Brand Voice Copy Kit

Purpose

This skill translates a brand's personality into a practical, reusable copy toolkit. Instead of a 50-page PDF nobody reads, it produces a lightweight voice system: 3–5 voice pillars, a vocabulary bank of approved and banned words, do/don't examples for quick team reference, channel adaptation rules, and ready-to-use copy snippets. Built for small marketing teams, solo founders, and agencies managing multiple brand voices who need consistency without bureaucracy.

Triggers

• "Define our brand voice"
• "Create a tone of voice guide"
• "Build a brand copy kit"
• "Write do's and don'ts for our copy"
• "Make a brand vocabulary list"
• "Adapt our brand voice for different channels"

Workflow

1. Brand trait collection — Gather brand adjectives (e.g., "warm but not saccharine," "expert but not arrogant"), target audience descriptors, product category norms, competitive landscape, and any existing brand guidelines.
2. Voice pillar definition — Distill 3–5 voice pillars. Each pillar gets: a name (e.g., "Helpful, Not Preachy"), a 1-sentence definition, an emotional target (how should the reader feel?), and a brand-specific rationale (why this pillar matters for this brand).
3. Vocabulary bank building — Create two lists: approved words and phrases that reinforce the voice, and banned/taboo words that undermine it. Include category-specific terms and regulated language notes.
4. Example/anti-example creation — For each pillar, write one "do" example and one "don't" example using the same message, showing how voice transforms the same core idea. This is the most referenced part of any voice guide.
5. Channel mapping — Map each voice pillar to specific channels (product page, Instagram, email, support chat, ads). Define how the voice shifts: Instagram might emphasize the "playful" pillar while email emphasizes "helpful."
6. QA checklist — Produce a final checklist the team can run before publishing any copy: voice consistency, banned word scan, channel appropriateness, and claim safety.

Prompt Templates

1. Voice System Builder (voice_build)

Purpose: Build a complete brand voice system from brand traits.

Input:

• ${brand_name} — Brand name
• ${brand_adjectives} — 3–5 words describing desired personality
• ${category} — Product/service category
• ${audience} — Target audience description
• ${competitors} — (Optional) competitor brands for differentiation context
• ${existing_guidelines} — (Optional) any existing tone notes or brand docs

Output: Complete voice kit with pillars, vocabulary, examples, channel map, and QA checklist.

2. Voice Rewriter (voice_rewrite)

Purpose: Rewrite a piece of copy in a defined brand voice.

Input:

• ${original_copy} — The copy to rewrite
• ${voice_pillars} — The brand's voice pillars (or reference a previously built voice system)
• ${channel} — Where this copy will appear
• ${goal} — What this copy should achieve

Output: Rewritten copy with side-by-side comparison and notes on what changed and why.

3. Vocabulary Scanner (vocab_scan)

Purpose: Scan copy for banned/taboo words and suggest voice-aligned alternatives.

Input:

• ${copy} — Copy to scan
• ${approved_words} — List of approved vocabulary
• ${banned_words} — List of banned/taboo words

Output: Flagged words, suggested replacements, and a clean version of the copy.

4. Channel Adapter (channel_adapt)

Purpose: Adapt core brand copy from one channel to another while maintaining voice.

Input:

• ${source_copy} — Copy written for one channel
• ${source_channel} — Original channel
• ${target_channel} — Target channel
• ${voice_pillars} — Brand voice pillars
• ${target_format} — (Optional) specific format (e.g., "Instagram caption under 150 chars")

Output: Adapted copy with channel-specific adjustments noted.

Output Format

## Brand Voice Kit: [Brand Name]
**Personality:** [3–5 word brand personality]

### Voice Pillars

**Pillar 1: [Name]**
*[One-line definition]*
- Emotional target: [How reader should feel]
- Why it matters: [Rationale]
- ✅ Do: "[Example]"
- ❌ Don't: "[Anti-example — same message, wrong voice]"

**Pillar 2: [Name]**
...

### Vocabulary Bank
**✅ Use:**
- [Word/phrase 1] — [Context]
- [Word/phrase 2] — [Context]

**❌ Avoid:**
- [Word/phrase 1] — [Reason]
- [Word/phrase 2] — [Reason]

### Channel Adaptation
| Channel | Emphasized Pillars | Tone Shift | Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Page | Helpful, Trustworthy | More detailed | 200–400 words |
| Instagram | Playful, Warm | Short, visual-first | Captions under 150 chars |
| Email | Helpful, Warm | Conversational | Subject lines under 50 chars |
| Ads | Bold, Trustworthy | Benefit-led | Kill your darlings |
| Support | Helpful, Warm | Empathetic, clear | Resolution-first |

### Ready-to-Use Snippets
- **Product intro:** "[Snippet]"
- **Discount/promo:** "[Snippet]"
- **About us / origin:** "[Snippet]"
- **Objection response:** "[Snippet]"

### QA Checklist
- [ ] Voice pillars consistently applied
- [ ] No banned vocabulary present
- [ ] Channel-appropriate length and format
- [ ] All claims verifiable and compliant

Safety Rules

• NEVER build a voice that encourages manipulative, deceptive, or predatory language
• ALWAYS ensure voice pillars do not discriminate against or demean protected groups
• ALWAYS flag any voice direction that could normalize false urgency, fake scarcity, or emotional manipulation
• NEVER include competitor-disparagement as a voice trait
• ALWAYS keep regulated claims (health, finance, legal) fact-based regardless of voice playfulness
• ALWAYS ensure accessibility — voice should not rely on idioms or cultural references that exclude significant audience segments

Examples

Example 1: DTC Skincare Brand

Input: Brand="Glow Theory", Adjectives="Warm, science-backed, empowering, clean, modern", Category="Skincare", Audience="25–40 skincare-curious women, ingredient-aware but not obsessive"

Output: Pillars: (1) "Science Simplified, Not Dumbed Down" — teach without jargon, (2) "Your Skin, Your Rules" — no body-shaming, no "anti-aging" fear language, (3) "Warm, Like a Smart Friend" — approachable, not clinical. Vocabulary: use "brightens," "evens," "supports" → avoid "erases," "fixes," "perfect." Channel map: Instagram emphasizes Warm + Science Simplified, email leans Warm + Your Rules for loyalty, product pages emphasize Science Simplified.

Example 2: Kitchen Gadget Brand

Input: Brand="Kitchen Sidekick", Adjectives="Practical, cheerful, time-saving, budget-friendly, no-nonsense", Category="Kitchen Tools", Audience="Busy home cooks, parents, budget-conscious food lovers"

Output: Pillars: (1) "Real Kitchen, Not Studio Kitchen" — no styled perfection, (2) "Time Back Is the Real Gift" — emphasize time savings, (3) "Cheerful, Not Sappy" — positive but not over-the-top. Vocabulary: use "quick," "easy," "less mess," "worth it" → avoid "gourmet," "chef-quality," "luxury," "life-changing." Channel map: social emphasizes cheerful + real kitchen, ads emphasize time savings + cheerful, product pages emphasize real kitchen + practical specs.

Related Skills

• marketplace-description-writer — Apply the brand voice to product descriptions
• campaign-angle-spark — Generate campaign ideas that fit this voice
• customer-persona-copy-map — Map this voice to different buyer personas