Language is the lifeblood of brands.
I believe the right language makes brands come alive. It’s what gives them substance. What makes them feel human.
Great brands need great language.
I’m Tanya Gustafson and I have 15+ years of experience in finding it.
Philosophy
Story. Style. Sound.
It’s that simple.
There’s a difference between “words” and “language”. Words are a collection of symbols assigned a definition. Language is so much more. Language reaches beyond the boundaries of tangible definition – providing richer meaning through its intangible aspects. Language doesn’t just tell you something. It feels like something. It sounds like something. You don’t just see or hear it. You experience it.
Moving from words to language doesn’t just happen. Developing brand language requires a highly structured exploration – one that accounts for multiple linguistic aspects and deploys creative thinking within the correct guardrails. After years of experience, I designed a proprietary framework to guide these explorations. A framework that codifies the different dimensions of successful brand language and systematically drives the creation of precise and purposeful verbal tools.
And that framework is simple. I’ve found language has the power to change the trajectory of a brand when it tells the right story. In the right style. With the right sound.
Story
Story refers to the facts and philosophies a brand shares with its intended audience. Whether that audience is external, internal or both, storytelling is how a brand shapes perception and creates connection. These stories can be about lots of things. What a brand makes. How it works. Why its special. How people will feel, communities will transform, or the planet will benefit from what it puts into the world. No matter the story, the key to telling it is navigating the semantics and subtle shades of meaning within a lexicon – arriving at a language subset that is simultaneously relevant, captivating, and unmistakable in its intent.
Verbal stories come in many vehicles but three of the most common are names, narratives, and brand strategies.
Style
Style refers to how a story is built. Doing it right is a rigorous task, but one that makes all the difference when it comes to an intended audience understanding and internalizing content.
For names, this means things like deciding when real language works best or when invented language makes sense. It means landing on the right name length, cadence, and visual potential. It means finding the appropriate level of transparency to etymology. And in the case of coined candidates, it means identifying the most natural way to construct and connect syllables.
For narratives, this means things like finding the level of description that does the subject justice without overdoing the detail. It means determining the most sensible point of view. It means nailing the information hierarchy. And it means striking the ideal balance between objective facts and subjective beliefs to end up in a place both informative and inspiring.
For brand strategy this means organizing information in the way it will be best received. It means figuring out the right altitude and fidelity for content to give people a tool that is both meaty and digestible. And it means finding the simplest format suited to answer a brand’s biggest questions.
Sound
Sound refers to how language is perceived when read or heard. While it may seem intangible, sound plays a central role in the communication experience by setting its emotional atmosphere.
Sound is often referred to as tone. Infusing a story with the appropriate tone is what makes it relatable – establishing character and personality, as well as conjuring up a clear mental image.
For names, narrative, and strategies, this means pinpointing who your brand is and, as a result, how they would come across in different types of conversation.
About Me
I’ve been all over the place.
WORK
15+ years working with global agencies, corporate design studios, and companies of all shapes and sizes to help build brands through the power of language.
Being on the both the agency and in-house side of the coin taught me how to think big, and how to turn big thoughts into actionable solutions that work within company realities.
Types of businesses I’ve worked with all around the world include:
The Big Ones: multi-billion – even multi-trillion – dollar enterprises facing multi-dimensional language needs where solutions must seamlessly integrate into a much broader identity and ecosystem
The Small-to-Medium Ones: operations on their way up that need language to expand their offering, deepen audience connections, and fine tune their communications strategy
The Start Ups: shops just getting off the ground where language plays a pivotal role in launching their creation, educating their market, and defining themselves in the right way
And intentionally working with different sized businesses means I’ve gotten my hands dirty in all sorts of sectors, including technology, consumer goods, OTC, pharmaceuticals and medical device, fashion, financial services, and real estate.
SIDE VENTURE
I’m passionate about bringing the power of AI to naming.
Leveraging the power of Generative AI, combined with my decades of naming experience, I wanted to build a self-serve SaaS platform for SMBs and creators that democratizes the power of smart, distinctive names and the stories they tell. And it’s here. Say hello to Aesop!
EDUCATION
Double-major university degree paired with an ivy league MBA.
Hitting pause on my creative career to continue my education left me with an in-depth understanding of marketplace dynamics, behavioral science, and how the business behind the brand operates.
LIFESTYLE
Travel-happy, culture-curious dual citizen with almost a decade spent living abroad.
Spending significant time overseas and with people from all over the globe gave me a viewpoint that automatically considers the wider world and how they like to communicate.
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