Brands, like people, have personalities. Is your brand hip or techie? Sexy or serious? The way brands speak — in advertising, on the shelf, on your tablet, in person — reflects their unique personalities. 

The concept of voice isn't new when it comes to creating an individual piece of communication. Brand owners and agencies alike will often talk about the overall tone of a piece. 'Does it sound like us?' 'Is that really our voice?'

But what's not as widely practiced is the art of truly understanding what your tone or brand voice really is, codifying it and applying it across multiple brand touch points, target audiences and situations. 

While we won't get into the nuts and bolts of what goes into a brand voice strategy and tactical direction during this post, we will take a look at four interesting examples of unique and powerful brand voices in very different markets. 

We will look at the overarching strategies and specific tactics each brand uses to deploy a consistent, 'hey, that sounds like us' voice across multiple touch points. 

J. Peterman 

Most people know of J. Peterman as the eccentric owner of the catalog company where Elaine from Seinfeld worked in the hit TV show. In reality, it's actually a real business, much the same as it was portrayed in the show. The brand sells vintage women's and men's clothing, accessories, luggage and one-of-a-kind pieces over the internet and by catalog. It also uses language at every turn to pull consumers into the brand's unique world.

The Strategy: 

Traveling is about experiences. And experiences bring us stories. J.Peterman's brand voice balances simple, brilliant storytelling with a literary slant to engage consumers and sell "uncommonly good stuff." 

The Tactics:

Tough Mudder

In business, there are followers, and there are leaders. Tough Mudder is the leader, and some might say originator, of the endurance event series space. Participants in Tough Mudder events traverse 10–12 mile long military-style obstacle courses. Designed by British Special Forces to test mental and physical strength, obstacles often play off of common human fears, such as fire, water and heights. The courses are no cakewalk. And the rough and tough voice supports this.  

The Strategy: 

The Tough Mudder brand clearly appeals to a young, active and aggressive audience around the world. After all, they position themselves as "Ironman meets Burning Man." By using language that connects with this audiences' inner-beast, and by speaking in a way that shows us the only thing we have to fear is our own inhibitions, the Touch Mudder voice is funny, unique and highly engaging. 

The Tactics:

Tullamore Dew

Whiskey. A distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. There are so many classes, types, flavors and brands of whiskey that selecting one for yourself or a friend can be quite dizzying. One brand, Tullamore Dew, cuts through the clutter with a unique, intelligent and bold verbal identity that bridges past and present.  

The Strategy: 

Highly emotional, extremely evolved, slightly abstract, insanely Irish. That's the Tullamore Dew brand voice. The brand itself is based on a mood. A mood set by language — famous quotations, toasts, values, life scenes and self-evident truths. And setting the right mood starts with selecting the right words. 

The Tactics:

Graphic Direction

Graphic Direction is a Toronto-based print consultancy. In the last few years the company has tried to distance itself, both its brand and the service offering, from traditional printers. Full disclosure: we developed the Graphic Direction voice as part of an overall rebrand with our friends at SMITHRAIS. So featuring them here is partially a shameless plug. But we also think it is an interesting example of how a smaller B2B company can effectively use language and personality to differentiate itself from the competition and be highly relevant to its target audience. For Graphic Direction, their core target audience is graphic designers and agencies.  

The Strategy: 

Disruptive. Edgy. Proud. Loud. The language Graphic Direction uses shakes up an industry born from one of the oldest modern inventions to date — the printing press. It reaches out directly to its designer audience and says 'hey, we speak your language, let's do something cool. Let's chat.' 

The Tactics:

So that's it. Four fun brands that have something unique to say, and a unique way of saying it. 

If you are interested in learning more about how a brand voice program can activate your brand, say hello to Tanj.

We're always happy to help. 

Wii. You know that crazy little game console brand that shook up the gaming market in recent years? We like to think it's because of the name. Members of our team created it after all. But the truth is, the name was only one part of the brand's success. 

Nintendo's vision for changing the face of gaming, the creation of a completely unique product, and a need to develop a brand that was as innovative as the product itself all led to the creation of the name "Wii." 

And what does "Wii" mean? The name was plucked from the English pronoun "we," as in 'we will play together,' and lightly spun to give it a highly unique look and feel.

