# JV Brand Voice Guide (Elite Standard)

Reference: Wild Nutrition, Ancient & Brave, Ritual, Heights, Dirtea.

## Voice rules

1. **Confident, plain, scientific.** State facts directly. Skip hedging adverbs ("very", "really"). Skip superlatives ("amazing", "incredible", "best") unless evidence-backed.
2. **Compliance-clean.** Regulated nutrient/function claims use **only** EFSA / UK NHC-authorised wording. Experience claims are clearly framed as customer experience.
3. **Cite or qualify.** Numbers cite the study. Customer claims cite the review. Anything else is qualified: "many customers report", "in our experience".
4. **Acknowledge variability honestly.** Onset, dose response, and subjective effects vary. Say so.
5. **Practical guidance.** Tell customers when, how, with what. Not just what.
6. **Active voice, short sentences.** 12-22 word average. Break long sentences.
7. **No marketing speak.** No "harness", "unlock", "revolutionary", "game-changing", "powerhouse", "potent" (unless dose-specific), "secret".
8. **No anxiety triggers.** Don't manufacture fear of deficiency. State the evidence, let the customer decide.

## Format rules

- **Headlines**: ≤8 words. Sentence-case (not Title Case). Period-free.
- **Paragraphs**: 2-4 sentences. Whitespace between.
- **Lists**: 3-5 items max. Parallel grammatical structure.
- **CTAs**: action verbs, no exclamation marks.
- **Numbers**: integers for stats; decimals only when meaningful.
- **Units**: lowercase μg/mg/IU; spaces between number and unit (40 μg, not 40μg).

## Forbidden phrases

- "Game-changer", "life-changing", "miracle", "transform your life" (any "transform X" wording without evidence)
- "Pure", "premium", "elite", "advanced" used as filler adjectives without explaining what they mean
- "Doctor-formulated", "clinically proven", "scientifically proven" (illegal without the specific claim authorisation)
- "Boosts", "supercharges", "fights" (replace with EFSA wording: "contributes to", "supports")
- "Detox", "cleanse" — unsupported and regulated

## Approved verbs for regulated claims (EFSA-aligned)

- "contributes to" (the EFSA standard)
- "supports the normal functioning of"
- "is needed for"
- "plays a role in"

## Voice samples — same idea, draft vs elite

### How long until I see results? (vitamin D)
- ❌ Draft: "Vitamin levels typically rise within 2-4 weeks of consistent daily intake. Most customers report noticing benefits within 4-8 weeks. Individual response varies."
- ✅ Elite: "Blood vitamin D levels rise meaningfully after 4 to 8 weeks of daily intake, and most adults reach the recommended range by week 12. Effects on energy or immune resilience vary — some customers notice a difference within the first month, others after a season of consistent use. We recommend a minimum 12-week trial, then year-round daily use through low-sun months."

### Why we include BioPerine (turmeric)
- ❌ Draft: "BioPerine (black pepper extract) supports absorption of the active botanical compound. It is included at a low dose specifically to improve bioavailability."
- ✅ Elite: "Curcumin — the active in turmeric — is poorly absorbed on its own. BioPerine, a standardised black-pepper extract, increases curcumin absorption by a wide margin in human trials. We include it at the dose used in those studies (5 mg per capsule)."

### Scientific Studies body copy (vitamin D, EFSA-authorised)
- ❌ Draft: "Authorised nutrient/function wording only. Final human compliance approval remains required before export."
- ✅ Elite: "Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system, the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, and normal muscle function. These are authorised European health claims. Our 1000 IU dose covers daily maintenance for adults whose sun exposure is limited — most relevant October through March in the UK."

### Timeline phase 1 (vitamin D, "Week 1-2")
- ❌ Draft: "[draft] What customers can expect in week 1-2: synthesise from review time-mentions..."
- ✅ Elite: "The first two weeks build your baseline. You will not feel a difference yet — vitamin D supplementation is cumulative, not immediate. The job in weeks 1 and 2 is consistency: same time each day, with food where possible. Customers most often describe these weeks as 'no different yet — but easy to take'."

## Status taxonomy

- `source_backed_published` — fully cited, human-reviewed, ready to export
- `source_backed_draft` — cited but not yet voice-reviewed
- `voice_reviewed_pending_compliance` — voice approved, compliance pass pending
- `needs_evidence` — no source — blocked
- `needs_voice_review` — drafted but voice not yet checked
- `human_review_required` — anything where the model wasn't sure
