Brand Voice Skill

Frameworks for documenting, applying, and enforcing brand voice and style guidelines across marketing content.

Brand Voice Documentation Framework

1. Brand Personality

Define the brand as if it were a person. What are its defining traits?

2. Voice Attributes

Select 3-5 attributes that define how the brand communicates. Each attribute should be defined with:

• What it means in practice
• What it does NOT mean
• An example demonstrating the attribute

3. Audience Awareness

• Who the brand is speaking to
• What the audience cares about
• What level of expertise the audience has
• How the audience expects to be addressed

4. Core Messaging Pillars

• 3-5 key themes the brand consistently communicates
• The hierarchy of these messages
• How each pillar connects to audience needs

5. Tone Spectrum

How the voice adapts across contexts while remaining recognizably the same brand.

6. Style Rules

Specific grammar, formatting, and language rules.

7. Terminology

Preferred and avoided terms.

Voice Attributes

Common Voice Attribute Pairs

Defining an Attribute

[Attribute name]

• We are: [what this means in practice]
• We are not: [common misinterpretation to avoid]
• This sounds like: [example sentence demonstrating the attribute]
• This does NOT sound like: [example sentence violating the attribute]

Tone Adaptation Across Channels and Contexts

The brand voice stays consistent, but tone adapts to context.

Tone by Channel

Tone by Situation

Tone Adaptation Rule

The voice attributes remain fixed. Tone dials them up or down based on context.

Style Guide Enforcement

Grammar and Mechanics

Formatting Conventions

• Heading hierarchy (when to use H1, H2, H3)
• Bold and italic usage
• Link text (always descriptive, never "click here")
• Exclamation mark policy (limited use)
• ALL CAPS policy (avoid; use bold instead)
• Emoji usage by channel

Terminology Management

Preferred Terms

Product and Feature Names

• Official capitalization for product names
• When to use full product name vs. shorthand
• How to handle versioning in copy
• Trademark and registration symbols

Inclusive Language

• Use gender-neutral language
• Avoid ableist language
• Use person-first language where appropriate
• Avoid culturally specific idioms that may not translate
• Use "simple" or "straightforward" instead of "easy"

Industry Jargon Management

• Define which technical terms the audience understands without explanation
• List jargon that should always be defined or replaced
• Specify which acronyms need to be spelled out on first use

Competitor and Category Terms

• How to refer to your product category
• How to refer to competitors
• Terms competitors have coined that you should avoid
• Your preferred differentiation language

Related Skills

• content-strategy - Content marketing strategy
• competitive-analysis - Competitive intelligence

Sources

• Original: anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins (2026-02-03)

Version History

• 1.0.0 (2026-02-03): Initial release from anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins