Marketing With Purpose Kit: Purpose in the Brand’s Tone and Voice
Hosts Stephen Sakach of Zero Company, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski explain why a purposeful tone of voice makes a brand's mission believable, using Liquid Death, Mailchimp, Tom's, and Oatly, plus a three-question purpose filter and steps for documenting the voice and training every team to use it.
A purposeful tone of voice is how a brand's beliefs become something customers can hear. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit, hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski explain why tone and voice are the personality of a brand, and why a mission that sounds one way while the copy sounds another breaks trust.
In this episode we explore:
• Why tone and voice are the bridge between your purpose and your audience's experience
• How Liquid Death, Mailchimp, Tom's, and Oatly match tone to purpose
• How to avoid mixed signals, like a caring mission with a condescending tone
• The purpose filter: questions to ask before you settle on a voice
• Why your voice should be documented and rooted in why, not just aesthetics
• How to train sales, support, and marketing to speak the same language
The hosts start with the risk. Stephen says a sustainability-focused brand that sounds cold and corporate sends mixed signals, and a health care brand with a caring mission and a condescending tone undermines its own credibility. Tullio argues purpose has to show up in micro interactions, from ad copy and chatbot replies to the way a front desk greets visitors.
Then come the examples. Mike describes Liquid Death as punk rock meets stand-up comedy, with a consistent look and feel in every ad, package, and customer email. Tullio covers Mailchimp's witty, jargon-free tone, Stephen covers the optimistic, open-handed tone of Tom's, and Mike closes with Oatly's cheeky, self-aware cartons.
The practical half starts with a purpose filter: does this way of speaking sound like our beliefs, would our audience feel our intention just by reading it, and are we consistent in every channel? Mike suggests putting your content on a wall to see whether it tells one story. Stephen also mentions the AI CMO platform his team built to keep tone consistent across campaigns, at aicmo.io.
Keeping a brand's voice consistent across paid search, social, and programmatic ads is the kind of work Zero Company does for its clients every day.
Key Takeaways
• (0:38) On why tone matters, from Stephen Sakach: “tone and voice are the personality of your brand.”
• (1:41) On where purpose has to live, from Tullio Siragusa: “your purpose can’t just live on a poster in your conference room.”
• (2:45) On Liquid Death, from Mike Liwski: “punk rock meets stand-up comedy”
• (4:45) On Tom's, from Stephen Sakach: “It’s never a hard sell, it’s an open hand kind of thing.”
• (6:28) On the purpose filter, from Stephen Sakach: “does this way of speaking sound like our beliefs?”
• (7:25) On documenting your voice, from Tullio Siragusa: “It’s not about we use contractions or we avoid exclamation points. Really, it’s about why you communicate the way you do.”
FAQ
What is a purposeful tone of voice?
Stephen Sakach describes tone and voice as the way a brand's purpose speaks to the world. A purposeful tone of voice sounds like the company's beliefs, so an empowerment mission makes people feel capable and an innovation mission inspires curiosity.
How do you choose a brand voice that fits your purpose?
Stephen Sakach says to run it through a purpose filter. Ask whether the way of speaking sounds like your beliefs, whether your audience would feel your intention just by reading it, and whether you stay consistent in every channel.
Why should the whole team learn your brand voice?
Mike Liwski says a good tone of voice falls apart when only the marketing department understands it. Everyone from sales to customer support should speak the same purposeful language.
A purposeful tone of voice turns every interaction into proof of your purpose. Watch the video version, learn more about Zero Company at zerocompany.com, and explore more Marketing With Purpose Kit conversations.
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
Founder and CEO of Zero Company and AICMO
Stephen Sakach is Founder and CEO of Zero Company | Visionary in Purpose-Driven Business Practices
Stephen Sakach is a transformative leader and the driving force behind Zero Company, where he is pioneering a new era of purpose-driven business. As the creator of the BLISS concept—“Build Love Into Scalable Systems”—Stephen is redefining how businesses grow, fostering empathy, connection, and sustainable impact at scale.
Under Stephen's visionary leadership, Zero Company has evolved from a traditional command-and-control structure into a thriving self-managed organization. This decentralized model has empowered teams, enhanced engagement, and fostered a culture rooted in transparency, collaboration, and shared purpose.
Stephen is also at the forefront of innovation in the AI space with the development of AI CMO, an empathy-driven, purpose-led marketing platform. Designed to make businesses more human-centric, AI CMO helps organizations build authentic connections with their audiences while aligning their strategies with core values.
Guided by the ethos of BLISS, Stephen has dedicated his career to embedding empathy and human-centered principles into every layer of business—transforming brands, systems, and cultures to prioritize care, understanding, and genuine connection from the inside out.
Empathy-Driven Leader | Fractional COO | Podcast Host | Purpose & EQ Coach
Tullio Siragusa is a seasoned business strategist, author, and speaker, renowned for integrating disruptive technologies with emotional intelligence (EQ) to drive transformative growth.
As the founder of Inventrica Advisory, and the EmpathIQ Framework™ he provides strategic guidance, serving as an Operating Partner, Strategic Advisor, and leadership coach.
An accomplished author, Tullio has written extensively on leadership, innovation, and self-management. His books challenge conventional thinking and provide actionable insights for individuals and organizations striving for sustainable success. His published works are available on Amazon, where he explores themes of emotional intelligence, business transformation, human-centric leadership, and purpose-driven success.
Tullio shares his insights through various platforms, including The Bliss Business Podcast, where he explores empathy in leadership and the future of work. His multimedia content on leadership, innovation, and personal growth is featured on his YouTube Channel.
His deep commitment to promoting a human-centric approach to innovation is exemplified through significant roles as an Advisory Board Member of the University of California, Riverside, Design Thinking Executive Program, the University of San Francisco, School of Management, Digital Marketing Program, and as co-founder of RadicalPurpose.org
Furthermore, his role as a Board Advisor at AI2030.org amplifies this commitment, steering AI development towards a horizon of sustainability and ethical practices. Throug… Read More
Founding Partner of aiCMO and VP, Strategic Performance of Zero Company
Michael Liwski is a trailblazer in empathetic, purpose-driven marketing and a Founding Partner of aiCMO (AI Chief Marketing Officer - aiCMO.io) as well as VP of Strategic Performance of Zero Company Performance Marketing. With a focus on authenticity, purpose and human-centered innovation, Liwski has been instrumental in developing aiCMO's vision and features, ensuring it empowers businesses to craft meaningful campaigns that resonate deeply in an increasingly automated world.
An advocate for reviving authenticity in marketing — a response to decades of lifeless metrics-driven content—Liwski believes that brands that prioritize purpose will set the standard for the future. His leadership at aiCMO and Zero Company Performance Marketing is a testament to his commitment to helping brands thrive by aligning cutting-edge AI technology with empathy, purpose and authenticity.
With two decades of marketing experience in industries such as financial services, SaaS and cybersecurity, he has driven innovation and growth, leading global teams with a clear vision and deep empathy. Liwski’s philosophy is clear: In an era flooded with content and automation, businesses that lead with empathy and purpose will inspire action and
create a lasting legacy.
