TOV Triumphs - Nando's
As a language nerd and impressionable consumer, I constantly find myself remarking on the messaging in billboard ads, menus, packaging and just about any other form of commercial communication in my daily life.
I noticed a great example of brand tone of voice (TOV) recently and, naturally, my first thought was to find it in its purest and most beautiful form.
What's the point of enjoying nice things if you can't definitively rank them? Just me?
Anyway, I decided to start recording my thoughts on some of my favourite brand TOVs in the marketplace in the hope that:
a) I can make sense of their best ideas and steal them
b) The companies in question will appreciate my kind words and immediately hire me
c) It'll help other copywriters to identify some great TOV traits
d) I can find the undisputed TOV Champion of the World*
So without further ado, let me present Planet Earth's cheekiest of chicken purveyors - Nando's.
If you're a member of the human population born after 1930, the chances are that you know about Nando's. A South-African-inspired chicken restaurant, the chain has been making waves in its home continent since the 90s, but took a while to really catch fire in the UK.
This all changed during the mid-2000s and by 2015 the restaurant had etched itself into British dining culture by way of its anointment as the nation's 'cheeky' option.
It's an interesting word to describe a brand, and it's no surprise that it resonated so much with the British population. After all, cheekiness itself is such a thoroughly British concept that the term is found almost exclusively in British English.
So much did it resonate, in fact, that Nando's leaned heavily into it, adjusting their TOV to ensure their brand image was as irreverent and playful as humanly palatable for a restaurant chain. Pay a visit to one of their 400+ UK restaurants or vibrant website and it's impossible to avoid the jovial tone that runs like a Peri-Peri-injected vein through every customer-facing message.
So what is it that makes the Nando's TOV so inimitably cheeky? Here are my thoughts:
High Risk
While it might seem like a no-brainer to speak to your customers in a friendly manner, it's actually a really fine tightrope to walk.
Sure, it's important that your customers not be made to feel like customers, and the easiest way to foster an even dynamic is to eliminate any implication of superiority, but there's always the risk of coming across as too friendly. This can make your reader feel like they're not being taken seriously and turn them off the brand sharpish.
Think of your favourite luxury brand. I'd wager that their TOV is laced with gravity and glowing with self-esteem. The reason for this is that if you're selling me a pricier product, I'll be making a much more considered purchase. In this case, I want to be treated with respect. You need to make me feel like you've really put in the effort to convince me to part with my hard-earned cash.
Contrast this with Nando's, then: their irreverent and chirpy tone, if delivered to a diner at a £200-per-head Michelin-starred restaurant, would likely backfire hugely. But Nando's know where they sit in the market. As a family-friendly and more financially accessible** eatery, they can afford to take more risks when chatting to their audience and it pays off spectacularly.
Coupled with the lurid aesthetics of their brand colours, this super-friendly TOV has the effect of putting the reader at ease and making them far more likely to develop a lasting relationship with Nando's.
Youthful
Another way Nando's have embraced their public image (and resultant demographic) is by striking a massively youthful tone.
Seemingly taking their lead from the lexicon of the Twittersphere, Nando's often-shouty style brims with examples of language that would've been considered out of place in written form before social media came and trampled all over linguistic convention.
Exclamation marks, puns and slang abound, helping to reassure young diners that they're in the right place and warn older ones that they need to get with the programme. Do we still say 'get with the programme'? I bet Nando's know.
Natural
One of the most striking things about the previous point is that this youthful swagger is pulled off so effortlessly. The reader is totally unaware that what they're reading is the result of multiple rounds of technical feedback from brand directors, copywriters and marketing managers.
This natural feel is so well cultivated that it even carries through to the company's more openly commercial areas. Take a look through the Nando's Careers section online and you'll notice that the friendly tone persists without ever feeling jarring. On the contrary, it actually lends itself handily to its setting, putting potential applicants at ease as they weigh up a potential career move.
Efficient
While not the sexiest term for a linguistic appraisal, this is actually one of Nando's greatest TOV strengths.
A slightly more nerdy look at the way they use language reveals a stark lack of adjectives. I'm not saying they totally forego the use of descriptive language, but for a restaurant they certainly don't risk over-egging the nata.
This is probably the result of two things: Nando's' youthful demographic and their exotic ingredients. With the potential of making their menu daunting, the South African chain do a brilliant job of making everything sound fun while giving you all the information you need to make an informed choice.
Rating: 9/10
I'd give it a 10 but it feels weird to award such a high score on my first review. A strong contender for best-in-class in its market.
*According to my biased, ill-informed and obviously objective opinion.
**"But I paid £9 for my chicken and that was before I even got sides!" I hear you wail. Let's be real here. For a sit-down meal that doesn't consist of deep-fried gristle or a grease-soaked burger, it's really not so bad.
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