Client: Nintendo 

* The above work was carried out by Scott Milano, Owner & Managing Director of Tanj Branding LLC, while he was employed by Interbrand Corporation. It is featured on this site only to represent the comprehensive work experience of Scott Milano the individual, not Tanj Branding LLC the company. 

Who doesn't love a big flatscreen? The vivid colors, impressive picture and sheer size make you want to jump to your feet and belt 'Bravo!' for its amazing performance! 

Well, maybe we're exaggerating a teensy bit. 

But TVs can be cool, and when we developed the name "Bravia" to help Sony climb back to the top of a highly competitive flatscreen market, our goal was to create a name that spoke to high performance. 

Hence "Bravia," lightly coined from the word "bravo," denoting a really good viewing experience.   

Client: Sony 

* The above work was carried out by Scott Milano, Owner & Managing Director of Tanj Branding LLC, while he was employed by Interbrand Corporation. It is featured on this site only to represent the comprehensive work experience of Scott Milano the individual, not Tanj Branding LLC the company. 

Let's face it: banks don't have the best reputations these days. For your average consumer, there is a general feeling of "us" against "them." GMAC Financial understood this and aimed to develop a different kind of brand for a different kind of bank. 

Enter Ally Bank. 

The name "Ally" comes from the English noun "ally," meaning a person or group that supports you for a common cause. By being more transparent, more accessible, more real and just all around easier, Ally Bank is able to deliver on the promise behind the name. Simply put, they are there for you. 

We forgot to mention that Ally is an online bank. They don't even have branches. So they're kind of like your financial ally in the cloud, too. 

Client: GMAC Financial

* The above work was directed by Scott Milano, Owner & Managing Director of Tanj Branding LLC, while he was employed by Interbrand Corporation. It is featured on this site only to represent the comprehensive work experience of Scott Milano the individual, not Tanj Branding LLC the company. 

Packaging Potential

Packaging is like a pair of socks; it's just not something that garners much thought for most people. But the fact is, like a good pair of socks, good packaging can make all the difference. For consumers, for brand owners, for the world. 

MWV, one of the world's largest packaging solutions providers, is trying change the conversation around packaging. We have worked closely with the company on an expansive, in-depth rebranding, including the development of a highly unique brand strategy and story, a compelling and casual brand voice, targeted brand messaging and lots of crisp copywriting. 

We helped them invite a more meaningful dialogue that engages their customers (think big brands like P&G, Coca-Cola and Starbucks) and consumers (think you).

Flip over some packaging in your house and look who made it; chances are you'll find some from MWV. They're everywhere.

Client: MeadWestvaco 

* The above work was carried out by Scott Milano, Owner & Managing Director of Tanj Branding LLC, while he was employed by Interbrand Corporation. It is featured on this site only to represent the comprehensive work experience of Scott Milano the individual, not Tanj Branding LLC the company. 

Coffee-Mate is probably at 90% of coffee stations in offices and waiting rooms around the country. To continue its quest for global creamery domination, Nestle's Coffee-Mate wanted to extend the brand into the wonderful world of all-natural real milk creamers. 

We helped them get there by naming the new brand "Natural Bliss." We think the name speaks for itself. 

While it's true that most of the folks at Tanj prefer a light splash of 1% organic milk and no sugar in their daily joe, we have to say, Natural Bliss is quite dreamy. You should try it sometime. 

Client: Nestle
Partners: FutureBrand

So the next time you find yourself in a naming pickle, breathe deep and take a minute to understand your options. Luckily you have a few to consider.

Option 1: DIY

You know, do it yourself? More often than not, clients who try to name their own brands find themselves dialing Name-11 when they realize naming – especially naming your own brand – is harder than it looks. Before you venture into this territory, keep in mind the following.

+ The Good

• Cheap, cheap, cheap – You’ll avoid paying an outside vendor.
• Speed – You’re handling it all internally, so you can just get it done.
• Volume – Depending on the size of your staff or company, you can create a lot of ideas quickly. Who knows? Fred in Accounting might come up with a winner.

- The Bad

• Chaos – Very often DIY naming projects run afoul because they don’t have clear objectives, direction or a process. They crash and burn hard.
• Quality – Even though your employees can speak, read and write, it doesn’t mean they’re going to create killer names. More likely than not, Fred in Accounting just can't get the job done.
• Costs – When projects drag on, costs go up. Your launch can be delayed. Your trademark screening fees skyrocket. Worst of all, you find yourself having to change the name after you launch because you're being sued for trademark infringement. Do you know how much that costs?

