Ta dah – here’s my 404 notice
Pop-ups, cookie notices, 404 pages … little teeny things really, and yet a massive opportunity to demonstrate a creative tone of voice for your brand and show just how wonderful and unique it is while also demonstrating brand consistency and attention to detail.
In my blog What is tone of voice in copy and why does it matter? I talk about the importance of having a distinctive tone of voice. Sadly, clients sometimes only look at the bigger picture such as having a sparkling new TOV for the website, and how that may then translate across into a brochure, ad copy or customer email.
That’s a tad dull, isn’t it?
The strongest brands continue their tone of voice across each touchpoint. Every. Single. One.
Like these …
Creative tone of voice: cookie notices
How often do you encounter a cookie notice that says: ‘By clicking “Accept all cookies”, you agree to the storing of optional cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts blah blah BLAH”?
Every website needs a consenting viewer today. We’re so used to seeing these, we don’t even read them. They’re wallpaper. But they don’t have to be – you can’t have any old thing though; of course your cookie consent has to do its legal job.
Here’s my one:
BTW, I searched high and low for creative cookie notices and could only find one that stood out – from TK Maxx:
Well done, TK Maxx
Creative tone of voice: 404 errors
Of course, you pray that your customers and clients may never encounter a 404 message on your website. No-one wants to be caught out by a missing page or broken link. But do you really want to seem the same as every other brand with the default ‘404 – page not found’?
No, of course not.
You need something creative and catchy to soothe the potentially irritated or frustrated page visitor and get them to jump back in rather than spring right off.
For instance:
For fans of Deciem + Star Wars
Sofa.com living their brand
Den of Geek in a 70s’ spin
Creative tone of voice: pop-ups
Pop ups act like a beckoning finger. They lure you back to a page on the website, a seductive offer, or some promise of something more. They congratulate you with a big, virtual pat on the back. And they whisper to you, like a trusted confidante.
Boden – always sizzling with their touchpoints
Not On The High Street – the personal touch, as ever
Little things matter a lot in helping brand achieve a consistent, distinctive and instantly recognisable tone of voice. Boden and Loaf are perfect examples. Think about every little place and opportunity across your communications – the note in your packaging, the side of your delivery van, your email sign off. All these little things add up to something massive.
If you’d like to achieve the same for your brand, check out my tone of voice page to see how I can help you – and the clients I’ve helped – then drop me a line.
First published on carolinegibson.co.uk