I've written approximately four hundred brand voice documents in my career. Maybe five people total have read any of them cover to cover, and three of those people were me.
The brand voice document is a beautiful artifact of a world that no longer exists. A world where brands published quarterly and had time to check their messaging against a rubric. Now a brand might post thirty pieces of content in a day across six platforms. No one is consulting page 34 of the tone matrix for their Instagram comment.
What actually works: three words and a vibe. I'm serious. Give your social team three adjectives and one cultural reference point. 'Witty, warm, specific. We sound like the friend who works in the industry but doesn't take it too seriously.' That's your voice doc. That's the whole thing.
At Nemo we've started calling these 'voice cards.' One page, max. The three words, one 'we sound like' reference, three 'we never' guardrails, and done. Clients push back because it feels too simple. Then their teams actually use it, which has never happened with the 47-pager.
The three words, one 'we sound like' reference, three 'we never' guardrails, and done.
Truffles is sitting on the physical brand guidelines binder I brought home from a client and I'm going to let him stay there. It's the most useful that document has been in years.