Brand Voice Analyzer

Brand Voice Analyzer

Ingest a company's existing content, reverse-engineer the voice behind it, produce a definitive brand voice guide any writer can follow, and review new content against an established guide.

Contents

• references/voice-dimensions.md -- the seven-axis tone spectrum, vocabulary, sentence, personality, audience, and formatting dimensions to extract
• references/guide-template.md -- required sections, quality standards, and pre-delivery checklist for brand-voice-guide.md
• references/review-mode.md -- process and output format for scoring content against a guide
• references/metrics.md -- quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques and citation standards
• references/edge-cases.md -- handling for thin corpora, multiple voices, regulated industries, rebrands, plus interaction patterns

Workflow: Create a New Voice Guide

1. Ask which content sources are available (URLs, files, directories, pasted text). 2. Ask about any known brand attributes, values, or existing guidelines. 3. Collect the corpus. Pull URLs with WebFetch, locate files with Glob/Read, find public content with WebSearch. Gather website copy, 5-10 blog posts, email campaigns, social posts, sales collateral, and support content. Document each source and its word count. 4. Confirm corpus size. Require at least 3,000 words across 2+ content types. If smaller, flag the limitation and mark affected findings as lower confidence. 5. Run the full voice extraction across every dimension in references/voice-dimensions.md, citing source examples per the standards in references/metrics.md. 6. Present a summary of findings for validation before generating the guide. 7. Generate the complete brand-voice-guide.md following references/guide-template.md. Verify it against that checklist before delivery. 8. Offer to review a sample piece of content against the new guide.

Workflow: Review Content

1. Locate or ask for the brand-voice-guide.md. 2. Read the content to be reviewed. 3. Run the review process and produce the scored output defined in references/review-mode.md. 4. Present findings with actionable, guide-referenced fixes.

Workflow: Update an Existing Guide

1. Read the current brand-voice-guide.md. 2. Ingest the new content sources and run extraction on the new material. 3. Compare findings against the existing guide. 4. Propose specific updates with rationale. 5. Apply approved changes with Edit.

Output Standards

• Primary output: brand-voice-guide.md. For multiple brands: brand-voice-guide-[company-name].md. Deliver review output inline unless a file is requested.
• Use markdown headers (H1-H4), tables for comparative data, blockquotes for source quotes, code blocks only for literal reproduced text. Bold key terms on first use. No emojis.

Operating Principles

• Never fabricate examples. Every quoted example must come from actual source content.
• Never assert voice attributes without evidence. If the data does not support a conclusion, say so.
• Present findings as observations, not prescriptions, until the user validates them.
• Distinguish voice (consistent: who we are) from tone (shifts by context: how we adapt) in every guide.
• When reviewing, be specific: cite the exact word, phrase, or structure and the guide section it touches.
• Treat the guide as a living document and defer to the user's judgment on subjective calls.

Edge Cases and Special Handling

Insufficient Content

If fewer than 3,000 words are available:

• Proceed with analysis but mark all findings as "Low Confidence"
• Recommend specific additional content to provide
• Generate a partial guide with clear "[NEEDS MORE DATA]" markers

Multiple Distinct Voices

If the content clearly reflects multiple authors with different styles:

• Note the range of variation for each dimension
• Recommend which voice to standardize on (or present options)
• Flag the most divergent content with specific examples

Heavily Templated Content

If content is mostly boilerplate or template-driven:

• Separate templated elements from original writing
• Analyze only original content for voice extraction
• Note which templates are in use and whether they align with the organic voice

Regulated Industries

If the company operates in a regulated space (finance, healthcare, legal):

• Flag mandatory language and disclosures separately from voice choices
• Note where regulatory requirements constrain voice options
• Suggest how to maintain brand voice within compliance boundaries

Brand in Transition

If the user mentions a rebrand or voice evolution:

• Analyze current state and document it as "Current Voice"
• Ask about aspirational direction
• Generate a transition guide with "Current -> Target" mappings
• Suggest a phased rollout for voice changes

Interaction Patterns

URL-Based Analysis

User: Analyze the brand voice for https://example.com
Action: WebFetch homepage, about page, blog index. Follow links to collect
        5+ blog posts. Search for social media accounts. Build corpus.
        Run full analysis. Generate guide.

File-Based Analysis

User: Here are our last 20 blog posts in /content/blog/
Action: Glob for markdown/text files. Read all posts. Compute metrics
        per post and aggregate. Run full analysis. Generate guide.

Mixed Sources

User: Our website is example.com, here are some emails in /marketing/emails/,
      and I'll paste some social posts.
Action: Collect from all three sources. Analyze each channel independently
        first, then cross-compare. Note channel-specific variations.
        Generate guide with per-channel tone adjustments.

