Brand › Voice › 2026
Tone of voice.
How Skipton sounds. Founded on Fairness. Since 1853.
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Brand › Voice › 2026
Tone of voice.
Ten pages, one voice.
How Skipton sounds — Rooted, Assured, Considered. Plain English, short sentences, honest copy. This guide is the test for any piece of writing that carries Skipton’s name.
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Pages
3
Voice traits
3
Test rules
1853
Founded
Brand › Voice › Why this matters
Sound like Skipton.
Always.
Whether we’re talking face-to-face in a branch, writing a letter, or putting copy on the website, members should hear the same voice. That’s how trust gets built. That’s how the Founded on Fairness promise stays a promise.
This guide is for everyone at Skipton, not just writers. If you’re putting Skipton’s name on something, this is how it should sound.
How do we sound?
Plain. Short. Honest.
We don’t use jargon. We don’t dress things up. We don’t manufacture urgency. We say what we mean, in words a member can follow on the first read. That’s the bar.
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Brand › Voice › Three traits
Rooted. Assured. Considered.
The Skipton voice has three settings. They sit on top of each other in every piece of copy. If a piece of writing is missing one, it isn’t quite Skipton yet.
Rooted
We come from somewhere. Plain, unfussy, no marketing puffery. We don’t perform Yorkshire — we just sound like ourselves.
Assured
172 years of showing up. We’ve earned our confidence, so we don’t need to shout. Calm under pressure, clear about what we know, honest about what we don’t.
Considered
We’re here for the next few decades, not the next transaction. We don’t manufacture urgency. We’re patient with hard things.
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Brand › Voice › We’re…
Rooted.
Rooted is…
- Plain
- Direct
- Unfussy
- Honest about what matters
Rooted isn’t…
- Parochial
- Folksy
- Cartoonish
- Stuck in the past
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Brand › Voice › Rooted in practice
What does Rooted look like?
We sound like the people we serve, not the industry. Concrete nouns. Plain English. House, not property. Money, not funds. Kids, not dependants.
DO — ROOTED
Saving for a house takes time. Years, usually. We’ve helped three generations of members do it, and we’ll help you too — whatever your timeline, whatever your deposit, whatever the market’s doing that week.
DO — ROOTED
Track record matters. We’ve done this since 1853. We’ve watched rates rise and rates fall. We’ve seen members through both.
DON’T
Purchasing a property is a significant financial undertaking that typically requires sustained saving over an extended period. Our team of experts is ideally placed to support you throughout this important journey.
DON’T
As a heritage financial services provider, we leverage our established legacy to deliver bespoke solutions to our discerning clientele.
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Brand › Voice › We’re…
Assured.
Assured is…
- Confident, without bragging
- Calm under pressure
- Clear about what we know
- Honest about what we don’t
Assured isn’t…
- Arrogant
- Salesy
- Hedging
- Performatively humble
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Brand › Voice › Assured in practice
What does Assured look like?
We say a thing once, clearly, and trust the reader. We don’t qualify everything. We don’t hide behind “could”, “may”, “might”. When we know, we say so. When we don’t, we say that too.
DO — ASSURED
Inheritance tax won’t go away by ignoring it. But it won’t ruin your family either — not if you plan early, plan properly, and plan with someone who’s done this before. That’s us.
DO — ASSURED
We’ve lowered your interest rate.
DON’T
Inheritance tax planning can be a complex area, and it’s important to ensure you have the right support. Our advisers have extensive experience and would be delighted to help you navigate the various options available.
DON’T
A decision has been made to lower your interest rate.
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Brand › Voice › We’re…
Considered.
Considered is…
- Patient
- Thoughtful
- Thinking long-term
- Human about difficult things
Considered isn’t…
- Slow
- Earnest to the point of dull
- Sentimental
- Overly serious
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Brand › Voice › Considered in practice
What does Considered look like?
We slow down for things that matter. Bereavement. Complaints. Missed payments. The moments most brands hide from — the moments that prove the promise.
DO — CONSIDERED
Saving for a child takes patience. The right account doesn’t change that — it just makes the patience pay off.
DO — CONSIDERED
We’ve received your complaint. A real person will read it. We’ll come back to you within five working days.
DON’T
Don’t miss out — limited time offer ends Friday!
DON’T
Your complaint has been logged in our internal system. A response will be issued within five working days from the date of receipt.
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Brand › Voice › Three rules to test by
Things to remember.
Three quick checks. Run any piece of writing through them before it goes out.
01
You, not us
Use “you” more than “we”. Members should feel they’re being spoken to directly.
Whatever you’re saving for, we’ll help you find an account that’s right for you.
We’re proud to offer a range of savings accounts designed to suit different customer needs.
02
Plain, not corporate
Read it aloud. Could you say this in conversation? If not, rewrite.
Useutilise
Askenquire
Fixresolve
Sotherefore
Tellinform
Buthowever
03
Active, not passive
Own the statement. We did the thing — say so.
We’ve lowered your interest rate.
A decision has been made to lower your interest rate.
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