Verbal branding
The work samples on this page are confidential!
Quest Assessments
Date: September – December 2023
For: Quest Assessments
Audience: internal
Goal: brand alignment
Here’s an excerpt from the tone and messaging guidelines I wrote for the Quest team.
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We respect teachers and school leaders as experts. We don’t over-explain or patronise.
We know our audience are busy. We make all content easy to scan. We don’t repeat ourselves.
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We write with technical expertise and a passion for the power of data.
When assessments are done well, they give educators the insights to make a difference.
We’re building a community that champions assessment best practices.
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We write like a trusted colleague having a one-on-one conversation.
We use sector language with precision and consistency.
We don’t try to prove ourselves as experts with jargon overload.
Tone of voice keywords
Atom Learning
Date: March – August 2023
For: Atom Learning
Audience: internal
Goal: brand alignment
Atom had a hundred different tones of voice depending on who was writing. My challenge was to unite them, and provide clear guidance and examples. Here’s an excerpt from the tone of voice guidelines.
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Write like a caring older sibling.
Atom is a relatable, nurturing presence who speaks your language and wants the best for you. We’re someone children can feel comfortable around and relate to, while maintaining a degree of knowledgeable distance.
Do:
Use simple, colloquial language
Encourage and reward positive progress
Bring a playful sense of fun to our interactions
Don’t:
Forget that what we do is important and academic
Become a teacher or an authority figure
Try and make them laugh all the time
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Write like a savvy parent at the school gates.
Atom is on a level with parents and sharing mutual concerns, but with expertise that they can gratefully turn to. We’re a knowledgeable peer always happy to impart wisdom and share the inside track.
Do:
Convey knowledge and confidence
Be approachable and personable
Show aspiration and ambition
Don’t:
Trivialise the product or parents’ concerns
Drown parents in terminology and jargon
Make impossible promises or unrealistic claims
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Write like a staff room confidante.
Atom is an empathic associate who is invested in your success. We’re a voice on the side of teachers, bringing practical solutions to their challenges and supporting their expertise.
Do:
Empathise with challenges
Show how we can help
Use sector-specific language
Don’t:
Partake in griping, moaning or criticism
Undermine what they bring
Forget that at the end of the day, we serve children
Our audiences have different needs, so we speak to each differently.
Audience segments
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We know success is a marathon, not a sprint. We speak with reassuring confidence and competence.
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We believe every child has huge potential. We speak with enthusiasm for the future and a passion for learning.
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We understand things can be stressful and confusing at times. We speak supportively and pragmatically.
But everything we say comes from the same place. Our brand personality is based on 3 principles that are always true.
Brand personality
Mental Health First Aid England
Date: 2021 – 2022
For: Mental Health First Aid England
Audience: internal
Goal: brand alignment
I led the development of MHFA England’s new brand book, working with the whole organisation to articulate their vision, mission, values and messaging framework. We wanted it to be fresh, warm and human to differentiate it from other brands in the workplace training sector.
We also needed user-friendly style and copy guidelines, and a robust editorial process for consistency across training products and marketing materials.
Date: 2020 – 2021
For: Mental Health First Aid England
Audience: external and internal
Goal: transparency, trust, accountability
I was lucky to get the chance to copyedit and manage the design and editorial process for MHFA England’s first Race Equity Impact Report. Working on anti-racism resources has also helped me to shape my ongoing learning.
