Why the tone of voice is vital in times of AI

In an era in which artificial intelligence (AI) is penetrating ever deeper into our everyday lives, the way in which companies communicate with their customers is also changing. Automated customer care, personalised marketing strategies and intelligent chatbots are just some of the innovations made possible by artificial intelligence. But as these technologies reach new levels of efficiency and personalisation, a crucial question remains: how does a brand maintain its uniqueness and authenticity in an increasingly automated world?

Quite simply, through the tone of voice. With a clear, consistent and authentic brand voice, you not only stand out from the crowd, but also build trust and loyalty among your customers. Especially in times where machines are taking over some fields of work, the human touch in communication is becoming more valuable than ever. In this blog post, you will find out why the brand voice is more important today than ever before and how your company can maintain its uniqueness in the digital era.

What is the tone of voice of a company?

The tone of voice, or brand voice, is the centrepiece of your brand. It is the unique personality with which your company presents itself in all of its communication. It describes how a brand addresses its target groups and stakeholders and how it wants to be perceived.

The brand voice comprises various elements, such as:

• Choice of words: Which words and terms does the brand use?
• Sentence structure: How complex or simple are the sentences?
• Tone of voice: Is the communication more formal or informal, serious or humorous?
• Emotions: What emotions does the brand want to convey?
• Visual language: Does the brand use metaphors, comparisons or other linguistic images?

With the tone of voice, it is important that it matches the values, mission and target group of your brand. Your brand voice expresses the identity of your brand. It contributes significantly to its recognition value and creates trust with (potential) customers and partners.

5 reasons why Tone of Voice is particularly important in times of AI

In a time of digital upheaval, in which technological milestones in the field of artificial intelligence are replacing each other at breakneck speed, a personal and consistent brand voice is more important than ever for companies. For these 5 reasons in particular: 

1. Penetrating the noise: 
   The digital landscape is saturated with information and messages. To stand out from the competition and capture the attention of your target group, your company needs a strong and consistent brand voice that clearly communicates the values your brand stands for.
   
   
2. Building trust and loyalty: 
   With an authentic and appealing brand voice, you can build trust and loyalty with your customers. Because if your customers feel that they understand and identify with your brand, they are more likely to remain loyal to it for a long time and even recommend it to others.
   
   
3. Creating an emotional connection: 
   While artificial intelligence enables efficient and data-driven processes, it still lacks the human touch for the time being. With a strong tone of voice, you can build an emotional connection with your customers and create a sense of belonging and community. The personal tone makes all the difference!
   
   
4. Differentiation in competition: 
   Stand out from the crowd! In an increasingly competitive market, it is important to remain competitive and unique. With a customised tone of voice, you can successfully differentiate yourself from your competitors and improve your chances of getting a bigger slice of the pie.
   
   
5. Future-proofing the brand:  
   Technologies and artificial intelligence are becoming ever more powerful and therefore ever more important in the world of work. But your individual brand voice is also becoming increasingly important as a result of this development. This is because companies with a strong brand identity are better able to adapt to new trends and remain successful in fast-moving, digital markets. 

Artificial intelligence as a tool to strengthen your tone of voice

Make artificial intelligence your advantage! AI tools support your company in many ways to build a strong tone of voice. 

• Analysing customer data: 
  AI is ideal for analysing large amounts of data. This gives you the opportunity to better understand the preferences, needs and behaviour of your target group. Based on this, you can create marketing messages and content that are optimised for your target group.
  
  The cosmetics group L'Oréal, for example, uses artificial intelligence to analyse the social media presence of its customers in order to understand their skin type and needs. The brand uses these insights to create personalised product recommendations and tailored advertising messages.
  
  
• Generating creative content: 
  You can also use AI to create creative content in line with your brand voice, for example in texts, images and videos. This saves you valuable time and money and, with a little experience, produces engaging content.
  
  Take motorbike manufacturer Harley-Davidson, for example, which uses AI to create personalised promotional videos tailored to each customer's individual riding style and interests. The company uses these videos specifically on its website and social media channels.
  
  
• Personalisation of the customer experience: 
  With the help of AI, you can also create personalised customer experiences that reflect your company's tone of voice. This can be done, for example, by using chatbots for customer advice or support.
  
  Perfumery chain Sephora uses chatbots to help customers select products and make purchases. They provide personalised recommendations and answer questions about products and offers.
  
  
• Optimisation of brand consistency: 
  AI also helps you to ensure brand consistency across all your channels. For example, you can use tools that monitor and analyse brand mentions or automatically perform tasks such as creating social media posts and email campaigns.
  
  The beverage company Coca-Cola also relies on artificial intelligence to keep its brand message consistent across all channels. With the help of an AI-based tool, the top-selling cola manufacturer automatically adapts its marketing materials to the respective platform and target group.

Conclusion: A strong tone of voice is a competitive advantage

More than ever, an authentic tone of voice is a decisive competitive advantage in the age of AI. It strengthens the trust and loyalty of your customers, sets you apart from your competitors and creates stability in fast-moving markets. But artificial intelligence is not your opponent. Quite the opposite. Once you have developed a strong brand voice, AI tools will help you to apply it consistently and build more reach. The sooner you start, the better you will succeed.