Whether written or spoken, the words we use are one of the most direct ways we have of showing people who we are and what we stand for. The advantage when it comes to writing is we have time to be selective, which gives us control over our words and the way we construct our messages. We need to be mindful of every word and every line, because insincere copy is easy to spot, whether it sounds like it’s written by a bunch of robots or an overly-familiar salesperson.

And we’re not just talking about writing in the obvious places like our websites and public documents. We need to carefully consider how we’re presenting PFG in all the nooks and crannies where copy exists: our terms and conditions; posts and chats on social media; even the emails we send to our colleagues. Our words shape people’s perceptions of who we are. If our messages confuse, frustrate or give the wrong impression, we can lose hard-earned trust in seconds. Ambiguity is the enemy. Don’t make your reader fill in the gaps or draw their own conclusions. Say what you mean and mean what you say because every word is a chance to make a connection with someone, to go beyond what they’d expect to hear from a bank and to maybe even brighten their day.*

*If that sounds unrealistic, check out our customer feedback and see the difference we can make when we get it right.

Vanquis Group Tone

Each of our brands has its own writing guidelines, but there’s a huge amount of thematic crossover.  All our writing should feel like it’s part of this family. There are recurring themes which encourage us to write in a way that appeals to customers in the wider non-standard market.

These themes can be boiled down to:

•       Straightforward is the way forward (Be clear)

•       Voice of the people (Be real)

•       Happy to help (Be supportive)

If we use these shared principles alongside our Purpose and Behaviours, we should all be able to write in a way that feels consistent and reflective of what the Group stands for, regardless of individual style. Next, we’ll take a look at some writing principles that are common across Group and which anyone can use to help write content.

Firstly though, go easy on yourself

Before we go any further, let’s accept we won’t get it right every time. Adopting a tone of voice is a journey and a process. If you create or discover something that doesn’t sound quite right and can’t figure out how to fix it, get in touch with the Content and Creative team and they’ll help you sort it.

All inclusive, no excuses

In the middle of a lively discussion, your internal filter can sometimes let you down and lead you to say the wrong thing. When you’re writing, you’re not making split-second word choices so there’s no excuse for not considering what you’re saying. Vanquis Banking Group is a diverse and inclusive community that serves an equally diverse customer base, and this awareness of the need for inclusivity should carry over into our language. For example, how many times have you heard a mixed group addressed as ‘guys’? It might seem like a minor distinction, but greetings like ‘hey folks’ and ‘hi everyone’ address everyone equally and are much more inclusive. Be thoughtful and compassionate and you won’t go far wrong.

Not a magic bullet(point)

Lists can be handy for summaries, but they have their limits. Long lists of bullets are no easier to read than big blocks of text. Our advice: no more than six points per list and no point longer than a short sentence.

The rule of 20

Excess is the enemy. This applies to blocks of text, technical terms and also to sentence length. Aim to keep your sentences under 20 words. Shorter sentences are simply easier to scan and digest. This makes them useful to a much wider audience, including those with dyslexia and other cognitive disabilities.

Studies show that 11-word sentences are classed as easy to read while 21-word sentences are considered difficult. If your average sentence length is 14 words, readers understand over 90% of it. By the time you get to 43 words, readers understand less than 10%.

But what tone are we actually aiming for? Well, there’s a clue in our Brand story and strategy: we use everyday language. Not jargon to hide what we mean. Not technical terminology to address insiders and exclude the rest. Our tone needs to represent the language of real people because that’s the language our customers use. So how is that done?

Straightforward is the way forward (Be clear)

Our business exists to serve the needs of real, everyday people. If you need a reminder, look no further than our Purpose. We’re doing ourselves no favours if we come across as old fashioned, faceless or cold in any of our written messages. This creates dissonance with customers, who feel that banks are out of tune with their customers.

One of the simplest way to avoid these formality pitfalls is by using the kind of language you’d use if you were talking to your reader face to face. Another is avoiding ‘business speak’ at all costs. Whether you’re writing for corporate or a consumer audience, these principles still apply. Accessible, straightforward copy demonstrates not only our confidence in what we’re saying, and makes it readable for a mass audience, but it expresses who we are.

The best test for clear writing is how well it translates into speech. In other words: read it out loud, and bin the jargon.

