Content Design

Many Writers, One Amex

No matter where the message, our voice should be distinctly American Express. Think of our voice as our brand’s personality. Though many people write for our experiences, users should always feel like they know who’s talking to them. Tone is the emotion with which we convey a message. While our voice should be consistent, our tone should adapt to the circumstances.

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Voice: ‘Your Eloquent Advocate’

We speak to our customers as “Your Eloquent Advocate.” We want them to feel like “we understand you; we respect you, and we back you.” For more about our voice, visit the Brand site.

Expression	Do This	Don’t Do This
We Understand You	Take time to understand your user Be concise but friendly Anticipate and explain next steps Focus on what’s important to the user Give customers the benefit of the doubt	Don’t assume they know our systems Don’t be overly formal or arrogant Don’t make it about us Don’t scold or blame Don’t use jargon or complex financial terms
We Respect You	Show important details first Clearly outline options and solutions Make it easy to take action Make it readable, factual, and specific Craft messages with care	Don’t waste their time by being long-winded Don’t include messaging they can’t use Don’t bury information or make them guess Don’t use clunky or hard-to-read copy
We Back You	Be reassuring Own up to our mistakes and offer solutions Don’t just tell customers that we’re worthy of their trust, show it Let them know how to contact us	Don’t be threatening or accusatory Don’t use language that can be misleading or negatively impact the user Don’t leave them without a clear way forward

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Tone: Say It the Right Way

Tone is how our copy sounds and feels. The tone will depend on what kind of sentiment we are trying to convey. Try to be positive and empathetic. Bad news and error messages require special attention to tone.

Finding the Right Tone

Type	Positive Messages	Neutral Messages	Negative Messages
Tone	When you want to congratulate, convey success, or encourage action: be friendly and conversational, but not overly excitable.	When you want to guide a user through a task or help them understand information: be clear, concise, active, and conversational.	When you need to convey bad news or a problem: be empathetic, constructive, and focus on solutions. Avoid accusatory language. Take responsibility if something is our fault. We’re here to help, not assign blame.
Examples	Do this: Your new Card is ready to use. Find out how to get the most out of your Membership. Don’t do this: You did it! Get spending on your new Card!	Do this: To get started, provide your name and email. You may need to upload a copy of your government-issued ID. Don’t do this: This form will require the name you wish to give and a valid email address. Various circumstances may require you to provide digitally your documentation.	Do this: Enter a first name using only letters, spaces, and apostrophes. Don’t do this: Your name is invalid. You can’t use forbidden characters.

How to Build the Right Tone

Element	What It Is and How to Use It	Examples
Active voice	The subject performs the action; it’s not having something done to it. Use active voice in most messaging. It’s conversational and easier to understand.	We’ll review your account. You spent $450 this month.
Passive voice	The subject has something done to it. Use only to put a degree of separation between the subject and the action, such as when there’s bad news or potential fraud. Note that passive voice can seem cold. It can also be harder to read and understand.	Don’t use like this: Your request will be reviewed. Do this instead: We’ll review your request. Do use passive voice like this (to avoid accusatory language): Your payment is overdue.
Positive framing	When the user encounters a problem, the message should focus on what can be done. It puts the solution before the problem and is often easier to read.	Update your payment method to access your account. Confirm your Card to start using it.
Negative framing	Avoid this type of message because it focuses on what can’t be done, rather than a solution. It can also be harder to understand.	Don’t do this: You can’t access your account unless you update your payment method. You can’t use your Card until you confirm it.
Contractions	This is when you combine two words with an apostrophe (ex: “that’s” instead of “that is”). Use when possible, as it’s more friendly and conversational.	You’ve, you’re, we’ll, etc. You’ve submitted your payment.
Conversational language	Write as if we’re speaking directly to the customer. Use “we/us” and “you” when you can.	We’ll contact you about your request. For more information, contact us.
Formal, colloquial, or jargon language	Don’t use:Don’t try to sound impressive or intimidating. Don’t use non-standard phrases, contractions, or grammar. Avoid cliches, idioms, and technical jargon.	Don’t do this: Error 45393 present. Don’t do this: Check out our low annual fees that don’t cost an arm and a leg!