Your Tweets never get any likes. Your Facebook posts fizzle and you just can’t establish a regular and strong following for your brand.
You’re doing everything you know how to do, so what’s the issue? You might not have a well-established brand voice.
Different companies have different types of voices, and yours should be unique to you and your audience. Want to learn who’s doing it right for a little inspiration?
Read three brand examples below.
Wendy’s on Twitter
When you think of fast food chains, you probably don’t think “reigning queen of Twitter” do you? And you shouldn’t when it comes to the other brands.
But Wendy’s holds the title for best business tweets, at least in our opinion. It all started three years ago when they hired their new social media coordinator, Amy Brown.
The Beginnings
It all started in 2017 when Wendy’s put out a rather mild tweet that their beef is “way too cool to ever be frozen”. Things were fine until Twitter user @NHride fired back that people laugh at their logo, that we all know their beef is frozen.
Wendy’s responded kindly but sternly confirmed that they never use frozen meat. Twitter user @NHride fired back something about how they must, then, deliver their meat on a hot truck.
Wendy’s responded by saying “Where do you store cold things that aren’t frozen?” Finally, the other Twitter decided to bring Mcdonalds into it, and Wendy’s had enough.
The tweet that ended this whole saga (but started their legacy) said, “You don’t have to bring them into this just because you forgot refrigerators existed for a second there”.
The exchange got picked up by Buzzfeed and that Twitter user ended up deleting their account.
It only got better from there.
One More Example
Just because the tweets are so funny, we’ll give you one more before moving on.
Twitter user @carladelreyy tweeted “@Wendy’s what should I get from Mcdonalds????”
to which Wendy’s replied “Directions to the Nearest Wendy’s”.
Nike
Over the years there have been some pretty cool Nike ads. We’re talking about creative shots with pro athletes in dark-colored clothing. Maybe doing something impressively athletic.
But in the past few years, Nike has really stepped up their game. Let’s talk about a recent example, the Colin Kaepernick commercial. If you don’t know, Colin is the NFL player that first refused to stand for the flag, in a response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
It’s driven critics crazy, as more black players have chosen to do the same.
Many companies cut ties with the NFL after that, or at least the ones with Colin’s team. But not Nike. They put out an ad featuring Colin and with his voice as the narrator.
Other famous players like Serena Williams and Lebron James are in the video. The copy of the ad says, “Don’t ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they’re crazy enough.”
This branded show of support was a risky move for Nike, but they decided that his message fit their brand. That you should break stereotypes and the rules if you truly believe in something.
They caught a lot of flack for that ad, but they weren’t breaking down.
To prove it? They put out another ad in February titled “Dream Crazier.” The video features female athletes breaking records and doing generally impressive things, like Serena playing and winning after having a baby.
The ad says “If they call you crazy, good. Show them what crazy can do.”
Just with two ads, you know exactly who Nike is as a brand and what they stand for. You know that they support young women, people who make a personal stand against injustice and that they’re not afraid to show it.
Barstool Sports
If you were on Youtube a while back, you may recognize the name Jenna Marbles. She worked for Barstool Sports back in the day. And her wacky, inappropriate antics set the tone for their current brand voice.
For example, they posted something on Instagram that catered to their audience, made people laugh, and referenced hit show Game of Thrones.
In the post there are two pictures side by side. One of the red woman naked (cut off at the chest) with a necklace on. On the other side is a photo of her with her necklace off, which shows her as a very, very, old woman.
The caption they chose? “How she looks when you leave the bar vs. when you wake up in the morning #gameofthrones.”
A little crude, yes. Funny? To their audience, absolutely. That post got over 20 thousand likes.
The other brands we’ve looked at have had strong brand voices, but they have a wider audience. Barstool Sports, on the other hand, has a more niche audience.
That’s why playing to their audience works so well. Bravo to them for figuring out how to speak their marketing language so well, and for making a funny joke.
If they didn’t know their audience so well, that post could have come off as highly offensive. And to some reading this right now, it might be.
But they’re only worried about how their readers feel about it, not about how anyone else feels.
And that’s what you need to do to have a strong voice as a brand. Don’t make posts that you’re not comfortable with, but don’t be afraid to ruffle a few feathers with your content.
Use this useful guide to figure out where your brand’s voice lies.
All Types of Voices:
There’s plenty of room in the market when it comes to different types of voices for brands. You don’t have to match the voice of your competitor, in fact, you want to do exactly what they aren’t doing, whatever that is.
When you find your brand voice, go for it. Don’t hold back and don’t be afraid to (sometimes) be a little controversial. Wendy’s certainly doesn’t mind talking trash to their competitors and the internet thinks it’s hilarious.
To read more blog posts, click here.
