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For: Brand managers and marketing directors of companies who want their brand to speak in a unified voice, not just follow industry templates. Skinerica: Developing a Brand Communication Tone
How a Network of 6 Aesthetic Medicine Clinics Found Its Own Voice and Stopped Sounding Like a Template
The brand is 15 years old. Expertise and service are well-established. But the communication tone remained at the level of 'Good afternoon, this is the clinic calling…' A project that began with the 'Caring Magician' archetype pivoted during the process toward confidence, allure, and self-love.
Project Fact Sheet
Skinerica Aesthetic Medicine Network
Business Type | Aesthetic medicine clinic network |
Scale | 6 clinics across 5 cities (Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Samara, Novosibirsk) |
- ChallengeThe network’s communications did not convey the brand’s character: administrators spoke in templates, client-facing texts sounded identical to competitors.
- SolutionPerception research + brand verbal strategy. Deliverables: tone of voice guide, situational scripts, brand persona, audio design concept.
- ResultScripts implemented across all 6 branches.
Timeline: 60 days
Key highlight:
Shifting the brand’s archetype by working on the founder’s personal brand.
Results
- Tone of voice guide developed
- Communication scripts implemented across 6 branches in 5 cities
- Unified communication standard instead of 'every administrator speaks differently'
Table of Contents
The Challenge: 15 Years of Expertise, Zero Years of Conscious Sound
Skinerica has been operating since 2010. Over 15 years, the network has grown to 6 clinics across 5 cities, built a large team, and earned a 4.8+ rating on independent platforms. There were no problems with the product or service.
The problem was with the voice. Administrators in Moscow and Novosibirsk spoke to clients differently. Advertising texts sounded 'like everyone else': template phrases such as 'individual approach' and 'innovative technologies' that could apply to any clinic. Alternatively, communications veered into the opposite extreme, becoming overly saccharine and diluting the brand’s expert character.
The network’s founder, Elena Borisova, had spent 15 years building the business but was not present in the public sphere. There was no connection between the founder’s personal brand and the clinic’s brand. Yet the founder’s voice sets the brand’s character.
The objective: to capture the voice Skinerica already speaks and scale it across the entire team. Not to invent something 'from scratch', but to listen and formalise.
The problem was with the voice. Administrators in Moscow and Novosibirsk spoke to clients differently. Advertising texts sounded 'like everyone else': template phrases such as 'individual approach' and 'innovative technologies' that could apply to any clinic. Alternatively, communications veered into the opposite extreme, becoming overly saccharine and diluting the brand’s expert character.
The network’s founder, Elena Borisova, had spent 15 years building the business but was not present in the public sphere. There was no connection between the founder’s personal brand and the clinic’s brand. Yet the founder’s voice sets the brand’s character.
The objective: to capture the voice Skinerica already speaks and scale it across the entire team. Not to invent something 'from scratch', but to listen and formalise.
The Approach: Hearing the Voice the Brand Already Speaks
The SICHKAR GROUP team began by analysing the aesthetic medicine market. Competitors were mapped across four sound dimensions: rational/emotional, formal/lively, neutral/'magical', restrained/enthusiastic.
The picture was characteristic. Premium clinics sound cold: dry medical formulations, distant tone. Mass-market chains try to be 'warm' but slide into templates or excessive enthusiasm. There is almost no middle ground. Skinerica could occupy a position no one else held: expertise with soul, high service without coldness.
The picture was characteristic. Premium clinics sound cold: dry medical formulations, distant tone. Mass-market chains try to be 'warm' but slide into templates or excessive enthusiasm. There is almost no middle ground. Skinerica could occupy a position no one else held: expertise with soul, high service without coldness.
The project team defined the audience profile:
women aged 35−55, working, rational, time-poor. They value specifics, not 'innovative technologies'. They want to be spoken to in a human way, but without familiarity. They expect expertise, care, and respect for their time.
Based on the research, the team formulated the strategic platform: Skinerica’s tone is built on a balance of rationality and emotion (60/40), and liveliness and professionalism (70/30). The brand speaks in human language but does not forget about medical precision.
Based on the research, the team formulated the strategic platform: Skinerica’s tone is built on a balance of rationality and emotion (60/40), and liveliness and professionalism (70/30). The brand speaks in human language but does not forget about medical precision.
The project team defined the audience profile:
women aged 35−55, working, rational, time-poor. They value specifics, not 'innovative technologies'. They want to be spoken to in a human way, but without familiarity. They expect expertise, care, and respect for their time.
