CHPK Tone of Voice & Style Guide

Introduction

This document outlines CHPK’s tone of voice, writing style, and communication principles. It serves as a guide for all brand communications, ensuring consistency across all channels and touchpoints.

Our vision statement guides our communication approach: “Guided by collaboration, honour and integrity, performance, and knowledge, we strive to lead the way in everything we do. Our commitment to excellence ensures we remain at the forefront of our industry, creating infrastructure that connects people, empowers communities, and sustains our planet for future generations.”

This guide will help you communicate in a way that reflects our position as a consultancy that is “big enough to deliver, small enough to care” while demonstrating that our strength is the expertise of our people.

Our Brand Personality: The CHPK Difference

CHPK’s communication style reflects our CHPK core values of Collaboration, Human, Performance, and Knowledge:

  • Collaborative Experts: We foster a spirit of teamwork, bringing together diverse expertise and perspectives. Our communication emphasises how we work with clients and partners to deliver innovative solutions for complex challenges.
  • Human-centred Approach: We uphold a commitment to integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct. Our language reflects that trust and respect are at the heart of everything we do, with an approachable tone that balances expertise with empathy.
  • Performance-Driven: We communicate our focus on achieving excellence and delivering measurable outcomes. Our content emphasises precision, dedication, and our drive for continuous improvement.
  • Knowledge Leaders: We champion curiosity and learning in our communications. We demonstrate how we apply insights and expertise to develop smart, forward-looking solutions that address today’s needs while preparing for tomorrow’s opportunities.

Tone of Voice Principles

Our tone of voice principles translate our core values – Collaboration, Human, Performance, and Knowledge – into practical communication guidelines. Each principle embodies one of our values and provides clear direction on how we express ourselves across all content. By consistently applying these principles, we ensure our communications reflect the CHPK difference and connect meaningfully with our audiences.

What this means: We communicate in a way that demonstrates how we bring together diverse expertise to deliver innovative solutions. We emphasise teamwork and partnership throughout the project journey.

Examples:

  • ✓ “By bringing together experts from across our disciplines, we develop integrated solutions that address all aspects of your building safety needs.”
  • ✗ “Our team are aware of the need for a professional, fair and independent approach.”

What this means: We balance technical expertise with warmth and accessibility. Our language demonstrates integrity and transparency while remaining approachable.

Examples:

  • ✓ “We’re big enough to deliver comprehensive expertise across all your building systems, yet small enough to care about the details that matter to you.”
  • ✗ “CHPK bring exceptional skill, care and diligence when undertaking all of our instructions.”

What this means: We emphasise measurable outcomes and excellence in everything we communicate. We highlight our precision, dedication, and continuous improvement.

Examples:

  • ✓ “Our commitment to excellence ensures we deliver measurable outcomes through precision engineering and dedicated project management.”
  • ✗ “We are committed to helping the client achieve their performance targets and always provide consistency in the delivery of our service.”

What this means: We demonstrate forward-thinking expertise and insight in our language. We show how we apply knowledge to create solutions that are both immediately effective and future-ready.

Examples:

  • ✓ “Drawing on our deep industry knowledge, we develop smart, forward-looking solutions that address today’s compliance requirements while preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.”
  • ✗ “Our integrated, multidisciplinary team has delivered a vast array of construction consultancy services for a variety of clients, giving us the luxury to share past practice across industry sectors.”

Writing Style Guidelines

Language Choices

  • Clarity: Use clear, direct language that conveys expertise without unnecessary jargon. Make complex concepts accessible to non-experts while maintaining technical accuracy.
  • Complexity: Vary sentence structure, using both short, impactful sentences and more complex ones when explaining nuanced concepts. Avoid overly complex sentences.
  • Technical terms: Use industry terminology where appropriate, but always provide context or explanation for specialised terms when writing for general audiences.

Structural Elements

  • Paragraphs: Keep paragraphs relatively short (3-5 sentences) to enhance readability. Use longer paragraphs only when developing more complex ideas.
  • Headings: Use descriptive, benefit-focused headings that communicate value. Format with sentence case capitalisation. Avoid vague headings like “A wealth of experience” in favour of more specific value propositions.
  • Lists: Use bulleted lists to break down services, benefits, or process steps. Use numbered lists when sequence matters, such as in step-by-step processes.

Grammar and Punctuation

  • Active vs. passive voice: Primarily use active voice to convey authority and directness: “We design safe buildings” rather than “Safe buildings are designed by us.” Avoid passive sentences like “Every project is audited by a senior member of the team.”
  • Contractions: Use contractions selectively to create a balance between professionalism and approachability. For example, contractions are appropriate in calls to action: “Let’s work together.”
  • Punctuation preferences: Use en dashes (–) to emphasise key points. Use the Oxford comma for clarity in lists.

