# Brand Voice Guide — Output Template

## 1. Executive Summary

**Brand:** [Brand name]
**Industry:** [Industry/category]
**Primary audience:** [Target audience description]
**Voice in one sentence:** [One-sentence summary of how the brand sounds]
**Guide version:** [Date]

---

## 2. Voice Attributes

### Attribute 1 — [Name]
- **Scale:** [X/10]
- **This means:** [Practical explanation]
- **This doesn't mean:** [Boundary clarification]

**Do:**
- [Example sentence demonstrating this attribute]
- [Example sentence demonstrating this attribute]
- [Example sentence demonstrating this attribute]

**Don't:**
- [Counter-example showing what to avoid]
- [Counter-example showing what to avoid]
- [Counter-example showing what to avoid]

*(Repeat for attributes 2, 3, and 4)*

---

## 3. Vocabulary Reference

### Approved Terms
| Term | Use Instead Of | Context | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |

### Banned Terms
| Term | Why Banned | Use Instead | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |

### Brand-Specific Terms
| Term | Definition | Usage Notes |
|---|---|---|
| | | |

---

## 4. Tone Spectrum

| Context / Scenario | Tone Adjustment | Attribute Emphasis | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product launch | | | |
| Error / outage | | | |
| Customer complaint | | | |
| Sales outreach | | | |
| Social media reply | | | |
| Onboarding | | | |
| Legal / compliance | | | |
| Win-back campaign | | | |

---

## 5. Channel Guidelines

### Website
- **Tone adjustments:** [What shifts from base voice]
- **Formatting:** [Sentence length, paragraph style, punctuation]
- **Do/Don't examples:**
  - Do: [Example]
  - Don't: [Example]

### Email (Marketing)
- **Tone adjustments:**
- **Formatting:** [Subject line style, CTA language, sign-off]
- **Do/Don't examples:**
  - Do: [Example]
  - Don't: [Example]

### Social Media
- **Platform-specific notes:**
  - Instagram: [Emoji policy, hashtag usage, caption length]
  - Twitter/X: [Thread style, reply tone, character usage]
  - LinkedIn: [Formality level, post structure]
  - TikTok: [Script style, caption approach]
- **Do/Don't examples:**
  - Do: [Example]
  - Don't: [Example]

### Customer Support
- **Tone adjustments:**
- **Formatting:** [Greeting style, escalation language, closing]
- **Do/Don't examples:**
  - Do: [Example]
  - Don't: [Example]

### Product UI / Microcopy
- **Tone adjustments:**
- **Formatting:** [Button labels, error messages, tooltips, success states]
- **Do/Don't examples:**
  - Do: [Example]
  - Don't: [Example]

---

## 6. AI Prompt Instructions

### System Prompt Template
```
[Insert voice-attribute-based system prompt]
```

### Channel Modifiers
- Website: [Additional prompt instructions]
- Email: [Additional prompt instructions]
- Social: [Additional prompt instructions]
- CX: [Additional prompt instructions]

### Few-Shot Examples
**Input:** [Sample brief or request]
**Desired output:** [On-brand response]

**Input:** [Sample brief or request]
**Reject this:** [Off-brand response]
**Accept this:** [On-brand response]

---

## 7. Voice Audit Scoring Rubric

| Criterion | 1 (Off-brand) | 3 (Acceptable) | 5 (On-brand) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Attribute 1] | | | | /5 |
| [Attribute 2] | | | | /5 |
| [Attribute 3] | | | | /5 |
| [Attribute 4] | | | | /5 |
| Vocabulary compliance | | | | /5 |
| Tone appropriateness | | | | /5 |
| **Total** | | | | **/30** |

**Minimum passing score:** [X/30]

---

## 8. Quick Reference Card (1-Page Summary)

**We sound like:** [1 sentence]
**We never sound like:** [1 sentence]

**Our 4 voice attributes:**
1. [Attribute] ([X/10]): [One-line description]
2. [Attribute] ([X/10]): [One-line description]
3. [Attribute] ([X/10]): [One-line description]
4. [Attribute] ([X/10]): [One-line description]

**Always say / Never say (top 5):**
| Always | Never |
|---|---|
| | |

**30-second self-audit:**
- [ ] Does this sound like [brand]?
- [ ] Would I recognize this as [brand] without seeing the logo?
- [ ] Is the tone right for this channel and context?
- [ ] Did I check the vocabulary list?
- [ ] Does it score [X]+ on the rubric?