Yes! Your logo and brand voice should make sense

Brand voice – you hear about it all the time and know you have to eventually define it, but most people never start from the beginning. One of the main elements of your brand that’s directly tied to the voice is your logo. It’s true - most people don’t think about brand voice when they come up with the name or logo, which can quickly turn into chaos. Have you seen logos that seem a little off when it comes to the name and brand voice of the company? That’s because they didn’t figure out the brand voice before they created it.

Ask yourself – if someone saw an ad, would they know it was you? Consider Nike – it doesn’t matter what channel they use, you know it’s Nike. You may be saying, it’s just a check. What does a check represent? Strength. Power. Knowing you tried and got it right. What about Harley-Davidson? The name sounds like a rugged dude, right? Everything they do speaks to this, including the logo. The last thing you want is to have an assortment of brand voices across platforms. That presents a very confusing picture of your brand and what you represent. The brand voice is a part of your brand’s identity, just like your voice is a part of you. Although your voice is attached to your body and that’s what people see, it’s what you say and how you say it that makes you unique.

Truthfully, it can be difficult staying on brand as your business grows or shifts target audiences. One of the most important things to remember – consistency is key. The goal is to position yourself as an authority for your industry, and you want it to be easily identified. You shouldn’t make any moves without a brand voice chart to ensure everyone is on the same page. That chart may change over time, but you won’t know where you’re going if you can’t see where you’ve been.

Your entire team should know how your brand voice should be presented in tone and words. Make it a habit to consistently check your creatives alongside your voice. Even if your logo is one word, it’s up to you to create a brand voice that not only creates a match, but resonates with everyone else too. When Slack redid their logo, this was one of the reasons why. Your voice brings everything together cohesively across platforms. If you’re considering a rebrand, start with your voice. You’ll thank yourself later.