You ever notice how you can tell who someone is by how they talk?
Not just their accent or word choice, but the whole package. Their energy, their rhythm, their vibe.
Brands work the same way. Problem is, most brands sound like they’re reading from the same damn script written by a committee of robots trying to impress other robots.
The Voice That Actually Matters
Your brand voice isn’t what you write in your style guide. It’s what comes out of your mouth when a customer pisses you off. It’s the emails you send when you’re excited about a new product. It’s the Instagram caption you write at 11 PM when you’re too tired to overthink it.
That’s your real voice. Everything else is just cosplay.
Think about the brands you love. They don’t just have a “voice” – they have an entire language system.
Supreme doesn’t just sell clothes; they’ve created a whole dictionary of streetwear culture.
Harley-Davidson doesn’t just sell motorcycles; they speak a language that every rider understands.
Finding Your Natural Voice
Stop trying to sound like a brand and start sounding like yourself after three cups of coffee. Here’s a quick gut check:
- Read your last five social posts out loud
- If you wouldn’t say it to a friend at a bar, delete it
- If it sounds like your competitor could have written it, burn it
- If it makes you feel slightly uncomfortable, you might be onto something
Creating Brand Rituals That Stick
Culture isn’t just how you talk – it’s what you do consistently. It’s your rituals, your traditions, your weird little habits that make people feel like they’re part of something bigger.
Apple doesn’t just launch products; they create events that feel like religious experiences. Starbucks doesn’t just sell coffee; they’ve created a whole morning ritual that millions of people can’t live without.
Your brand needs rituals that people can participate in. Not just buy from – participate in.
Building Rituals That Matter
Think about the natural rhythms of your business and your customers’ lives. Maybe it’s:
- The unboxing experience that feels like Christmas morning
- The way you celebrate customer wins
- The annual event that everyone looks forward to
- The inside jokes that only your true fans get
But here’s the key: these rituals need to feel natural. Forced traditions die faster than a houseplant in a windowless office.
The Language of Your Universe
Every rich universe has its own language. Think about how HBO’s “Succession” created phrases that people quote in board rooms. Or how CrossFit turned “WOD” into something people actually say with a straight face.
Your brand needs its own dictionary. Not corporate jargon – real language that your people use naturally.
Building Your Lexicon
Start by listening. What words do your most passionate customers use? What phrases keep coming up in your team meetings? What shortcuts have you developed to describe common situations?
That’s the seed of your brand language. Nurture it. Let it grow naturally. But for the love of all things holy, don’t force it.
Cultural Touchstones
Every strong culture has touchstones – stories, moments, and references that everyone in that culture understands. Nike has “Just Do It.” Apple has “Think Different.” But more importantly, they have stories that their people tell and retell.
What are your stories? What are the moments that define your brand? What are the legends that your customers tell each other?
These aren’t just marketing materials – they’re the folklore of your brand universe.
Making It All Feel Natural
Here’s where most brands screw up: they try to formalize everything. They create brand voice guides thicker than a Game of Thrones novel and wonder why everyone sounds like they’re reading from a script.
Instead, think of your brand culture like a garden:
- Plant the right seeds
- Create the right conditions
- Pull the weeds that don’t belong
- Let it grow naturally
- Trim when necessary, but don’t try to control every leaf
The Authentication Test
You know you’ve built a real brand culture when:
- Your customers can spot a fake from a mile away
- New team members naturally adapt to your voice
- People quote you without realizing they’re quoting you
- Your culture spawns inside jokes
- Competitors try to copy you and fail
When Culture Goes Wrong
Let’s talk about the dark side for a minute. Brand culture can go wrong in two ways:
- It becomes a cult that alienates everyone except the true believers
- It becomes so watered down it means nothing to anybody
The sweet spot? Building something strong enough to mean something real to your people, but open enough that new people can join and contribute.
The Daily Practice
Culture isn’t a one-and-done thing. It’s daily decisions, small moments, consistent choices. It’s saying no to things that would dilute your voice. It’s celebrating the people who get it right. It’s gently correcting the ones who don’t.
Think of yourself as the guardian of your brand’s culture, not its dictator. Your job isn’t to control it – it’s to nurture it.
The Reality of Brand Culture
Here’s the thing about building a brand culture: it’s never finished. It’s a living thing that grows, evolves, and changes. But if you do it right, it becomes something bigger than you. Something that lives in the wild, spreads on its own, and creates real meaning for people.
That’s when you know you’re not just building a brand – you’re building a world.
Remember: Your brand’s culture isn’t what you say it is. It’s what your people say it is when you’re not in the room. Make it something worth talking about.