If you’re still not sure how your writing sounds, read it aloud (go ahead, you’re at home, no one’s listening). If a phrase or sentence sounds unnatural or is too long, you’ll hear it. Reading aloud will help fix the rhythm and make your writing more human.

Responsible lending requires responsible, genuine communication. And the key to genuine communication lies in 3 key areas:

·         Voice

·         Verbs vs nouns

·         Person

If we’re engaged with the words we’re putting down and want our readers to be equally engaged, we’ll use the ‘active voice’. If we can’t really be bothered or want to distance ourselves from the message we have to deliver, we might slip into the ‘passive voice’.

From the audience’s perspective, it’s the difference between receiving a letter from a real human being and another from a faceless corporate machine.

Here’s an example: If you make a complaint, it will be passed to the Complaints team.

It’s not great for a couple of reasons. First, it looks like the writer’s sidestepping any responsibility. Someone made a decision, but why don’t they want to own it? It all starts sounding a bit shifty. Second, it’s ambiguous. Where’s the background? What was the rationale? Was it an internal decision or was it made by our regulators? A strong piece of content answers questions, it doesn’t create them.

Here’s the ‘active’ version:  If you make a complaint, we’ll pass it to the Complaints team.

Let Joshua help

If you can’t decide whether a sentence is active or passive, try adding ‘…by Joshua’ at the end. If it still makes sense, it’s passive and your sentence needs to change.

The decision has been made to close your account …by Joshua.

This bug will be fixed in the next update ...by Joshua.

If you try to get Joshua involved in an active sentence, it won’t make sense. That means everything’s in the right order and you’re acting like they’re your words.

More Verbs, Less Nouns

       Say: We chose to…
       Not: We made the decision to…
      
        Say: We wrote about…
        Not: We started to write about...

       Say: We want to work on…
       Not: We were hoping to start work on…

The Second person

        Say: We love our customers. That’s why we offer you the best.
        Not: We love our customers. That’s why we offer them the best.

Being Optimistic

Our customers tend to dwell on the past and hear “No” over and over from high street banks.  Our tone of voice is known for being calm, supportive, and solution-focused. Optimism goes a long way! We give practical, heartfelt help to get customers’ finances back on track. They already feel worry, guilt, and uncertainty. That’s why we write positively.

For example, try replacing negative phrases with positive ones:

Say: If you want tea, grab a cup.
Not: If you don’t grab a cup, you can’t have tea.

We empower customers with education, transparency, and reassurance. We can help customers manage their money with confidence in the way we speak to them – for example, by emphasising personalised offers or exclusivity:

            Say: We have a new personalised offer for you, Thomas!
            Not: Thomas, please opt-in to this product.

Transparency and support

        Say: Things to remember
        Not: Don’t forget!!

        Say: Your offer is still available
        Not: Don’t miss out on this!!!!

Let’s be realistic. Reading through and being aware of the principles in this guide won’t instantly change your writing habits. That only comes with action, practice and reflection. We’ve covered a lot of theory so far. Here are some practical tips if you’re hungry for better writing:

Subheadings are substantial

We’re living in an era where skim reading has never been so widespread. We’ve got more to read than any humans in history, on small screens and with less time to do it. As writers, we need to grab and hold our audience’s attention. Subheadings give you the gist quickly If readers want an overview, they have the headings. If they want the detail, they can dig into the content.

More than signposts

As subheadings, single words and rhetorical questions don’t work as hard as they could. A better approach is to summarise your key message in your heading and save the detail for the paragraphs that follow. This also allows readers to navigate your copy, skip to the bit they need or get their heads around the key themes.

You’re breaking up

Facing down an unbroken block of copy isn’t an exciting prospect. To many of us, it’s the written equivalent of being faced with an elaborate maths problem. The good news: blocks aren’t necessary. Subheadings, especially when combined with straightforward language, increase reader engagement and comprehension by making a slab of copy less intimidating and easier to breeze through. They even work in short samples of writing like emails.

Although this content and tone might drift between emotional and functional, the voice remains consistent. This is what builds loyalty and trust between you and your audience.

When referring to Vanquis Banking Group any communication must first introduce us as "Vanquis Banking Group". 

Thereafter, dependent upon context, either "Our Group" or "The Group" can be used. 

We do not refer to ourselves externally as "VBG". This will not do anything for our brand-building mission. 

Consumer brands, with the exception of Vanquis, should be referred to as being "part of the Vanquis Banking Group."