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Write
The VELUX Group’s tone of voice guide
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Table of contents
Hello and welcome to Write page 4

Our guiding principles page 5

How the principles shape our writing page 22

General writing tips page 30

Protecting the VELUX Brand page 32

VELUX communication review tool page 36

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Hello and Our guiding

principles
welcome 1st principle
1st principle: Personal
Be personal e.g. use “I”, ”you” and
“we” instead of “the company”. Use

to Write
the active voice rather than the
passive. For example, “The design
team developed the project” and not
“The project was developed by the
design team”.

2nd principle: Simplicity

4th principle 2nd principle Keep your sentences short and
your points clear. Prioritise one key
message and focus on it. Avoid
technical language wherever
possible.

3rd principle: Inspire

Find an insight that helps you to
3rd principle
connect directly with your reader.
Use images and infographics. Add a
little sparkle to the headline instead
of just stating the obvious.
You are reading the VELUX Group’s need to communicate consistently four guiding principles for how we
tone of voice guide Write. Write is and in the right tone. Therefore it is write. Using these, we portray our 4th principle: Authentic
here to help us communicate effec- important for us to think about the brand in the right manner, which will Be authentic and factual about
tively with our stakeholders. language we use and the way we help protect our strong brand image. what you want to say. Base
construct sentences to express communication on facts and be sure
Tone of voice is not about what we ourselves. This guide is a tool to inspire you and to add relevance to the reader.
say but how we say it. It is no good saying we are engaging improve your writing. Hopefully, this
if our language is not. So we need a will serve as a fast track to sparkling
How we communicate is a key tool to strong verbal style that we all and powerful writing that is as
building our brand image – how understand and know how to use. enjoyable to read as it was to write. If you have any questions please reach out to us in the Brand Strategy
people perceive us. To make sure that Together with colleagues, we have
we build a strong brand image, we identified and described that style: team – we are here to help.
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1st principle

We want
to be
personal
Whether we are talking to end-users, means addressing them in a clear,
installers, specifiers or to employees, helpful and personal tone. No matter
we always strive to have a conversa- if they encounter us via an email,
tion. Our stakeholders sometimes feel sales brochure, social media post, on
that we write and speak in a “distant” the intranet or in person.
tone. We want to be close to our
stakeholders and have them feel that We always base our communication
we understand them. To do so, we on insights about the audience to
must communicate directly to them ensure that our communication is
as individuals and talk in a way that relevant and personal.
is personal and relevant to them. This

Principle
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1st principle: We want to be personal

Don’t use
internal VELUX Group terms for target
group such as: end-user, distributor or
installer in external communication
Don’t write
“The company” in a text. It creates distance
between you and the reader
Don’t be
overly formal in your writing. It makes us
seem further away from the reader. For
instance, avoid using passive voice “The

N’T
Do try project was implemented by HR”. Rather,
to address the reader by name or title if possible, use the active form: “HR implemented the
for example Dear Mr Anderson project”.
Do write
“we” or “us” instead of “The VELUX Group”
if suitable for the context
Do use
personal forms of address, “I” and “you”
Do make
your texts personal. For example consider what matters
to the reader and address these needs
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2nd principle

We want
to be
­authentic
Being authentic means that we are We want to have long-lasting,
not afraid to talk about challenges sustainable relations with our
and leassons learned. We talk about stakeholders. To succeed in that we
real people and real life situations that must create professional bonds that
people can relate to. We strive to be are productive and worth maintaining
careful, consistent and balanced in our for our stakeholders as well as for us.
communication and we never write That is why we strive to be reliable
anything inaccurate. and fair and base our communication
on facts. By being genuine and
honest in our interaction with our
stakeholders we establish trust.

