Get the right brand personality from your customers

Get the right brand personality from your customers

Our communications manager offers brand strategies and tips on how to write with style and purpose in 2021.

When people think of a brand, they often think of a logo and a tagline, but the company's voice is often overlooked. But in modern marketing, your voice (or your customers') helps reduce the digital cacophony. So what exactly is a brand voice? Simply put, it is the personality and emotion infused into a company's communications. Mailchimp's Director of Communications, Kate Kiefer Lee, is our resident authority on the matter. This communications expert has not only helped shape and refine the Mailchimp brand voice for over 10 years, but she is also the co-author of "Nicely Said," a practical guide to writing with style and purpose. In this interview, Kate talks about the evolution of the Mailchimp brand's distinctive voice, the importance of empathetic communication, and some key business opportunities for 2021.

You've been with Mailchimp for over a decade. Can you tell us a little about your career at Mailchimp and how you've seen the brand evolve over time?

When I started at Mailchimp, we had about 30 employees and it was a one-woman team. I spent a lot of time working cross-functionally to define our brand, create style guides, and experiment with humor and tone. Over time, our brand has evolved and matured, our teams have grown, and we are now in escalation mode. We have an incredible content strategy team that works with writers and designers inside and outside the company to express our brand voice around the world. I now lead our Communications and Corporate Citizenship teams, so I no longer work directly on marketing content, but it's a lot of fun to watch from the sidelines and help out where I can.

How would you describe the Mailchimp brand voice and what sets it apart?

Mailchimp is the companion of entrepreneurs. We take our clients' businesses seriously, but we believe work should be fun, so we try to add humor whenever we can. Our voice is familiar, and we educate people without using specialized language.

Why is the brand voice important and what are the keys to creating it?

The voice of a brand is its personality. It helps attract people to your brand, create connections and build trust with them. Brands are not people, but you can think of them the same as someone's personality: What makes you like someone when you first meet them? What makes you trust that person over time? What does he do and say to make you feel supported or understood?

To create a strong brand voice, you have to know your audience. Stay focused on your company's mission and vision, and speak directly to your customers.

Create a simple style guide where you articulate your brand's voice. Make a list of adjectives that describe your brand's personality. I also like to make “this yes, but no that” lists, where you say things like “We are smart but not academic” to be a little more specific about your brand communication. Don't overthink it at first, just put something down in writing and repeat it over time. If you start small, it doesn't have to be a huge production. Some of the best brand voice guidelines I've seen are single-page documents.

In your book Nicely Said, you talk about the importance of empathetic communication, why do you think it is so valuable? Do you think empathetic communication is a trend, especially given what has happened this last year?

Empathic communication is actually another way of saying “be kind.” Reach your customers where they are. Understand the challenges they face and how you can help them. Respect them and do not exceed your limits. This has always been important, but I think these days more and more brands are thinking about empathetic communication, because the year 2020 has been a nightmare and people all over the world are having a hard time. The last thing we need is for brands to be rude to us.

Speaking of bad news, the year 2020 was full of it. What are some of the opportunities for brands in this (pre)post-pandemic world?

In 2021, brands have a great opportunity to build trust with their customers. Remember that your clients and users face new challenges. Try to understand where your brand fits and how you can help, and speak to people from that place.

The beginning of the year (especially this year) is a good time to review all your writing and make sure it is relevant and appropriate. Consider the unique challenges of 2020. Many small businesses are struggling to survive. When a business owner can't pay the bills, something as simple as an automated credit card decline message or an abandoned cart message can be hurtful if not written carefully. Every time you communicate with clients, ask yourself: Is it clear? He is friendly? It is useful?

Any advice for writers who get writer's block?

If you're looking at a blank document, first make sure you actually have something to say. If you know what you want to write but are having trouble putting the words on paper, try saying it out loud first. Imagine that you are talking to someone in your audience in real life, and record yourself. Retranscribe your recording later, and there you will have your first draft.

According to this NPR article, scoring trends are changing. Nowadays, ending a text with a period can be interpreted as something passive-aggressive, and even exclamation points have a bad reputation. What are the current communication trends that you can't stand?

Sometimes I think that people expect everything I write to be perfect because I am a communication professional. I'm actually a good editor when I need to be, but I don't think too much about my personal communications. My Slack messages and emails are super casual, and I rarely end text messages with a full stop. As long as it sounds like it was written by a human being, I try not to judge anyone's communication style.

Are you one of those who send emails with or without emojis?

I don't use many emojis in emails, but my texts and Slack messages are almost all emojis. I love the upside down smiley face. 🙃