I collaborated with a mid-sized fashion retailer facing challenges in connecting with their target audience. Their marketing was professional but forgettable, their social media presence was inconsistent, and their customer communications lacked personality. Despite carrying great products, they weren’t standing out in a crowded marketplace.
The problem wasn’t their merchandise or pricing but their brand voice.
After 15 years in retail consulting, I’ve seen this scenario play out countless times. Retailers focus intensely on product selection, store design, and pricing strategies but often neglect one of their most powerful differentiators: how they speak to their customers.
Your brand voice is more than just words in a caption. It’s the personality and emotion behind every customer interaction. It’s the difference between being memorable and forgettable.
1. Start With Your Customer, Not Your Brand
The biggest mistake I see retailers make is developing their brand voice in isolation. They decide who they want to be without considering who they’re talking to.
Instead, start by creating detailed customer personas. Who are your ideal customers? What do they value? What language do they use? How do they speak to each other?
I recommend conducting customer interviews, analyzing social media conversations, and reviewing customer service interactions. Look for patterns in the language your best customers use. Do they respond to humor? Are they formal or casual? Do they use industry terminology or prefer simpler language?
The goal is to speak your customer’s language, not force them to learn yours.
2. Define Your Brand Attributes
With a clear understanding of your audience, identify 3-5 core attributes that define your brand’s personality. These should align with both your company values and your customers’ preferences.
For example, a luxury retailer might choose “sophisticated,” “exclusive,” and “discerning.” A children’s toy store might select “playful,” “imaginative,” and “trustworthy.”
Then, for each attribute, create a simple scale:
You might define “sophisticated” as “We are refined without being pretentious. We use elevated language but avoid obscure terms. We are cultured but approachable.”
This nuance is crucial. Two brands might identify as “friendly,” but one might express it through enthusiastic exclamation points while another uses warm, supportive language.
3. Translate Attributes Into Language Patterns
Now comes the part that transforms good retailers into great communicators: creating practical guidelines that anyone in your organization can follow.
For each attribute, define specific language elements:
• Vocabulary: Words to use and avoid
• Sentence structure: Short and punchy or flowing and descriptive?
• Tone: Formal, conversational, or somewhere in between?
• Humor: Appropriate or not? If yes, what type?
• Pronouns: “We” vs. “I” vs. company name
Create a simple reference document with examples of your brand voice in action. Show how your brand voice would communicate the same message versus a generic approach.
4. Test With Real Customers
Before fully implementing your brand voice, test it with your actual customers. Create sample communications using your new voice and gather feedback.
I once worked with a home goods retailer who discovered through testing that their planned voice was too casual for their older customer base, who preferred more traditional communication. This discovery saved them from a potential brand misalignment.
Listen carefully to feedback, especially when customers say something doesn’t “sound like you.” That’s valuable data, not a criticism.
5. Implement Across All Touchpoints
Your brand voice must be consistent across every customer touchpoint. This includes:
• Website copy
• Product descriptions
• Email marketing
• Social media
• Customer service scripts
• In-store signage
• Return policies
Consistency doesn’t mean identical. Your Instagram captions might be more casual than your return policy, but they should still feel like they come from the same brand.
Train your team extensively. Create workshops where staff practice translating generic messages into your brand voice. The more they practice, the more natural it becomes.
6. Monitor, Measure, and Evolve
A brand voice isn’t set in stone. Your voice may need to adapt as your customer base evolves and market trends shift.
Track engagement metrics across channels to see how customers respond to your voice. Are open rates increasing for emails? Is social media engagement growing? Are customers spending more time on your website?
Schedule regular reviews of your brand voice guidelines, at least annually. Involve team members from different departments to ensure the voice is working across all areas of your business.
The fashion retailer I mentioned earlier? After implementing a clear, consistent brand voice that matched their target customers’ aspirations, their social media engagement increased by 78% and email open rates jumped by 25% within three months.
Their brand voice became one of their strongest assets.
Developing your brand voice isn’t a creative writing exercise – it’s a strategic business decision that impacts how customers perceive, remember, and connect with your retail brand. Follow this framework, and you’ll create a voice that resonates with customers and distinguishes you from competitors.
In retail, where products and prices are increasingly similar, your brand voice might be the difference between a one-time purchase and a lifetime customer.
Leave a Reply