Why do you sound so distant?

An exercise in differentiating sub-brands through voice and tone

What I did

Problem

If you’re a brand writer, how do you help differentiate flagship brands from sub-brands that are more distant? That’s the problem I got take on when I started supporting Google Touchstone, a brand distant sub-brand of Google,.

The challenge is to make the information accessible while still infusing it with a little bit of wonder and mysticism - because what they’re doing is contemporary and nouvau.

Solution

  • The brand voice at Touchstone is based on an executive leader within ATAP, Ivan Poupyrev, who is quippy yet etherial. He weaves in wonder and inspiration into film, talks, and digital content. By laddering the brand voice back to Ivan, we create brand coherence since he is often the face of the organization.

  • The ambient experiments and technology ATAP produces are based on real-life and IoT interactions, and showcase what is possible between human-machine interaction and ambient computing. Soli radar, the technology they are focused on, is able to recognize subtle gestures from humans, which enable helpful and more natural experiences with technology. Their work has been infused into everyday products like Nest and Pixel, in addition to other experiments like enlivening fabric and mirrors to reimagine retail spaces.

Impact

KOCHE x Google ATAP

Project

  • Role: Contributing writer, brand voice

  • Company: Google Advanced Technology and Projects, Touchstone

What’s in a word?

Today, the Google brand voice is cautious.

Several years ago, well before the pandemic and privacy concerns, it more readily nodded to the Google wink and humor. But today it’s a big organization and sensitive to excluding anyone or making anyone mad, so it focuses on 3 pillars:

  • Empathy. Focus on the user.

  • Accessibility. Build for everyone.

  • Clarity. Keep it simple.

But not every sub-brand adheres as strictly to these rules. Google Touchstone is one of these outliers.

Background on Google’s brand architecture framework

  • The flagship group is made up of Google’s highest-priority flagship products and the subproducts, features, and modes that fit within them. Most products fall into this group.

    Here's how we know when something is a flagship product:

    • It's a Google priority.

    • It’s Google-grade.

    • It’s Google-owned.

  • The endorsed group is made up of products, programs, launches, or experiences that are not yet part of a flagship but are an intrinsic part of what makes Google helpful and play a meaningful role within our portfolio.

    Here are some reasons why a product might be endorsed:

    • It's not part of the flagship family – yet.

    • It may require some neutrality or distance.

    • It's not completely controlled by Google.

  • The non-Google-branded group is made up of Alphabet or Google products that, for business or user reasons, stand alone from the Google brand and thus deviate from Google’s Brand Standards.

    Here are some reasons why a product might be non-Google-branded:

    • It’s open source

    • It’s a partnership.

    • It’s a stand-alone.

Where a brand or product is within Google’s architecture spectrum helps define how much of brand standards it needs to adhere to or push on.

Spoiler: Google Touchstone is an endorsed brand, but it’s brand distant - which means the voice, look, and feel are much different from the benign, clear, and useful voice and tone that other Google products and programs have taken on.

For a quick detour on some brand work, see how Google thinks about proximity below.

Writing & voice examples

By using the introduction "read the room,” we set up Touchstone technology to take on the human quality of empathy and awareness to make it feel accessible and personable, layered on top a more specific and technical description.

Most of us vaguely recall the term circadian rhythm, but few use it in everyday conversation. By leaning into that phrase as the introduction to family routines and the application of Soli, we illustrate again that the Touchstone voice is ethereal and full of wonder.

Hear how Google Touchstone sounds

Watch the KOCHE x Google ATAP Ambient Experiment case study

Explore the conceptual voice and tone in this video case study, which is meant to elicit wonder, joy, and technophilia to match the invigorating and inspiring work that connects Soli’s radar technology to everyday, creative applications.

Next

Building a product-driven narrative for Google I/O