Do you have a brand "voice"? If so, what makes it unique? Listen to your company's communications . . . are they clear? Consistent? Is your voice distinctive? Does it take the right tone for your company or organization?

Brand "voice" is the term we use for the way you talk to your clients or customers. This includes everything from the way you answer the phone, to the way you write emails, ads and brochures, to the way you and your employees communicate with clients face-to-face.

Some companies use a more casual voice, like a friend speaking to a friend. Others use more formal language and style to get their message across. It really depends on the type of company you are, what you're selling, and who you're selling it to.

One thing is for sure: having a distinctive voice is an important part of your brand identity — and many big companies are missing it. Think about the way Pepsi communicates with its consumers. Now, there's nothing specifically wrong with Pepsi's voice, but is it distinctive? Does it resonate? Does it speak to you in a way that's different from a dozen other big companies? If you take the visual context away — leaving only the words, the language and the tone — can you tell it's Pepsi talking to you?

Now — think of VISA using Morgan Freeman to voice its Olympic television ads. Didn't it get to the point where just hearing his voice at the beginning of a TV commercial immediately made you think of your credit card? Wouldn't you have recognized those ads with your eyes closed? It helps to have a voice like Freeman's to begin with — famously distinctive, independent of anything else — but it was also the tone of the ads, the language, the repetition. Everything about those ads combined nicely to give VISA a warm, approachable presence throughout the run of the Games.

If you haven't done so yet, you should work on developing your company's voice as part of your identity, and start employing it across all your communications. If you need help, just get in touch with us here at Limelight.