Watch your tone.

Snoop dog, Boris Johnson and Yoda have one thing in common. As soon as you hear them, know exactly who they are you do.

As 2,000(ish) brands launch daily in the UK alone, the battle to be heard intensifies.

But your product’s special right? Sadly, that might not be enough.

When it comes to standing out (and I might add, to the right people for the right reasons) a punchy brand personality (i.e. your brand message, logo, colour pallet, typeface and tone) can work wonders to distinguish you from the mass. A differentiated look, feel and sound can fight for the right attention, as well as build real relationships between your product and your customer. Forging feelings that take them on a journey from attraction to conversion, and from optimisation to retention. I never knew I could experience such feelings towards a razor until I met Harry’s. And now I’m theirs. Forever.

Brand is the opposite of fluff — it’s a powerful mechanism to attract the right people (talent and customers) and repel the people who don’t belong.

Because strong positioning is a simple game of push and pull, love and hate. And really standing for something means you’ll stand out for the customers you want to win and keep. Because if you try to appeal to everyone, you end up standing for no one.

So why, when it comes to investing in brand personality, is tone of voice left to the back of the brief? People remember you by how you sound as much as how you look. Remember Chandlers’ ex-girlfriend Janice? Point made.

Where to start when toning up your tone?

Your company values. How you sound externally should reflect how you sound internally. Otherwise you’re putting on an accent. Which is inauthentic and exhausting. Trust me bruv.

Values should capture the deeper purpose and aspirations of your company.

Tuning into these should direct your external tonality and harmonise your efforts in finding your brand voice. But you may need to refine your values before translating them for your external audiences.

If you’ve stuck up values such as ‘authenticity’, ‘honesty’ and ‘trust’ on your office wall, firstly you should worry if your people need reminding of these basics. Secondly these concepts are ambiguous and probably don’t reflect what’s unique in your company culture. So revisit your values, dig deep and pull out the DNA that are just so <insert your brand name here>.

Here are a few keys to help you hit a successful sound.

Ensure every word serves a purpose. The result is clear and simple copy.

Speak in human. Write like you speak. Even if you’re B2B or B2B2C2D, humans are likely to be listening. Don’t default to formal. You can say serious things without being serious.

Choose the right channel. Pick the message and deliver it through the optimum channel. Test and tweak. Get feedback continuously.

Handle humour responsibly. Humour is a powerful tool to build trust and stay top of mind. But don’t try too hard. Don’t be that uncle. Play with puns and idioms carefully.

Most of all, be consistent and stick to it. When it comes to standing out, consistency trumps uniqueness. Build basic guidelines and beat the drum.

So go on, speak up and stand out. And make a mark you will.