Verbal Guidelines
Our voice defines our intent, it's the first thing that reaches the outside world, the first content consumed.
We’re storytellers at heart, and all writing serves the story with
A hero (the resident),
A villain (bad hosts), and
A conflict (challenges related to accommodation).
Do's
1. Tone
From signage and wayfinding to social media creatives, resident collaterals, and property branding, each example reflects our commitment to building experiences that feel warm, modern, and unmistakably Truliv. These applications serve as both inspiration and instruction — guiding the implementation of our brand with clarity, character, and impact across every interaction and city.
2. Choice of Words
Maintain a conversational tone minus the frills. Big and complex words are a no-go, but medium-length word choices are okay, especially when conveying nuance.
For Example :
“At Truliv, we believe in the transformative power of art, culture, and sports.”
Here, transformative is okay to use. Even though it's a big word, its meaning is easily derived from the root word transform. It also works in the context of clubs where creative people value a certain level of sophistication.
Whereas, using aficionado in the following sentence might be too much.
“Whether you're an avid reader or a cinema aficionado, Truliv allows you to create a space for your interests, expand your horizons and deepen your practice.”
When in doubt, use this tool to check word complexity. If the grade level is up to Middle School, it's okay to use. If not, ditch it for a simpler synonym.
3. Rhythm
It's a plus if we can induce a certain lyrical or rhythmic quality to our text. For example (adding a line break to focus on the rhythm):
“Modern coliving spaces designed with your unique needs in mind.”
4. Structure
Pursue a varied sentence structure and length. Similar sentences with repeated words and the same length make for a boring copy.
5. Movement
Use sentence patterns that add fluidity and a sense of movement to our text. For example >>
’From Spaces to Stories’ ‘From Hobbies to Passion’
6. Truth Bombs
Call out what matters. Don’t shy away from the real issues. If something's broken in the industry, say it, respectfully, and with purpose.
Below are certain truth bombs which can be used seperately for internal employee communication and user communication.
INTERNAL USE CASE
- May the coolest thing about you be your warmth!
- Read the room.
- Meet emotion with emotion, rational with rational
- What would you choose: the easy way out or the right path?
- When you avoid making a decision, you’ve already decided.
- Create a space where you are unapologetically human.
- Blessed be the adversities that show us the way
CONSUMER USE CASE
- Live a life being true to yourself
- Don’t let your inner voice drown in a noisy world
- No man, woman or algorithm knows what’s right for you
- Forge your own path.
- Fixation is the way to death, fluidity is the way to life.
- Be at war with your vices, and at peace with your neighbours.
- Life is coming from you and not at you. Take over the reins.
- Comparison is the thief of joy. Your journey is yours alone.
Don'ts
Tone & Choice of Words
1.Don’t Be Blunt or Harsh
Candid ≠ careless.
Speak the truth with empathy and respect. Avoid sounding rude or dismissive.
2.Don’t Sugarcoat or Mislead
Honesty requires clarity. Don’t overpromise, obscure facts, or manipulate messaging to appear better than reality.
3.Don’t Play It Safe or Stay Neutral
Bravery means taking a stand. Avoid vague, corporate, or diplomatic language when it’s time to be bold, decisive, or value-driven.
4. Don’t use slang words
- Since we value our consumers (Heroes, as we call them), our tone can never be patronising. We want to strike an inspirational yet friendly note with our words.
- No beating around the bush, we deliver the bold truth - clearly and concisely.
- No cheeky puns or seemingly witty humour, we don’t dilute the truth.
- Some punctuation marks don’t make for great friends. Don’t use the long hyphen ‘—’ or the Em dash, generally symbolic of AI-generated text. Also, avoid excessive use of exclamation marks; we don’t want to overhype anything.
