The Power of Tone

Think of a smoothie brand.

If you thought of innocent, chances are you have been seduced by their tone of voice. Witty, playful, down to earth and natural.

They spend a lot on advertising, and their headlines are fun. But it’s on the pack where it really works hardest to convert customers. In a place where the text used to be informative, factual and dry, we are greeted with surprising, engaging conversation. It feels like it’s coming from a person, not a corporation.

The innocent tone was such a stunning success that since they pioneered chatty packaging, we now see it everywhere, and it’s become expected. Every brand wants the sales boost that engagement can bring. But it’s not always relevant. For innocent, being natural is at the heart of the brand. It’s there in their philosophy, and in their brand values. The ethos came first, and it has been carried through into the name and logo.

A brand called innocent (even with a brilliant logo) whose tone of voice was businesslike, logical and cold wouldn’t have the same impact. So it’s clear which way round the equation should go for startups: establish the values of the business and use them to define a personality, then worry about the name and the logo later.

Because if people aren’t listening, they’re not going to remember your name.