4 lessons WWE can teach us about brand voice

I’m a long-time World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) fan. As a kid, I followed wrestling religiously, and I still tune in occasionally. I snapped this picture at a live event in Toronto earlier this year.

Yesterday, I stumbled across leaked images containing rules for WWE’s commentators.

They’re entertaining to read and can teach us a lot about developing our own brand voice.

Your brand voice is how your organization expresses itself. It includes presentation style, messaging, word choice, and tone. Let’s take a look at how the WWE goes about their brand voice:

1. Presentation style

1

Presentation style is the way your story is told. For WWE, they ask the commentators to take the fan’s point of view. The commentators are supposed to call the action, enjoy the product, and ask thought-provoking questions without leading the audience.

Your presentation style might be in the form of a colleague, industry expert, thought leader, or analyst. Are you heavy on opinion or statistics? Detailed or concise? Choose a style your audience will best connect with.

2. Messages

2

Messages are the powerful bits of the stories you tell. The WWE always reminds us of what took place on last week’s episode of Monday Night Raw. They snowball the conflicts, issues, and “incidents” between wrestlers to promote upcoming matches.

You’re solving problems that your audience is facing. When you repeat messages that help your audience identify these problems, they’re more likely to progress to the next stage in your buying cycle.

3. Word choice

3

Your words convey meaning to your audience. The WWE is very specific with what they want their audience to think and feel. They do their best to avoid acting terminology, industry jargon, and any indication of being outdated.

Good brands choose their language carefully. You should have your own sets of words to repeat and avoid. Consistent language means your content is more likely to stick with your audience.

4. Tone

4

Tone is similar to attitude. During a match, WWE commentators are always conversational, but vary their intensity depending on the mood. They’ve mastered the art of storytelling.

What’s the attitude of your brand? Are you playful or serious? Sophisticated or simple? Develop a tone that resonates with your audience. The key is consistency: we want to influence our audience by repeating and reinforcing who we are and what we represent.

Brand voices help us stand out by unifying our communications. When we’re inconsistent, we dilute the impact of our content.

What do you think of WWE’s brand voice?