Brand Review

1---2name: brand-review3description: Review content against your brand voice, style guide, and messaging pillars, flagging deviations by severity with specific before/after fixes. Use when checking a draft before it ships, when auditing copy for voice consistency and terminology, or when screening for unsubstantiated claims, missing disclaimers, and other legal flags.4argument-hint: "<content to review>"5---6 7# Brand Review8 9> If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see [CONNECTORS.md](../../CONNECTORS.md).10 11Review marketing content against brand voice, style guidelines, and messaging standards. Flag deviations and provide specific improvement suggestions.12 13## Trigger14 15User runs `/brand-review` or asks to review, check, or audit content against brand guidelines.16 17## Inputs18 191. **Content to review** — accept content in any of these forms:20   - Pasted directly into the conversation21   - A file path or ~~knowledge base reference (e.g. Notion page, shared doc)22   - A URL to a published page23   - Multiple pieces for batch review24 252. **Brand guidelines source** (determined automatically):26   - If a brand style guide is configured in local settings, use it automatically27   - If not configured, ask: "Do you have a brand style guide or voice guidelines I should review against? You can paste them, share a file, or describe your brand voice. Otherwise, I'll do a general review for clarity, consistency, and professionalism."28 29## Review Process30 31### With Brand Guidelines Configured32 33Evaluate the content against each of these dimensions:34 35#### Voice and Tone36- Does the content match the defined brand voice attributes?37- Is the tone appropriate for the content type and audience?38- Are there shifts in voice that feel inconsistent?39- Flag specific sentences or phrases that deviate with an explanation of why40 41#### Terminology and Language42- Are preferred brand terms used correctly?43- Are any "avoid" terms or phrases present?44- Is jargon level appropriate for the target audience?45- Are product names, feature names, and branded terms used correctly (capitalization, formatting)?46 47#### Messaging Pillars48- Does the content align with defined messaging pillars or value propositions?49- Are claims consistent with approved messaging?50- Is the content reinforcing or contradicting brand positioning?51 52#### Style Guide Compliance53- Grammar and punctuation per style guide (e.g., Oxford comma, title case vs. sentence case)54- Formatting conventions (headers, lists, emphasis)55- Number formatting, date formatting56- Acronym usage (defined on first use?)57 58### Without Brand Guidelines (Generic Review)59 60Evaluate the content for:61 62#### Clarity63- Is the main message clear within the first paragraph?64- Are sentences concise and easy to understand?65- Is the structure logical and easy to follow?66- Are there ambiguous statements or unclear references?67 68#### Consistency69- Is the tone consistent throughout?70- Are terms used consistently (no switching between synonyms for the same concept)?71- Is formatting consistent (headers, lists, capitalization)?72 73#### Professionalism74- Is the content free of typos, grammatical errors, and awkward phrasing?75- Is the tone appropriate for the intended audience?76- Are claims supported or substantiated?77 78### Legal and Compliance Flags (Always Checked)79 80Regardless of whether brand guidelines are configured, flag:81- **Unsubstantiated claims** — superlatives ("best", "fastest", "only") without evidence or qualification82- **Missing disclaimers** — financial claims, health claims, or guarantees that may need legal disclaimers83- **Comparative claims** — comparisons to competitors that could be challenged84- **Regulatory language** — content that may need compliance review (financial services, healthcare, etc.)85- **Testimonial issues** — quotes or endorsements without attribution or disclosure86- **Copyright concerns** — content that appears to be closely paraphrased from other sources87 88## Brand Voice Reference89 90Use these frameworks to evaluate content against brand standards or to help the user document their brand voice.91 92### Brand Voice Documentation Framework93 94A complete brand voice document should cover these areas:95 961. **Brand Personality** — Define the brand as if it were a person. Example: "If our brand were a person, they would be a knowledgeable colleague