Imagine your brand walking into a room.
Not your logo. Not your website. Not your tagline. Your brand as a person.
Do people lean in… or slowly look for the nearest exit?
It’s a simple question, but it cuts straight to the heart of brand voice. Because whether you realize it or not, your brand is speaking. Every email, every social post, every line of copy – it all adds up to a personality. The only question is…
Is it one anyone actually wants to engage with?
Let’s be honest. Most brands sound like they were written by a committee… that was trying very hard not to offend another committee.
“We are committed to delivering innovative solutions that drive meaningful results…”
No one talks like that. No one wants to talk like that.
If your brand were a person, that line is the conversational equivalent of someone handing you a business card before saying hello.
Now compare that to someone who walks up and says, “We help people stop wasting money on things that don’t work.”
Clear. Human. Memorable. That’s the difference.
A strong brand voice doesn’t just communicate, it connects. It feels like there’s a real person on the other side. Someone with a point of view. Someone who knows what they believe and isn’t afraid to say it simply.
So how do you know if your brand passes the “would anyone talk to it?” test? Start here:
Does it sound like a human or a brochure?
Read your copy out loud. If it feels stiff, bloated, or overly polished, it probably is. Real people use contractions. They vary sentence length. They don’t over-explain obvious things.
Is there a point of view?
Memorable brands don’t sit on the fence. They take a stand, even if it’s subtle. If your messaging could apply to anyone in your category, it’s not strong enough.
Would someone recognize you without the logo?
If you stripped away your visuals, would your voice still be identifiable? The best brands are recognizable in a single sentence.
Are you saying something worth hearing?
Clarity beats cleverness. Every time. Don’t try to sound smart, try to be understood.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: “professional” has become a mask for “forgettable.” And in a world where attention is scarce, forgettable is expensive. The goal isn’t to be louder. It’s to be more real.
Because people don’t build relationships with companies. They build relationships with personalities. With voices. With something that feels, at least a little, like a person.
So, take a step back and ask the question again:
If your brand walked into the room…Would anyone want to talk to it?
Or would they politely nod… and move on?
The Branding Team
78Madison
78Madison is a full-service marketing communications firm (advertising agency) located in Orlando (Winter Springs) Florida. Interested in a conversation? Contact CEO Joe Bouch at jbouch@78Madison.com