W Tone of Voice Guidelines
TONE OF VOICE GUIDELINES
February 2016
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Contents
Our Mission
3-4
Our Audience
5
Our Personality
6
Why is Tone of Voice Important?
7
Our Tone of Voice
8
Writing Basics
9
Our Phrases
10
Dos and Don’ts
11
Writing for Different Content Channels
12-20
Product Descriptions
13
Category Pages
14
Blog
15
16
Social Media
17-18
Homepage
19
Call to Action
20
Our Male Audience
21-25
Our Male Tone of Voice
22
Male Phrases
23
Different Content Channels
24-25
Contents | 2
Tone of Voice Guidelines
The Figleaves Dream
No one knows more about bras and swimwear than us. We believe that when they fit perfectly, they’re the foundation of a great day, night or holiday, so we want every woman, whatever her size, shape, style or mood, to feel utterly brilliant in hers. That’s why we offer the widest ranges in all sizes, and create tempting, edited choices that we know will work beautifully. It’s why we cherry-pick from the best of the well-known brands and search out the most gorgeous new lines, making sure we offer them before anyone else.
So whenever our customers need a little help, they know they can trust us to give expert, individual fitting advice, as well as inspiration and tips that are second to none. For us, only when every woman’s underwear drawer is full of things she loves, from the boring-but-brilliant to the extra-special-gorgeous, will we feel that our job is done.
It’s also why we use our unique expertise to design our own Figleaves ranges. We know the engineering and the art of bras inside out, so we’re able to make underwear and swimwear that works perfectly every time. From the discreet and flattering, to the flamboyant and sexy.
Our Mission | 3
Tone of Voice Guidelines
The Figleaves Dream continued
We exist to encourage each and every woman to feel her best every single day. She can turn to us for any occasion.
For stylish lounging For exuding perfection on her big day For intoxicating romantic moments For turning heads by the pool For nursing her newborn For Sunday morning workouts For shaping her silhouette For sleeping in style
Our Mission | 4
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Our Customer
In order to communicate well with our customers, we need to know who we’re communicating with. Because we offer such a wide range of products, we have more than one type of customer:
The Fashion Lover
The Practical Purchaser
She’s a fashion follower in her 20s and 30s. She spends her money on new clothing, eating in nice restaurants, and holidays with the girls.
She’s a conscious shopper in her 40s and 50s. She chooses practicality over fashion, and will only buy something if she really needs it.
The Savvy Shopper
The Self Styler
She’s a busy mother in her 30s or 40s. She’d love to buy all of the latest trends, but she has to be careful with her money, so she sticks to basics that can be worn in different ways to create different looks.
She’s a stylish individual in her 50s and 60s. She loves shopping but only buys clothing that she knows suits her.
Our Customer | 5
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Our Personality
If our brand was a person, what would they be like?
Empowering Understanding Knowledgeable Creative Our personality is reflected in the way we speak to our customers, and the way in which we speak is called our tone of voice.
Our Customer | 6
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Why is Tone of Voice Important?
It’s not what you say, it’s the way you say it. • Communicates the brand’s values to the customer • Makes the brand sound human • Builds a relationship with the customer, which in turn helps to build trust and a loyal customer base • Makes the brand stand out from the crowd • Brings the brand to life • Crucial in influencing and persuading customers to believe they need the brand’s products in their lives • Enhances the customer’s experience with the brand
Tone of Voice | 7
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Our Tone of Voice
Each of our personality traits need to be conveyed when we’re communicating with our customers. We are:
Empowering
Knowledgeable
Yes: influential, strong, inspiring, confident, complimentary
Yes: authoritative, experts, specialists, familiar, informed
No: forceful, overpowering, intense, overwhelming
No: patronising, condescending, pretentious, arrogant
“With subtle side panelling smoothing your shape into a stunning silhouette and alluring necklines enhancing your cleavage, you’re guaranteed to feel just as amazing as you look.”
“Breathable fabrics, tummy smoothing panelling and waist cinching designs are the hidden little secrets worked into every piece of shapewear, pinching you in at all the right places.”
