LM Tone of Voice Guide by Little Mistress

Tone of Voice Guide

The Little Mistress tone of voice has three main qualities: witty and welcoming, current and contemporary, intelligent and informative.

Witty & Welcoming Customers shop online because it’s fun! No one wants to be met with dull, uninviting copy; it’s an instant turnoff. Witty and stimulating language is a great way to turn overused trends and fashion stories into ones that are a little more exciting; making customers pay attention and appreciate the extra effort made. For example, ‘Spring Florals’ and ‘Summer Brights’ just doesn’t make the cut any more. It’s all about putting a new spin and perspective on things; think outside the box. Welcoming language may seem like an obvious one, but it’s surprising how many online retailers put customers off with their forceful words and tone. Customers want to feel like they’ve made the decision to purchase on their own, rather than having products forced down their throat. Taglines that gently guide customers to purchase are a great way to entice and intrigue; as are homepage banners that tap into why a customer needs this product, ones that promote product longevity, seasonal relevance and desirability.

LITTLE MISTRESS: TONE OF VOICE

Current & Contemporary As a fashion company, it’s important we display an in-depth knowledge of current trends. Copy should always be current and topical; it should never be general and come across like it was written last season! Newness and freshness is key. It’s about getting the message across that we have the most exciting new products, exclusive competitions, the best discounts and the hottest new trends; and writing it all with authority and conviction. Use of language must also be contemporary, simple and easy to read. You have five seconds to grab the customer’s attention – so no obnoxious adjectives or unnecessary punctuation. The idea is to keep the message clean, crisp and clear, both visually and editorially. Getting your message across as quickly and as simply as possible is an essential part of the customer’s online retail experience; if the sentence flows better without those extra conjoining words, then get rid of them.

LITTLE MISTRESS: TONE OF VOICE

Intelligent & Informative Intelligent copy is free of dreaded fashion clichés; the overused terminology traps we all fall into when creativity is running low. However, that does not mean hard-to-understand language should take its place. When we say intelligent, we mean witty, sharp and attention-grabbing; not overly complicated and pretentious. In a nutshell, we don’t want to come across as industry amateurs with run-of-the-mill words and phrases. Over-the-top adjectives will disrupt the flow of your message, and ultimately, put customers off purchasing; but monotonous copy will also do the same – it’s about finding the right balance.

LITTLE MISTRESS: TONE OF VOICE

Examples of clichéd copy: ‘Update your new season look….’ ‘Elevate your style…’ ‘Take your look from desk-to-dinner…’ ‘For stylish appeal…’ ‘For your off-duty look…’ ‘For a chic update…’ ‘…whatever the occasion.’

Examples of clichéd phrases: Arm candy Urban edge Chic Unique Trendy You need to explain why something is a trend Wear-anywhere Customers need specific wardrobe reasons to buy clothes Fashionista Vintage/retro Statement Glam Sartorial Pop of colour

LITTLE MISTRESS: CLICHÉS

You get the idea... Language can be witty, without being colloquial and that’s the way we want it.

Who is the LM customer? The highest percentage of our customers are women between 25 and 54 years of age, with the vast majority falling in the over 30’s. So, due to the varied age range, we cannot single-out older customers with colloquial language or slang. Across the board, everyone’s favourite brand is Little Mistress. And while we currently see LM, PD and GOF as separate entities, 64.8% of customers admit to regularly shopping across all three brands. Telling us that we should be viewing the LM Group as one brand with three different collections, rather than three separate brands. 35.7% of LM customers typically spend £30-£60 online, while 29.4% spend £60-£100, and react more to discounts such as 25% off, over free next day delivery. Meaning our tone of voice needs to be exclusive, engaging and promote a ‘don’t miss out’ attitude – without being too obvious or pushy. With 79.2% of customers regularly visiting our Facebook page, and 48% heading over to Instagram; social media is an important platform to put this tone of voice into place.

LITTLE MISTRESS: CUSTOMER PROFILE

LM Customer Facts Her favourite highstreet stores are River Island and Zara Her favourite online stores are Asos, New Look, River Island and Debenhams Surprisingly, her least favourite online stores are Missguided, Topshop and Pretty Little Thing (hinting that only a small percent of 18-24 year olds shop with us) Her top three style icons are Holly Willoughby, Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss She reads Ok!, Cosmopolitan and Glamour magazine She is obsessed with the Royal Family, current events, celebrity gossip and topics about women Her sense of style is sexy, girly and trendy

LITTLE MISTRESS: CUSTOMER PROFILE

LM Customer Demographic Breakdown 18-24

25-34

35-44 key range

45-44

55-64

Favourite brand: Little Mistress

Style: Girly, Sexy, Trendy

Style: Trendy, Casual, Sexy, Girly

Style: Trendy, Casual, Girly, Sexy, Businesswoman

Style: Trendy, Casual, Girly

Average spend: £30-£60

Where they shop: ASOS New Look Missguided River Island Boohoo Pretty Little Thing

Where they shop: ASOS New Look River Island Missguided Lipsy Boohoo H&M

Where they shop: ASOS River Island Debenhams New Look Dorothy Perkins

Favourite highstreet stores: River Island Zara Primark Topshop

LITTLE MISTRESS: CUSTOMER DEMOGRAPHIC

Favourite highstreet stores: River Island Zara H&M Primark

Average spend: £30-£60 Where they shop: ASOS Debenhams New Look River Island Dorothy Perkins Favourite highstreet stores: River Island Zara

Average spend: £60-£100 Where they shop: Debenhams ASOS River Island Zara Favourite highstreet stores: River Island Zara