Content Review

User: Review this blog post against our brand voice guide
Action: Load brand-voice-guide.md. Analyze the draft. Score on all
        dimensions. Flag issues with fixes. Present structured review.

Competitive Voice Comparison

User: Compare our voice to [competitor]
Action: Analyze both brands independently. Create side-by-side comparison
        on all dimensions. Identify differentiation opportunities.
        Suggest how to sharpen distinctive voice elements.

Brand Voice Guide Template

Generate a file called brand-voice-guide.md in the working directory (or a user-specified location). The guide must be structured, actionable, and usable by any writer regardless of familiarity with the brand.

Required Sections

The guide MUST include all of the following:

# [Company Name] Brand Voice Guide

## Quick Reference Card
[One-page summary a writer can tape to their monitor]

## Voice Identity
### Who We Are (3-5 personality traits with definitions)
### Who We Are NOT (common pitfalls and anti-patterns)
### Our Audience (who we are talking to and how we see them)

## Tone Spectrum
[Visual spectrum ratings with explanations]
### Tone Shifts by Context
[How tone adjusts for: marketing, support, social, crisis, internal]

## Word Banks
### Power Words (use these)
### Caution Words (use sparingly)
### Banned Words (never use these)
### Jargon Guide (when to use, when to explain, when to avoid)
### Signature Phrases

## Sentence and Structure Guide
### Length Guidelines
### Preferred Constructions
### Formatting Rules

## Content Type Templates
### Website Copy
### Blog Posts
### Email Marketing
### Social Media (per platform)
### Support/Help Content
### Sales Collateral

## Dos and Don'ts
[Paired examples showing correct vs. incorrect voice]
[At least 10 pairs covering different scenarios]

## Example Rewrites
[Take 5 pieces of generic/off-brand content and rewrite them in the brand voice]
[Show before and after with annotations explaining each change]

## Review Checklist
[Scorecard a writer can use to self-check content before publishing]

## Appendix: Source Analysis
[Summary of what content was analyzed, word counts, confidence levels]

Guide Quality Standards

• Include at least one concrete example with every recommendation
• Show Dos and Don'ts as paired comparisons, not just rules
• Give templates sentence starters, transition phrases, and structural patterns
• Keep the guide internally consistent -- no contradictory advice
• Make the guide at least 400 lines to provide adequate depth
• Use markdown formatting throughout for readability
• Include a version date and list of analyzed sources

Quality Checks Before Delivery

Before presenting the guide, verify:

• [ ] All tone spectrum ratings have justifications with examples
• [ ] Power words list has at least 15 entries
• [ ] Taboo words list has at least 5 entries
• [ ] At least 10 paired Dos/Don'ts examples are included
• [ ] At least 5 example rewrites are included with annotations
• [ ] Content type templates cover at least 4 different types
• [ ] The guide is internally consistent (no contradictory advice)
• [ ] Source analysis appendix lists all analyzed content
• [ ] The guide exceeds 400 lines

Analysis Techniques

Quantitative Metrics

For each content source, compute:

• Word count and unique word count
• Lexical diversity (unique words / total words)
• Average sentence length (words per sentence)
• Average paragraph length (sentences per paragraph)
• Readability estimate (approximate Flesch-Kincaid grade level)
• Active vs. passive voice ratio
• Question frequency (questions per 1000 words)
• Exclamation frequency (exclamation marks per 1000 words)
• First / second / third person pronoun ratios

Qualitative Patterns

For each content source, evaluate:

• Opening patterns -- how the brand starts pieces: hook, question, statistic, story, declaration
• Closing patterns -- how the brand ends: CTA, summary, question, inspiration, next steps
• Metaphor and analogy usage -- frequency, domains drawn from (sports, nature, technology, etc.)
• Storytelling tendency -- narrative, customer stories, founder stories, hypotheticals
• Data usage -- how often statistics are cited and how they are presented
• Social proof patterns -- testimonials, case studies, logos, numbers
• Emotional arc -- how the emotional tone shifts within a single piece

Cross-Channel Comparison

When content from multiple channels is available:

• Identify which voice traits remain consistent across channels
• Document intentional tone shifts (e.g., more casual on social, more formal in whitepapers)
• Flag unintentional inconsistencies that suggest a lack of voice governance
• Map the "tone dial" -- which dimensions shift and by how much per channel

Citation Standards

• Reference specific source content for every claim about the brand voice
• Use this format: [Source: Blog Post - "Title", para 3] or [Source: Homepage, hero section]
• If a finding appears in 3+ sources, note it as a "Strong Pattern"
• If a finding appears in only 1 source, note it as a "Tentative Pattern"

Content Review Mode

Use when reviewing content against an existing brand voice guide.

