I was at karaoke last Saturday night in Portland (as one does) and I had a brand strategy epiphany somewhere between my friend's flawless rendition of "Since U Been Gone" and a stranger's deeply misguided attempt at "Stairway to Heaven."
Here it is: brand voice works exactly like karaoke song selection.
Stay with me.
The best karaoke performances aren't the ones where someone picks the most impressive song. They're the ones where someone picks the RIGHT song for their voice, their energy, and the room they're in. My friend killed Kelly Clarkson because she has a big voice, loves pop, and read the room correctly: it was midnight, everyone was drunk, and they needed energy. Perfect match.
The stranger failed at Led Zeppelin because he picked a song designed for a completely different instrument than the one he has. He was performing for himself, not for the audience. He wanted to be seen as the kind of person who sings Zeppelin. But wanting to be something and actually being something are different.
Brands do this constantly. They choose a voice that reflects who they want to be rather than who they actually are. The buttoned-up B2B company that suddenly tries to be snarky on Twitter. The heritage luxury brand that starts using Gen Z slang. The regional insurance company that launches a TikTok with forced humor. It's all Stairway to Heaven: technically ambitious, audience-inappropriate, and deeply uncomfortable for everyone watching.
The best brand voice isn't the one you wish you had. It's the honest one, performed with confidence.Here's my karaoke framework for brand voice:
Know your range. What can your brand credibly say? What topics can you speak on with authority? Where does your voice naturally sit? If you're a 50-year-old heritage brand, you can't suddenly sound 22. Own the gravitas. Gravitas done well is magnetic.
Read the room. Who's listening? What do they need from you right now? My friend didn't pick a ballad at midnight because the room didn't need a ballad. Your audience's context matters as much as your message.
Commit fully. The second-worst karaoke performance is someone singing an ambitious song badly. The absolute worst is someone singing an easy song timidly. Half-hearted brand voice is worse than wrong brand voice. If you're going to be funny, be funny. If you're going to be serious, be serious. Hedging is death.
Pick songs you actually like. The best performers choose songs they genuinely love, not songs they think will impress. Brands that actually enjoy their own voice are magnetic. You can feel the difference between a brand having fun and a brand performing fun.
The next time you're reviewing your brand's tone of voice guidelines, ask yourself: are we picking our song, or are we picking the song we think will make people think we're cool? Because the audience can always tell the difference.
And if all else fails: Don't Stop Believin'. It works for everyone. It's the Helvetica of karaoke.