Based on the research, the team formulated the strategic platform: Skinerica’s tone is built on a balance of rationality and emotion (60/40), and liveliness and professionalism (70/30). The brand speaks in human language but does not forget about medical precision.
Based on the research, the team formulated the strategic platform: Skinerica’s tone is built on a balance of rationality and emotion (60/40), and liveliness and professionalism (70/30). The brand speaks in human language but does not forget about medical precision.
A 180° Turn: Why the 'Caring Magician' Made Way for the 'Lover'
The first version of the strategy was built on the 'Caring Magician' archetype. The logic was clear: care plus an element of ritual, metaphors, sensory experience. The team developed 5 levels of tone, scripts, and a brand persona named Erika. Work was in full swing.
Then something happened that changed the project’s direction.
Elena Borisova, the network’s founder, simultaneously began working with personal branding specialists. For the first time in 15 years, she stepped into the public sphere. And the team saw: the character Elena projects did not fit within the 'caring magician' framework. Skinerica is actually about something else. About self-confidence. About allure. About beauty as a form of self-love, not a battle against age.
The team decided to change the archetype to the 'Lover'. Not to break, but to recalibrate: the document’s basic structure remained, but the formulations, signature phrases, and emotional accents were rebuilt. Instead of 'your ritual of care' came 'you didn’t get lucky — you earned it'. Instead of 'we will take care of you' came 'you know your worth and don’t cut corners on self-care'.
This turn did not cost the client additional time. The document structure was designed modularly, and replacing the 'core' did not require rewriting everything from scratch.
Then something happened that changed the project’s direction.
Elena Borisova, the network’s founder, simultaneously began working with personal branding specialists. For the first time in 15 years, she stepped into the public sphere. And the team saw: the character Elena projects did not fit within the 'caring magician' framework. Skinerica is actually about something else. About self-confidence. About allure. About beauty as a form of self-love, not a battle against age.
The team decided to change the archetype to the 'Lover'. Not to break, but to recalibrate: the document’s basic structure remained, but the formulations, signature phrases, and emotional accents were rebuilt. Instead of 'your ritual of care' came 'you didn’t get lucky — you earned it'. Instead of 'we will take care of you' came 'you know your worth and don’t cut corners on self-care'.
This turn did not cost the client additional time. The document structure was designed modularly, and replacing the 'core' did not require rewriting everything from scratch.
What We Delivered: From Strategy to Working Scripts
The final document consists of several blocks, each solving a specific task.
Tone of Voice Guide
includes positioning, audience profile, competitor sound analysis, 5 levels of tone, speech norms, anti-templates with replacements, and signature marker phrases. Each level is tied to a specific situation: a medical consultation sounds different from a reminder about an appointment in a messenger, and handling negative feedback requires a distinct tone.
includes positioning, audience profile, competitor sound analysis, 5 levels of tone, speech norms, anti-templates with replacements, and signature marker phrases. Each level is tied to a specific situation: a medical consultation sounds different from a reminder about an appointment in a messenger, and handling negative feedback requires a distinct tone.
Scripts for Typical Situations
cover everyday communications: from the first phone call to re-engaging a lost client, from handling lateness to responding to public negative comments. An administrator opens the relevant script and sees specific phrases with variations. Not 'say something warm', but ready-made text with the correct tone.
cover everyday communications: from the first phone call to re-engaging a lost client, from handling lateness to responding to public negative comments. An administrator opens the relevant script and sees specific phrases with variations. Not 'say something warm', but ready-made text with the correct tone.
Brand Persona 'Erika'
the brand’s digital beauty consultant. Not a robot answering machine, but a character with personality: confident, caring, with light wit. Erika speaks in the first person in voice menus and chatbots, and on behalf of the team in email newsletters. Her voice, vocabulary, and boundaries of use are all defined.
the brand’s digital beauty consultant. Not a robot answering machine, but a character with personality: confident, caring, with light wit. Erika speaks in the first person in voice menus and chatbots, and on behalf of the team in email newsletters. Her voice, vocabulary, and boundaries of use are all defined.
Audio Design Concept and Brand Elements
a voice menu with relaxing audio elements, 'Skinerica Tarot' cards with predictions for clients, a block of signature phrases for different contexts.
a voice menu with relaxing audio elements, 'Skinerica Tarot' cards with predictions for clients, a block of signature phrases for different contexts.
