Brand Management Archives -

Brand Voice: The One Thing AI Can’t Clone

Voice is the underlying personality of your brand that shows up across every piece of content you publish, regardless of topic or format.

In a content landscape flooded with AI output, your voice is your fingerprint. Here’s how to protect it—and use it strategically.

By Linda Pophal, MA, SPHR – Strategic Communications, LLC

Brand voice is the consistent, distinctive personality and perspective that an organization expresses across all of its content—regardless of topic, format, or channel. Unlike tone, which shifts situationally (warmer in a condolence message, more energetic in a product launch), brand voice is stable: it is the underlying character that makes a brand’s content recognizably its own. In 2026, with an estimated 57% of all online content now AI-generated, brand voice has become the primary differentiator available to content marketers who want to be heard.

Last fall I wrote a post about Pinterest’s decision to give users controls to reduce AI-generated content in their feeds. The stat that prompted it was startling: an estimated 57% of all online content is now generative AI (likely even more now…).

That number has stayed with me.

More than half of what’s published online was produced by a machine.

Continue reading “Brand Voice: The One Thing AI Can’t Clone”

“You Can’t Fire Me For Posting That!” Or, Can You…?

Important things to know about the reality of First Amendment rights

Charlie Kirk’s assassination prompted a firestorm of sentiment that rang across social media channels ranging from outrage to, in some fringe circles, celebration. The result, in some cases, was rapid action by employers who terminated employees whose hate speech threatened to tarnish their brands.

A fiery debate ensued following these firings, as many staunchly asserted that employers couldn’t fire employees for simply exercising their First Amendment rights. What many don’t fully comprehend, though, is what First Amendment rights really mean and where they do, and don’t, apply.

When an employee’s controversial tweet goes viral or their political Facebook post sparks workplace tension, many business leaders face the same question: “What can we legally do about this?” The answer is more nuanced than you might expect, even for private employers.

Recent legal guidance from Ford Harrison reveals that while private companies have more flexibility than government entities, the landscape is still filled with potential legal pitfalls that require strategic navigation.

The Legal Reality for Private Employers

Continue reading ““You Can’t Fire Me For Posting That!” Or, Can You…?”

Your Customers are Talking About You. Do You Know What They’re Saying?

If you’re not on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or other social media sites —and believe it or not, many, many people are not!—you may be missing out on some very important conversations. Some of these conversations may be about you!

In working with a client recently, we did some quick online research and they were shocked Continue reading “Your Customers are Talking About You. Do You Know What They’re Saying?”

When Branding or Rebranding Don’t Get Stuck on Names

Throughout my career I’ve been involved in numerous naming and branding initiatives and am always struck by not only the intrinsic challenges of getting a group of people to agree on a particular name/brand for a company, product or service— but also by the enormous amount of angst and emotion that becomes part of the process.

In truth, the process of coming up with a name—whether for a company, a product, a campaign, a department, or whatever is a process Continue reading “When Branding or Rebranding Don’t Get Stuck on Names”

Brand Ambassadors vs. Influencers – What’s the Difference?

We hear a lot about influencers in today’s digital marketing environment, especially related to such channels as Instagram and YouTube. Influencers leveraging these sites include well-known names (in certain circles) like MrBeast, Jake Paul and others who not only have massive followers but are making a massive amount of money from those who want to leverage those followers.

While most small businesses aren’t likely to either build or gain access to these top influencers, they do have the opportunity to leverage another powerful group– brand ambassadors.

Continue reading “Brand Ambassadors vs. Influencers – What’s the Difference?”

Why Your Company, Product, or Service Name Doesn’t Really Matter

Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in numerous naming and branding initiatives and am always struck by not only the intrinsic challenges of getting a group of people to agree on a particular name/brand for a company, product, or service—but also by the enormous amount of angst and emotion that becomes part of the process.

In truth, the process of coming up with a name—whether for a company, a product, a campaign, a department, or whatever is a process that is virtually destined to be an emotional and difficult one from the get-go. Why? Because everybody has an opinion, everybody has an emotional stake in the outcome and everybody wants their brand to be the next Nike.

Continue reading “Why Your Company, Product, or Service Name Doesn’t Really Matter”

Tackling the Special Challenges of Building and Sustaining Strong Service Brands

Much of my work over the years has been with “service brands”—brands that are not tied to a particular product, but to the delivery of some type of service—educational services, healthcare services, energy services, engineering services, consulting services, etc.

Developing and maintaining a strong brand for a service is, in my opinion, significantly more challenging than developing and maintaining a strong brand for a product. Why? Continue reading “Tackling the Special Challenges of Building and Sustaining Strong Service Brands”

Companies That Stand the Test of Time: What Does It Take?

Vinyl records. Audiotapes. Typewriters. Carbon paper. That white stuff that Mike Nesmith’s mom invented that we used to use to correct typing errors. Rotary phones. The Post Office (well, not yet…). Look back over the past 10, 20 or 50 years, and you’ll find countless examples of products and services that simply no longer exist — or that have morphed into something else. Products and services that, for whatever reasons, have become obsolete.

We tend to think primarily of obsolescence being driven by technology, and that certainly is common these days. But obsolescence can occur due to non-technology-related impacts as well. Continue reading “Companies That Stand the Test of Time: What Does It Take?”

Graduates: Some Important Tips for Building Your Personal Brand

A hot topic in recent months, perhaps due to the pandemic and sudden interest in pursuing new job and career opportunities, seems to be “building a personal brand.” We work with a wide range of entrepreneurs, independent consultants and others who are adept at building what they refer to as their “thought leadership.” In truth, though, what they’re really doing, is building their personal brands. We help them do that and we also speak and write regularly about the topic.

Building your personal brand doesn’t start after you’ve already established yourself in your career, or at least it shouldn’t. As we like to say “your reputation precedes you.” And, for good or ill, it precedes you whether you’ve been paying attention or not. Continue reading “Graduates: Some Important Tips for Building Your Personal Brand”

Should Brands Be Political Online?

With the election cycle in full swing and plenty of polarizing issues being talked about in both traditional and social media circles, many brands are wondering whether they should weigh in on these discussions, or remain silent. It’s a legitimate, relevant, and important question. As with many important questions, though, there is no easy answer. Continue reading “Should Brands Be Political Online?”