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Tone of Voice

As a global brand our voice travels far.

One voice

Whether we're bidding for research funding, outlining a degree application process or inspiring someone to study with us, we need one clear voice. 

Being consistent across all our communications, and everything we create, means they make sense together. 

Using a clear voice builds brand familiarity and trust. Our voice is a common thread throughout our work, making us recognisably Newcastle University. 

The stronger our voice, the stronger our identity, and the stronger our lasting impression. 

So, we’ve set out some helpful hints and tips to make sure we speak as one, no matter who we are talking to or what we are saying.  
 


What is tone of voice?

Tone of voice is how we say what we say – and the impression that makes on our audiences.

It's how we articulate our values and beliefs.

It builds connections.

It's our personality.

It breathes life into our brand.


How we sound

Imagine that our brand is a person. Just as every person speaks a little differently, so do brands and this is shaped by tone of voice. 

Our voice is informed by our brand personality, we are always: 

  • determined
  • visionary
  • conscientious

Our tone of voice is our ‘attitude’. It’s not just what we say, but how we say it through everything that we create.


Best practice 

When creating content for the University, following these hints and tips will keep you on the right track for our tone of voice:

  • use an active rather than a passive voice 
  • be positive, optimistic, and upbeat 
  • speak in everyday, approachable language 
  • be honest, sincere, and factual, using numbers and figures to add authority 
  • keep things simple by being concise and direct – try to keep sentences less than 25 words 
  • be human and real by using people-focused stories where possible 

You should also make sure that you avoid the following: 

  • use of jargon, acronyms (unless absolutely necessary), or bureaucratic terms 
  • use of overly formal language 
  • sounding superior, boastful, or arrogant, rather focus on being relatable and down-to-earth 
  • leading with a negative angle 
  • being tentative or lacking conviction 
  • getting too complex or padding out with unnecessary words 

Our brand personality – examples

Determined

We are confident, strong, and influential. 

We rise to every challenge and persevere to accomplish great things. We mean every word we say. We’re positive, and see every obstacle as an opportunity to learn and grow. Our work paves the way for new ideas around the world, and we’re not afraid to talk about it. 

We’re proud of our international reputation, but we don’t only talk about our successes. We talk about our motivations too, and the impact we make on real people every day.

Our work can be complex, so we make it easy to understand so everyone can play a part. 

Example 

This: 

Newcastle University is the starting point for many successful entrepreneurs. Our alumni have gone on to develop products and services that have changed lives and reached millions of people. Meet Ben Reeves, founder of Blockchain and former Newcastle graduate.

Not this: 

Newcastle University has in the past had a large number of graduates who have then gone on to have successful careers and built their fortunes around the world. The quality of our teaching staff is so high that after leaving the University, many of our alumni have produced products that have quite literally saved lives and reached millions of people. Ben Reeves graduated with a masters in 2009 and then went on to found Blockchain.

Visionary

We are energetic, creative, and full of ideas.

We’re innovators, creatively leading the way and pushing boundaries. We’re adventurers too, actively seeking out knowledge and daring to go where others won’t. Our sleeves are rolled up and we’re tackling big international issues head on. We’re brave, hardworking, and never afraid to experiment. 

At our heart we’re pioneers, communicating our work with passion and dynamism. We’re inclusive, always inviting audiences to take a closer look. We celebrate collaborations, inspiring audiences to join us on our journey and to imagine their part in our work. 

Example 

This: 

We are a world-class university, hosting 29,000 students from 145 countries and over 6,000 staff. We are proud of our international presence and cross-cultural interaction.

Not this: 

Our Internationalisation Strategy underpins our aim to be a world-class university. It intends to foster a culture receptive to interaction across the world and cross-cultural understanding, engaging all types of staff and students.

Conscientious

We are passionate, genuine, and people-focused. 

We bring to life our passion for what we do using a mix of words, images, and video to share our stories. We speak in a way that helps our audiences and use simple, accessible language. Our enthusiasm is warm, genuine, and shines through our content.

We are inspiring. Everything we do is carried out with integrity and conviction. Doing the right thing isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. 

Example 

This: 

We’re proud to be a University of Sanctuary. We offer educational, research and engagement opportunities to people seeking sanctuary and a better life. We’re committed to promoting a welcoming, inclusive culture on campus and in our local communities.

Not this: 

We are a University of Sanctuary, welcoming people seeking sanctuary through facilitated access to higher education (HE), supporting local refugee communities, and taking an active role in learning about the issues and obstacles faced by this group in pursuing HE.
 


Adjusting our tone 

We don’t change who we are, but we may need to adjust our tone depending on who we are talking to. 

We need to consider: 

  • who will read the content 
  • how they behave and what they are interested in or worried about  
  • what kind of tone will they relate to

Our tone is not only how we sound, but also:  

  • the words we use 
  • how we use them  
  • our cadence and rhythm  
  • the length of our sentences  

We can adapt these aspects to suit the audience we are speaking to, just as a person would. 

Here’s some guidance on how to adjust your tone.

Undergraduate  

  • be friendly, helpful, fun
  • use short sentences, it’ll drive attention and give the copy more impact 
  • emphasise our quality of teaching and its ability to help them reach their potential  
  • be original and authentic, focussing on real-world examples to bring our offer to life
     

Postgraduate 

  • be engaged, helpful, knowledgeable 
  • we can use more sophisticated language, where suitable  
  • similar to undergraduate, showcase real-world examples of our teaching and facilities to show how a degree from Newcastle will support career ambitions  

Alumni 

  • be vibrant, nostalgic, supportive  
  • foster their sense of belonging  
  • similar to postgraduate, we can use more sophisticated language where appropriate 
  • enhance our reputation - showcase the value of the education and research taking place at their alma mater 

International  

  • be welcoming, confident, clear  
  • be concise and simple - English may well not be their first (or second) language  
  • avoid slang, colloquialisms and idioms  
  • be inclusive – we want to show they belong here  
  • emphasise our global reach 

Corporate and B2B  

be professional, original, helpful 
emphasise how our knowledge shapes the world around us and that we are part of global conversations – we are pioneering  
humanise and simplify technical language – case studies are a great tool to use 
get to the point quickly – think about what you want the audience to learn and focus on your most important points, with a clear call to action  

Research  

  • be confident, authoritative, impactful  
  • use a more formal tone - objective and precise  
  • emphasise the depth of our knowledge and again, how this is shaping the world around us  
  • use more sophisticated language and academic terminology, when appropriate
  • think about what you want the audience to learn and focus on your most important points

Words we like

Based on our brand aspirational values, here are some words we like:

Making impact 

  • Determined
  • Explore 
  • Brave 
  • Driven 
  • Reshape 
  • Critical thinking  
  • Straight talking 
  • Change making  
  • Going further  
  • Cultivate  
  • Pioneering  
  • Trailblazing  
  • Push boundaries  
  • Benefit  
  • Catalyst 

Being creative  

  • Vision
  • Inspire 
  • Energy  
  • Fresh 
  • Novel  
  • Vibrant 
  • Curiosity  
  • Challenging 
  • Enriching  
  • Risk 
  • Experimentation  
  • Interdisciplinary  
  • Imagine  
  • Passionate  
  • Bold 

Creating excellence 

  • Conscientious 
  • World-improving 
  • Quality 
  • Forefront 
  • Leading 
  • Focus  
  • Earnest 
  • Inclusive 
  • Delve 
  • Explore 
  • Inquisitive  
  • Question  
  • Commitment  
  • Nurturing  
  • Forging