brand-voice-enforcement

$2c

Also read .claude/brand-voice.local.md for enforcement settings (even if guidelines came from another source):

• strictness: strict | balanced | flexible

• always-explain: whether to always explain brand choices

Enforcement Workflow

1. Analyze the Content Request

Before writing, identify:

• Content type: email, presentation, proposal, social post, message, etc.

• Target audience: role, seniority, industry, company stage

• Key messages needed: which message pillars apply

• Specific requirements: length, format, tone overrides

2. Apply Voice Constants

Voice is the brand's personality — it stays constant across all content:

• Apply "We Are / We Are Not" attributes from guidelines

• Use brand personality consistently

• Incorporate approved terminology; reject prohibited terms

• Follow messaging framework and value propositions

Refer to references/voice-constant-tone-flexes.md for the "voice constant, tone flexes" model.

3. Flex Tone for Context

Tone adapts by content type and audience. Use the tone-by-context matrix from guidelines to set:

• Formality: How formal or casual should this be?

• Energy: How much urgency or enthusiasm?

• Technical depth: How detailed or accessible?

4. Generate Content

Create content that:

• Matches brand voice attributes throughout

• Follows tone guidelines for this specific content type

• Incorporates key messages naturally (not forced)

• Uses preferred terminology

• Mirrors the quality and style of guideline examples

For complex or long-form content, delegate to the content-generation agent (defined in agents/content-generation.md).

For high-stakes content, delegate to the quality-assurance agent (defined in agents/quality-assurance.md) for validation.

5. Validate and Explain

After generating content:

• Briefly highlight which brand guidelines were applied

• Explain key voice and tone decisions

• Note any areas where guidelines were adapted for context

• Offer to refine based on feedback

When always-explain is true in settings, include brand application notes with every response.

Handling Conflicts

When the user's request conflicts with brand guidelines:

• Explain the conflict clearly

• Provide a recommendation

• Offer options: follow guidelines strictly, adapt for context, or override

Default to adapting guidelines with an explanation of the tradeoff.

Open Questions Awareness

Open questions are unresolved brand positioning decisions flagged during guideline generation, stored in the guidelines under an "Open Questions" section. When generating content, check if the brand guidelines contain open questions:

• If content touches an unresolved open question, note it

• Apply the agent's recommendation from the open question unless the user specifies otherwise

• Suggest resolving the question if it significantly impacts the content

Reference Files

• **references/voice-constant-tone-flexes.md** — The "voice constant, tone flexes" mental model, "We Are / We Are Not" table structure, and tone-by-context matrix explanation

• **references/before-after-examples.md** — Before/after content examples per content type showing enforcement in practice