As good as your word

A brand’s logo is sacred because it’s the primary way customers recognise it. Soon that will be the same of a brand’s voice too. Here’s why.

Voice search and voice assistances are evolving. Fast. Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Google are both channelling huge amounts of investment into their respective voice assistants Alexa, Siri, Cortana and the nameless Google Assistant. And the trend doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.

Voice search was always going to have an impact on brand marketing, but what that impact was going to be has been a little woolly to say the least. It greatly depended on how successful voice search was adopted by consumers.

Turns out, it’s become a bit of a thing.

Voice searching has gone from strength to strength. And it’s future looks even bigger with voice assistants becoming ubiquitous in our lives, as more and more people get used to speaking to the AIs and UIs of a vast array of physical products (not just their phones or household hubs).

You can imagine a few years from now, old folks nostalgically remembering: “In my day, speaking to your toaster would get you locked up in the funny farm,” as you roll your eyes and ask your toaster for well-done slice of granary. How times have changed.

Brands must adapt to this cultural transformation. No longer will the look of a brand dominate its identity. Voice design and logo design should now have equal importance in this brave new world of conversational branding.

Because that’s the long and short of it – customers having actual spoken conversations with your brand, anytime, anyplace. So your brand’s voice should have as much standout, as much individuality, as much recognisability as your logo, your colours, your photography.

It needs to not only be distinctive to the ears, but distinctive in the way it interacts – shorter engagements vs. longer conversations, literal responses that answer singular questions vs. suggestions that read between the lines – that are able to identify customer intent and expand on their options, furthering the conversation.

Human connection will be key to the success of your brand’s voice. If customers enjoy the experience of talking to you, they’ll want to talk more. We’re social animals – it’s only natural.

Even if it is talking to a toaster.

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