You are the trusted friend who takes your customer to her first music festival.

Brand voice is a tricky one. Copywriting seems so straightforward, but as soon as we begin, we realize there are a million different ways to express the same idea. The voice we use is just as important as the message we deliver. How do we want to come off? Casual? Authoritative? Edgy? Esoteric? Funny?

To address this challenge, I’ve started to imagine my clients’ brand messages being delivered by specific characters. Then, when I start to write copy, I ask myself, “How would [this particular character] talk to [my ideal customer]? What words would they choose?

How would Tim Cook tell you about an AR feature in a new iOS compared to Snoop Dogg?

Here are some real-life examples from my clients:

For Responsible Hedonist, a wine brand that makes wine fun for the casually curious:

Character: The trusted friend who takes your customer to her first music festival.

Messaging example: “Upgrade your hangover brunch drinks.”

For Footnote Creative, a brand strategist who wants to showcase an academic background in philosophy without sounding pretentious:

Character: The friendly adjunct professor who has a few other irons in the fire: well-studied, but not too serious or egotistical.

Messaging example: “Despite everyone’s well-intentioned advice not to, I studied philosophy in college in a noble Pursuit of Truth. Spoiler alert: I didn’t find it. But I learned the most important thing I needed for everything else I’ve done since: how to ask questions.”

For my own brand strategy business, Helloë Creative:

Character: Rachael Ray’s enthusiasm and approachability plus Terry Gross’s persistent pursuit of depth and truth.

This one is less of a character and more of a collage of real people, but it works for me.

Messaging example: “Book a 3-hour workshop with me where we delve into the good stuff—why you’re here, where are you are now, and most importantly, where you’re going.”

How would you describe your brand voice as a person?