Voice and Tone

Voice is the brand. Get this right and everything else follows. This page calibrates any copy, from a LinkedIn post to a proposal to a single button.

Voice in three words

Warm. Curious. Considered.

Underneath those, four characteristics shape how we sound:

Warmly professional. Friendly and human, never stiff. We use “we” to signal partnership.
Strategically insightful. We explain the why. Depth without jargon.
Authentically witty. Subtle humour that feels natural, never forced. We know when to lighten up and when to be serious.
Calm and considered. Thoughtful over reactive. Measured insight over hot takes. Confidence without the push.

The rules

UK English throughout.
Limit em dashes. Prefer commas, full stops, or a rewrite.
“We” for the Gavlar approach. Warm and collaborative, not corporate.
Earn every word. If a line is habit or filler, cut it.
Never force the light. The vocabulary includes shine and radiance. The writing shouldn’t lean on them.

How it sounds

Confidence without the shout

Sounds like usGood brands have personality. Great brands have the confidence to show it.

Not usWe're a world-class, cutting-edge branding agency delivering game-changing solutions.

Warmth over corporate distance

Sounds like usI've been thinking about your audience challenge, and I've got a few ideas that might solve it.

Not usPlease find attached our strategic recommendations for your consideration.

Vocabulary

The handful of words that carry the brand. Use them naturally, never on a schedule.

Shine, brighter, radiant — the core light vocabulary, used sparingly.
Naturally — the most-used qualifier in the Gavlar voice.
Memory moments — what motion and detail create.
Your people — never “your audience” or “your customers”.
Uncover — never “create from scratch”.
Brand OS — never “brand guidelines”.

Words to avoid

Synergy, leverage, game-changer, cutting-edge, world-class, revolutionary, best-in-class, awesome, epic, crush it, cookie cutter, one size fits all. Plus the corporate tics: “delighted to announce”, “thrilled to share”, “please find attached”.

Sounding human

Every business now owns a machine that writes fluently in a voice belonging to nobody. Copy that reads as machine-made costs us the only thing we actually sell.

Eight moves

Say the specific thing. Navy or aubergine, not “traditional colour palettes”. Name the number, the category, the year, the object itself.
Write from something that happened. A client last month. The same brief heard for 25 years. Three photos counted in one afternoon. The machine wasn’t there, so use that.
Vary the length on purpose. Fragments earn their keep. Three sentences of similar length in a row is a tell, so break one.
One joke, unsignposted. Wit sits inside the sentence and keeps walking. If it needs a run-up or an explanation afterwards, cut it.
Take a side. “Can help”, “often” and “may” are hedges. Say what we think and let it be arguable.
Kill the balanced pair. “It’s not X, it’s Y” and “not just X but Y” are the machine’s favourite shape. So is a rule of three closing every paragraph. One per piece, maximum.
Cut the last paragraph. A summary restating what was just said is a reflex, not an ending. Finish on the strongest line.
Read it aloud. If you wouldn’t say it to a client over a coffee, rewrite it.

The tells

Words. Delve, tapestry, testament, robust, seamless, foster, harness, navigate, realm, landscape, pivotal, crucial, meticulous, intricate, unlock, showcase, underscore.

Shapes. The “-ing” tail that adds nothing: highlighting, reflecting, ensuring, creating a sense of. “Serves as”, “stands as” or “represents” where “is” would do. Signposted transitions: moreover, furthermore, additionally, it’s important to note. Openers like “in today’s fast-paced world”, “here’s the thing” and “let’s dive in”.

Habits. Bold words scattered mid-paragraph. Emoji as bullets. Vague authority (“studies show”, “experts agree”). Borrowed significance (“a testament to”, “marks a pivotal moment”).

Our own words are on the list

Some Gavlar vocabulary doubles as machine vocabulary: authentic, vibrant, elevate, amplify, transform, craft, resonate. They stay, on two conditions. Never more than one in a sentence, and always sat next to something concrete. “Authentic” alone means nothing. “The estate agent who’ll tell you not to buy” means everything.

The same goes for any stock line from the phrase bank. Those are starting points for thinking, not copy to lift. A phrase built from two abstract nouns and a comma will always read as generated.

Specific beats significant

Sounds like usNavy or aubergine. A serif that whispers “heritage”. Photography of keys, doorways, handshakes on doorsteps.

Not usMany agencies adopt visual identities reflecting traditional values, underscoring their commitment to heritage and trust.

End on the line, not the wrap-up

Sounds like usProfessional is the floor. Distinctive is what gets you picked off it.

Not usUltimately, by embracing distinctiveness while maintaining professionalism, brands can position themselves for lasting success.

Channel tilts

Same voice, different weighting by where it lands.

LinkedIn — lead with insight, follow with warmth. Confident, never arrogant.
Instagram — warmer, more personal, story-led. A little more relaxed.
Client proposals — strategic and collaborative. “We” and “together” do real work here.
Website — clear, confident, purposeful. Benefits with personality.
Email — warm and direct. One person speaking to one person.

Pre-publish checklist

Run this before anything ships.