Brand voice is the most underinvested asset in most companies. They'll spend $50K on a logo and $0 on defining how they sound. This framework fixes that in about 2 hours of focused work.
The 12 Attributes
Every brand voice can be mapped across 12 spectrums: Formal↔Casual, Warm↔Analytical, Expert↔Relatable, Bold↔Measured, Playful↔Serious, Concise↔Detailed, Traditional↔Innovative, Inclusive↔Exclusive, Optimistic↔Realistic, Direct↔Nuanced, Personal↔Institutional, Urgent↔Patient.
For each spectrum, you place your brand on a 1-5 scale. A brand that's 5-Casual, 4-Warm, 3-Expert, 5-Bold has a very different voice than one that's 2-Casual, 2-Warm, 5-Expert, 1-Bold. Same framework, completely different output.
From Framework to System Prompt
Once you have your 12 attributes scored, you can translate them directly into a Claude system prompt. 'Write in a voice that is highly casual (5/5), warm (4/5), moderately expert (3/5), and very bold (5/5). Avoid formal language, institutional tone, and measured hedging.' This prompt, combined with 3-5 example paragraphs of your actual writing, gives Claude everything it needs to generate content that sounds like you — not like AI.