Voice and Tone

The voice and tone of every story we tell should reflect the personality we established in our brand platform — one that is ambitious, action orientated and accomplished. 

Tips

When you write with the Cal Poly voice, you should use straightforward, practical, easy-to-understand language. Use the following writing tips as a stylistic gauge.

1. USE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE
   Write clearly and in a straightforward tone avoiding jargon, clichés, acronyms or exclamation points.
2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
   The Cal Poly brand appeals to a wide variety of audiences. Know precisely to whom it is you’re writing.
3. MAKE IT PERSONAL
   Establishing a personal connection is important to getting your audience to listen to what you are saying. Use the second person voice—“you” or “your”—to engage and motivate the reader, when possible.
4. KEEP IT BRIEF
   Simplicity is your friend. Establish your main point, and don’t be afraid to omit unnecessary words.
5. FOCUS ON THE PRESENT
   We have a rich history, but we’re doing our most important work right now. Demonstrate Cal Poly’s relevance by telling the world about our work today.
6. PROVIDE A BENEFIT
   What’s in it for the reader? If you can’t answer this question, it’s time to pause and reconsider the piece.
7. PROVE IT
   Our storytelling should feature relevant points of pride, statistics, testimonials and emotion. But use them to support our messaging, not as a substitute for it.
8. BE ACTIVE, NOT PASSIVE
   The Cal Poly experience is all about DOING. Avoid the passive voice. Write about people doing things rather than things being done, or even worse, just happening.
9. BE ACCESSIBLE AND LESS INSTITUTIONAL
   Lofty knowledge is only useful when it is accessible. Address even the most elevated, complex topics in a way that keeps the audience’s understanding in mind. Use analogies, examples or graphics if necessary.
10. CALIFORNIA’S IN OUR NAME
    Always speak to our service to California and its subsequent impact on the world.