Do you know Who Gives A Crap? They are an Australian company selling sustainable toilet paper – and they ROCK their tone of voice. Their communication is always funny and unique and a great example for a company who knows its identity and makes sure everybody else does too. Let’s look at some examples from WGAC to get an idea of how it’s done. Ready? Let’s go!
So, before we dive into the examples, I’d like to give you some background on Who Gives A Crap, aka WGAC: They produce sustainable toilet paper and donate 50% of their profits to help improve sanitation in developing countries – the founders started the company when they learned that around 40% of people world-wide don’t have access to proper sanitation and that this has serious implications when it comes to groundwater contamination. You can find out more about them on their About Us page.
And now to the fun part: some genius at Who Gives A Crap thought that if they’re in the business of toilets, crap and butts, they might as well lean into it! In a world where toilet paper is usually only advertised as being extra fluffy, this is a bold move – and it so pays off!
You don’t believe me? Well, let’s look at their communication. (And if you’re unsure what a tone of voice or ToV is, check out this link.)
This brand’s identity is in the name
Granted, this won’t work as well with most companies, but how cool is their name? “Who Gives A Crap” already says it all:
- By asking who cares, they already show that they care – this conveys nicely that they have a meaningful mission.
- By using “crap” instead of “damn” or even just the line “who cares”, they are referencing their business – a lot of it revolves around (pardon my French) crap, and they’re not afraid to say it.
- By choosing such an unconventional name, they already make clear that they don’t take themselves too seriously.
So, all in all: brilliant! Whoever came up with this deserves a raise (if they haven’t already gotten one).
Tone of voice of Who Gives A Crap
So, let’s look at some of the defining characteristics of WGAC’s tone of voice. One of their key values is “Good for your bum. Great for the world.” – and this shines through everything they do. Their focus is light-hearted, genuine communication, which is also used when they talk about topics that aren’t fun like deforestation and how we can battle it (by going to the bathroom).
Who Gives A Crap doesn’t communicate like a big company, they communicate like a friend with personal anecdotes, jokes and colloquial language.
Humorous
Whether it’s their emails, their blog, their social media, their website or their loo rolls: every piece of WGAC’s content is fun to read.
You don’t believe me? Well, here are some examples:
- When you order toilet paper, each roll is individually packed in recycled paper for sanitary reasons. And these wrappers all contain a little bit of text that’s always entertaining. You know, because we all need something to read in the bathroom. 😉
- The blog article where they talk about how they now have solar panels on their warehouse is called We convinced our landlord to spell out CRAP in solar panels – and literally, the solar panels say “WE GIVE A CRAP”. Makes you smile, doesn’t it?
While they do often talk about important topics in their e-mails, blog posts and social media, sometimes they’re just for fun. Such as this article recommending 5 different playlists or songs for 5 different kinds of poo situations. Or this post on Instagram:
Genuine
This is especially notable whenever it comes to their goals. There is no pretentiousness in their communication, no self-adulation, instead they focus on the things they care about – especially making the world a better place and having fun doing it. Their communication always feels human, down-to-earth and honest.
On their social media, they have a weekly thing where they correct crappy headlines from the media.
In their marketing e-mails, they always find creative ways to make them fun and entertaining. In fact, I’m reluctant to call their e-mails marketing because they never fail to make me laugh – I actually feel I’m getting something out of them!
A clear tone of voice that shines through everything
As you can see in the numerous examples, Who Gives a Crap does a marvellous job with their tone of voice:
- It’s clearly defined and gives you a great impression of the company and their values
- It comes through in every piece of their communication, no matter who writes it or where it appears
- It works hand in hand with their visual identity
Who Gives A Crap is a great example for tone of voice done right: everything about this company is unique, and so is their style of communication.
Does your company already have a tone of voice? If not, I might be able to help.
PS: If somebody from Who Gives A Crap reads this and you ever decide to localise your content to German, do po(o)p me an email – I’d love to get aboard the toilet humour train!