Understanding
Creative
Yes: warm, caring, approachable, considerate
Yes: innovative, fashion-focused, passionate, vibrant, enthusiastic
No: pushover, weak, fragile
No: over the top, unrealistic, overbearing, impractical “From clever, seamless bras that subtly sit beneath a basic tee to gently padded cups for when a little lift is needed, we’ll make sure you feel secure all day long.”
“Our Spring/Summer edit showcases styles straight from the catwalk, with tropical prints reworking classic tankinis and primary colours making swimsuits pop.” Figleaves Tone of Voice | 8
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Writing Basics
Keep copy concise.
Always consider features and benefits.
We want our customers to identify with what we say, so we need to make sure our copy isn’t too long. We don’t want to bore them; we want to inspire them.
When writing about a product or collection, you should tell the customer about the details that product or collection features, as well as how it can benefit their lives.
Think about what you’re writing. If you’re writing about a bikini, think about what you would want from that bikini, and think about where you’d wear it.
Think about who you’re writing for. Keep your audience in mind. Your language should resonate with every customer type, however in some instances you may know exactly which customer type you are writing for. In this case, you can tailor your copy accordingly.
Keep consistency across all of Figleaves’ brand media. Figleaves is written in lowercase, with the first letter in uppercase. Although the logos are designed in uppercase, it may appear like we’re shouting at our readers if we use uppercase letters in every instance of writing these words.
Writing Basics | 9
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Phrases
Yes
No
Seamless silhouette
Body to die for
For a chic aesthetic
For a fashionable look
Conceals those parts you’d like to keep hidden
Hides those lumpy bits
Enhances your cleavage
Pushes up your boobs
For classic, timeless appeal
For a style that won’t go out of date
To help firm your figure
To suck you in
A catwalk-inspired colour palette
Colours you’ll love this season
Our Phrases | 10
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Dos & Don’ts
Do
Don’t
Write in a tone that makes us sound human. We’re women talking to other women. We’re real. Speak in a language that our customers can relate to.
Miss out key features or details of a product. We don’t want to miss out on key selling points of a product.
Include as much detail about a product or collection as possible. We really want to sell our products to our customers. Link products with lifestyle, where possible. Our customers are more likely to purchase our products if they know exactly where they can fit into their lives. Paint a picture. Inspire our customers with descriptive words to help her imagine a scenario where she’s wearing our products, whether that’s lazing by the pool in a tankini or impressing in a seductive corset.
Be too salesy. You don’t need to tell our customers to buy something ‘now’, ‘today’ or ‘quick’. Carefully constructed sentences that are themed around our customers’ lifestyles will influence them to purchase. Write about a product with one particular customer type in mind. Think about how that product can fit into the lives of all our customer types.
Be personal. Use words like ‘we’, ‘our’, ‘us’, ‘you’ and ‘yours’. Dos and Don’ts | 11
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CONTENT CHANNELS We speak to our customers in many different places. Each and every place we feature copy is an opportunity to communicate with them.
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Product Descriptions
Examples:
Product descriptions should include the features and benefits of a product, whilst utilising our tone of voice to strengthen the relationship with our customers. The format should include a short paragraph of copy detailing the benefits, followed by a list of features which allows our customers to quickly scan for product information. Exude glamour in our figureflattering swimsuit with a classic polka dot pattern that’s sure to get you noticed when you’re relaxing by the pool. Complete with hidden tummy control, it’s an instant confidence booster. • Plunge neckline • Ruched waist detailing • Tummy control • Halterneck tie fastening • 80% Nylon, 20% Elastane • Hand wash only
An essential basic for your underwear drawer, our moulded strapless bra will smooth your shape, provide support and uplift, and allow you to wear your favourite outfits without unsightly straps on show. • Moulded cups • Bow feature in centre • Underwired • 3 hook-and-eye fastening • 65% Nylon, 21% Polyester, 14% Elastane • Hand wash only
Luxurious and perfectly practical, our silk PJs offer irresistible comfort and elegance, perfect for snug nights in that are effortlessly chic. • Long sleeves • Button-through shirt • Elasticated waistband • Drawstring tie detailing • 100% Silk • Hand wash only
Different Content Channels | 13
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Category Pages Examples:
Category page copy should be inspirational and influential. The language should be descriptive, nodding to specific trends and products that are included within the category.