Principle
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2nd principle: We want to be authentic Don’t use

overly "selling" language as this can
make us appear less trustworthy.
E.g. avoid adjectives such as
“groundbreaking”, “game-changing”
or “cutting-edge”.
Don’t use
exaggerations such as unbelievable, or
anything that can be misleading
Don’t be arrogant
E.g. don’t talk badly about others to
gain an advantage. And for example,
always find the neutral or positive
angle
Don’t communicate facts alone
Facts do not convey an appealing story.
Do use examples and stories

N’T
We need to connect both rationally
Those from real life with genuine and emotionally with the reader
people in actual situations are better
than constructed examples
Do know what
target group you are communicating
to and what matters to them
Do be honest
Deliver your points in a truthful,
sober and straightforward way,
and always base your arguments
on facts
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Principle

3rd principle

We seek
to inspire
We seek to inspire people through our to a text instead of just stating the
communication. Internally, we want obvious. We wish to communicate –
to inspire the people we work with. not just inform.
Externally, we want to demonstrate
that our knowledge/expertise has While we continually seek inspiration
a positive impact in the world. This in the world around us, we also aim
means we need to write in a way to be a source of inspiration for the
that is interesting for our reader and building industry and the people we
we need to add a little extra sparkle work with.
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3rd principle: We seek to inspire

Don't forget your reader

What is in it for the reader?
Put yourself in the position of the
receiver and shape the message
with your target group in mind
Don’t use corporate jargon
such as “low-hanging fruits”,
“think outside the box”, “leverage” or
“thought leader”.
Business buzzwords tend to annoy
the reader and create distance
Don’t over-promise
We may not be able to deliver on

N’T
Do use cases and examples promises. And of course, never lie
Exemplifying usually benefits our
or twist the truth
reasoning
Do encourage dialogue
and sharing of knowledge and opinions
Do make the audience feel
and not just understand – what you
have to say. Seek to establish a strong
connection with the reader. And make
good use of imagery to catch the
attention of your audience
Do use call-to-action
to explain what posibilities the readers
have. Explain to them what they can do
and how
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4th principle

We
strive for
simplicity
Striving for simplicity is about making When we focus on simplicity we break
things easy to understand. We cut down barriers and get closer to our
away the unnecessary information target group.
and tell people what they need to
know – in a clear and straightforward Whenever we communicate we
way. need to keep our audience in mind.
Consider whom you are talking to?
But being straightforward doesn’t How much time have they got?
mean that we are over-simplifying or What’s important to them? Use these
being condescending. It means that questions to focus and simplify your
we avoid over-complicated terminol- language. Good writing is accessible
ogy and jargon that is exclusive to to all its audiences. Also, ask yourself
our sector or discipline. We make our if you can remove a word, sentence
language as understandable as pos- or paragraph without compromising
sible. People don’t have time to wade the meaning. Less is almost always
through complex and long-winded better.
explanations. We stand a much better
chance of getting our message across
if we keep it simple.

Principle
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4th principle: We strive for simplicity

Don’t use
foreign words and phrases or
unnecessary abbreviations in
communication
Don’t use
technical language unless the target
group is qualified to understand it

N’T
Do prioritise Don’t include
and focus on one key message. too many details
If you don’t, the reader may be
distracted and not remember the
most important point
Do use everyday language
when possible - and only use
technical language when you are
in no doubt that the target group
understands it
Do make
sentences and paragraphs as short
and to the point as possible
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How the Internal magazine

1

principles
We prioritise messages and
focus on the purpose of the

Work locally,
6
The ne
»We want to see a much
reorganisation

ORGANISATION
Stig W.
higher degree of teamwork Thoma

and knowledge sharing Graham

think globally between the factories«

Morten
Bernar
Erik Lu
We use real VELUX
employees as case for
the new organisation

shape our
writing
Erik Lund, Accessories.
We address what
is important for the
The new organisation of VELUX Production will boost the teamwork within the six
production areas across the factories. The largest change is a departure from division employee in a short
by geography. and simple way
Morten Walsted, Hardware & Panes.

