Our Voice is how we communicate our brand personality.
When we speak about Voice and tone, we mean two different ways we express ourselves.
Our Voice is how our personality comes across in copy and content.
Our tone is how formal vs. informal, expressive vs. functional we need to be to communicate appropriately with our target audience.
Voice
Our voice is:
So we sound like:
Trusted
Highlighting our legacy of excellence, precision, and authority in all that we do. We are matter-of-fact, but never arrogant.
From day one, we’ve pursued innovative ways of teaching and research that place a premium on experience and engagement.
Unparalleled expertise for transformational impact
Empowering
We are connected to others and informed by the world. A friendly voice supporting go-getter Huskies all around the world.
The world doesn’t wait. Neither do you. Build the experience, instincts, and network you need to change the world.
No matter where you live, there are so many opportunities for personal growth as you forge lifelong connections with your peers.
Passionate
We are energetic and tenaciously unapologetic about our purpose and the things that drive us.
Northeastern Entrepreneurship spans the world. Get ready to tackle big challenges. Build game-changing innovations. And make a resounding impact that resonates across borders.
We exist in the world, for the world.
Confident
We are provocative and unexpected, using punchy and crisp writing. We can be edgy but never irreverent.
17 Division I teams, including varsity esports. 55 intramural sports, and 64 club teams. And a packed DogHouse on game nights. Go Huskies!
Plenty of room to do your own thing. Many ways to feel like a Husky.
Tone
Our tone flexes as needed to best serve our purpose, taking channel and audience into consideration.
Formal vs. informal tones tend to be determined by audience, while functional vs. expressive tend to be determined by content type.
Formal vs. Informal
The tone of your communications should be most informal when communicating to current students and alumni, particularly when you are just trying to whet their appetite to learn more about your topic.
At the other end of the spectrum, your tone in explanatory communications to professional external audiences—public officials, prospective partners, or other university leaders—should be more formal and straightforward, but never stiff or boring.
| Formal | Informal |
| Tends to be more: External, professional | Tends to be more: Internal, student |
Functional vs. Expressive
Communications goals and content types give us a cue about tone of voice as well. Some content types and channels lend themselves to a more straightforward, functional tone. Other channels give us greater flexibility to be expressive in our tone.
| Functional | Neutral | Expressive |
| Webpages, one-pagers, PowerPoints | Homepages, ad campaigns, magazines, flyers, email | Social media |
