Building a Distinctive Verbal Identity in the Age of AI
The competitive online landscape demands a new type of innovation- a clear voice for your brand. This voice forms part of your brand identity and is integral to reaching and resonating with your audience.
As most marketers understand, verbal identity defines what you say and how you say it. However, as AI has become more everyday users have become more critical of content, as they look for authenticity. Leveraging AI in this environment is key to standing out from the crowd.
What is Verbal Identity?
So before we begin, verbal identity is your brand’s unique voice. It’s how your words shape perceptions, build trust, and evoke emotions in your audience. Much like your visual identity, it helps answer the question: Who are we as a brand?
Think about the biggest names in branding and how their identity comes through:
Nike: Punchy and confident, always inspiring action.
Innocent: Playful, approachable, and refreshingly informal.
Patagonia: Rugged, sustainable, and deeply connected to nature.
These brands are immediately recognisable not just for their products but for the way they communicate. Their verbal identity aligns with their values and mission, reinforcing their message across every touchpoint.
Why Verbal Identity Matters More Than Ever
These brands cut through the noise and stand out in an online space. Brands that don’t create a unique voice risk blending into a sea of sameness, or worse, losing the trust of their audience completely.
To develop this verbal identity, you need to look beyond just tone of voice. Your identity forms the backbone of all communication, guiding everything from how web pages are structured to the phrasing of social media posts.
It involves defining:
Core Messaging: What your brand stands for and how it speaks to its audience.
Dos and Don’ts: The specific language you use—or avoid.
Internal Anchors: Reference points to ensure consistency, such as guidelines for testing whether your content reflects your brand’s personality.
Tools for Crafting a Verbal Identity
So with this understanding, how do you craft a verbal identity?
One effective approach to developing verbal identity is Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism, which looks at six key facets of a brand:
Physique: The tangible, visual aspects of your brand.
Personality: The character and traits your brand embodies.
Culture: The values and ethos that drive your brand.
Self-Image: How your customers see themselves when interacting with your brand.
Reflection: How your brand portrays its audience.
Relationship: The type of connection your brand builds with its customers.
This model ensures that every aspect of your brand’s identity is interconnected, creating a cohesive experience for your audience.
Another useful tool is Carl Jung’s Archetype Framework, which positions brands as characters with specific traits. For instance:
The Hero (e.g., Nike): Inspires achievement and greatness.
The Everyman (e.g., IKEA): Relatable, approachable, and grounded.
The Explorer (e.g., Patagonia): Adventurous, daring, and independent.
These archetypes help humanise brands, making them more relatable and memorable.
If you want something a little quicker and easier for your team to get the ball rolling you can also try Nielsen Norman Group’s Four Dimensions:
This exercise helps teams define whether the brand’s tone is:
- Serious or playful?
- Formal or casual?
- Respectful or irreverent?
- Enthusiastic or matter-of-fact?
Whether you decide on one or all of these exercises, collecting team input ensures that your verbal identity is well-rounded and reflects shared values. Importantly, avoid positioning your brand “in the middle.” Strong, decisive choices create a more memorable voice.
The Human Connection: Why It’s Essential
These exercises are useful as they help anchor your brand with human emotions. Humans naturally seek connection and a consistent verbal identity creates this connection. It tells your audience who you are, what you value, and why they should trust you.
AI’s Role in Verbal Identity
This trust is integral in a digital age when users are more cynical than ever. AI is reshaping the way we approach content creation and while it offers unprecedented speed and efficiency, it’s not without flaws. Misuse can lead to overly generic content, or worse, damage to your brand’s credibility. A few key concerns include:
Intellectual Property Issues: AI’s reliance on existing data has raised legal and ethical questions around copyright. This has led to several lawsuits such as Getty Images v Stability AI and Zhang v Google which makes this technology something that needs to be considered and controlled.
Zombie Websites: This property theft is most visible in AI-generated clickbait sites. These zombie sites erode trust in online content, as seen with formerly reputable sites like The Hairpin and Apple Daily.
The Beige Effect: Currently, AI often produces bland, overly predictable content, leading to a loss of nuance and creativity in digital communication. This is because content GPTs are limited by the information provided and often err on the side of summarising information in the most general way. For a great breakdown of this, I recommend reading the New Yorker piece, ChatGPT Is A Blurry JPEG Of The Web.
So with all these in mind, any content created using generative AI must be controlled, monitored, and edited by human hands to maintain trust and ensure that your verbal identity remains consistent.
How to Use AI Without Losing Authenticity
How can you do this? Well here are some practical ways to integrate AI into your verbal identity strategy:
Streamline Content Frameworks: Use AI to outline blogs, create content calendars, or develop frameworks for longer pieces.
Analyse and Enhance Copy: Feed AI examples of your tone and ask for feedback on aspects like clarity, brevity, and conviction.
Support Creative Campaigns: AI can generate ideas for holiday campaigns, word puzzles, or even interactive quizzes, adding variety to your content mix.
Process Large Data Sets: For data-heavy projects, like FOI reports or whitepapers, AI can handle repetitive tasks, freeing up your team for strategic work.
The Golden Rule: AI should be a tool, not a replacement. Your verbal identity must always guide the process.
Standing Out in an AI-Saturated World
With AI content flooding the digital landscape, standing out is more important than ever. Start by creating a “verbal bible” that details every aspect of your brand voice. Include examples of what your brand sounds like and—just as importantly—what it doesn’t. Check in regularly with your team to ensure everyone is aligned.
Even small touchpoints can reflect your verbal identity. A witty 404 page, for instance, speaks volumes about your brand’s personality.
The Future of Verbal Identity in Marketing
As AI continues to evolve, marketers must tread carefully. While the technology holds immense potential, it’s essential to maintain a strong human-centred approach. Define your verbal identity, monitor it closely, and use AI strategically to enhance—not dilute—your brand voice.
Your verbal identity is as crucial as your visual identity. Invest time in shaping it, and you’ll create a brand that resonates, builds trust, and stands out in an increasingly homogenised digital world.
A well-defined verbal identity is the foundation of any successful brand. In the age of AI, it’s not just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. By combining human creativity with AI’s capabilities, you can craft a brand voice that’s both distinctive and adaptable. Use AI wisely, but always prioritise the authenticity that only humans can bring to communication.
As the digital landscape evolves, your brand voice will be your most powerful tool for connection. Take the time to define it, refine it, and make it uniquely yours. If you’re interested in content marketing or want to know more about how Anicca can help incorporate digital marketing services and strategies into your business, contact our team today.