By Anita Søe Beilin “We want to see a much higher degree of teamwork and knowl­
edge sharing within each production area, and we want to Graham G. Johnstone is responsible of Wood Wh
“If one of the factories gets a good idea for how to optimise the sharpen the focus on optimising the business in terms of quality, How would you describe your new role compared to the one “Th
business, the intention is that it should be shared with the other delivery and cost. you used to have? curr
factories. And we believe our new organisation will make that We will achieve much closer involvement by the factories, allow­ “It’s very different from the daily running of a factory. The effe
easier,” says Søren Christian Dahl, overall responsible of VELUX ing us to learn from those that do things in a smart and rational effect of your actions is not so immediately apparent; and you per
Production. way in terms of efficient processes, more effective use of tech­ have to be aware of cultural differences and of the others your a un
The new production organisation is divided in accordance with nology and sharing knowledge and experience about safety at decisions affect in a global organisation.” woo
our production areas – the old organisation was divided by geo­ the workplace. It will become clearer to everyone that although fort
graphical location. The objective is to enhance the teamwork be­ they work at a local factory, they are part of a global team.” What do you expect of the new role?
tween functions in a way that transcends factory and business The new structure brings with it new roles and new areas of re­ “I expect productive collaboration with all factories and col­ Ber
area systems, so that everybody works in the most efficient way. sponsibility. Six new Production Area Managers (PAMs) will be leagues in creating a successful and cost­effective strategy for Inst

The tone of voice principles affect our 

responsible for the business management of a particular area of wood production. I hope we can identify several areas where we How
We must reinforce each other production across all factories. The individual general managers can improve processes and reduce our production costs. I also use
“We have to help each other in making our production more will still be responsible for running their own factories on a day­ expect to improve VMM (VELUX Manufacturing Model) lean “Th

communication to all target groups.

efficient. And we must work on how we can best develop our to­day basis. ‘view’ has spoken to three of the new Production thinking throughout our wood production. In my opinion, it is a pro
skills,” continues Søren Chr. Dahl. Area Managers. catalyst for change.” dina

These examples show how we use the guiding

principles in our communication.
We connect with the reader by using “We” instead of the
“VELUX Group”. Notice how the headings for the article and
paragraph function as calls to action to inspire and engage
the reader
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Social media post

We inspire people to improve We show authentic enthusiasm

their own home. We add for spring and daylight. We seek to
enthusiam to the language in a inspire people to commence on a
personal and fun way. new project themselves maybe with
a VELUX product.

We finish the post with a call to We finish the post with

action on how people can find a call to action and encourage
more inspiration. readers to post their plans for
a new spring project.

Instead of just saying it in words We use the picture of a roof

we use powerful images to window in a birdhouse to
illustrate the difference that communicate a clear product
daylight makes. benefit; roof windows can
let in daylight in a room that
was previously dark and
unwelcoming.
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3
Website

We are authentic about addressing We prioritise messages

today’s challenges and telling the and highligt what the
world about our goals. potential employee can
find on this page
We communicate openly and
honestly about how close to/far
from we are to reaching our goal.

As an added value to the info bite we

finish the tweet with a link to further We strive for simplicity
information on the topic. by making the subheading
short and to the point

We show commitment to creating a

sustainable tomorrow.
We talk about what matters and
we do it in a straightforward way.

We inspire potential We use real VELUX We keep our communication

employees and show employees as cases and personal by using “we”
pride by telling how our finish the video with a call instead of “the VELUX
products and services to action: “Find your next Group” and by using “you”
make a difference job on velux.com/career” about our reader.
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Intranet post

Who is Kenneth? We use real VELUX

people as the example
And who is Peter, Karina and Mette? The employees in VFI try to answer this and
much more questions when they receive invoices which they are going to forward
for approval. Help your colleagues and your invoice along by following three good
pieces of advice.
Our colleagues in VELUX Finance India (VFI) look in the GVMO, search @Work, call and mail to other
colleagues in their search for the proper intended approver of an invoice. It delays the approval and
payment processes and is – in the end – a costly process – both in terms of time and money.