who explains complex things simply, celebrates your wins genuinely, and never talks down to you."972. **Voice Attributes** — 3-5 attributes that define how the brand communicates, each defined with what it means in practice, what it does NOT mean (to prevent misinterpretation), and an example.983. **Audience Awareness** — Who the brand is speaking to (primary and secondary), what they care about, their level of expertise, and how they expect to be addressed.994. **Core Messaging Pillars** — 3-5 key themes the brand consistently communicates, the hierarchy of these messages, and how each pillar connects to audience needs.1005. **Tone Spectrum** — How the voice adapts across contexts while remaining recognizably the same brand.1016. **Style Rules** — Specific grammar, formatting, and language rules.1027. **Terminology** — Preferred and avoided terms.103 104### Voice Attribute Spectrums105 106When defining or evaluating brand voice, position attributes on a spectrum:107 108| Spectrum | One End | Other End |109|----------|---------|-----------|110| Formality | Formal, institutional | Casual, conversational |111| Authority | Expert, authoritative | Peer-level, collaborative |112| Emotion | Warm, empathetic | Direct, matter-of-fact |113| Complexity | Technical, precise | Simple, accessible |114| Energy | Bold, energetic | Calm, measured |115| Humor | Playful, witty | Serious, earnest |116| Innovation | Cutting-edge, forward-looking | Established, proven |117 118For each chosen attribute, document it in this format:119 120**[Attribute name]**121- **We are**: [what this means in practice]122- **We are not**: [common misinterpretation to avoid]123- **This sounds like**: [example sentence demonstrating the attribute]124- **This does NOT sound like**: [example sentence violating the attribute]125 126Example:127 128**Approachable**129- **We are**: friendly, clear, jargon-free, welcoming to beginners and experts alike130- **We are not**: dumbed-down, overly casual, or lacking substance131- **This sounds like**: "Here's how to get started — it takes about five minutes."132- **This does NOT sound like**: "Yo! This is super easy, even a noob can do it lol."133 134### Tone Adaptation Across Channels and Contexts135 136The brand voice stays consistent, but tone adapts to context. Tone is the emotional inflection applied to the voice.137 138#### Tone by Channel139 140| Channel | Tone Adaptation | Example |141|---------|----------------|---------|142| Blog | Informative, conversational, educational | "Let's walk through how this works and why it matters for your team." |143| Social media (LinkedIn) | Professional, thought-provoking, concise | "Three things we learned from running 50 campaigns this quarter." |144| Social media (Twitter/X) | Punchy, direct, sometimes witty | "Your landing page has 3 seconds. Make them count." |145| Email marketing | Personal, helpful, action-oriented | "We put together something we think you'll find useful." |146| Sales collateral | Confident, benefit-driven, specific | "Teams using our platform reduce reporting time by 40%." |147| Support/Help docs | Clear, patient, step-by-step | "If you see this error, here's how to fix it." |148| Press release | Formal, factual, newsworthy | "The company today announced the launch of..." |149| Error messages | Empathetic, helpful, blame-free | "Something went wrong on our end. We're looking into it." |150 151#### Tone by Situation152 153| Situation | Tone Adaptation |154|-----------|----------------|155| Product launch | Excited, confident, forward-looking |156| Incident or outage | Transparent, empathetic, accountable |157| Customer success story | Celebratory, specific, crediting the customer |158| Thought leadership | Authoritative, nuanced, evidence-based |159| Onboarding | Welcoming, encouraging, clear |160| Bad news (price increase, deprecation) | Honest, respectful, solution-oriented |161| Competitive comparison | Confident but fair, fact-based, not disparaging |162 163#### Tone Adaptation Rule164The voice attributes remain fixed. Tone dials them up or down based on context. For example, if a brand is "bold and warm":165- In a product launch, dial up boldness166- In an incident response, dial up warmth167- Neither attribute disappears; the balance shifts168 169### Style Guide Enforcement170 171#### Grammar and Mechanics172Document and enforce these choices consistently:173 174| Rule | Options | Example |175|------|---------|---------|176| Oxford