OUR
VOICE
Voice is how we communicate the overarching personality of our brand through words. It is consistent and distinctive.
We’re a partner and a friend, so what we say should feel relatable and familiar to our audiences. We’re also innovators, moving our industry and communities forward, and that’s something to be proud of. And while we’re assured in our abilities, we never talk down to our audiences, but instead with them — always offering our expertise in a genuine manner.
• We’re conversational and approachable, not corporate or cold
• We’re proud of our heritage without being folksy
• We offer smart, useful information, but we’re not overly technical or clinical
• We’re fresh and optimistic, not old-school or conservative
Brand Personality
Every interaction and communication on behalf of our brand should represent our personality. Follow this guide and listen to the audio description below to make sure you’re consistently and intentionally infusing the personality throughout our communications.
DFA Brand Personality
WE ARE…
WE ARE NOT…
Optimistic
Innovative
Proud
Active
Current
Informed
Dedicated
Compassionate
Warm
Unrealistic
Satisfied
Boastful
Passive
Trendy
Clinical
Overbearing
Soft
Ignorable
Audiences
We have several key audiences, each with different needs and expectations. That’s why it’s so important to establish which audiences you’re speaking to for each communication. To best serve each audience, you’ll need to dial up or down certain aspects of our voice.
The right message for the right audience
Examples
Our writing style
Our writing style is a combination of AP Style rules and brand-specific choices regarding how language is treated. For guidelines on punctuation, acronyms, word choices, legal requirements and more, please reference the DFA Writing Style Guide available in the DFA Asset Library. If an item isn’t covered in this guide, defer to the AP Style Guide. For access, contact DFA Comm.