Tonality is one of the cornerstones in any brand’s toolbox. Yet, it can be one of those sections that are hard to pin down and implement in the everyday worklife. We asked Number10’s Creative Director and PR expert Maria Fabricius to see how we can discover our brand's voice and improve our work with it.

Why is it important to create or discover your brand’s tonality?

A brand’s tonality is your company’s personality and soul. Without a clear tonality, it is difficult for the target group to get to know you. Naturally, this obstructs your efforts to build relationships with those you want to reach. A clear tonality is a possibility for you to create living texts and photography as well as avoiding an ambiguous image of your organisation.

“Imagine your brand as a person.”

How do I find my tonality?

First of all, you have to map out your brand’s direction and target groups. How you will be perceived is defined by the type of business you run and who the recipients of your communication efforts are. Interview partners, employees and stakeholders to see how they perceive the company’s tonality. You will get a lot of valuable feedback.
Imagine your brand as a person. How does it behave and speak to engage and build relationships with others? What attributes does it have? Write them down and test them internally to see how they feel.

“Interview partners, employees and stakeholders.”

How do I work consistently with my tonality?

In fact, many organisations struggle with this. It boils down to the simple fact that translating tonality guidelines into everyday actions can be somewhat demanding or challenging. This means that you have to facilitate an easy process for everyone involved, regardless if you have 2 or 200 people in your organisation. Gather the guidelines, make them a living platform and make sure all employees have access to them. Take ownership and follow up regularly to ensure that the tonality is upheld.

Maria's five steps to tonality success:

1. Map out your brand's directions and target audience.
2. Conduct interviews with employees, partners and stakeholders.
3. Imagine your brand as a person.
4. Gather your tonality guidelines in one place.
5. Make sure that the guidelines are updated and easy to access.

Maria Fabricius is Creative Director and co-founder of Number10, a Stockholm-based PR agency that works in the borderland between communication, technology and creativity. A once “Rookie of the year” in Swedish PR, she has worked with an array of well-known brands and agencies. She is also dedicated to social improvement, innovation and collaboration, serving as board member of Kodcentrum, co-founder of Innovation Academy and founder of The Collective.