comma | Yes / No | "fast, reliable, and secure" vs. "fast, reliable and secure" |177| Sentence case vs. title case (headings) | Sentence / Title | "How to get started" vs. "How to Get Started" |178| Contractions | Use / Avoid | "we're" vs. "we are" |179| Em dash spacing | No spaces / Spaces | "this—and more" vs. "this — and more" |180| Numbers | Spell out 1-9, numerals 10+ / Always numerals | "five features" vs. "5 features" |181| Percent | % / percent | "50%" vs. "50 percent" |182| Date format | Month DD, YYYY / DD/MM/YYYY / etc. | "January 15, 2025" |183| Time format | 12-hour / 24-hour | "3:00 PM" vs. "15:00" |184| Lists | Periods / No periods on fragments | "Set up your account." vs. "Set up your account" |185 186#### Formatting Conventions187- Heading hierarchy (when to use H1, H2, H3)188- Bold and italic usage (bold for emphasis, italic for titles/terms)189- Link text (descriptive vs. "click here" — always descriptive)190- Image alt text requirements191- Code formatting (for technical brands)192- Callout or highlight box usage193 194#### Punctuation and Emphasis195- Exclamation mark policy (limited use, never more than one)196- Ellipsis usage (avoid in most professional contexts)197- ALL CAPS policy (avoid; use bold for emphasis instead)198- Emoji usage by channel (professional channels: minimal or none; social: where appropriate)199 200### Terminology Management201 202#### Preferred Terms203 204Maintain a list of preferred terms and their incorrect alternatives:205 206| Use This | Not This | Notes |207|----------|----------|-------|208| sign up (verb) | signup (verb) | "signup" is the noun form |209| log in (verb) | login (verb) | "login" is the noun/adjective form |210| set up (verb) | setup (verb) | "setup" is the noun/adjective form |211| email | e-mail | No hyphen |212| website | web site | One word |213| data is (singular) | data are | Unless the publication requires plural |214 215#### Product and Feature Names216- Official capitalization for product names217- When to use the full product name vs. shorthand218- Whether to use "the" before product names219- How to handle versioning in copy220- Trademark and registration symbols (when required and when to omit)221 222#### Inclusive Language223- Use gender-neutral language (they/them for unknown individuals)224- Avoid ableist language ("crazy", "blind spot", "lame")225- Use person-first language where appropriate226- Avoid culturally specific idioms that may not translate227- Use "simple" or "straightforward" instead of "easy" (what is easy varies by person)228 229#### Industry Jargon Management230- Define which technical terms the audience understands without explanation231- List jargon that should always be defined or replaced with plain language232- Specify which acronyms need to be spelled out on first use233- Audience-specific glossary for terms that mean different things to different readers234 235#### Competitor and Category Terms236- How to refer to your product category (use your preferred framing)237- How to refer to competitors (by name or generically)238- Terms competitors have coined that you should avoid (to prevent reinforcing their positioning)239- Your preferred differentiation language240 241## Output Format242 243Present the review as:244 245### Summary246- Overall assessment: how well the content aligns with brand standards (or general quality)247- 1-2 sentence summary of the biggest strengths248- 1-2 sentence summary of the most important improvements249 250### Detailed Findings251 252For each issue found, provide:253 254| Issue | Location | Severity | Suggestion |255|-------|----------|----------|------------|256 257Where severity is:258- **High** — contradicts brand voice, contains compliance risk, or significantly undermines messaging259- **Medium** — inconsistent with guidelines but not damaging260- **Low** — minor style or preference issue261 262### Revised Sections263 264For the top 3-5 highest-severity issues, provide a before/after showing the original text and a suggested revision.265 266### Legal/Compliance Flags267 268List any legal or compliance concerns separately with recommended actions.269 270## After Review271 272Ask: "Would you like me to:273- Revise the full content with these suggestions applied?274- Focus on fixing just the high-severity issues?275- Review additional content against the same guidelines?276- Help you document your brand voice for future reviews?"