Communication Challenges to Avoid

  • Transform generic statements like “We aim to provide a refreshing approach” into specific value propositions that reference our core values
  • Replace vague descriptors like “top-tier” or “well established” with specific examples of our expertise or approach
  • Expand minimal service descriptions like “We can provide various training sessions” into fuller explanations of the value and approach
  • Infuse all content with references to our core CHPK values of Collaboration, Human, Performance, and Knowledge
  • Ensure our call-to-actions use collaborative, inviting language that reflects our human-centred approach. Consider phrases like “Partner with us” or “Let’s collaborate” rather than generic “Contact us” buttons.

Applying the Voice to Different Audiences

Architects and Designers

  • Emphasise our collaborative approach and how we bring your design vision to life
  • Focus on how our expertise enhances rather than constrains creative possibilities
  • Highlight our forward-looking knowledge that helps create buildings that are both beautiful and safe
  • Use more design-oriented language while maintaining technical precision

Property Developers and Building Owners

  • Emphasise performance-driven results and measurable outcomes
  • Focus on our ability to navigate regulatory requirements efficiently
  • Highlight the long-term value of our human-centred approach to building safety and systems
  • Reference our multidisciplinary capabilities as being “big enough to deliver, small enough to care”

Construction Teams and Contractors

  • Focus on practical collaboration and integration with existing project processes
  • Emphasise clear communication and responsive service
  • Highlight our technical precision and problem-solving capabilities
  • Demonstrate how our knowledge helps overcome on-site challenges and ensures compliance

Public Sector and Institutional Clients

  • Emphasise our commitment to integrity and ethical conduct
  • Focus on our community-minded approach and long-term vision
  • Highlight our comprehensive documentation and transparent processes
  • Demonstrate how we help create infrastructure that “connects people, empowers communities, and sustains our planet for future generations”

CHPK Service-Specific Voice Guidance

Façade Design

  • Emphasise the balance between aesthetics and performance
  • Highlight our collaborative work with architects and designers
  • Focus on forward-looking knowledge about materials and systems
  • Use language that bridges technical expertise with design sensibility

Services Engineering

  • Emphasise our integrated approach to building systems
  • Highlight performance metrics and measurable outcomes
  • Focus on how we enhance building efficiency and user experience
  • Use language that conveys technical precision and problem-solving

Building Consultancy

  • Emphasise our comprehensive understanding of building lifecycle
  • Highlight our human-centred approach to building use and operation
  • Focus on our role as trusted advisors throughout the project journey
  • Use language that balances technical expertise with practical guidance

Building Safety Consultancy

  • Emphasise our commitment to creating safe environments for all users
  • Highlight our knowledge of evolving regulatory requirements
  • Focus on our collaborative approach to integrating safety with design
  • Use language that conveys both authority and care

Fire Engineering

  • Emphasise our technical expertise in fire safety
  • Highlight our performance-driven approach to fire strategy
  • Focus on our forward-looking solutions that protect people and property
  • Use language that conveys precision and reliability while remaining accessible

Practical Examples

Example 1: Fire Engineering Service Description

Before: “CHPK Fire Engineering offers top-tier fire engineering and consultancy services, setting the standard for innovative fire safety design.”

After: “CHPK Fire Engineering brings together diverse technical expertise to deliver innovative fire safety solutions for complex building challenges. We’re big enough to deliver comprehensive fire strategy services across all sectors, yet small enough to care about protecting what matters most – the people who use your buildings. Our commitment to excellence ensures we remain at the forefront of fire safety, creating infrastructure that keeps communities safe today and for future generations.”

Example 2: Building Consultancy Approach

Before: “CHPK is a leading professional practice providing property and construction services. We aim to provide a refreshing approach to this traditional market.”

After: “At CHPK Building Consultancy, we foster a collaborative approach throughout your project journey. We begin by understanding your specific challenges, bringing together our multidisciplinary team to develop forward-looking solutions. Our performance-driven process ensures precision at every stage, while our commitment to knowledge and continuous improvement means we deliver not just compliance, but true innovation in building safety. When you work with us, our unwavering dedication to excellence will transform your vision into reality.

Example 3: Fire Safety Consultants Description

Before: “Our well established team of engineers has experience of delivering comprehensive and innovative fire strategies that are focused on guiding projects through the design process, whilst adhering to the architectural aspirations and end user viability required for business and service continuity.”

After: “CHPK Fire Engineering champions the perfect balance of safety and design excellence. We combine our strong technical knowledge with a human-centred approach, understanding that effective fire safety must complement architectural vision while ensuring occupant protection. Our collaborative experts work alongside your team to deliver solutions that meet today’s regulatory requirements while preserving your design intent – creating buildings that are as safe as they are remarkable.”

Example 4: Training & Seminars Description

Before: “We can provide various training sessions and seminars related to the specialist services we provide.”

After: “CHPK’s Knowledge Leadership extends beyond our projects through collaborative learning opportunities tailored to your team’s needs. Drawing on our diverse expertise, we develop and deliver engaging, practical training that empowers your people with actionable insights. From technical workshops to regulatory updates, our performance-driven approach ensures participants gain valuable skills they can immediately apply.”