Breaking down brand jargon, one acronym at a time!
Okay people let’s talk acronyms. Yes, they make writing long, convoluted terms much easier. However, while we may think we sound smarter filling our conversations with acronyms, I tend to think it doesn’t exactly work like that.
Having been in the design world for a whole lot of years (which unwillingly exposes my age level of experience), I’ll admit that from time to time, I do fall into the trap of dropping a POD or a TOV without even realising it. As a result, I’ve become quite familiar with the blank look and glazed eyes that quickly follow. It’s with this vacant expression in mind that I’ve decided to break down some branding jargon and let you in on some industry acronyms to help you navigate your business branding conversations.
TOV = Tone of Voice
When we’re talking about a company’s tone of voice, we’re referring to how they sound. This may seem a little confusing when someone comments on the tone of voice of a website. However, what they’re trying to say is, it’s the way your words sound when your target audience reads them. Whether that’s out loud or in their head. Your tone of voice should accurately reflect your brand personality and help your audience to feel connected to you.
CTA = Call to Action
I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, there’s always a lot of talk about motivating your customers with a CTA! The good thing about this acronym is, once you know what the letters stand for, it’s relatively self-explanatory. Your call to action should do exactly that, call your customers to act. It might be that you want them to make a purchase, follow you on the socials or to get in touch. By asking them to do one of these things, you’ve included a CTA in your content.
POP = Point of parity
Upon initially reading this one, you may be asking yourself, “why would I want to be similar to my competition?”. To which, at face value, I would agree is a very reasonable question. See, something you should be aware of is, while you do need to stand out from the competition, you also need to ensure that your customers can get the basics that they’re able to get elsewhere from you too.
POD = Point of difference
This is the thing that sets your product, or service, ahead of your competition. It’s that special factor which directly speaks to your target audience and meets their needs. While you offer the basics in-line with your competition, it’s your point of difference which will have people wanting to switch over to your product.
USP = Unique selling proposition
It’s easy to get a little tangled up in your USP and POD because, they’re really similar! Where I see the difference in the two however, is that your USP is the culmination of all the things that you offer which differentiates you from your competition. It incorporates your POD, your pricing, the great customer service you provide, where and how you sell what you sell and your brand identity. Where your point of difference will inspire customers to try your product, it’s your unique selling proposition which will make sure they never leave.
Have we missed any important ones that you would like some more info on? Hit us up on Instagram and we’ll be happy to break down any other brand jargon* for you.
*A term that I think is possibly better left from becoming an acronym on my site!!!
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