Wanderlust Trend
Swimwear Trends
Channelling a carefree bohemian feel, explore Aztecinspired prints, tassel trims and intricate details for an adventurous, off-the-beaten-track vibe.
This swimwear season is all about making a statement. Surf’s up with scuba-inspired neoprene silhouettes, whilst nautical stripes maintain a classic feel. Whether you’re taking a dip in the pool or strolling with your feet in the sand, transform your look with the hottest trends.
Erotique Collection Sumptuous fabrics and irresistible boudoir styling combine for a high fashion collection of intimates, almost too tempting to be kept undercover. Indulge in luxurious lace, sensual details and sheer opulence from this intoxicating collection of sexy lingerie and nightwear.
Different Content Channels | 14
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Blog
Our blog is where our customers come for advice and inspiration. We need to assert our expertise whilst engaging our customers through the language we use. We want our customers to visit our blog regularly, therefore our language must make them feel like they’re involved. We want our customers to miss us if they’ve missed a blog post. Each blog post should have an attention-grabbing title, use sub-headers to break up the content, and be aspirational throughout.
Example Blog Titles:
The Cosy Edit: Nightwear to Snuggle Up In Hot off the Catwalk: Tempting Trends Splash Around in Style: Swimwear You’ll Love The Buyer Edit: Top Picks
Different Content Channels | 15
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Our emails should be exciting and encourage our customers to visit our website. The content should highlight key trends and collections, as well as offers and special discounts. We should keep sentences short and snappy, and use language that’s focused on product and lifestyle. We want our customers to look forward to our emails arriving in their inbox. We don’t want any of our emails to be left unopened.
Subject Lines
Example Subject Lines:
Subject lines will make our customers decide whether or not they’re going to open the email. They need to be clear and concise. If you have the data available, include the customer’s name when necessary. Avoid promotional phrases – we want to inspire and intrigue; we don’t want to pressurise our customers. Make them feel special by using personal language.
Our Brand New Collection Revealed
Our AW Edit has Landed
Tropical Prints: Summer is Here
Party Dress Essentials
Treat Yourself, [NAME]
Nice and Nautical
Different Content Channels | 16
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Social Media
Examples:
Our social media platforms are home to our loyal online community. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are places where our customers can voice their opinions of our brand and products, and engage with the content we share. Our language should be enthusiastic and inspirational in order to encourage our community to connect with us.
Sentences should be clear and concise. Our tone can be a little more personal and a little less serious, so that our customers feel comfortable enough to interact with us.
Summer’s on the horizon and we can almost taste the cocktails. Time to pack our suitcases with beach-worthy swimwear!
Fun, flirty and floral. Check out our summer saviours here >>
Our lingerie obsession continues
Refresh your lingerie drawer with something sexy. Think alluring lace and sumptuous silks… Playlist ready and sports bra on. Toned tum, here we come.
We’re dreaming of the tropics Pssst, new arrivals have landed! Take a sneak peek >> Our lust list has a brand new addition Heart-racing lace…Valentine’s Day just got hotter.
Different Content Channels | 17
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Hashtags: Top Tips
Be consistent with hashtags. If you’re using a hashtag to support a campaign, use it in every relevant post. Use well-established hashtags to engage with a wider audience, making sure they’re relevant to the post. Don’t rely on hashtags alone for engagement; strengthen our brand’s identity and social following by writing in the language our customers know and love us for. Be reactive and use hashtags that our followers are using on social media. Keep them short, snappy and simple.
Different Content Channels | 18
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Homepage
The homepage is the first thing our customers see, therefore any messaging needs to be attention-grabbing. We must choose our words carefully to make our customers feel inspired with just one short sentence. The homepage is mainly image-led and the copy is in the form of headers describing new trends, collections, products and seasonality, with a feel-good tone.
