Perfect brands get ignored. Flawed brands get felt.

When you set out to create a brand voice, identifying the flaws in your character might feel like a step in the wrong direction, but actually, it can often turn out to be a huge positive.

Riddle me this. If your brand were a person, would you want them to be universally loved… or unashamedly themselves? That was rhetorical. It’s the second one. And this is especially true when we think about the world of retail.

So I’d like to put forward an idea. It’s a bit radical. But bear with.

Stop trying to be perfect.

Embrace the parts of your brand that are a bit off. A bit odd. A bit…you. Those so-called flaws might just be the most powerful thing in your arsenal.

Your voice isn’t perfect (which is perfect)

Brand voice is character. Which means it should have quirks and contradictions. You know, the stuff we usually try to smooth over or hide. Ironically, this is often what makes a brand interesting. I’ve done the math. Different + Memorable = buyable. Simple as that.

Pick your poison

Brand voice isn’t just what you say. It’s how you say it across everything from product names to EDM’s to the signage on the window. Instead of always reaching for positivity or polish, try building your voice around one of your flaws.

Too serious? That sounds intriguingly intense. Wrap everything you sell in existential dread and very nice packaging. Too honest? Good. Let your product pages read like they were written by your most honest friend after they’ve had a couple of wines. Too chaotic? Embrace that. Let everyone know from the get-go that your shipping policy is essentially based on vibes.

This is where the magic happens, because when your flaws become fuel for your voice, you might find that people love you for it.

 

We could learn a thing or two from…

 

Lush

“Smells like activism”
Lush sell bath bombs that melt within a week and shampoo bars that look like candy. They make messiness part of the story. Their stores are loud. Their smells are louder. Their ethics are front and centre, hand-painted on the windows for all to see.

Their flaws: Overwhelming scents. Products that don’t last.
Their voice: Unapologetic, activist, mildly chaotic.
The result? A brand that sounds like a movement and smells very unlike a hippy.

 

Cards Against Humanity

 “A party game for horrible people”
CAH built an entire brand on the idea that being inappropriate, offensive, and politically incorrect can actually be the voice. Their product is the evil twin of whatever party games are actually supposed to be, and boy do they own it.

Their flaws: Obnoxious, borderline offensive.
Their voice: Dark, bold, unapologetic.
The result: A bestseller that outsells mainstream games every holiday season.

 

Oatly

“It’s like milk, but made for humans”
Oatly took being the underdog and ran with it. Directly calling out the dairy industry, printing awkward stream-of-consciousness rants on their packaging, and speaking like a grumpy-but-loveable uncle.

Their flaws: It’s not real milk.
Their voice: Sassy, self-aware, and a bit unhinged.
The result: They went from niche product to fridge staple in five years.

Zara

“We don’t have a tagline”
Zara is high fashion moving at light-speed. They ‘drop’ new collections every week. Their website is a maze made entirely of white noise. And their models stare through you like they’ve just returned from a tour in ‘The Nam’.

Their flaws: Disposable fashion. No soul.
Their voice: Glossy, impersonal, distant.
The result? A brand that talks like a luxury label but acts like a vending machine.

Wait, how did that one get in here?  Case closed I guess…

 

In conclusion

Just be fabulously flawed. There’s real power in showing up as you are. Warts and all. When your voice leans into the messy, moody, or mildly manic, people tend to get you. And in retail, that kind of connection is worth more than any perfectly polished brand promise.

So let your voice mutter, stutter, or go full nutter. Utilise the good, the bad, and the beautifully ugly. Because beige doesn’t move people. But honesty, chaos, character does. That’s what makes people feel something, and that’s what they will remember you (and keep coming back) for.

 

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This article was first published in Inside Retail. 

Nick Ryan is Associate Director at our in-house brand language studio, XXVI.

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