An example found in VFI is an invoice issued for repair of a thicknesser (an industrial plane). The supplier
had only addressed the invoice for ”Kenneth”.

There are 19 persons named Kenneth in the VELUX Group, so it might take a great deal of time for the VFI
employee to find the right Kenneth:

– This is a nuisance to both Kenneth, who lacks the invoice for his accounts, and the supplier, who does not
receive his payment. In addition, it is a waste of time and resources as both VFI and Front Office need to
spend time on identifying the right approver of an invoice, Jette Mølgaard, leader of Front Office Denmark,
says. Front Office Denmark assists VFI with those tasks they cannot solve themselves.

Insufficient invoices have always been a challenge to the local finance people, but the challenge has grown
even bigger and clearer now tasks are moving even further away.

Help your invoice along

Jette Mølgaard from Front Office admits that the Finance department has not always informed its emplo-
We are not afraid to talk
yees and suppliers which and how much information is needed when ordering goods or services, but now
a new era has started. Follow these three pieces of advice to help your invoice along: about challenges and
learnings
• State your full name and initials when ordering goods or services and ask the supplier to state name and
initials on the invoice.
• Ask to receive the invoice electronically. It will save postage, protect the environment and saves time as
VFI does not need to scan the invoice. We use call to action
• Ask the supplier to send the electronic invoice directly to VFI. You can see all email addresses here.

– It will of course take a while for us and our suppliers to get used to the new procedures, but if we pay
attention to this new process, the transition to the new system will be shorter - and a much more effective
process is for the benefit of all, Jette Mølgaard says.

Who is Kenneth then? You may ask yourself: ”who is this Kenneth then? And did they find him?”
Yes, Kenneth was indeed found. You can see him below along with the aforementioned thicknesser: We use everyday language,
short and simple words and
Kenneth’s surname is Abrahamsen, he works in Østbirk and really appreciates that his invoice can be
processed quickly and properly by following the three pieces of advice. sentences and no technical
language
By Line Møller Hansen
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General What’s on your mind?

Take a few moments to make it clear
for yourself what you are trying
to say. Write down your thoughts.
Don’t worry about structure; you can
always organize your ideas later.
Use headlines
A headline for chapters, pages, sub-­
sections and paragraphs helps the
reader easily navigate the text. Head-
lines will also ensure that even the
busy reader will skim and take away
You and we
To become more personal don’t say
“The company wants to involve its
customers to create a strong rela-
tionship”; instead say “You can get
involved”. The emphasis here is on

tips for
some meaning from the text. “you” rather than “the company”.
Who are you talking to? Write directly to the reader, and put
People are more interested in hearing Edit, edit, edit the reader at the centre of the story.
from someone they know and some- Write a lot and then edit, edit, edit.
one who knows them. So get to know Rewrite, rearrange and rethink. Get feedback
your audience. What gets them excit- Editing is striving for concision and We can only be successful at this if
ed, interests them and what concerns finding the strongest points in the we cooperate and share. Get feedback
them? The more you know about text. Be brutal. Your text will benefit on your text from a colleague. And get
them, the easier it will be for you to from it. their opinion on how you can improve
write to them. Imagine your audience it so it becomes more inspirational,
sitting right in front of you. Read what Don’t be passive creative, balanced and on brand.

