Specific topics

Sonic branding - voice profile

Voice is a powerful means of communication for Phonak and an important part of the multi-sensory brand experience. This voice profile will act as a guide for how we use the spoken word and engage our audiences beyond the visual.

The Phonak voice

This voice guide is built from our brand purpose ‘life is on’ and our inspired by our personality: Determined, Forward Thinking and Vibrant.
Different qualities in a voice can trigger certain emotions in the listener and choosing the right voice will help communicate our message clearly and consistently.
The Phonak voice is designed for all communication channels e.g. launch/campaign movies, online, TVCs, events, trade fairs. Conferences and podcasts.
Our brand and products are driven by audio and our voice can become another consistent, ownable and recognizable asset, helping Phonak to build affinity and even drive sales.

Application examples

Application examples	Phonak brand voice expression
Digital Content/TVCs	Narration, voiceover
Radio	Narration, voiceover, podcasts
Social Content	Narration, voiceover, Presenter/host
Products	Digital human. Voice assistant, IOT
Events/conferences	Presenter/host, digital humans
Apps/websites/software	Narration, guides, commands, voiceovers
Contact center	Receptionists, host, guide (human)

The Phonak voice – profile

Voice – performance guidelines

Once you have chosen a voice, it will be important to offer some guidance on performance. Vocal delivery will help consistently reinforce our profile. Whilst performance style may vary dependent on the communication narrative, touchpoint or intended audience, the following directions should be applied to everything we do.

Characteristic	Description	What we want	What we don’t want
Volume	How loud or soft is a speaker’s volume.	Medium	We don’t want anything too quiet, but equally no shouting and overexertion in the voice.
Clarity	How the chosen words are articulated.	Clear and crisp	As a brand that delivers high quality audio experiences and communicates to those with hearing loss, it’s important our voice doesn’t sound muffled or hoarse.
Pace	The speed that voice is spoken at.	Steady	Even if we have a lot of information to convey, we never want to rush!
Intonation	How the chosen words are said.	Musical/variation in tone	A flat or monotone voice will quickly become tiresome, especially when we are sharing product specs.

These rules also apply to any other language than English, try to adapt them accordingly to local languages

Voice – examples

The below are examples showcase how to deliver voiceovers that best suit our brand

Gender	What we want	Description
Male 1 (more mature)		This mature but friendly voice uses lots of intonation, adding personality to our messaging. The clear and crisp read is easy to understand and delivered with confidence.
Male 2 (younger)		Though younger, this voice communicates our messaging assertively. A warm feeling helps deliver heightened emotion.
Female 1		A lower pitch female voice is more easily heard by those with hearing loss. A moderate pace makes it easy to follow and lots of intonation helps maintain listener interest.

If you would like to use any of these voiceover artists, please contact branding@phonak.com

The following examples do not comply with our defined voice style:

Gender	What we don’t want	Description
Male		This read is fast and monotonous, making it difficult to understand. It lacks the personality that’s crucial to bring our brand and stories to life.
Male		This read is too loud and extroverted. It lacks the precision, and expertise that supports our brand and product messaging.
Female		This read is monotonous and robotic. The listener would soon lose interest in the message being communicated.

GenAI voices

Before using music and/or voices generated or edited with AI, it is essential that you first familiarize yourself with the topic and the legal pitfalls of generative AI images.

Please consult the relevant chapter Generative AI (GenAI) here