Examples:
Spring/Summer
Autumn/Winter
Generic
Make Waves (Swimwear)
Cosy nights In (Pyjamas)
Loved by You (Best-Sellers)
Late Summer Essentials (Swimwear/Holiday Fashion)
Toasty Toes (Slippers)
Supportive yet Sexy (Bras)
All Wrapped Up (Dressing Gowns)
Sensual Shapewear
Party Ready Pieces (Shapewear)
Matchy Matchy (Lingerie sets)
Turn up the Heat (Swimwear/Holiday Fashion) Wild at Heart (Animal Prints)
Seductive Satin (Erotique) Flaunt It! (Lingerie, Shapewear, Swimwear)
Different Content Channels | 19
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Call to Action
The Call to Action, or ‘CTA’ encourages customers to do something, such as browse a category, buy a product, or enter a competition. We need to make sure that the CTA isn’t forceful; we do this by using language that’s engaging, inspirational and subtly persuasive. CTAs are usually only several words long, so each word must be carefully considered.
Examples:
Discover More > Unlock the Collection > Get Yours > Indulge > Treat Yourself > Unwrap the Magic > Get Inspired > I Want It >
Different Content Channels | 20
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OU R M AL E C U S T OM E R Our male customer shops for himself, as well as for his partner. He favours high quality, stylish pieces that he knows he’ll find at Figleaves, alongside a selection of trusted brands. He shops our women’s collections when he’s treating his other half to something special, seeking luxury and style.
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Our Male Tone of Voice Our language should be:
When communicating with our male customers, our tone of voice should remain consistent to reflect our brand personality. However, some slight changes to our language must be made to ensure it is well received by men.
Straightforward
Inspirational
The male customer wants to quickly find the information he is looking for.
Although our male customers prefer straightforward copy, we can still engage them with lifestyle-based copy at times, as long as the language isn’t too descriptive and feminine-sounding.
Accurate He wants to know what the fit is like, what the material is like, and what the features of a product are. He also trusts us to provide him with the latest styles.
Concise He doesn’t want to spend too much time reading about our products. This means we can be slightly less descriptive than when we’re writing for our female customers.
Male-Focused This may sound obvious, but put yourself in a man’s shoes. Think about how he acts, what he does in his spare time, and his shopping behaviour. Use words that he can relate to, and words that you can imagine him saying.
Our Male Audience | 22
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Phrases
Yes
No
Effortlessly stylish
At the forefront of fashion
Sport a casual, laidback look
Channel a minimalist style
Ideal for lounging
Perfect for those cosy nights in
Relaxing by the pool
Sunbathing in the sunshine
Comfortable, convenient and modern
Super comfy and fashion forward
Keeping you cool and dry as you workout
Making you feel amazing whilst you’re exercising
Our Male Audience | 23
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Product Descriptions Example:
Ideal for lounging or sleeping in, our FGL Jersey Lounge Pants are a lazy day necessity. Effortlessly stylish and comfortable, they’re an easy throw-on for those chill out times. • Super soft fabric • Elasticated waistband • 100% Cotton • Machine washable
Category Page Example:
Jet off with a case full of holiday essentials for a carefree getaway under the sun. We’ve put together a collection of swimwear that’s focused on this season’s latest trends, as well as quality and practicality. Each piece is as stylish as it is functional, from endurance briefs and quick-dry swim shorts, to cool and easy beach shorts.
Our Male Audience | 24
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Subject Lines Example Subject Lines:
Stylish, Practical and Well-Fitting: Everything You Need This Season Top 10 Picks Just For You Treat Her to Something Special
Get in her Good Books Lazy Days and Loungewear Our Bestsellers Right Here
Homepage Examples:
CTA
Examples:
Seasonal Must-Haves
Throw On Style (Loungewear)
Everyday Essentials
The Workout Range
The Endurance Edit: Push Yourself
Laidback Sundays (Loungewear)
Check it out>
Get yours>
Shop the Range>
View>
See more> Our Male Audience | 25
W Tone of Voice Guidelines
Tone of Voice Guidelines | February 2016