The Airbus Purpose and Imperatives are the foundation for the Tone of Voice
Purpose
We pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world.
Long-term Ambition
We are Airbus, the leader in sustainable aerospace.
Imperatives
Unite and collaborate
Care and respect
Influence and pioneer
Imperative 1 – Unite and Collaborate
Tips
Simplify, simplify, simplify. Speak clearly, using short simple words.
‘Our global presence’ instead of ‘Our ubiquitous presence across the globe’
Use the active voice.
‘We guarantee production of the twin-engine jet fighter at least until 2030’ instead of ‘Production of the twin-engine jet fighter is assured at least until 2030’
We address our stakeholders directly. We use pronouns instead of general terms.
‘You helped us achieve our mission’ instead of ‘Our employees helped us achieve our mission’
Use gender neutral language, racial free language, ensuring inclusion.
‘Hello Everyone!’ instead of ‘Hello Guys’
We are mindful of and celebrate cultural differences.
Wishing ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas’
Imperative 2 – Care and Respect
Tips
We talk about the why, not just the what.
‘To help secure national sovereignty, we’ve delivered another 12 Eurofighters to the UK and Germany’ instead of ‘We’ve delivered another 12 Eurofighters’
We show understanding of our stakeholders’ needs.
‘We are helping our clients improve ventilation on board to make flying COVID-safe’
We create peace of mind.
Use phrases such as ‘we’re certain that’, ‘we know’ or ‘we understand’.
We communicate our values clearly.
‘Respect and Integrity are our principal values’
We don’t make things bigger than they are. We say it how it is.
‘Our new aircraft reduces carbon emissions by 12%’ rather than ‘our new aircraft drastically reduces carbon emissions’
Imperative 3 – Influence and Pioneer
Tips
We are bold in our word choice.
‘to take the capabilities of the armed forces to the next level’ rather than ‘to fulfil the armed forces’ current and upcoming needs’
We use adjectives that express our firm belief in what we do.
‘Together, we embark on this ground-breaking journey’ instead of ‘Together, we embark on this journey’
We share our visions clearly.
‘We imagine a future with carbon-free and recyclable planes. A future in which zero-e is the norm.’
We celebrate our achievements and include our employees in the centre of our storytelling.
Posts about workers completing innovative projects or developing new systems and technologies.
