Comments and suggestions are welcome. Please forward them to Hilary Andrade in the marketing department.
Voice and Tone
Voice is the unique expression of our brand through words, it is what we say. Tone is how we say it, the personality. Use these four key characteristics that define the voice and tone of SPIE when creating your copy.
Knowledgeable
We continually seek to understand what our constituents want, and work to provide it. We understand the world(s) within which our constituents are navigating, and can provide timely and relevant information, products, and services.
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Do: Write definitively, providing clear and complete information that is relevant to the constituency.
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Don't: Presume we know everything. Ignore that there is other valuable information aside from ours. Be vague.
Trustworthy
We create and disseminate valid, usable products and information. We can be trusted to arrive on time with the necessary stuff. We are respectful of all groups.
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Do: Ensure accuracy of content. Ensure correct references and acknowledgements.
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Don't: Forget quality assurances e.g. fact checking, proofing, etc.
Inspiring
From sharing student projects supported by SPIE funds and scholarships and highlighting the technical and entrepreneurial successes of our constituents, to participating in such international partnerships as the International Day of Light, we work to acknowledge the day-to-day and global impact that light and the science of light has on all our lives.
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Do: Feel free to use large statements such as “Science offers hope”, or “Bettering the human condition.” Point to the larger, personal reasons our constituents go into their fields.
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Don't: Overuse the lofty language or it loses impact.
Engaging
Just as we do in person at our conferences, we communicate with our constituents and potential constituents in a friendly, professional, personable, inviting, and inclusive manner. Attention to including specific details that will feel familiar, strike a chord, or hold people’s attention is a key element, as well as details that imbue a sense of inclusion within a particular group or cohort.
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Do: Be conversational, invitational tones directed at reader. Pose questions (e.g. in headline, or in closing). Be authentic and respectful.
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Don't: Be cheeky, cute, juvenile, or use too much jargon.