Voice and tone are two main components of copywriting, and are both important to the College’s brand. Though many think the two are interchangeable, their subtle distinctions lend themselves to clear messaging that is on brand for College communications. They should serve as guideposts when writing copy.

Voice

At Community College of Philadelphia, we use a consistent voice across our various communications channels. No matter where a message originates internally, it should result in a communication clearly identifiable with the College. Think of the College's voice as its individual personality. While the tone of the College's messaging may change depending on the content and audience, the overall voice does not.

The College's voice is:

• Authentic: We know who we are and don't pretend to be what we're not.
• Proud: We work hard and we're excited about the work that we're doing.
• Community-centered: We love our city and our work is always in service of improving our communities.
• Driven: Whether it's for future generations or for ourselves, we want to be the best version of ourselves that we can be.

Tone

The College's tone must adapt to its audience and method of communication. It helps to shape how a communication sounds, feels and looks. The following tone words should be kept in mind when generating copy:

• Celebratory: Use positive language to honor the accomplishments of our amazing students.
• Inclusive: Do not be afraid to use "we," "ours" and "us." Also, be mindful of individuals' pronouns when referring to them in copy.
• Direct: Use accessible and actionable language that is easy for someone outside of the College to understand.

How to Reference Alumni

• Use "alum" to refer to an individual and "alumni" for a group.
• Identify a graduate in communications designed for internal campus or alumni audiences by their class year. In these communications, the use of abbreviations for class year, parent designations or any other College affiliations is acceptable.
  • Use a reverse apostrophe (hitting the apostrophe key twice) before the last two digits of the class year, after the graduate's first and last name.
    Ex.: Roary Pride, '14

How to Reference Students

• When addressing a communication directly to students, use "you" and "your" so you are clear the intended audience is the student.
• When addressing a communication to faculty and staff, reference "our/your students." It is important for the College to foster a sense of community in all communications so we want to refer to students in this way.