Verbal Identity
A verbal identity defines a brand's way with words: what it's named, what it says, and the tone it says it in, working with the visual identity as one system.
What is verbal identity?
Verbal identity refers to the way a brand speaks, defining the tone and narrative behind its messaging anywhere a word shows up.
It works alongside visual identity as one half of a brand's overall identity system, reinforcing the same underlying idea. If copywriting is the act of putting the right message into the right words, then a verbal identity is the high-level thinking that gives writers the direction to do so.
From the name a brand goes by to the story told to consumers, a verbal identity plays an essential role in building trust and differentiation. Without one, a brand's voice drifts from one piece of copy to the next, however consistent the visual world stays.
What does verbal identity cover?
If a visual identity covers what a brand looks like, a verbal identity covers what a brand sounds like. For more on how they work together as one system, see Brand Identity.
The output of a verbal identity depends on the brand, but the strongest examples include as many of the following components as possible.
Brand Voice
The distinct way a brand sounds from moment to moment, guided by clear principles that allow it to express itself consistently.
Brand Narrative
The central recurring theme a brand communicates to explain why it exists and where it's going.
Brand Messaging
A framework of the brand's most important messages, arranged in an approved hierarchy to keep future copywriting consistent.
Copywriting
The day-to-day words a brand writes to communicate with its audience, expressed in the established brand voice.
Brand Naming
What your brand is called, and the strategic thinking that goes into the name on the door.
Tagline
A short, memorable turn of phrase that captures the essence of a brand, designed to last for several years, if not a brand's entire lifespan.
Brand Story
A singular piece of writing that takes the recurring brand narrative and renders it in one specific application.
How verbal identity works in practice: METEORIC
For most organisations, the concept of optimally run, hyper-efficient energy is the stuff of science fiction. But for METEORIC it's always been the stuff of science fact.
Though their AI-powered solution provides some much-sought-after positivity in a world of energy drains, their existing brand wasn't reflecting that. And with the public's trust in the category at an all-time low, it was time to put some serious impact behind its words.
Meteoric
Working in tandem with its utopian visual identity, METEORIC's verbal identity works to restore faith in a greater power. That starts with the name itself: an interstellar moniker that gives rise to a new form of energy, which inspired the distinctive 3D meteor asset.
Meanwhile, the brand voice is a hybrid of humankind and machine. Headlines play homage to space on film, emulating the sci-fi mastery of Nolan, Spielberg and Kubrick through an epic, effective tone. Secondary is kept precise, technical and calculated.
Outcome: A verbal identity that goes where no energy company has gone before, giving the mid-market confidence they haven't felt in decades.
FAQs
Related terms
We zero in on the one thing only your brand can claim, then dial it up until it’s impossible to ignore.