writing
you have written aloud. Would you Passive writing sounds weaker,
talk to a person like this? is less direct, more formal and imper- Use British English
sonal. Instead of saying: “Your letter We use British English in our commu-
Prioritise your content will be replied to in due course”, say nications. Think about how you use
What is the most important piece of “We’ll reply as soon as we can”. -ise vs. -ize e.g. prioritise instead of
information you want to convey? List The second sentence seems to be prioritize. Also check spelling on nouns
the things you want to say, prioritise written by some one who cares and is like center vs. centre.
them and find the ONE thing that on the case.
they absolutely must remember after
reading your text. Get to the point
People are not interested in reading
Create a clear structure a long-winded text to find out what’s
Organize your writing into smaller par- on your mind. Get to the point. And
agraphs, with ONE single idea in each. quickly. If the reader knows what they
This helps you tell a story that people are about to read early, and why, they
can easily comprehend and helps the are more likely to read it. Be clear and
audience absorb your message. stick to the point.
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Protecting We are lucky to have built a very strong

brand in the industry – the VELUX brand
is one that most target groups know. This
gives us a unique position and a great start-

the VELUX
ing point for building strong stakeholder
relationships.

BUT we are at risk. When a product domi-

nates the market, its brand name is at risk
of becoming an everyday word for similar
products made by any company. If this hap-

brand
pens, we say that the brand has degenerated.
And when a brand degenerates, or becomes
generic, the trademark or brand name can
be used to describe any related products on
the market The consequences of this can be
devastating for the brand, the company and
its customers. In the worst case scenario, the
original trademark owners can lose all legal
rights to the exclusive use of the trademark.

In order for this not to happen we must work

dedicated on building the VELUX brand in all
aspects of our commutation efforts. That is
why we have a brand protection site on in-
tranet. Here you can find tools to help protect
the VELUX brand

Read more about brand protection on the

intranet.
VELUX Write 35

In practical
terms for
you this
Write
VELUX in CAPITAL letters.
Connect
the VELUX name with a ­product or a descriptor.

means four
So, instead of ­letting VELUX stand alone, ­write VELUX
roof windows or the VELUX Group.
The first time you write VELUX it must be followed by
the registered symbol (®)
Check

simple rules
the Do’s & Dont’s when in doubt on VELUX intranet.
Search in the VELUX brand tab.
Be alert
– let us know if you see the VELUX brand name misused
VELUX Write 37

VELUX
communication The purpose of the review tool
is to help you assess if you
communicate in accordance to the

review tool
VELUX tone of voice principles and
if your communication supports
how we want to be perceived.

The tool help you steer

communication deliverables in a
project. You can use it as part of
a project start-up or end phase
and to review communication
material developed by colleagues
or external partners.

How do we use it?

This document is seen as a basis
for discussion and evaluation
rather than auditing. Please see the
dimensions below as a checklist
to ensure we communicate in a
consistent way across audiences.
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How we write How we want to be perceived

To what extent does your text communicate your key message in To what extent does the communication express our brand values. All brand
a personal, authentic, inspirational and simple way? In general, our values don’t need to be present to the same extent in your communication.
communication should score high across all four tone of voice principles. But we need to be clear about why we prioritise certain messages above others.

Lesser extent Greater extent Lesser extent Greater extent

We are personal Trusted
Ask yourself: Do I succeed in addressing 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Ask yourself: Do I promise anything
the needs of the reader and do I avoid that we cannot deliver?
being too formal or corporate?

We are authentic 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Inventive
Ask yourself: Do I succeed being relevant Ask yourself: Do I describe our inventi-
to the reader? Do I communicate facts in veness? That we constantly develop and
a honest and engaging way? improve our products and how we work.

We seek to inspire Sustainable

Ask yourself: Do I succeed in finding 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Ask yourself: Do I communicate that the
insights that helps me connect with the VELUX Group is both an environmentally
reader? Is my text memorable? and socially responsible company?

We strive for simplicity Value for money

Ask yourself: Do I succeed in making my 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Ask yourself: Do I succeed in communicating
text ”to the point” and easy to understand that we offer high quality products
for the reader. at a reasonable price? Or that
interacting with us is worthwhile?
VELUX A/S
Ådalsvej 99
2970 Hørsholm
+45 45 16 45 16 Tel
www.velux.com

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