I’ve seen too many founders spend $10,000 on a logo while their brand voice sounds like everyone else.
Let’s fix that.
Here’s the truth: Your brand isn’t what you put on your website. It’s not your color palette or your fancy new business cards.
Your brand is a character that lives in people’s minds. It should be so distinct that people would recognize it blindfolded.
The Character Test Most Brands Fail
Can you hear the Joker’s chaotic laugh in your head right now? Can you picture James Bond straightening his cuff links after a perfect landing? Can you hear Cookie Monster frantically shouting “COOOOOKIEEE!”?
Of course you can.
These characters are so well-defined that:
- You know exactly how they’d respond in any situation
- You could write dialogue for them without a script
- You’d recognize them across any medium—TV, radio, billboards, tweets
Most businesses have no such clarity. They start with the superficial (logos, colors) and hope the deeper stuff (voice, values, personality) somehow materializes later.
That’s like designing a superhero’s costume before deciding if they can fly or turn invisible.
The Mannequin Exercise That Changes Everything
Want to build a brand voice that cuts through the noise? Start with this:
Imagine your brand as a blank mannequin that you’re turning into a living character. Ask yourself:
- If your brand wore clothes, what style would it choose? Tailored suits? Vintage band t-shirts? Practical outdoor gear?
- What car would it drive? A rugged Jeep that can handle anything? A practical Toyota that never breaks down? A flashy sports car that turns heads?
- What would make this character angry? Inefficiency? Inequality? People who walk slowly in grocery aisles?
- What would it spend money on without hesitation? Time-saving tools? Luxury experiences? Knowledge?
I worked with a cybersecurity startup that was struggling to stand out. When we did this exercise, they realized their brand wasn’t the “boring corporate guardian,” rather it was the “street-smart vigilante” who spoke plainly about threats and had a dark sense of humor about hackers.
Their content immediately became more engaging across every channel.
The Multi-Channel Test
Research from the Content Marketing Institute shows that brands with strong, consistent personalities see 33% higher customer retention.
But here’s the real test: Can your brand voice translate seamlessly across:
- A serious LinkedIn article
- A 30-second TikTok
- A customer service call
- A product error message
If it can’t, you haven’t defined a strong enough character.
The Brand Guidelines Trap
Most brand guidelines focus on the wrong things. They’ll have 20 pages about logo spacing but only two sentences about voice.
Instead, build guidelines that capture your character’s essence. How does your brand respond when:
- A customer is frustrated?
- A competitor launches something better?
- There’s a cultural moment everyone’s talking about?
- Something goes wrong with your product?
Your responses reveal your character far more than your Pantone colors ever will.
The Repetition Secret
The reason we know exactly how Elmo would respond to anything is simple: repetition. We’ve seen that character maintain consistent traits across thousands of interactions.
Most brands get impatient. They want instant recognition without putting in the character development work.
But here’s what works:
- Define your character traits with painful specificity
- Express those traits consistently over time
- Train your team to “method act” as your brand
- Accept that building a memorable character takes years, not months
The Permission Slip
Here’s the permission slip most founders need: Your brand doesn’t have to please everyone. In fact, if it does, it probably lacks definition.
The most memorable characters have sharp edges. They make choices. They have passionate fans and determined critics.
Your brand should be the same.
So stop obsessing over your logo and start obsessing over your character.
Because when you have a character nobody can forget, you have a brand that never needs to scream for attention.
It just needs to be itself.
