Tone of Voice

Overview

YUNI isn’t anything like the other higher education brands. It’s an authentically Gen-Z platform that has no fuss, no frills and no gimmicks. Our tone of voice needs to reflect that.
YUNI isn’t authoritative and distant. We sound more like a peer and less like a professor. That’s why we use DigiTaal as our language.

What is DigiTaal

This is a way of speaking that incorporates all the ways in which Zoomers express themselves. It’s not just slang and the use of trending phrases. It’s a dialect of its own, a digital dialect. It’s the way digital natives have always communicated. This type of vernacular is so entrenched in their way of speaking that it has become like shorthand.

There are three Digital Dialect pillars:

Memes
Vernac
Coded language

Examples

Example
Example

Checks

There are three DigiTaal tiers to consider when creating or assessing messaging: Bottom, Mid & Peak.
Bottom
Mid
Peak

Bottom

Gen-Z generally rates something as bottom when that particular thing is not great, similar to describing something as bottom of the barrel.

For the DigiTaal Scale, "Bottom" refers to the most easily discernible cultural references, and language. It could include one language or the mixing of two. This level is intended to be understood by the Gen-Z audience across the board.

Middle

Gen-Z generally rates something as mid when that particular thing is average. Neither great nor terrible. "Mid" is essentially a shorthand for mid-tier or mediocre.

For the DigiTaal Scale, "Mid" refers to language that requires a higher level of understanding, it involves more coded language. This could be a mixture of memes, emojis, and/or two or more languages, however, still relatively easy to understand across the board.

Peak

Gen-Z generally rates something as peak when said thing is of the highest quality. "Peak" most often means "outstanding" or "the best."

For the DigiTaal Scale, "Peak" refers to language that requires a high level of understanding, in order to catch the inside jokes, cultural references and or memes. This level is intended to mix all the elements of Digitaal, however, it will not always be the case, Peak DigiTaal could also just a meme, or simple phrase that requires a high level of understanding, or has a deeper meaning.

Before hitting post or going live, make sure that you've checked your copy against this list:
Is your message clear?
Have you phrased your sentences correctly?
Will an Ama2000 understand your copy?
Would you follow the YUNI brand?

Zoomers' Glossary

Ate to do something extremely well
Basic someone unoriginal
Banger really good song
Bet agree
Boujee fancy
CEO You’ve mastered it
Chest pains Worrying
Clout being popular
Combos are communication it’s all working nicely together
Dank excellent or high quality
Deadass totally agree
Doing the most being too much
Drag insult
Drip cool style/clothing
Extra extravagant person
Fam Short for family
Finesse impressively manipulate a situation
Fire something awesome
Fit short for outfit
Flex show off what you’ve got
G short for gangster and used as a greeting "what’s up my G?"
Ghosting ignoring someone
Glow up Positive change
GOAT greatest of all time
GOATed verb of GOAT
Graft Work
Gucci it’s all good
Hella lots of
High key used to emphasise something
Hits different Feels different
Hype make a big deal
I’m dead figuratively died laughing
IYKYK If you know you know
Lowkey really excited but only showing it a little
Main character someone who is well-liked, confident and in control of their life
No cap telling the truth
Period add emphasis to the point
Salty jealous
Secure the bag get that money
Sending me Thrills or excites you
Several points were made in agreement
Shook shocked
Sick really cool
Sip tea listening to gossip
Slaps how great something is
Snack someone good-looking
Snatched looks really good
Spilling the tea dishing out the gossip
Stan obsessed with someone but not in a creepy way
Sus suspect or suspicious
Take several seats spoken when someone is annoying you
Tea gossip
TFW that feeling when
Vibe Energy or ambiance
Vibe out Enjoy
Woke politically aware
Yuni University