In all that we say, show and do, we aim to both inspire and build trust. To make an impact. Our writing is personal, playful and clear. The reader should be left with a feeling of having conferred with a well-informed friend.

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Our Tone of Voice

1. We curate our content to inspire travellers to travel.

  • For every text we produce, we are conscious of its main purpose (to inspire, to convert, to inform).
    • We assess what is the converting message in the respective text, and give it a prominent place (headings/index/far ahead in the text).
    • We make sure that the call(s) to action is related to the text’s main purpose.
  • Longer texts have structure; clear headlines to give direction, paragraphs to give an overview. Each section has a main point.
  • The sections are MECE (Mutually Exclusive Collectively Exhaustive).

2. We are clear so travellers can dream big.

3. We are personal so travellers feel valued.

  • We are talking with you about your (dream)journey.
    • We use personal pronouns. We avoid paraphrases with nouns.
    • We dear to directly address the reader’s potential skepticism.
    • We intentionally add personal touches (in web text and proposals) to make it all feel real and custom.
  • We are non-bureaucratic. Our voice is active, using subject, verb, and object.

4. We adjust the language according to travellers' mode.

  • We balance emotional impact with rational info according to channel/medium and stage in the customer journey
    • Website content and proposals are inspirational but focused, selling one dream at a time (want-based).
    • Agendas and travel info are concise, to-the-point, and more pragmatic, (need-based), but with select personal touches.
    • On social media we are relevant. We make sure to get personal. We are easygoing, playful, and non-edited.
    • In micro-copy, we encourage playfulness.
  • We use everyday spoken language to express knowledge (in accordance with the target group)
    • Norwegian text is a bit more moderate than English, without losing our light personal tone.
    • Norwegian text is adapted to oral Norwegian, not a translation of English lingo.
    • When we use buzzwords, we use them intentionally, making sure to be up to date and inside target group lingo (if insecure, we stick to plain language).

5. We add perspective to widen travellers’ views.

  • To describe our travels, one must use adjectives. However, we balance the number of adjectives per sentence. By limiting the use of superlatives, they have an impact when we do use them.
  • We show don't tell. What we write is accompanied by imagery. The elements support each other. We don’t write what you see, we elevate it. We use metaphors carefully to enrich the language.

Key Word Dictionary

As a general rule, we use Bokmål in Norwegian texts, and British English in English texts. To remind ourselves to be consistent in the British spelling of certain words that are at the heart of our business, we have created the list below. Making sure we use ...

traveller not traveler
xxx not xxx (for Up to fill in)
xxx not xxx (for Up to fill in)
xxx not xxx (for Up to fill in)
xxx not xxx (for Up to fill in)

Principles for Plain Language

Plain language is clear, concise, organized, and appropriate for the intended audience.

  1. Write for your reader, not yourself.
  2. Use pronouns when you can.
  3. State your major point(s) first before going into details.
  4. Stick to your topic.
  5. Limit each paragraph to one idea and keep it short.
  6. Write in active voice. Use the passive voice only in rare cases.
  7. Use short sentences as much as possible.
  8. Use everyday words. If you must use technical terms, explain them on the first reference.
  9. Omit unneeded words.
  10. Keep the subject and verb close together.
  11. Use headings, lists, and tables to make reading easier.
  12. Proofread your work, and have a colleague proof it as well.

    (Source: National Archives)

Plain Language for the Web

Visitors to our website are often in a hurry to find information. They may scan a page as they look for quick answers to their questions.

Help your readers find what they need.

  1. Be concise.
  2. Break documents into separate topics.
  3. Use short paragraphs, even shorter than on paper.
  4. Use short lists and bullets to organize information.
  5. Use even more headings with less under each heading.
  6. Use white space liberally, so pages are easy to scan.
  7. Use the same words a reader would use in a Web search, especially in the titles.
  8. Each page should stand on its own. (Don’t assume your readers know the background on a topic or have read related pages on your site)
  9. Never use "click here" as a link. Link language should describe what your reader will get if they click the link.

    (Source: plainlanguage.gov)

The Impact Concept
Photography
Typography