Voice

    How IM Digital sounds in everything written as the company, and how that sound meets each reader.

    On this page

    Instead of

    "Drive ROI and boost customer LTV by optimizing your digital footprint."

    Try

    "When customers love an experience, they'll come back and do it again. Delivering a better digital experience is the first step towards becoming a brand customers care about."

    Why

    Too by-the-numbers and corporate. Being approachable and refined means finding the balance of brain and heart.

    Pillars

    IM Digital's voice is built on four pillars that work in concert. The voice is constant. The tone adapts to context.

    • Inventive

      We're excited about building things. We put our enthusiasm front-and-center and seek new ways to communicate ideas.

      Sounds like

      Unexpected designs or phrases (but not quirky or cute). Taking the time to communicate challenging ideas rather than glossing over them. Tackling difficult challenges with enthusiasm.

      Does not sound

      Boring, rote, or sterile.

    • Bold

      We're confident and willing to take big swings. We don't mince words or avoid difficult topics.

      Sounds like

      Stating decisions and commitments directly. "We build", not "We aim to build." Making ambitious promises we can back up. Showing confidence in our abilities and our teammates' abilities. Unknown facts follow Hedges and Filler below.

      Does not sound

      Apologetic, cautious, or humble as a default posture in company copy. This never means pretending to know an unknown fact or hiding a mistake. A person who signs a piece owns a mistake in their own voice.

    • Refined

      We hold ourselves to a high standard and we want the people we work with to see us that way.

      Sounds like

      Avoiding sarcasm or crude jokes. Minimizing emojis and abbreviations in external communications. Being formal and respectful without being stodgy.

      Does not sound

      Edgy, quirky, or casual.

    • Approachable

      All the skill in the world won't matter if we can't convince people to come along for the ride. We're friendly, open, and grateful to be here.

      Sounds like

      Avoiding buzzwords or complex acronyms. Writing in ways that real humans speak, conversational without being casual. Soliciting feedback and responses, and listening.

      Does not sound

      Arrogant, intimidating, or dismissive.

    How they combine

    The four pillars are never isolated. They balance each other.

    • Refined + Approachable

      Confident in our capabilities without superiority or arrogance.

    • Inventive + Bold

      Paying attention to details without being bogged down by them. We're tinkerers and builders, but we never miss the forest for the trees.

    • Bold + Refined

      Direct, but tactful. We don't mince words, but telling the truth doesn't mean forgoing respect.

    • Approachable + Inventive

      Taking big ideas and making them feel simple. We want to leave the audience smarter and more informed than when we met them.

    Tone

    The voice is always the same. The tone adapts to audience, subject, and context.

    Talking About AI

    AI is central to how IM Digital operates and delivers. We position ourselves as AI-first, meaning AI is built into the architecture of how every service is delivered. It is not an add-on or an afterthought.

    Be precise and avoid empty buzzwords. Don't call something "AI-powered" unless it is. Be transparent about how AI is used in a given workflow and what outcomes it drives.

    Position AI as infrastructure, not identity. The value we offer is human: creative, technical, and strategic thinking. AI makes that thinking faster, sharper, and more scalable. We are a consultancy that runs on AI, not an AI company that consults.

    Be specific. Instead of vague claims about "leveraging AI," describe the workflows, integrations, and outcomes. Specificity is credibility. Reference Command Center, MCP integrations, AI agents, and workflow automation by name when appropriate. Do not assume a particular workflow uses AI because the company is AI-first.

    Pair every mention of an automated system with the domain expert directing it. Avoid performing intelligence. Prove it through specific examples like Claude Code integrations or data pipeline architecture.

    Distinguish AI-first from AI-powered. AI-first means architectures and workflows built around AI from the ground up. AI-powered suggests AI was layered onto an existing process. We are AI-first.

    Talking About Disruption

    "Disruption" carries different connotations for different audiences. Innovation to some, recklessness to others, meaningless buzzword to still others. Consider what your audience's values are before using the word. Ask: Is this audience's goal to disrupt an industry? If so, IM Digital can help them do it.

    By Audience and Subject

    Enterprise clients
    Focus on governance, security, and compliance relevant to the engagement. Describe the actual controls and human oversight. Use words such as auditable, controlled, and rigorous only when the described process supports them.
    Mid-market clients
    Emphasize hands-on partnership. Explain what efficiency changes for the client and the team. Claims about staffing, results, or spend must match the engagement evidence and agreed terms.
    Strategy
    Sound authoritative but collaborative. Present roadmaps as shared visions rather than top-down mandates.
    Data
    Treat data as the prerequisite for success. Speak about data hygiene and architecture with absolute seriousness.
    Creative work
    Focus on authenticity and taste. Highlight human judgment as the ultimate filter for brand integrity.
    Recruitment
    Tone down aggression. Attract talent by highlighting collaborative problem solving and technical excellence.
    Long-term results
    Speak with confidence about the ongoing partnership. Describe how TotalCare supports accountability, then use engagement evidence for claims about results.

    Language

    Who We Are

    • Everyone is part of IM Digital. Use "our team" rather than "my team," even if you're leading it.

    • In brand voice, speak collectively as one unit. Use first-person plural "we" with "IM Digital." Avoid "they" or "it."

    • IM Digital is a company, not a person. IM Digital does things, but it doesn't feel things. For emotional expressions, use "the IM Digital team."

    • Example: "IM Digital is more than capable of building a space rocket."

    • Example: "The IM Digital team is excited about building a space rocket."

    No cute nicknames. We are not IMers, Imagineers, or anything like that.

    The client is the hero. Lead with their problem and their result. Our role comes after.

    Vocabulary Preferences

    These apply to social media, blog posts, case studies, and public-facing content. Prioritize clarity and simplicity.

    Companies we work with
    Use "client" when referring to who we work with. Use "partnership" when describing how we work together. Avoid "account" or "customer" for the company itself. Never use "partner" and "client" interchangeably. "We build lasting partnerships with our clients" works. "We build lasting partnerships with our partners" does not.
    People at those companies
    Use "stakeholder."
    Technology and platform relationships
    Use "technology partner" or "platform partner" (e.g., "Shopify is a technology partner"). Always pair "partner" with a qualifier when referring to platforms. Never use "partner" alone when referring to a technology relationship.
    Each other
    Use "teammate." Avoid "coworker" or "colleague."
    End users
    Use "customer," "user," or best of all, "people." Avoid "consumer."

    Voice in action

    • Instead of

      "We're on the hunt for some real rockstar UX engineers ready to kick ass and take names."

      Try

      "Are you an ambitious, detail-oriented engineer who believes customers deserve better? If so, you might be a fit for our team at IM Digital."

      Why

      Too aggressive. When attracting talent, show we value technical proficiency and collaboration. "Might" marks a real unknown, so it stays.

    • Instead of

      "We're reinventing the future of e-commerce with unmatched technical genius."

      Try

      "We partner with bold, ambitious brands and give them every tool and insight they need to reimagine the shape of commerce."

      Why

      We're confident, but we're always part of a team. Customers care about the companies we work with, not us.