Tonality & Voice

This section defines how Simsalasim speaks. Voice, tone, and writing patterns that create consistent, recognizable communication across all channels.

Voice Principles

Simsalasim's voice is built on four dimensions that apply to ALL communication:

Hard Bans (non-negotiable)

These patterns must never appear in any Simsalasim copy, in any language, on any channel. They make text feel machine-written and break the brand voice.

Punctuation

• No em-dash (—). Replace with a period, comma, or sentence split. Zero exceptions.
• No ellipses (...) in UI or notification copy.
• One exclamation mark per screen maximum, reserved for genuine celebration.

AI-writing patterns

The typical "ChatGPT" tells. If a sentence pattern-matches any of these, rewrite.

• "It's not X, it's Y." / "Not just X, but Y." / "More than just X."
• "Let's dive in." / "Let's explore." / "Here's the thing." / "Here's what you need to know."
• "In today's world." / "In this day and age."
• "Whether you're X or Y."
• "Looking to [verb]?" / "Ready to [verb]?" as openers.
• "Imagine [scenario]." / "Picture this."
• Triple-adjective stacks: "fast, reliable, and affordable."
• Rhetorical questions as the first sentence of a message.
• Lists of three with parallel structure as a default rhythm.
• "From X to Y" range statements as filler.
• Closing phrases: "And that's it!", "There you have it", "Happy [verb]ing!", "Hope this helps", "Feel free to", "Don't hesitate to".
• Hedge and filler: "actually", "basically", "essentially", "it's important to note that", "it's worth mentioning", "please note that", "keep in mind that", "in order to" (use "to").
• Safety-valve phrases like "make sure to" or "be sure to".

Product-name rules

• "Re-Boost" is the only accepted spelling. Hyphenated, both letters capital in labels. Use "re-boost" in mid-sentence verb form. Never "reboost", "Reboost", "re boost".
• "Top up" is banned across all channels, all languages. Simsalasim re-boosts.
• "Travel eSIM" is not a Simsalasim product. Do not use the term in external copy. We have plans and passes. An eSIM is a delivery mechanism, not a product name. We do not compare ourselves to travel-eSIM providers.

Do's and Don'ts

Alert-Level Emoji Convention

For any notification carrying an alert level, a specific emoji prefixes the email subject AND the SMS body. Cross-channel consistency is the point: users should recognize urgency instantly.

Rules:

• Exactly one emoji, as the first character of the email subject. Space follows.
• Same emoji at the start of the matching SMS body.
• Preheader stays emoji-free. One signal per email is enough.
• Never stack with ALL CAPS or with "!!!".
• Only used for alert-level notifications.

SMS Convention

• Every SMS begins with the sender identifier: Simsalasim: followed by the message.
• For alert-level SMS, place the alert emoji before the identifier (e.g. ⚠️ Simsalasim: ...).
• Keep SMS short. One thought, one link, one action.

Email Convention

• Email greeting is always Hi [FIRSTNAME], followed by a newline and the body. Never "Hey", "Hello", "Dear".
• No sign-off required for transactional messages. Skip "Best", "Cheers", "The Simsalasim Team" unless marketing.

Channel-Specific Tone

Sentence Patterns

Headlines

• Short, punchy, benefit-focused
• 3 to 6 words ideal
• First letter and proper nouns only

Microcopy

• Action-oriented, user-focused
• As short as possible while remaining clear
• Active, second person ("you")

Confirmation Messages

• Acknowledge the action, then offer the next step if relevant
• Warm, reassuring, no victory laps

Language-Specific Rules

English

• Use contractions naturally ("You're all set", not "You are all set")
• American spelling by default
• Oxford comma when it helps clarity

German

• Informal "Du" address
• Capitalize Du, Dich, Deine
• Keep sentences short

Standard Phrases