Review Process

1. Load the guide: Read the brand-voice-guide.md file (ask for its location if not obvious) 2. Analyze the draft: Read the content to be reviewed 3. Score across dimensions: Rate the content on each tone spectrum dimension and compare to the guide's targets 4. Flag violations: Identify specific words, phrases, or structures that deviate from the guide 5. Suggest fixes: For every flagged issue, provide a rewritten alternative that matches the voice 6. Overall assessment: Provide a voice compliance score (0-100) with breakdown

Review Output Format

## Brand Voice Review

**Content**: [Title or description of reviewed content]
**Voice Compliance Score**: [X]/100

### Tone Alignment
| Dimension | Target | Actual | Delta | Status |
|-----------|--------|--------|-------|--------|
| Formality | X | Y | +/-Z | [On/Off] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

### Flagged Issues

#### Issue 1: [Category]
- **Location**: [Quote from the content]
- **Problem**: [What is wrong and why]
- **Suggested fix**: [Rewritten version]
- **Guide reference**: [Which section of the guide this violates]

[Repeat for all issues]

### Positive Highlights
[What the content does well -- reinforce good patterns]

### Summary Recommendations
[Top 3-5 changes that would have the most impact]

Review Principles

• Be specific. "This feels off-brand" is not useful. "The word 'synergy' in paragraph 3 conflicts with the taboo words list" is useful.
• Reference the exact guide section for every flagged issue.
• Reinforce good patterns, not only violations.

Voice Extraction Dimensions

Analyze collected content across these dimensions. For each, cite specific examples from the source material.

Tone Spectrum

Rate the brand on each scale from 1 to 10, with justification:

Vocabulary Patterns

Identify and categorize:

• Power Words -- Words the brand uses repeatedly and intentionally. These define the brand. Examples: "empower," "seamless," "craft," "unlock." Collect at least 15-25.
• Filler Words -- Words that appear frequently but dilute the voice. Flag overuse. Examples: "just," "really," "very," "actually," "basically."
• Taboo Words -- Words the brand clearly avoids based on positioning. Examples: a luxury brand avoiding "cheap" or "discount"; a tech company avoiding "complicated" or "confusing."
• Jargon Inventory -- Industry terms, categorized by:
• Terms used freely (audience is expected to know them)
• Terms always defined or explained on first use
• Terms never used (competitor terminology, outdated terms)
• Signature Phrases -- Recurring phrases, taglines, or constructions unique to the brand. Note exact phrasing and where they appear.

Sentence Structure

Analyze and document:

• Average sentence length (in words) across content types
• Sentence variety -- ratio of short (<10 words), medium (10-25), and long (25+) sentences
• Preferred constructions -- active or passive voice? Declarative, interrogative, or imperative sentences?
• Paragraph length -- average sentences per paragraph, use of one-sentence paragraphs
• List usage -- frequency of bulleted/numbered lists vs. prose
• Fragment usage -- intentional sentence fragments for effect?
• Transition patterns -- how the brand connects ideas: conjunctions, transitional phrases, or abrupt shifts

Personality Traits

Distill the brand voice into 3-5 personality traits using this format:

[Trait Name]: [One-sentence definition of what this means for the brand]

• This means: [Specific behavioral examples]
• This does NOT mean: [Common misinterpretations to avoid]
• Example from source: [Direct quote demonstrating the trait]

Common trait categories to consider: Authoritative vs. Approachable, Innovative vs. Reliable, Bold vs. Measured, Empathetic vs. Objective, Direct vs. Diplomatic.

Audience Awareness

Determine how the brand relates to its audience:

• Point of view: first person singular (I/me), first person plural (we/us), second person (you), third person
• Reader relationship: peer, mentor, guide, authority, friend, advisor
• Assumed knowledge level: beginner, intermediate, expert, mixed
• Emotional appeals: which emotions the brand evokes -- trust, excitement, curiosity, belonging, aspiration
• Inclusivity patterns: use of gendered language, cultural references, accessibility of examples

Formatting and Visual Voice

Document preferences for:

• Capitalization: title case vs. sentence case for headings, CTAs, navigation
• Punctuation habits: Oxford comma, exclamation point frequency, em dash vs. parenthetical, ellipsis usage
• Number formatting: spelled out vs. digits, percentage symbols, currency formatting
• Abbreviation policy: when to abbreviate, acronym introduction style
• CTA style: button text patterns, link text conventions
• Heading style: question-based, statement-based, action-oriented