Brand foundation

What does your brand do in 1–2 sentences?Why was the brand created? Is there a founder story, frustration, or mission behind it?What problem does your product or service solve for the customer?What makes your brand meaningfully different from competitors?What are the 3–5 things you want customers to remember most about the brand?If a customer only read one email from your brand, what would you want them to understand?

02

Brand voice & personality

Choose the traits that best describe how your brand should sound, then add any nuance below.

If your brand were a person, how would you describe them?What role should the brand play in the customer’s life?How polished should the writing feel?How much humor, slang, cultural references, or internet language is appropriate?

03

Brand voice scale

04

Audience & customer language

Who is your primary customer? Include lifestyle, motivations, buying mindset, and use case.Are there multiple customer segments we should speak to differently?What is usually happening in the customer’s life when they discover your brand?What are their biggest objections before purchasing?What questions do customers ask most often?What words or phrases do customers naturally use when describing the product, problem, or result?What emotional outcome are customers really buying?

05

Messaging priorities

What are the top 3–5 messages we should reinforce repeatedly?Which product benefits matter most?Which product features require explanation?What proof points can we use?Are there claims we are legally or strategically not allowed to make?What misunderstandings about the product should email help correct?

06

Copy do’s & don’ts

Words, phrases, taglines, or expressions we should useWords, phrases, clichés, or expressions we should never useAny punctuation or grammar preferences?Emoji policy? Profanity policy?

07

Email-specific style

How short or detailed should emails generally be?Should subject lines be straightforward, curiosity-driven, playful, benefit-led, promotional, editorial, or mixed?What CTA language feels most natural for the brand?Are there CTA phrases you dislike?How promotional should the brand sound during sales?How comfortable are you with urgency?Should discounts lead the message or support the message?What is the ideal balance between storytelling, education, and conversion?

08

Campaign & flow nuance

Define how the tone should shift by email type.

Welcome: how should it feel, and what should we avoid?Product Education: how should it feel, and what should we avoid?Promotional / Sale: how should it feel, and what should we avoid?New Product Launch: how should it feel, and what should we avoid?Abandoned Cart / Checkout: how should it feel, and what should we avoid?Post Purchase: how should it feel, and what should we avoid?Winback: how should it feel, and what should we avoid?Founder / Brand Story: how should it feel, and what should we avoid?UGC / Social Proof: how should it feel, and what should we avoid?VIP / Loyalty: how should it feel, and what should we avoid?

09

Product & offer positioning

What are your hero products or highest-priority products?Which products are easiest for a new customer to understand or try?Which products need the most education?What are your most common promotions or incentives?What discounts are considered too aggressive for the brand?Do you offer free shipping, guarantees, subscriptions, samples, bundles, loyalty, referrals, or gifts with purchase?Are there seasonal moments, launches, or recurring events that are especially important?

10

Competitive & category context

Who are your top 3–5 competitors?What do competitors say that you agree with?What do competitors say that you want to position against?What should make your copy immediately feel different from the category?Are there common industry claims that feel tired, exaggerated, or off-brand?

11

Reference material

Share links or files for anything that will help us understand the brand.

12

‘Sounds like us’ test

Real examples are one of the fastest ways to calibrate copy accurately.

Share up to four examples that sound like your brandShare up to three examples that do not sound like your brand, and explain why

13

Final calibration

What is one thing copywriters usually get wrong about your brand?What is one thing you wish every customer understood immediately?What should customers feel after reading your emails?What should customers do after reading your emails?If we could preserve only three characteristics of your brand voice, what would they be?Is there anything else we should know before writing on behalf of the brand?

14

Copywriter brand snapshot

Optional internal quick-reference. Complete now if these rules are already clear.

Brand in one sentencePrimary audienceVoice in 5 wordsPrimary emotional driverPrimary value propositionTop 3 proof pointsMust-use languageNever-use languageCTA stylePromo / urgency styleSubject line styleKey compliance notes

Help us sound unmistakably like you.