Option 2: Online Naming Tools & Naming Services

This one is similar to DIY. Only it's a slightly different strategy. There are a number of free online naming tools – wordoid.com, nameboy.com and more – that will help you generate ideas. There are also online shops that claim to offer specialized naming services for next to nothing.

With this option, you're basically looking at the same pros and cons as doing it yourself. Get ready to roll the dice because with this route, it’s a real crapshoot.

Option 3: Call Your Ad Agency

Heck, your agency is creative. They came up with that great campaign last year. So naturally they can name your new widget, right? Here are some of the pros and cons of leaning on your ad agency.

+ The Good

• Price – Traditional agencies want you to buy media. That's where they make their money. Rarely will they charge you for this kind of creative.
• Creativity – Almost any agency has a copywriter who can cook up some crazy ideas for you.
• Integration – If your agency is in charge of the campaign, they’ll offer perspective on integrating the name with an advertising strategy down the line.

- The Bad

• Experience – Most ad agencies just don’t do naming. They don’t know the intricacies of how to generate smart ideas, and lots of them. Nor do they understand the more technical aspects of the field, like the legal and linguistic hurdles.
• Carelessness – They may rush you through the naming exercise to get to the "fun stuff" (i.e. developing your campaign). Along the way, they make mistakes.
• Quality – The worst naming presentation I’ve ever seen came out of an ad agency – one founded by an advertising giant in the 1940s. Zero strategy. Zero creativity. Zero quality. Other agency naming presentations I've seen weren't much different.

Option 4: Naming & Branding Consultants

Picture it: an army of consultants are marching through your door. Sometimes it’s like that – big branding firms often bring massive teams to the table. Smaller naming companies or independent consultants usually come in ones and twos. If you go down the naming and branding consultant route, here’s what to expect:

+ The Good

• Experience – Although I can’t vouch for everyone, I’d be willing to bet that most naming and brand consultants have enough experience to steer you away from common naming pitfalls.
• Quality & Quantity – Most consultants understand that it takes more than just pulling a single name out of a hat. They know you'll need quality and quantity to get you to the finish line with a solid name.
• Price – Although they're not free, many smaller firms offer tremendous value and insight for relatively reasonable fees.
• Scale – Many bigger consultancies have vast resources to help you build your brand outside of just the name. They can handle everything from research and strategy to design, implementation and management.

- The Bad

• Price – Yep, you’ll pay to work with the big boys. Seriously. I’ve seen naming projects – just the naming portion – run more than $200,000. Is it worth it? Perhaps. Is it financially feasible? Not for most companies.
• Scale – Smaller shops that specialize in only naming often lack the resources to help you with every aspect of building your brand.
• Speed – This one’s tricky. Most consultancies take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to develop a batch of viable name candidates. In your world, that’s probably an eternity. But the flip side is that it takes time to get things right.

So there they are, your naming options in all of their glory. Whether you have a naming emergency or not, please remember: always be informed and prepared before jumping into naming your next brand.

The world is complex and rife with big problems. Hunger. Disease. Disaster. It's serious stuff that requires a lot of smart people developing robust solutions that create change for the better. 

That is exactly what Change Assembly does. And that is precisely what we were going for when we branded the company and created the name "Change Assembly" — an honest, clear, memorable moniker. 

Through the power of big data, robust technology and human networks, Change Assembly helps organizations understand and solve complex human problems. We hope they continue to succeed in making our world a better place.

Client: Change Assembly
Partners: Sanderson 

Have you ever driven in New York City? You've got to dodge, weave, step on it and STOP… all before the light turns green.  

Thank goodness Nissan built the Juke crossover. It's a sweet ride for navigating tricky streets safely and stylishly.

We helped develop the name "Juke." And we think it is a really good fit because, in case you didn't know, "juke" means "outmaneuver." 

Designed to look like a proud boxer from the outside, and feel like a jet-fighter cockpit inside, Juke lets you quickly carve up the toughest city streets.

Client: Nissan

* The above work was directed by Scott Milano, Owner & Managing Director of Tanj Branding LLC, while he was employed by Interbrand Corporation. It is featured on this site only to represent the comprehensive work experience of Scott Milano the individual, not Tanj Branding LLC the company.