Tone and Voice

YOU HAVE A PERSONALITY. SO DOES PINNACOL ASSURANCE.

The voice of Pinnacol Assurance brings to life what our brand stands for: a well-earned reputation for being authentic, an unmatched level of expertise and a friendly approachability. At every communication touchpoint, these attributes should shine through.

THE VOICE OF AUTHENTICITY

With more than 100 years of experience serving businesses each day, Pinnacol Assurance is the industry leader in delivering workers’ compensation solutions, giving us a platform to speak with confidence. As a trusted partner, we communicate our values without embellishment, through straightforward language, not industry jargon. Always use our full name — Pinnacol Assurance — if there is only one reference point. If there are multiple references, subsequent references can be the shortened to Pinnacol.

Bringing authenticity to life

Business-speak is for business books. Authenticity speaks with clarity, without using industry buzzwords. Clear, transparent communication beats flashy, every time. If humor is used, it should be with a smile, not a guffaw.

The active voice is the best voice. Writing with an active voice creates a more engaged reader. Using an active voice — The puppy stole the boy's lunch vs. The boy's lunch was stolen by the puppy — also shortens sentences, so communications are concise, less dull and to the point.

What's in it for the customer? When you write from the customer's point of view, you create a connection to what's important to them. Write to the customer's experience level — it leads to a level of engagement that's hard for the reader to ignore.

Real connections happen without acronyms. While acronyms are the norm for us, our customers may not know what those various collections of letters mean. Our writing should be without jargon and industry-speak, understandable to everyone.

Sample copy of how it may look on the page (active voice / what's in it for the customer):

We’re Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado workers’ compensation experts. In Colorado, we partner with 56,000 companies and cover nearly 1 million workers. And with dedicated teams specializing in specific industries, we have the knowledge and expertise to keep your company strong.


LEAN ON OUR EXPERTISE

Every day, 53,000 businesses rely on Pinnacol Assurance to provide innovative workers’ compensation solutions. Every action we take revolves around our customers. That means we speak as an industry leader and innovator. For example, we’re on the leading edge of providing customers with digital solutions that can be leveraged to easily manage their policies. Our expertise comes to life through success stories and through facts that carry unquestionable weight.

Be an expert on expertise

Expertise is plain-spoken. Share our expertise with straightforward language that illustrates how we deliver customer solutions.

Facts matter. Use relevant facts to highlight our advantages.

Show our competitive advantage. When there's a message that involves our superiority over the competition, highlight it. Always double-check to make sure it's correct. And if there's third-party validation, reference it.

Industry expertise. When writing to the specific industries we serve, get to know their hot buttons, what keeps them up at night and then respect their time: Deliver our solution in a straightforward way.

Sample copy of how it may look on the page (competitive advantage):

From 2012 to 2016, our improvements in combined ratio handily beat the ratios of our peers. We improved by 30 percent, twice the rate of workers’ compensation total property-casualty industry composites from A.M. Best.

WE'RE APPROACHABLE

Pinnacol Assurance is an integral part of the communities we serve. Our communications should be like having a conversation with the people we do business with. It's like looking our customers in the eye, making them feel that they're the most important person in the world. Because they are.

How to be approachable

Start an interesting conversation.

A sincere attitude forms a strong connection to our audience. Take a conversational, but not slangy, tone.

Stay humble. Share our knowledge and our success stories in a confident tone, without bragging.

Create a two-way street. Engaging our audience with questions leads to discussions that can lead to new, unexpected solutions.


Sample copy of how it may look on the page (staying humble):

Our passion for serving others extends both on and off the job. Pinnacol in Action, our corporate volunteer program, gives each employee  paid volunteer time annually to help Colorado nonprofits. The result? Over 72,000 volunteer hours have been given in the last 15 years.