]

### Email
**On-brand:**
> [Example email excerpt]

**Off-brand:**
> [Counter-example]

---

## Quick Reference Card

**Remember:** [Brand] is [Trait 1], [Trait 2], and [Trait 3].

**Our voice is:** [One-sentence summary]

**When in doubt:** [Quick rule]

Example Interactions

"Create a brand voice guide for my business"

[PLAN]
- Need full brand voice documentation
- Will create comprehensive guide
- Requires discovery questions

[CLARIFY]
- "Describe your brand personality"
- "Who is your target audience?"
- "What tone do competitors use?"
- "Share examples of content you love"
- "What should your brand NEVER sound like?"

[IMPLEMENT]
- Create full voice guide
- Document all components
- Include examples
- Provide quick reference card

"Check if this content matches our brand voice"

[PLAN]
- Content alignment check
- Need existing brand guidelines
- Will provide detailed report

[CLARIFY]
- "Where are your brand voice guidelines?"
- "What specific aspects to check?"
- "Any known problem areas?"

[IMPLEMENT]
- Analyze content against guidelines
- Score alignment by attribute
- Flag specific issues
- Provide rewrite suggestions

"Make our content more consistent"

[PLAN]
- Analyze current content
- Identify inconsistencies
- Create standards

[CLARIFY]
- "Sample content from different team members?"
- "Which pieces represent ideal voice?"
- "Any specific inconsistencies noticed?"

[IMPLEMENT]
- Audit content samples
- Identify variation patterns
- Create/update voice guide
- Provide alignment checklist

Output Files

Brand voice documents saved to:

• references/brand-voice/brand-voice-guide.md - Full guide
• references/brand-voice/tone-guide.md - Tone spectrum
• references/brand-voice/messaging-framework.md - Messages
• references/brand-voice/vocabulary.md - Word lists
• references/brand-voice/quick-reference.md - One-page summary
• output/analysis/voice_audit.md - Content alignment reports

Quality Checklist

For brand voice guides:

• Personality clearly defined
• 3-5 voice attributes with examples
• Tone spectrum for different contexts
• Specific vocabulary guidance
• Clear do/don't examples
• Messaging framework complete
• Quick reference available
• Practical and usable for team