Want your network to speak with one voice? Contact us.
How the Tone Lives: 5 Levels for Different Situations
The core principle: the brand does not sound the same everywhere. A medical consultation requires precision and calm. Messenger communication requires liveliness and addressing the client by name. Handling negative feedback is built on empathy without grovelling. Creative campaigns and the voice menu include wit with metaphors and sensory imagery.
Each level is described with examples: what 'yes' sounds like and what 'no' sounds like. An administrator or marketer does not have to guess what was intended.
A separate section: a ban list — specific phrases the Skinerica team no longer uses. 'Please note', 'your request has been received', 'we regret to inform you', 'we guarantee results'. In their place are living formulations: 'Thanks for reaching out!', 'We're looking into it', 'We can’t help with this, but we can offer…'
The document was adopted at the network’s strategy session, followed by an internal survey across branches.
Each level is described with examples: what 'yes' sounds like and what 'no' sounds like. An administrator or marketer does not have to guess what was intended.
A separate section: a ban list — specific phrases the Skinerica team no longer uses. 'Please note', 'your request has been received', 'we regret to inform you', 'we guarantee results'. In their place are living formulations: 'Thanks for reaching out!', 'We're looking into it', 'We can’t help with this, but we can offer…'
The document was adopted at the network’s strategy session, followed by an internal survey across branches.
- "For 15 years, we built expertise, but when it came to words, we got lost. Each branch spoke differently. Administrators used memorised phrases from the internet, and clients didn’t feel they were speaking to Skinerica. When I saw the final document, my first thought was to implement it as quickly as possible. What pleased me most was how accurately the team captured the character I myself project. It wasn’t easy to articulate, but the SICHKAR GROUP team heard it and formalised it."Елена БорисоваElena Borisova, Founder, Skinerica
- "From the start, this project was built not as 'we will invent a voice for you' but as 'we will listen to the voice you already speak'. The turning point came when Elena began working on her personal brand. We saw that the brand does not sound like a caring mentor, but like a confident woman who knows her worth. The 'Lover' archetype fit more accurately because it reflected the founder’s real character, not a constructed image."Ekaterina SichkarFounder Sichkar Group
What Can Be Measured After Implementing a Tone of Voice
Communication tone is by nature an intangible asset. Establishing a direct link between the document and revenue is difficult. But there are metrics the network can track:
- New administrator onboarding time. Before the project: training 'by feel', each mentor passing on their own habits. After: a new employee receives scripts with specific formulations. Measure: days until the first independent day at reception.
- Uniformity of communications. Mystery shopper method: call 3 branches, write to a messenger, leave a social media comment. Assess whether a single brand voice is recognisable.
- Conversion from initial inquiry to appointment. New scripts structure the dialogue: from greeting to appointment confirmation. Compare: percentage of bookings before and after script implementation.
Conclusion
Communication tone is one of the tools that separates a network brand from a collection of locations with the same sign. Skinerica completed this journey in 60 days: from 'sounding like everyone else' to a unified voice across 5 cities.
And the voice turned out not to be the one planned at the outset. The team’s willingness to pivot mid-project, rather than pushing through to a formal result, made the outcome more precise.
And the voice turned out not to be the one planned at the outset. The team’s willingness to pivot mid-project, rather than pushing through to a formal result, made the outcome more precise.
If your network has grown but communications remain 'makeshift', tell us about your challenge. We will analyse the situation and propose an approach on a free introductory call.
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Q&A
Doctors communicate as professionals. But the brand speaks not only through doctors. The receptionist, the chatbot, the social media post, the post-procedure email — these are all touchpoints. If each speaks with a different voice, the client does not form a connection with the brand. They form a connection with a specific doctor and leave when that doctor leaves.
Advertising texts could be swapped with any competitor and nothing would change. New employees are trained 'as it happens', copying their mentor’s habits. If you recognise yourself, it is time.
Change it. That is exactly what happened with Skinerica: we started with one archetype, but during the process saw that the brand’s real character was different. The ability to revisit a hypothesis halfway through is a sign of a mature approach, not a mistake.
Project Team
- SkinericaClient
- Ekaterina SichkarFounder, Creative Agency SICHKAR GROUP
- Viktoria BarinovaCreative Strategist
- Vladislav SkorobogatovSenior Designer
- Anastasia ProkuratovaDesigner
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