Voice is misunderstood.
I see a lot of "voice guides" from different companies. Sadly, they all say more or less different versions of the same thing. "We are human," or worse, "we are simple." This usually happens when companies look at a brand they admire through the lens of words alone. They see voice as a design endeavor that comes down to choosing the right words and sentence structure. This is the wrong way to approach voice.
When companies see copy they admire, what they're really seeing is a strong point of view -- the unique way that company sees the world. A POV isn't always easy to formulate, but when you can do it, voice starts to come through. In other words, it's not about words -- it's about becoming a truly interesting brand and then building a vocabulary around it.
Fertility for all.
Struggling with fertility issues is already hard enough. And the medical industry doesn't do anything to help make it easier for couples. Soulless offices, expensive treatments, transactional appointments, and materials that make them feel like there's "something wrong."
Mate was a new fertility medical practice that wanted to upend all of that. First, But to sound different, you actually have to be different. That meant uncovering their unique POV: fertility for all. It's the idea that if you're struggling with fertility you should know and feel that you're not alone.
Defining voice parameters.
Once companies figure out their unique POV, it's time to figure out how they express it. Usually, firms do a lazy job with five or six layup attributes (human, simple, straightforward) that nobody on earth can argue with. But any interesting person you meet has a nuanced colored by life experience and what they belief. Voice guidelines should follow suit. When you do it right, your end up with voice that actually feels authentic, not just human.
